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How exposed to AI is a Music Directors and Composer?

Of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for music directors and composers, 5 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 18 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
ArrangerChoir DirectorComposerConductorMusic ComposerMusic DirectorMusic ProducerOrchestra DirectorSongwriter
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
30
tasks rated for this occupation
77%
hold a degree, from a survey of 51
10k
people do this job in the US
30 of 40
least protected in arts, design and media

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

5
  • Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed
  • Write musical scores for orchestras, bands, choral groups, or individual instrumentalists or vocalists, using knowledge of music theory and of instrumental and vocal capabilities
  • Rewrite original musical scores in different musical styles by changing rhythms, harmonies, or tempos
  • Study films or scripts to determine how musical scores can be used to create desired effects or moods
  • Copy parts from scores for individual performers

Only with software built on top

7
  • Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations
  • Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies
  • Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials
  • Confer with producers and directors to define the nature and placement of film or television music
  • Assign and review staff work in such areas as scoring, arranging, and copying music, and vocal coaching
  • Coordinate and organize tours, or hire touring companies to arrange concert dates, venues, accommodations, and transportation for longer tours
  • Stay abreast of the latest trends in music and music technology

Cannot be sped up

18
  • Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects
  • Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo
  • Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition
  • Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesizers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas
  • Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers
  • Audition and select performers for musical presentations
  • Plan and schedule rehearsals and performances, and arrange details such as locations, accompanists, and instrumentalists
  • Position members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections
  • Meet with soloists and concertmasters to discuss and prepare for performances
  • Fill in details of orchestral sketches, such as adding vocal parts to scores
  • Explore and develop musical ideas based on sources such as imagination or sounds in the environment
  • Write music for commercial mediums, including advertising jingles or film soundtracks
  • Transpose music from one voice or instrument to another to accommodate particular musicians
  • Arrange music composed by others, changing the music to achieve desired effects
  • Transcribe musical compositions and melodic lines to adapt them to a particular group, or to create a particular musical style
  • Create original musical forms, or write within circumscribed musical forms such as sonatas, symphonies, or operas
  • Collaborate with other colleagues, such as copyists, to complete final scores
  • Produce recordings of music
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.