Q & A
Each month, MusicBizAdvice.com answers your questions about the music industry.
Breaking Into Backup Singing:
Q: I am very interested in backup singing. What do you have to do to get into it?
I’ve been singing since I was three but have no professional experience.
A: For the purposes of this column, we're assuming you have talent. There are many ways to
break in, but the most common is to get to know the engineers, producers, and studio
managers at recording studios in your area. (Most major cities have at least one local
studio. Start with the smaller, lesser known studios.) Record a demo, create a promo
package and make sure the studio personnel hear it. (see
Demo Package
Contents) Invite the local music industry to your shows, and tell them your goals.
Then keep checking back. Meanwhile, do the same with local bands and solo artists in your
area. Network with local songwriters, and offer to sing on their demos. Enter local talent
contests, especially those sponsored by radio stations. If you’re involved in church
or school, join the choir, try out for solo parts, and tell the choir director or music
teacher about your goals. They may know someone who’s working on a project. Check
with your vocal coach, too. Sing karaoke while doing all of the above, if that’s what
you have to do to get your voice out there. As soon as you can afford it and meet the
eligibility requirements, join the union, too.
You’re more marketable if you read music, so if you can read charts, be sure to state
that in your resume along with your range.
You’ll also have better luck breaking in if your day job is involved in the local
music industry, because you’ll be in a position to make contacts and let others know
about your goals.
Also, check out our
roundtable
discussion on background singing with Gabrielle Goodman, Kudisan Kai,
and Darcie-Nicole Wicknick. Gabrielle and Kudisan have worked with artists
like Beck, Elton John, and many more.
Good luck!
Q&A Home
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Answers in the MBADC Q&A are to be taken as general advice only and are not intended
as a substitute for legal advice from a competent entertainment or intellectual property
rights attorney.
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