How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger: Career, Courses, Types, Steps, Skills, Scope, Jobs

Steps to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger

Mentioned below are few of the most crucial steps that should be followed in order to become a successful music composer and arranger,

• Decision Making - Making a career in the music industry is not impossible but also not easy. One needs to put in a lot of hard work to train themselves to be able to compose songs on their own and incorporate rhythm in it to make it a perfect melody. And even after getting a degree and immaculate training sessions, a good pay career is not guaranteed. Therefore, if one needs to make it big in the music industry as a composer and an arranger, they need to have a lot of patience apart from being passionate, creative and skilled. If one thinks that they possess all of the skills mentioned here, then they surely can go ahead and pursue being a composer and an arranger.
• Subject choices in 12th - There aren’t any specific subjects that the aspirant would need to pursue a degree in music. Therefore, anyone irrespective of the stream can pursue a career of being a composer and an arranger if they possess the requisite skill, talent and creativity. However, a training certificate of music by any recognized institute or Guru will be beneficial to the candidate during the process of admission. 
• Entrance Examination - Most of the colleges take Practical Examination wherein the candidates are asked to either sing or play their desired instruments. However, some colleges also take admission in the course solely based on merit of class 12. Therefore, make sure to check the college’s website beforehand in case they take admission through merit of class 12 or entrance examination. 
• After qualifying the Entrance Examination - After qualifying entrance examination, colleges will release the merit list. In case the students score more than the cut-off or they’re name is present in the merit list, then they can take admission in the college.
• Choosing the Perfect College - After qualifying the entrance, students can check the placement record and faculty of the colleges they’re eligible for. Depending upon the rank and facilities candidates can rank the colleges according to their preferences and seek admission in the one they feel is right. After taking admission, they can start their musical journey with determination and passion to make a brightful career ahead. 

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger in India

To become a music composer and an arranger in India, students need to follow the below given steps.

School Level Preparation

The candidates must have qualified 10+2 with a minimum aggregate of 55% from a recognized board. The applicant can be from any stream, however, they should have some prior musical training or certificate from a recognized institution or Guru.

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger After 12th

The points below will discuss the steps that are to be taken up for becoming a music composer and arranger post completing class 12th board examination,

Undergraduate Level Preparation

The applicant after qualifying 12 with the required percentage can pursue graduation in Bachelor of Arts in Music or Bachelor in Performing Arts in Music. The program is of 3 year duration and the admission to the course varies from college to college. It can be based on merit, physical entrance examination or audition depending upon the college. For entrance based colleges, some of the entrance examinations are BHU-UET, DUET, Bhatkhande Music Institute Entrance Exam, etc.

Postgraduate Level Preparation

After pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Music or Bachelor in Performing Arts in Music from a recognized college/university, the applicant can go for PG courses like MA in Music Composition. To take admission in a reputed college for the course, students will have to appear for the entrance examination which can be written as well as physical in the form of auditions where candidates will be either required to sing or play an instrument or write composition of a music.

Courses to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger

To become a music composer and an arranger in India, students can pursue the following degrees to gain some knowledge about the history and rhythm of music. The following degrees are also useful in enhancing and exploring one’s instrumental skills as well as in learning advanced music composition technology. The degrees are -:

Bachelor of Arts in Music (BA in Music)

• Bachelor of Arts in Music is a 3 year undergraduate degree that teaches students about Literature and history of music with special emphasis on vocal and pitch training. The overall course consists of lessons on theoretical aspects of music as well as composition and sound recording. 
• Students aspiring to take admission in this 3 year program must have scored a minimum aggregate of 50% of marks including music as one of the subjects.
• If the candidate did not have music as one of the subjects in HSC or equivalent examination, then they must have learnt music for a minimum duration of 3 years from a recognized institution or from a well recognized Guru. Students will be required to submit the original certificate for the same while seeking admission in the course.
• The selection procedure for the Bachelor of Music program is based solely on the merit of the Practical Entrance Examination. However, in some Universities, merit of class 12 or equivalent examination along with Practical Examination is considered.
• The average fee of pursuing Bachelor in Music ranges from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 16 Lakhs.

