What Can I Do with a Music Degree? Transferable Skills & Career Paths

Are you wondering “what can I do with a music degree?”. Whether you’re starting a music degree at WaterBear or just exploring your options, you might be surprised by the wide variety of career opportunities a music degree can open. Beyond performing as an artist, music graduates develop crucial transferable skills that prepare them for multiple career paths both within the music industry and beyond. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the transferable skills you gain through a music degree, show how they connect to different career paths, and highlight the types of job opportunities you can pursue after graduation. 

At WaterBear, we offer BA (Hons) and master’s music degree courses, on campus in Brighton or Sheffield, or online. All our courses provide hands-on experience and 1‑1 mentoring from active music professionals, equipping you with the skills, knowledge, and tools to thrive in the modern music industry.

1. Why a Music Degree is More Than Just Performance
2. Transferable Skills You Learn with a Music Degree
3. Career Paths You Can Pursue with a Music Degree
4. Start Your Music Career at WaterBear

Studying a music degree equips you with practical experience, industry knowledge, and creative tools. Even if your dream is to become a performing artist, the transferable skills you acquire can be applied to a variety of roles, including management, marketing, and production. 

The UK creative industries continue to grow steadily. In 2023, the sector employed around 2.4 million people, accounting for 7% of all UK jobs, up from approximately 1.8 million in 2011. 

This growth highlights the expanding opportunities for music degree graduates, as the creative industries increasingly value the transferable skills and expertise that musicians develop. 

Whether your ambitions lie in performing, producing, managing, or supporting the wider creative industries, a music degree provides a strong foundation to explore these opportunities. 

At WaterBear, our support doesn’t end at graduation. Alumni can continue to access career and performance opportunities, as well as personal guidance from our Artist Development and Music Industries teams.

Pursuing a music degree gives you a unique set of transferable skills that employers value across industries.  

Here are some of the most important: 

As a musician studying a music degree, you manage releases, marketing campaigns, and collaborations with other artists. These experiences build strong project management skills that apply to any professional setting. 

Music is a form of communication. Performing, rehearsing in a band, and connecting with audiences develops advanced communication skills that translate into marketing, social media, and client-facing roles. 

Playing an instrument strengthens executive function – your ability to plan, strategise, and multitask efficiently. These cognitive skills are highly desirable in any career path, from management to data analysis. 

A music degree nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving – all essential for careers in the music industry and beyond. 

Tip: Keep a record of projects and performances during your degree – these become tangible proof of your transferable skills for future employers. 

Graduating with a music degree opens doors to a range of career paths, some expected and some surprising.  

Here are examples of where your transferable skills can take you: 

Managing your releases and growing your audience teaches you digital marketing strategies, campaign planning, and audience analytics – skills directly transferable to professional marketing roles.

Throughout your degree, writing essays and creating press releases or social media campaigns for degree-related projects helps you develop professional writing and content creation skills. Many musicians turn this experience into freelance writing or content opportunities.

Leading bands and overseeing album releases as part of degree-related projects strengthens your project management experience. This makes you a strong candidate for product, project, or event management roles across creative industries.

Tracking audience engagement, streaming stats, or gig attendance through course projects helps you develop strong analytical skills. Many musicians unknowingly gain valuable data analytics expertise; a skill highly sought after across multiple industries.

Musicians frequently develop empathy, organisation, and strategic skills through community engagement or performing for causes. These abilities translate well to charity administration, fundraising, or outreach roles.

A music degree doesn’t just teach you to perform, it equips you with a wide range of transferable skills that prepare you for diverse career paths both within the music industry and beyond.  

Key takeaways: 

• A music degree develops essential transferable skills, including project management, communication, creativity, and executive function. 
• With a music degree, you are prepared for diverse career paths, such as digital marketing, writing, project management, data analysis, and charity work. 
• Graduates with a music degree benefit from the growing UK creative industries, which offer increasing job opportunities in music and related fields. 
• A music degree helps you recognise and market your transferable skills, enabling you to build a portfolio career combining performance and professional roles. 

At WaterBear, we offer a variety of BA (Hons) and master’s degree courses, specifically designed for forward-thinking, DIY musicians, artists, producers, and music professionals. You can choose to study on campus in Brighton or Sheffield, or online for maximum flexibility. 

You’ll benefit from regular gigs, performance and career opportunities, and personal 1‑1 mentoring with some of the industry’s most accomplished professionals. Plus, you’ll become part of a collaborative network of creatives, helping you grow both artistically and professionally. Apply now, or order a prospectus to find out more.