How To Become A Singer: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Steps, Abroad, Jobs, Scope, Salary 2023

Q: What are the course fees of masters in music and singing?

The course fee for the masters course is INR 1,180 - INR 1,10,000 yearly.

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In simple language, singers are trained and professional artists who perform on stage as well as lend their voice on behalf of actors and actresses for movies and albums. As the name suggests, the basic job of a singer is to sing, however apart from this a singer is also in charge of learning, recoding and memorising songs, collaborating with music composers and movie producers. Singers must be skilled at fine tuning craft through singing exercises and vocal training. In India, there is a huge scope for candidates aspiring to become a singer. Various media channels who organize singing competitions not only help them identify talents throughout the country but also gives them a platform to showcase their talents and upskill themsleves.

In order to become a singer candidates may pursue various Undergraduate and Postgraduate music courses such as BA Music or MA Music. India is home to several top music colleges who enroll students on the basis of merit as well as certain colleges grant admission on the basis of entrance exams that are conducted. Music courses are available as various certifications, diplomas, undergraduate, and postgraduate degree programs. The average course fee to become a singer ranges between INR 15,000 to 2 LPA. After successfully becoming a singer, candidates can earn an average salary of INR 3 - 9 LPA.

Table of Contents

All about Career as a Singer

1.1 What does a Singer do

Steps to Become a Singer
How to Become a Singer in India
Courses to Become a Singer
How to Become a Singer Abroad

5.1 USA

5.2 Canada

5.3 UK

5.4 Australia

Benefits of becoming a Singer
Skills Required to Become a Singer
Salary of a Singer
How to Become a Singer: FAQs

All About Career as a Singer

Industry	Music and singing
Courses available	Diploma, Graduation, Post Graduation
Duration	2-3 years
Average Fees	INR 15,000 – INR 2 LPA
Average salary	INR 2-9 LPA
Top Recruiters	S&P Capital IQ, IBM, TCS, Tour and Travel Unit, Indian Film Industry, etc.
Job opportunities	Artist & Repertoire Person, Leader of a Band, Composer, show advertiser, Radio Jockey, songwriter, Music Critic, promotion professional, Musician, Teacher, Publisher, artist, etc

What does a Singer do

Musicians and singers have to perform at concerts or live programs with any musical instruments. The music styles they are involved in are opera, jazz, classical, rock or hip-hop.

Some of the duties are enumerated below:

To give their performances in live concerts or for recording.
They are also made to audition for some particular roles in the music industry like playing in orchestras, singing choruses, performing with bands, and playback singers.
To practice their skills of playing musical instruments for the better.
They also have to involve themselves in advertising and releasing their photoshoots and interviews.

Steps to Follow to Become a Singer

There are a few steps a person willing to take up a career in the music and singing industry must follow.

Step 1 – Education: There is no higher secondary education required to pursue this career. Most of the people in this field are intermediate pass. But, there are some musicians and singers who are involved with opera and jazz who have a bachelor’s degree. It’s better to have a bachelor’s degree so that in the future if the person wants to teach, he can apply for the teaching license. Various undergraduate music courses teach students about the various kinds of music and their styles, how to use a musical instrument, how to put an expression according to the music and notes of the music. They are also taught about how to choose the words and phrases in a song helping the students to sing opera in different languages. There are so many people leading towards the study of master in fine arts and music.
Step 2 – Training: Candidates aspiring to become singers have to put in a lot of hard work and long hours of training to get the best out of their efforts. Music cannot be sung or played without having to know about its proper skills and knowledge and most importantly practice. Musicians and singers have to be thorough with their skills and talents of using the instruments. There are so many classes for these people to provide them opportunities to learn more and grow and also a chance to perform for some programs.

How to Become a Singer in India

Here is the guide for becoming a singer in India.

Education

To become a singer in India demands certain criteria like:

The person shall be having a bachelor’s degree in music. There are post-graduation courses as well for the ones who look for advancements in this particular field.
The education for music is provided by many governments and private art colleges.

Know More: Music Certificate Courses

How to Become a Singer after 12th

The eligible candidates pursuing music as a career should be 10 + 2 pass out with music or singing as major is either 10th or 12th and take up a BA in music for further education, the duration of different music courses is as follows:

Diploma or certificate courses – Maximum of 2 years
Undergraduate courses – 3 years
Postgraduate courses – 2 years

Courses to become a Singer

There are several Certificate, Diploma , Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses that can be pursued in order to become a singer. Some of the top most pursued courses for making a career as a singers are tabulated below for your reference, along with their necessary prerequisites.

Diploma in Music

Parameters	Details
Course	Diploma in Music
Duration	3 months to 3 years
Eligibility	Completed higher secondary education or Bachelor’s level qualified
Admission process	On the basis of the score obtained in class 12 or higher secondary education
Course fee	INR 15,000 to 2 Lakh yearly
Average salary	INR 2 to 9 LPA yearly
Job roles	Advertising Specialist, Artist & Repertoire (A&R) Person, Band Leader, Composer/Arranger, Concert Promoter, Copywriter, Copyright Specialist, reviewer, Disc Jockey, Editor Musician, Engineer/Mixer, Film Music Director/Editor, Instrument Design/Restoration, Lobbyist, Manager, etc.