Bachelor of Arts in Music Entrance Examination 

Read More: Bachelor of Arts in Music

Bachelor in Performing Arts

• Bachelor in Performing Arts in Music is a 3 year undergraduate degree that teaches students about Literature and history of music with special emphasis on vocal and pitch training. The overall course consists of lessons on theoretical aspects of music as well as composition and sound recording. 
• Students aspiring to take admission in this 3 year program must have scored a minimum aggregate of 50% of marks including music as one of the subjects.
• If the candidate did not have music as one of the subjects in HSC or equivalent examination, then they must have learnt music for a minimum duration of 3 years from a recognized institution or from a well recognized Guru. Students will be required to submit the original certificate for the same while seeking admission in the course.
• The selection procedure for the Bachelor of Music program is based solely on the merit of the Practical Entrance Examination. However, in some Universities, merit of class 12 or equivalent examination along with Practical Examination is considered.
• The average fee of pursuing Bachelor in Music ranges from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 13 Lakhs

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger Abroad

Apart from India, students can also choose to pursue various music degrees abroad. Some of the top countries offering courses on Music are the UK, USA, Canada, Australia. For applying in these countries one must clear various language proficiency tests such as TOEFL, IELTS etc, apart from maintaining a consistent score throughout.

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger in UK

•  To pursue a degree in the UK, one needs to pursue a Bachelor in Music Composition, also known as BMus or Bachelors in Performing arts of Music ( BA Music). Both the degrees are different as BMus is a 4 year program that focuses on practical training whereas BA Music is a 3 year program focusing more on theoretical aspects of music. However, both the degrees are beneficial to become a music composer and an arranger.
• To take admission in the course, applicants must have scored an aggregate of minimum 60% in 10+2 from a recognized board and a mandatory score of 6-6.5 in IELTS or 79-90 score in TOEFL. A music diploma degree or a certificate course in music will be advantageous to the students during the screening procedure. 
• Every university has a different eligibility criteria, therefore, some universities might take practical examinations or auditions instead of conducting admissions based on merit.
• It is very important for a student to have some prior theoretical knowledge about music and some practical skills as there will also be an interview apart from auditions. 
• The average fees of colleges varies from 12 Lakhs to 60 Lakhs.
• The average salary of a music composer and an arranger is £35,237.
• The job growth of a music composer and an arranger is estimated to be about 10%

UK over the span of 5 years.

Some of the Universities of UK providing degree in Music Composition are tabulated below,

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger in USA

• There are numerous universities in the USA offering musical composition and arranger degrees. The degrees are BMus which can approximately take upto 4 years to complete, BA Music which also takes 4 years to complete and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) which takes 4 or more years to complete.
• Aspirants can take up any degree of these to pursue a career in music composition and as an arranger. However, BMus is the most preferred degree by the students as it gives them an option to include their desired specialisations in the field of music.
• To take admission in the above courses, applicants must have scored an aggregate of minimum 65% in 10+2 from a recognized board. They must obtain a mandatory score of 6-6.5 in IELTS or 79-90 score in TOEFL. A music diploma degree or a short term certificate course in music will be advantageous to the students during the screening procedure. 
• If the candidate wants to take admission in BFA, then they will have to appear for practical examinations or auditions based on which the selection result will be declared.
• The average annual fees range from 15 Lakhs to 60 Lakhs.
• The average annual salary of a music composer and an arranger in the USA is $51,311.

The top colleges of the USA offering BMus, BA Music and BFA degrees are tabulated below along with the approximate fees.

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger in Australia

• There are numerous universities in Australia offering various musical composition and arranger degrees. The degrees are BMus, BA Music, BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) which takes 4 years at maximum to complete as a full time degree.
• Aspirants can take up any degree of these to pursue a career in music composition and as an arranger. 
• To take admission in the above courses, applicants must have scored an aggregate of minimum 65% in 10+2 from a recognized board. They must obtain a mandatory score of 6-6.5 in IELTS or 79-90 score in TOEFL. A music diploma degree or a short term certificate course in music will be advantageous to the students during the screening procedure as after appearing for practical examinations or auditions, there will be an interview process based on which the selection result will be declared.
• The average annual fees ranges from 20 Lakhs to 55 Lakhs.
• The average annual salary of a music composer and an arranger in Australia is $90,000 (AUD)
• The salary growth of a music composer and an arranger is estimated to be 19% over the span of 5 years.

