Also called: Library Music Composer, Stock Music Composer
Writes music used in TV shows, ads, and videos, licensed through music libraries.
A production music composer writes 10 tracks on themes like "tense investigation" or "happy kids," and earns royalties every time a TV show or YouTube video uses one.
Highly variable; royalty income.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Self-taught or music degree.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Music Composition.
Shrinking. AI music is a direct competitor.
High risk for 10 years. AI music generators now make cheap background tracks for ads and videos, the core market for library music.
Classes: Music theory, Audio or music technology, Piano or guitar lessons, Computer applications.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.