BA in Music

PARAMETERS	DETAILS
Course	BA in Music
Duration	3 years
Eligibility	12th pass out with any subject with a score of at least 50%
Admission process	on the basis of merit/ entrance examination
Entrance exam	Annamalai University Entrance examination, BHU of Performing Arts Entrance examination, BU Entrance examination, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Entrance examination
Course fee	INR 2,000 to 1 LPA yearly
Average salary	INR 3 to 10 LPA
Job roles	Band head, writer, Music reviewer, lead singer, Recording Technician

MA in Music

Parameters	Details
Course	MA in Music
Duration	2 years
Eligibility Criteria	A student with a bachelor's degree in Music Honors or Music
Admission procedure	On the basis of the Merit/ Entrance test
Entrance Exam	BHU PET, DUET, MGU CAT, and so on
Fees	INR 1,180 - INR 1,10,000 yearly
Average Salary	INR 6,500 to INR 18,000 monthly
Job Roles	Professor, Music Manager, Radio Jockey, Song Director, Singers in movies

M.Phil In Music

Parameters	Details
Course	M.Phil In Music
Duration	1-2 years
Eligibility	Masters degree from an accredited college
Admission process	Entrance examination
Entrance test	JNUEE, GATE, UGC NET, and so on
Course fee	INR 10,000-60,000 yearly
Average salary	INR 3-7 LPA yearly
Job roles	Music counselor, creator, Music Librarian, group Master, etc.

Ph.D. in Music

Parameters	Details
Course	Ph.D. in Music
Duration	3-5 years
Eligibility	Masters from an accredited college
Admission process	An Interview after an Entrance test.
Entrance test	UGC-NET, BHU RET.
Course fee	INR 20,000 to INR 1,00,000 yearly
Average salary	INR 3,00,000 to INR 5,00,000 yearly
Job roles	Musician, professor, Image experts, Illustrator, stylist, investigator

How to Become a Singer Abroad

To become a singer abroad, candidates must fulfill the educational requirements required by each country.

USA

College name	Average Fees (INR)
Stanford University, California	54.62 L
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology - [MIT], Massachusetts	38.04 L
The University Of Chicago - [UChicago], Illinois	41.38 L
Princeton University, New Jersey	36.51 L
University Of Pennsylvania - [UPENN], Pennsylvania	39.26 L

Canada

College name	Average Fees (INR)
University Of Toronto, Toronto	33.68 L
University Of Montreal, Montreal	10.62 L
University Of Alberta, Edmonton	16.33 L
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario	19.73 L
University Of Calgary, Calgary	9.88 L

UK

College name	Average Fees (INR)
University Of Cambridge, Cambridge	28.04 L
University College London, London	20.51 L
University Of Edinburgh, Edinburgh	27.60 L
King's College London, London	23.90 L
University Of Manchester, Manchester	19.53 L

Australia

College name	Average Fees (INR)
Australian National University, Canberra	18.82 L
University Of Melbourne, Melbourne	16.11 L
University Of Sydney, Sydney	19.87 L
Monash University, Melbourne	24.11 L
University Of Queensland, Brisbane	18.76 L

Benefits of Becoming a Singer

The following are some of the benefits of becoming a singer.

Musical Therapy: What you play on the musical instrument is up to you, and you can play and create any type of music you want. In other words, you can use music to express your inner feelings. Musical therapy is a well-known phenomenon that helps to relieve stress.
Fame: A piece of good music will get you fans worldwide Fame brings more contracts to you. Thus, helping you earn an unimaginable amount of money.
Travelling: A Musician or a singer performs several concerts in different countries all over the world. You’ll get a chance to visit abroad to perform in order to satisfy and make your international fans happy.

Skills Required To Become A Singer

Motivation	Perseverance
Strength	Determination
Teamwork	Confidence
Self-control	Innovative

Salary of a singer

The following section highlights the salary trends of musicians and singers in India.

Specialization Wise

There are various job roles for the musicians and singers to pursue after the completion of the degree, they are

Job Roles	Average Annual Salary
Music producers	INR 5 L
Lead singer in a Band	INR 3 L
Broadcast Sound	INR 2 L
Songwriter	INR 4 L
Singer	INR 8 L

Experience-Wise

Experience	Average Annual Salary
Fresher	INR 6.50 L
Mid-level	INR 7.50 L
Experienced	INR 11.50 L

How to Become a Singer: FAQs

Ques. What is the duration of the course of B.A. in Music?

Ans. The duration of the course is 3 years with 6 semesters in total. Some colleges offer a course of 4 years as well.

Ques. How do I get admission to music institutes?

Ans. Shortlist the colleges and go through their eligibility criteria, if the student fits under the mentioned criteria, they can get admission to the college they like. Some colleges take a common entrance test, which is mandatory to take. Scoring well in the test can help in admission to those colleges.

Ques. Does the music therapist make a decent living?

Ans. The salary of any artist differs with place. A music therapist makes a decent living. The income is around INR 10 lakh to 25 lakh yearly.

Ques. What is the course duration of PhD in music?

Ans. The course is of 3-5 years duration. The completion of the course is dependent on the submission of the thesis.

Ques. What is the average package of a musician after completing.D.?

Ans. The standard salary varies from INR 3, 00,000 to INR 5, 00,000 yearly.

Ques. What are the best colleges to study music?

Ans. The top best colleges for studying music and singing are Hindu college, Miranda House College, Ramjas College, Christ University, Indraprastha college for women.

Ques. What are the course fees of masters in music and singing?

Ans. The course fee for the master’s course is INR 1,180 - INR 1,10,000 yearly.