The top colleges of Australia offering BMus, BA Music and BFA degrees are tabulated below along with the approximate fees.

How to Become a Music Composer and an Arranger in Canada

• There are numerous universities in Canada offering musical composition and arranger degrees. The degrees are BMus, BA Music and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) which takes roughly 3 to 4 to complete.
• Aspirants can take up any degree of these to pursue a career in music composition and as an arranger. However, BMus is the most preferred degree by the students as it gives them an option to include their desired specialisations in the field of music.
• To take admission in the above courses, applicants must have scored an aggregate of minimum 65% in 10+2 from a recognized board. They must obtain a mandatory score of 6-6.5 in IELTS or 79-90 score in TOEFL. 
• If the candidate wants to take admission in any of the above courses, then they will have to appear for practical examinations or auditions based on which the selection result will be declared.
• The average annual salary of a music composer and an arranger in Canada is $77,548.
• The average salary increase of a music composer in Canada is estimated to grow over 16% in the coming 5 years.
• The average annual fees range from 40 Lakhs to 65 Lakhs.

Benefits of Becoming a Music Composer and an Arranger

The top benefits of working as a Music Composer and Arrangers are listed below for your reference,

• Flexible Schedule

As a music composer and an arranger, one doesn’t have to meet deadlines or go outside to attend daily meetings or submit files. A career of a music composer and an arranger is relaxed wherein they can work at their own pace in their own time. They don’t have to follow a strict schedule as well as they don’t have to be stressed about work all the time.

• Sparks and Boosts Creativity

A career as a music composer and an arranger is an excellent option to bring out the creativity in you and share it with the world. A music composer and an arranger have the freedom to unleash their thoughts and expressions in the form of structuring words with the right rhythm to make a meaningful and a perfect melody. This whole process is a joyous exercise to boost creativity. The music composer and an arranger also have the power to expand their imagination to different horizons which inturn increases the depth of creativity skills.

• Freedom

A music composer and an arranger have the freedom to make music of their desired genre and express their thoughts the way they chose to without being judged or called upon. They have the freedom to create the work they believe in and inspire the people across the globe with it. 

• Job Security

A music composer and an arranger are always in demand for composing songs for various platforms like movies, shows, private songs, etc. Moreover, once a music composer and an arranger have established their grip into the music industry, then no one can stop them from earning big. With the success of a few songs or after getting recognition, one doesn’t need to work for an agency and therefore wouldn’t be fired. They can work on their own or start their youtube channel which will not only give fame but money too.

• Unique Therapeutic Experience

Music works as a healer. One can vent out their emotions in the form of composing their music and also get paid for it. Composing and arranging music is an intellectual therapy and also a unique career in which you can dive in the process of self exploration and contemplation. Being a composer and an arranger, one can be self-employed. Therefore they need not worry about work load or stress and can work peacefully whenever they wish to.

Skills Required to Become a Composer and an Arranger

The following skills are required by a candidate to become a music composer and an arranger. 

Salary of Music Composer and an Arranger in India

The average annual salary of a music composer and an arranger is estimated to be about 4 Lakhs to 15 Lakhs. The salary of a music composer and an arranger is said to see a growth of 68% in the coming 5 years. The salary data with regard to experience is tabulated below.

After Becoming a Music Composer and an Arranger

After becoming a music composer and an arranger, one can pursue numerous short term courses or certificate courses related to the career of a music director and a music producer. 

All the careers in the music industry and inter-related. Therefore, it won’t be much difficult for one to be a music director or a producer after becoming a music composer and an arranger. They can also work as part time or full time Professor in renowned Universities along with composing and arranging music. 

They can also open their own channel on any of the social networking sites and gain more fame which will help them in earning a lot more than they currently do. Once a music composer gains fame, they can then not only compose their songs for TV, films and shows but also work for famous singers and compose songs for them. In case they wish to change their career path, then can go for music director or producer or learn new instruments and major in them.

They can also pursue a masters degree followed by a doctoral degree in their desired field of specialisation.