What can you do with a degree in music production or music technology?Many hobbyist musicians and producers consider a degree in music technology because they’re passionate about honing their craft and dream of making music full-time. Happily, these versatile qualifications can unlock an incredibly wide variety of other paths too, blending creativity with technical expertise.
Whether you’re drawn to live sound, fascinated by the intricacies of audio post-production, or are eager to develop your own music software, a music technology degree equips you with the tools to break into these exciting fields and many more.

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If you’re just starting your research, you might not even realise some of these roles exist — but the career opportunities are vast and varied. Here is a list of potential job paths for music technology graduates, aiming to inspire you and show how you can turn your passion for music into a rewarding career.
Becoming an artist
We’ll start with the obvious — transforming your own musical endeavours into a profession. It’s definitely not an easy or certain path, but many music technology students dream of becoming the next chart-topping producer or DJing to sold-out crowds around the world.
Through a music technology degree, you’ll develop advanced skills for composing, mixing, and mastering your music and taking your ideas to their full potential. Some degrees also include modules related to the inner workings of the music industry, arming you with the knowledge to build a career as an artist. Of course, you’ll need an immense amount of dedication and perseverance, too!
A foley artist working in a studio. Image: EvgeniyShkolenko/Getty Images
Audio post-production
Those with a penchant for storytelling might consider a career in audio post-production. This diverse field plays a vital role in bringing films, TV shows, and digital content to life through the use of sound.
Roles on the more creative side include foley artists, who use everyday objects to recreate the sounds seen on screen, and soundtrack composers, who craft original music that elevates the emotional impact of a scene.
If you’re looking for a more technical position, you might consider dialogue editing, where you’ll be polishing performances using advanced tools like iZotope RX.
Seeking a more holistic role? The dubbing mixer is the person who layers dialogue, sound effects, and music into a polished final product that pulls the audience in.
Sound and lights panel console at a live gig. Image: guruXOOX/Getty Images
Live sound
As the lifeblood of any concert or event, live sound offers a range of exciting — and often challenging — roles to those with a music technology degree.
As a front-of-house (FOH) engineer, you’ll shoulder the mighty responsibility of what the audience hears. If you prefer working closer to the action, monitor engineers handle the customised mixes for performers to ensure they can hear exactly what’s required to deliver a stellar performance.
If you’re a bit of a gearhead, working with playback could be up your street — many of today’s live rigs run on Ableton Live and incorporate complex networks of MIDI devices and other hardware. You could even find your place as a lighting designer, many of whom got their start in music before discovering they had a knack for combining audio and visuals with a strong degree of musicality.
A keyboard lesson in a home setting. Image: hobo_018/Getty Images
Music educator
If you find joy in sharing your love of music with others, becoming a music educator might be your calling.
You could teach high-school music technology courses, or step into the role of a lecturer at a university, guiding the next generation of musicians and producers through the intricate world of music technology. What’s more, these institutes also need technicians to look after department equipment and resources if you’d rather sit behind the scenes.
For a more personal touch, tutoring lets you work one-to-one with students, helping them hone their skills and passion for music. You could even set up your own YouTube channel or Patreon to impart your music technology wisdom even further afield.
Video game sound designer
Another thrilling field many music technology graduates gravitate towards is video game sound design.
You might find yourself creating sound effects and ambiences that bring game environments to life, to crafting original scores that set the tone and mood for different scenarios.
The technical aspect makes video game sound design even more exciting. Unlike TV and film audio, where everything is laid out against the footage, integrating sound assets into a game requires a more interactive approach where effects and music trigger at the correct times during gameplay. If you’re interested in this area, you might want to get some experience writing code or using industry-standard software like Wwise.
An audio engineer recording a vocalist in a studio. Image: shironosov/Getty Images
Studio work
Fancy a spot in the studio hot seat? With a music technology degree, you could embark on a career in the world of commercially recording music.
From technically focused audio engineers who ensure the studio session runs smoothly for clients, to mixing and mastering engineers who deliver a radio-ready final product, there are many hats you can wear in this field.
You could specialise in a single area you’re particularly passionate about, or become a jack-of-all-trades producer who can take an artist all the way from rough ideas and demos to a polished recording. For those who thrive on creativity and collaboration, studio work offers a blend of technical precision and artistic expression.
Music software developer
Perhaps the career most emblematic of the words ‘music’ and ‘technology’ is that of a music software developer. Typically, this path involves creating the tools that musicians and producers use every day — but the possibilities are endless.
You could be developing digital audio workstations (DAWs) that enable people to record, edit, and produce music. Or, you could design plugins and virtual instruments that help them unleash their creativity through innovative effects or inspiring synthesisers.
On a simpler level, you could even just create and sell patches for platforms like Max/MSP and Reaktor — many musicians use this as a side hustle. Mobile app development is another area worth exploring. In any case, this career path is ideal for individuals who enjoy coding and want to have an impact on the musical creation process.
Working for audio brands
If you’re a little more hands-on, working for a gear company could be a good fit, with music technology graduates in demand at companies that design and manufacture everything from microphones to mixing consoles.
Like many on this list, audio gear is a pretty varied field to get into. You might hold a role as a product specialist or a salesperson, who knows the ins and outs of the hardware and can explain its features to potential customers. Or, you could work as a technician who provides support and maintenance for gear used in studios, live venues, and other settings.
One particularly exciting area is product development. Like audio software developers, you’ll be shaping the creation process by collaborating with engineers to deliver innovative hardware tools that musicians and producers rely on.
An A&R working with a mix engineer. Image: Tashi-Delek/Getty Images
Record labels, A&R and PR
A music technology degree can open doors to the business side of the music industry too, particularly within record labels. You could work as an A&R (artists and repertoire), discovering and nurturing new talent while helping artists develop their sound. On the publishing side, licensing and sync specialists manage the rights and permissions for music used in films, TV shows, adverts, and other media.
You might even consider starting your own label if you’ve got a more entrepreneurial spirit, allowing you to support artists and shape the landscape of a particular scene. Many smaller independent labels — particularly those dedicated to niche or underground subgenres within electronic music — are run by those with music technology or production backgrounds.
Acoustic design
Those with a keen interest in the physical, real-world side of audio could consider a career in acoustic design. Here, you’ll be optimising sound within various environments in a highly specialised role.
For example, you could be designing spaces like concert halls, theatres, and recording studios to achieve optimal sound quality, or configuring audio systems for venues to ensure clear and balanced sound distribution. In any case, you’ll need significant technical know-how and a creative mindset for problem-solving.
Audio forensics
A more unusual role you might not have considered is audio forensics, where sound expertise is applied to legal and investigative contexts. With a music technology degree, you could work as a forensic audio analyst, enhancing audio recordings for use in legal cases, analysing audio evidence from crime scenes, or providing testimony in court as an expert witness.
If you’re interested in applying your audio processing skills to important real-world situations, audio forensics could be a highly rewarding career path.
A journalist working on an article. Image: Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images
Music technology journalist
For those who love writing, a career as a music technology journalist is one to consider. The field is broad, encompassing articles, reviews, and guides on the latest gear, trends, and techniques in the industry.
In fact, many of us who write for industry magazines and websites — MusicTech included — began our journeys with a degree in music technology. Our studies gave us the technical foundation and industry insight needed to inform and inspire our readers.
Music technology journalism not only allows you to stay connected with the latest developments but lets you contribute to the community by sharing your knowledge and passion. It’s a role that works well as a side gig alongside another career too, whether that’s in music technology or something entirely different. Who knows — you might even attend high-profile industry events like NAMM, SXSW, and ADE.
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