How to Become a Singer

1. Assess your abilities and commitment.

To become a singer, you need two key things: natural talent and a willingness to work hard enough to transform that talent into a profession. 

Abilities: Were you the kind of kid who spent your days singing along to your favorite TV show theme song and forcing Mom and Dad to sit and watch while you put on a show? Do you still feel that passion to perform in the spotlight? If you were born to be a singer, you probably also love the minutiae of rehearsals and practice-making-perfect repetition.

But many of the requirements to be a successful singer depend on your desired career path. If you aspire to be on Broadway, then you’ll need a bit of acting and dance training in your back pocket. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Broadway performer—even the ones who identify as singers who act rather than actors who sing—who can’t deliver on all performance fronts.

Commitment: If you’re more interested in becoming a top artist on Spotify or headlining at Coachella, you’ll need to craft your personal brand and image. You may also be expected to acquire press and media training so you can comfortably sit for an interview or be on camera. If you have your sights set on making it big, know that a career as a famous singer goes beyond the 9-to-5 routine and becomes a full-fledged lifestyle. That means presenting yourself confidently in ways that have little to do with your voice.

2. Identify your singing style. 

Explore each of these six dominant singing genres to find where your voice naturally excels (and remember that versatility is beneficial, especially for musical theater performers!):

• Pop: Pop music is the candy-colored, confectionery dessert of the music world. But just because it’s universally appealing doesn’t mean it’s any less difficult or simpler than the categories below. The best of pop strikes a chord and makes you dance because there’s a universally resonant message behind it.
• Rock: Rock has certainly evolved since the days of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley; it now includes a number of different subgenres and a wide array of singing voices and growls. One of the main things that sets rock apart from pop is a harder edge, often through drums, guitar, and harsher instrumentation (but hey, there’s always “pop rock”).
• Country: Country music as we know it today runs the gamut of deep rootsy twang, Southern rock, folk, and country-pop. There is no one way to be a country singer, but the genre’s use of soulful lyricism and vocals with a certain Americana drawl is what sets it apart from rock and pop. If you’re interested in becoming a country singer, you have to befriend beer and heartbreak.
• Opera/classical: Classical music perhaps requires the most amount of professional training. If you’re going to study voice in college, you’re likely going to know the classics forwards and backwards. Classical and opera are both rigid in practice, but utterly emotionally freeing.
• Blues/jazz: Jazz and blues are often compared to or paired with one another, and that’s largely due to their shared tone and themes. But what sets them apart is that jazz is known for smooth, easy-breezy vocals while blues is a little harder and more soulful. They call it the blues for a reason: It’s got pain behind its eyes.
• Hip-hop/R&B: When you think of traditional forms of singing, you may not immediately think of hip-hop, but it’s not all spoken-word rap. Look to most artists of the genre and their songs feature rap, yes, but also rhythmic, rhyming song verses. R&B is cut from the same cloth as hip-hop, but features more traditional soul vocals.

3. Understand key singing terms. 

Are you a new singer who’s confused by some of the jargon being thrown around online and in lesson books? Here are a handful of vocabulary terms all singers—especially musical theater singers—should know:

• Alternate list: When an audition is full, the monitor may make a list of alternates on a first-come, first-served basis. Depending on the audition type, Equity members may be given priority, followed by Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) actors, and then nonunion performers. Often at an Equity audition, actors will create a “non-official” list if they arrive before the Equity monitor; the monitor will usually accept this list as it stands, but they are not required to.
• Belt vs. mix: The terms “belt” and “mix” mean different things to different people. The best definition is that a belt needs to sound like a call (basically a yell that sounds pleasant to listen to). A mixed quality gets most of its acoustic power through vocal placement (e.g., “singing in the mask”). I encourage you to ask your individual voice teachers about how to specifically develop these qualities in your voice.
• Blending: When you’re performing with a group of other singers in an ensemble or a choir, it’s important that you listen to those on either side of you and make sure you sound as close to one single voice as possible. You don’t want to stand out! That’s called blending. This is also done through staggered breathing.
• Callback: When a creative team wants to see more from an actor, they’ll give them a callback, where the actor will return at a different time to sing/dance/read again. Often, the callback will involve preparing material from the show (“sides”), but not always. One of the purposes of the callback is to allow more people who are involved with the production to see the actor’s work.
• Chorus call/ECC: There are two types of Equity Chorus Calls (ECCs): one for dancers and one for singers. For dance calls, dancers will generally be called in in groups to learn a combination. There will then be a cut, where certain dancers will be asked to stay and learn more combinations and/or sing 16 bars, and others will be released. At a singer chorus call, singers will go in individually to perform 16 bars of their own material.
• Contrasting song: If you’re asked to sing a contrasting song, you should strive to show both a different side of your voice (if you sang soprano, maybe belt) and/or another side of your personality. If you’re unsure what they mean by contrasting, ask for clarification. Even better, present them with two choices: “If you’d like to hear my belt, I can sing ‘Astonishing’ for you, or if you’d rather see something comedic, I can do ‘Adelaide’s Lament.’ ”
• Dancer vs. mover: If you label yourself as a dancer, it’s expected that you have extensive training in that department. If you have athletic ability and a knack for rhythm but lack formal dance training, you should classify yourself as a mover. Traditionally, a mover tends to favor character and dramatic commitment over precise steps and technique.
• Holding room: At many auditions, there will be a holding room where actors can wait for their turn to perform. Often, this is where the audition monitor will be stationed.
• In the room: When actors enter the audition space for their appointment, it’s usually referred to as being “in the room” (sometimes abbreviated “ITR”).
• Legit singing: The term “legit” refers to a singing style that is more closely related to classical singing (think of a song like “If I Loved You”).

