An Excerpt from “Finding Your Career in the Modern Audio Industry“
There are ten steps to be better prepared for work opportunities regardless of your pursuit in the audio industry. These steps are important for a number of reasons:
- It is a lot easier to get business logistics sorted out before you are offered opportunities (or are busy with work).
- Your country may have a legal definition for what is considered a hobby and what is considered a business. If you are not required to do anything now, you’ll at least know when you do need to make your business official later.
- Depending where you live, there may be penalties and fees for not filing paperwork before starting to operate a business. There may also be fees for not filing taxes on time (or not filing at all).
The 10 Steps
- Decide on a trade name (if using one)
- Set up a business entity/register for taxes
- Setup professional communication and contact methods
- Create a website
- Curate your online presence
- Create a demo of your work
- Have a basic invoice ready to use
- Set up a time tracking system
- Create a resume/CV and credit list
- Start your business plan
1. Decide on a trade name
A trade name is a fictitious name used to operate a business. Some countries have a term for this, such as “Doing Business As” (DBA) in the U.S., “operating as” (o/a) in Canada, or “yagō” in Japan. In the U.K., this is called a “business name.” If you want like to operate your business with a trade name, you may be required to file paperwork and pay a fee. Tips:
- Choose a trade name that is easy to spell, pronounce, and can easily be remembered.
- When choosing a trade name, consider if it could be limiting in any way. If “Mix” or “Audio” is in the name and you do more than mixing or audio (now or later), will that be an issue? Is it a name you could be happy with in 10 or 20 years?
- If you will have a website of the same name, search for the domain name for availability and yearly fees. Some domain names cost much more than others.
- Check if the name is available as a handle on social media platforms you plan to use for your business.
- Do a web search for the name to see if there are any companies with the same name or similar name or who might create confusion with people trying to find you. There can be legal implications when using a business name that is already taken somewhere else.
2. Set up a business entity/register for taxes
A business entity is an organization created to operate a business. “Entity” refers only to the structure of the business (who owns it and who is liable for it). You may be required to choose a business entity when you start your business. There are hundreds of terms used for business entities worldwide (LLC, LLP, GmbH, corporation, partnership, to name a few), so it is necessary to look into the entities specific to where you live. Some business entities are designed for people working on their own. For example, in the U.S., a self-employed individual is a “sole-proprietor” and in the U.K., a “sole trader”.
To learn more about business entities, check with an accountant and your government’s websites for taxes or business licenses. Your country or region may also have an official site or program to help small businesses. The types of questions to ask:
- What is the best structure for my business if I am working for myself with no employees?
- What would be the best business structure for the amount of income I expect to earn?
- Do I need to do anything to setup to pay taxes?
- Is there any work I can or can’t take under this business structure? For example, can a corporation (such as a record label) pay your business as that entity?
- What are the liability risks? Am I at risk if someone sues me or a client gets physically hurt while working with me?
- Does my city have any requirements for a business license or certificate?
3. Setup professional communication and contact methods
Professionals and potential clients will need methods to reach you. A professionally-named email address for work purposes sets the tone for professionals who may work with you (addresses such as “awesomeaudiodude” or “JTGames07” are not confidence-building email names). Social media accounts and LinkedIn are other methods people may seek you out to communicate.
While clever and unique cards can be a topic of conversation, business cards are ultimately meant to be disposable. Quality is important, but a business card is not an area to go overboard on time, effort or expense. When you are getting started, it is not necessary to print a large number of cards. It is possible you may decide to change your discipline, target work, or trade name.
4. Create A Website
For an audio professional, a website can act as a visual resume. A basic website for an audio professional should (at a minimum) include your primary services, where you are located, samples of your work (if needed), and how to contact you. There are free website builders available online as well as low-cost options that include hosting and require no prior website design experience.
For those who enjoy writing, blog posts are a way for potential clients and other professionals get to know you and your work.
5. Curating Your Online Presence
Any potential client (or future employer) could search for you online – and many do. Search for your name online (in search engines and social media sites) to have an idea what others may see (including photos). Delete (or make private) posts and information about you that could be seen as unfavorable or inappropriate for work. Some social media accounts show up in search engines and can be a simple way to start crafting a web presence. If you create content (such as a blog post, podcast, or YouTube videos) these can also appear in searches.
Reviewing yourself online can give a picture of what others see when evaluating you for work. How would you act and behave on the job? Are you trustworthy and dependable? By curating your online presence, employers and potential clients can get a sense of your personality, interests, creativity, professionalism, and your experience before meeting you. Examples of things that can negatively affect your online image (and ability to land work): speaking poorly about other people (especially past employers, co-workers, or clients), signs of racism, alcoholism or drug abuse, or discrimination/bias. Potential employers will also look for signs of false information or anything that differs from your resume.
Potential clients or employers may be in a different generation than you, may favor different social media platforms, and may have very different social media habits. Some may view lack of privacy, oversharing, posting too much/too often, too many selfies, or revealing/unprofessional personal pictures as unprofessional.
6. Create A Demo of Your Work
A demo is a brief collection of projects to show your work abilities. Not all disciplines will require a demo (demos are most relevant for game audio, podcast editing, and music production). A demo will change over time, and it will be revised as you do more (and better quality) projects.
When sharing the creative work of others (both in-progress and complete), be aware of who owns the copyright and to ask permission before posting online. If you are doing a re-design or re-mix (where you did not work on the released product), it should be clearly labeled so no one perceives you as taking credit for something you did not work on. Student projects or personal projects (such as recording and editing your own podcast) can be used as part of a demo when you do not have professional projects to use yet.
7. Have a basic invoice ready to use
As a freelancer, you will be sending invoices to your clients. An invoice is a document which states how much a client needs to pay for work you have performed. An invoice can be created through a free template (found online), software, apps, or online service (some offer basic services for free). It is better to have an invoicing system in place before you land a gig so you can focus completely on your work.
8. Set up a time tracking system
Early in your career, you may not know how much time it will take you to edit a podcast, write a song, or do sound design for a project. Knowing this (through time tracking) can help you better gauge whether you are being paid fairly for a project. Time tracking is also necessary for billing and invoicing (if you are charging a client by the hour). A time tracking system could be as simple as a document, spreadsheet, or a time tracking app.
9. Create a Resume/CV and Credit List
In the audio industry, a resume or CV (curriculum vitae) can be more of an introduction to other professionals than a means of landing work. Not every job or gig will require one. The length, format (whether you need a CV, resume, or both), and details included can vary from country to country, so it is important to learn what is the norm where you will be seeking work.
An emerging professional will not have a resume or CV full of professional experience. For emerging professionals, relevant skills or experience stand out. For a resume for touring work, include if you have a valid passport, if you have any sort of criminal record (that would limit your ability to work or travel), or if you have a license that allows you to drive a truck.
A credit list is a compiled list of the projects you have worked on and your role on each. A credit list could be displayed on your website, or possibly included with your resume/CV. There are also websites that maintain professional credits like allmusic.com or discogs.com (for music) and iMDB.com (for film/tv). To some potential clients, your credit list may carry more weight than your resume.
10. Start Your Business Plan
A business plan is a document laying out future goals of a business and how they will be achieved. Traditionally, a business plan involves an analysis of the market and a plan for operations, management, marketing, and finance. A formal and detailed business plan is excessive for most emerging professionals (in the audio industry), but the fundamental ideas are relevant:
- Target what work to seek out
- Have a plan how to find potential clients and ways to communicate with them
- Identify professionals who can help you
- Have a plan how to sustain financially as you are getting started
- Identify how you can differentiate from your competition