How To Become A Music Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a music writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted Expert

Emily Griesinger Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a music writer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.86 an hour? That's $68,348 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 2,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Music Writer?

Emily Griesinger Ph.D.

Professor of English, Azusa Pacific University

I would say "don't give up" because your literacy gifts are especially needed right now. Those who have done excellent critical thinking and writing as English majors can make persuasive arguments and discern the credibility of arguments being consumed by others, who may not be so discerning. Based on years of reading and interpreting great literature, you can "read" characters, why people do what they do, and the capacity to imagine the joys and sorrows of other human beings. So, my general advice would be to consider how to market such skills in creative ways for the common good.

ScoreMusic WriterUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $68,348

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.7

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 5.27%

Black or African American 5.62%

Hispanic or Latino 9.49%

Unknown 4.75%

White 74.69%

Gender

female 36.33%

male 63.67%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress Level

4.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.5

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a music writer

Explore music writer education requirements

Most common music writer degrees

Bachelor's

84.5 %

Master's

5.3 %

Associate

5.3 %

Start to develop specific music writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Conduct Interviews	22.37%
Music Scene	21.32%
Fiction	7.80%
SEO	7.79%
Facebook	7.32%

Complete relevant music writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New music writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a music writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real music writer resumes.

Research music writer duties and responsibilities

Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
Research and publish original multi-media reviews in HTML.
Pitch, write and photograph audience-aligned content, which are centered on the European-American luxury lifestyle in the greater Chicago area
Train in digital media literacy at USC summer program.

Prepare your music writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your music writer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a music writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Music Writer Resume templates

Build a professional Music Writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Music Writer resume.

Apply for music writer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a music writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do music writers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Music Writer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2023

Pros

You get to meet interesting people, go to shows and if you are passionate about music it’s a goldmine

Cons

Bad pay, if you are not working for a major or have a hit songwriter on your roster your company will go out of business. You need a hit to cover overhead and there are not that many slots on the radio. It’s worth it if you work for a great company. If you don’t RUN!!!

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019