Music Contractor

A music contractor is the person who connects the performers and personnel who need to be hired for any given production with the studio or performance organization running the session. Music contractors are valuable to studios and performance organizations because of their logistical expertise and long list of contacts like talented performers, conductors, and score readers. Regardless of how obscure the instrument a studio session calls for, a music contractor will know how to find someone to fill the need.

Contractor work heavily relies upon knowledge of the performance space and establishing a professional network of performance experts. The most common route to contractor work is being a performer or conductor. Years of experience performing will build your professional contacts, experience, and reputation within the community, until at some point you will likely know most of the local professionals in your area and field. Music contractors have in-depth understanding of the work, contact lists, and experience intermediating between performers, unions, and organizations.

Contractors can be independent workers, meaning they run their own business, or they can work for a contracting company. Some specialize in contracting on behalf of a music union specifically. The best contractors will have the social skills to befriend and be on good terms with all the contacts in their professional network in addition to the logistical and organizational skills to schedule those contacts for any number of sessions or performances.