Tips for Becoming a Sound Effects Designer or Music Composer

by: SFXsource
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Creating a professional career as a music composer or sound designer for television, new media, and film is a challenging undertaking. Though the licensing of original music and sound occurs daily throughout the world, an aspiring musician may be overwhelmed on where or how to pursue a career in audio that results in actual financial and personal success. The 7 steps that follow outline an efficient and effective means of moving from a hopeful professional to an respected and paid industry participant.

1. Take the totality of your mixes and sounds and create a demo CD or online posting of 30 second clips organized by mood, genre, etc. to hand out to interested producers who need audio.

2. Make a website that has demo samples, credits to date, a brief but telling bio, and a video reel if possible.

3. Armed with your demo and website, seek out free or low paying gigs in order to gain credits and experience, build your resume, and establish business relationships for the future.

4. Create a databank of prospects who have money for music and sound by contacting animators, producers, video editors, directors, and post-production companies. Discover these helpful folks by finding gigs on online posts, joining professional organization, asking friends and family, networking through film group forums, and cold emailing.

5. Follow up on prospects and check in every few months via email and send out a periodic e-newsletter regarding your work, your services, and interesting industry information or tips.

6. Continue to learn different aspects of the audio industry such as audio sweetening and technical skills such as video conversion, FTP use, and sample rate and file conversion.

7. Make sure your music license agreements and invoicing system is ready to go as the clients and inquiries begin to roll in.

Follow the above 7 steps to create a career as a music composer and sound effects designer out of thin air. The clients are out there in all forms and music is needed everywhere and with the world wide web the entire world is literally at your fingertips. The above process from start to finish may take two to three years of determined effort, but it will work if your talent and skills are up to par. The demand for music and audio is great but elusive. However, when your preparation meets the opportunities you create, your career will catapult.

About the Author

Visit SFXsource's sound effect library and listen to great sounds at Sound Effects Library and download free sounds and samples at Free Sound Effects and Loops  

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