Do you have a passion for singing? Would you like to turn this into a paid job? There are lots of ways to get started and earn money as a singer, some jobs even let you live overseas or travel the world.
How to Start a Singing Career
As a singer if you are just getting started you could start your own social media channels to showcase your talent on websites like YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, or start a portfolio of your work on Spotify.
You will need to find your niche as there are so many different types of music, from singing jazz to pop to rock and roll. You might want to register with agencies, some agents recruit singers and are always on the lookout for talent and this can help making the job search easier.
Where to Find Work
There are lots of places to seek employment, near to where you live and exotic destinations around the global. You can work in the music industry as a singer, a backing singer, in a band, a vocal coach, a musician, DJ, karaoke host, in theatre, at theme parks, on tv, hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants, clubs and many more places.
Near to where you live you will probably be able top find pubs which hire singers, whilst in the entertainment industry singers are also needed all year round. Contracts vary from full-time to freelance and salaries really depend on the employer and role.
Travel Singing Jobs
If you have the talent you could get hired to work as a backing singer for a famous musician or band, imagine going on tour with Taylor Swift and playing huge venues around the world!
If you do have a desire to escape your home town or city and you want to travel without the expense, working on a cruise ship could be for you.
Cruise companies hire singers, bands and staff to entertain passengers. Some cruises offer singing jobs abroad requiring no previous professional experience but you will usually need to demonstrate your vocal skills. Salaries can vary, but this also includes accommodation and meals so it is a great job to save money and see the world.
If you are looking to travel and looking for flexible backpacking jobs, you could busk as a singer whilst on the road, or perform in hotels and hostels. This isn’t a guarantee income, but it a way to earn money whilst travelling.
Summer Singing Jobs
If you are looking for a temporary singing job over the summer period you could work at summer camps helping children and people improve their vocal skills. These jobs can be found predominantly in North America and Europe and are a lot of fun and very popular with students and graduates.
In the tourism and hotel industry you can also find singing jobs for the busy summer period which can be a great way to live in popular holiday hotspots, get paid and get the lifestyle which goes with it. Big hotel resort chains in places like Mallorca and Tenerife hire singers to entertain guests from March to November.
World famous bars and clubs in destinations like Ibiza also hire singers and dancers which can be a dream job. In the UK holiday camps and resorts like Butlins hire singers and entertainers which is a popular position and a great way to build confidence and start a career – some of the famous names on tv have started out like this.