4. Prepare for auditions. 

Materials: Get your singer’s résumé and demo recordings ready to submit for opportunities. 

Audition songs: To choose the right audition song, you must develop an intimate relationship with—and understanding of—your voice. In an audition context, a song is an interview tool; it needs to be tailored around your voice and personality to show you off to your best advantage. If you feel empowered to make informed decisions about your repertoire, you will love performing it, and that always shows.

In tailoring that song choice to your own distinct voice, you must consider its:

• Key
• Intro 
• Tempo
• Cut (usually 16–32 bars) you choose to sing

All of these elements are adjustable to fit your needs as a performer. The more customized and specific you are with your audition songs, the better they will feel to you, and we’ll get to enjoy your singing so much more.

Related

How to Choose an Audition Song

5. Get professional training. 

As with any type of performance art, it’s important to train properly and hone your craft as a singer.

College: A great way to train is to pursue a vocal performance or musical theater degree. Some of the best colleges for singing are:

• Berklee College of Music 
• Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University 
• College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati 
• Curtis Institute of Music 
• Eastman School of Music at University of Rochester 
• Jacobs School of Music: Indiana University Bloomington
• Juilliard School 
• Manhattan School of Music
• New England Conservatory
• Shepherd School of Music at Rice University
• Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California 
• University of Michigan

And the best musical theater colleges include: 

• Baldwin Wallace University 
• Boston Conservatory at Berklee 
• Carnegie Mellon University 
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Ithaca College 
• Marymount Manhattan College 
• New York University 
• Pace University 
• Penn State University 
• Syracuse University 
• University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
• University of Michigan

Voice teacher: Another way to approach training as a singer is to hire a voice teacher, who “gives an understanding of breath support and resonance by guiding students through vocal exercises, otherwise known as vocalises, and breath exercises,” according to singer–vocal coach Arden Kaywin. “They help you put that technique into practice in your repertoire.”

A good voice teacher should have a degree in vocal performance (either a BA or MA); it’s helpful if they’ve also had a professional singing career themselves so they have an understanding of the industry.

Vocal coach: A vocal coach, on the other hand, walks a singer through a particular song or genre. “They coach your songs from the standpoint of interpretation, intention, genre, and musicality,” Kaywin says. “They are generally not singers and, while they often have some knowledge of vocal technique, it is not their job to teach you how to sing the song or fix the vocal issues giving you problems in the song. It’s their job to help you take your performance to the next level once you’ve worked the technique with your voice teacher.”

6. Take care of your voice. 

If you want a long, illustrious singing career, you’ll need to keep your instrument in tip-top shape.

Vocal warmups: Every singer’s warmup routine is different, but you should never enter the audition room cold. Common warmups for singers often consist of vocal exercises like scales, lip and tongue trills, sirens, hums, and kazoos; but many singers also do breathing exercises to expand the lungs. 

Vocal health: Follow vocal health tips like relaxing, breathing, and staying hydrated. Learn how to strengthen and sing from your diaphragm to protect your vocal cords when hitting more intense notes.

7. Find performance opportunities. 

Start building experience by performing for friends, family, and, finally, strangers.

Local venues: Show off your pipes at karaoke, community theater, and open mic nights.

Casting calls: Find and apply to singing auditions and casting calls on our comprehensive database.

Alternative options: Remember, there’s no one path to becoming a singer. Justin Bieber’s singing career famously took off with a viral YouTube video—and he’s not alone. Many pop stars launched their careers on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and SoundCloud. Other singers have achieved success by auditioning for vocal competition shows like “American Idol,” “The Voice,” and “America’s Got Talent.”

• Live performances are the largest source of income for most singers, with earnings ranging from $50–$500+ for local shows to considerably more for international tours (Taylor Swift’s Eras tour made more than $2 billion!). 
• Album sales can also mean significant earnings, depending on the royalty percentage, distribution deal, and label. Usually, a singer will earn 10–20% of album sales revenue.
• Broadway/theater work under an Equity contract pays $2,439 per week, with additional pay for chorus roles, swings, and understudies.
• Streaming royalties on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud can add up if you have a large listener base; according to LabelGrid, it takes around 280,000 streams to earn $1,000 on Spotify.
• Session work rates for recordings, backing vocals, and commercial jingles vary widely depending on the project and market.
• Merchandise sales for swag like T-shirts, posters, and other branded items can provide additional revenue, especially when tied to live events.
• Special venues like cruise ships ($2,000–$4,000 per month plus accommodations), theme parks (around $20/hour) and corporate events offer stable paid work; and if you’re a headliner, those rates go way, way up.
• Fan funding through platforms like Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee allow you to receive direct financial support directly from your listeners, often through different subscriber tiers.