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“Finding Your Career Path in the Modern Audio Industry” offers an introduction to many topics related to working in the industry – networking, business relationships, sales & marketing, setting rates, accounting, how to get into different disciplines (from live sound to creating products) and much more. Here are a variety of resources to continue learning about topics covered in the book.
Business
- April Tucker’s Business & Audio Careers blog posts
- (Actual) Helpful Words on Email – Nadia Wheaton (sample emails for contacting other professionals)
- Creative Self Marketing Ideas for the Audio Professional – Kate Finan
- Successful Freelancing in Game Audio – Akash Thakkar, GDC video presentation (advice applies beyond game audio)
- Sound Design Live Podcast (lots of great interviews and advice on starting a career in live sound)
- The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast (interviews with music production professionals about business)
- Contracts – Tape Op
Rates, Budgets & Accounting
- A Short Guide to Freelance Rates – and What to Charge For Your Work – Xavier Coelho-Kostolny, A Sound Effect blog
- How to Set (And Get) the Right Price for Your Audio Work – Kate Finan, A Sound Effect blog
- Wage Calculator by TSDCA. This is designed for theatrical assistant sound designers, but can be modified to help set rates in other work.
- Estimates for Post Production Sound – April Tucker
- How to Budget and Record an Album in 2017: Three Approaches to Breaking Down the Cost – Sonic Scoop
- Student Loans/Student Debt – April Tucker, SoundGirls
- Signal to Noise Podcast: Money, Money, Money with Willa Snow & Samantha Potter
- Freelance Taxation: Taxes for Freelancers & Artists
Game Audio
- Aaron Marks’ Complete Guide to Game Audio (for Composers, Sound Designers, Musicians, and Game Developers) – Aaron Marks
- The Bible of Getting a Job in Game Audio, Compiled and edited by Florian Titus Ardelean, Sound Designer at Cinesound Europe
- THNEA Webinar: Breaking into the Game Audio World with Alison Ho and Kristen Quinn (YouTube)
- Power Up Audio on Twitch.tv (critiques of reels)
- An Introduction to Game Audio – Javier Zumer
- Sound Design Job Interview Questions – Javier Zumer
- Don’t D-I-E at GDC: Getting the Most Out of the Game Developers Conference – Ryan Ike
- GDC is Like a Box of Chocolates: You Never Know What You’re Going to Get – Megan Frazier, A Sound Effect blog
- Four Effective Ways to Break Into Game Audio – Adam Croft, A Sound Effect Blog
- How to Break Into the Professional Audio Industry – Find and Keep Your First Video Game Jobs and Recording Studio Jobs – Aaron Brown
- How to Stand Out When Applying for a Job in Game Audio – Matthew Florianz, LinkedIn
- Game Audio Job Skills – How to Get Hired as a Game Sound Designer – Brian Schmidt, GameSoundCon
- Akash Thakkar YouTube channel
Live Sound
- What Does a Sound Engineer Do? from SoundGirls.org
- Girl on the Road: How to Break Into Touring from a Female Perspective – Claire Murphy
- The Production Academy (site and YouTube channel)
- Sound Design Live (site and podcast)
- Get On Tour: A Sound Engineer’s Guide – Sound Design Live (book with advice from 12 professionals)
- Signal to Noise Podcast
- RF Tips According to Steve Caldwell – Shure (RF as a job/career path)
Music Production
- The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast
- How Chris Graham Grew His Mastering Studio To Six Figures Using Google Ads And Apple Scripts – Six Figure Home Studio Podcast
- What Is Music Production?: A Producers Guide: The Role, the People, the Process by Russ Hepworth-Sawyer, Craig Golding
- Audio Recording for Profit: The Sound of Money – Chris Stone (this book was published in 2000 but has good perspective and business advice)
Sound for Picture (and Broadcast)
- Behind the Sound Cart: A Veteran’s Guide to Sound on the Set – Patrushkha Mierzwa
- The Utility Sound Tech – Local 695 magazine (production sound)
- What Every Sound Utility Should Know Walking on Set – No Film School
- Interview with Production Sound Mixer Pete Bailey – Rycote
- April Tucker’s Post-Production Business blog posts
- Broadcast Engineer – SoundGirls.org
Theater Sound
- Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA)
- Shop Prep 101 – Becca Stoll/SoundGirls.org
Career Paths
- Career Roles – Descriptions of different careers by Berklee
- Should You Go to School for Audio? Signal to Noise Podcast episode 44
- What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers – Richard Nelson Bolles
- From the Sound Up: How to Relocate to the Hottest Music Hubs in the World – Sound Design Live podcast