Disc jockey to lyricist
A disc jockey already meets 34% of what the lyricist role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
64/ 100
1 How much of what a lyricist is expected to do is already part of a disc jockey’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the lyricist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A lyricist role treats 4 of its required skills as things a disc jockey already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- musical genres
- musical notation
- musical theory
- study music
What stands in the way is 7 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A lyricist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a disc jockey background worth leading with.
- already held consult with sound editor communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held attend music recording sessions communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held compose music communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held musical notation arts and humanities
- already held study music information skills
- already held record music communication, collaboration and creativity
All 8 carried skills, including the 4 the lyricist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn create a rhyme scheme structure required
- still to learn match lyrics to mood of melody required
- still to learn write songs required
- optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
- optional, not held advise on music pedagogy optional
- optional, not held create musical forms optional
- optional, not held sing optional
- optional, not held transcribe ideas into musical notation optional
- optional, not held transcribe musical compositions optional
- optional, not held work with composers optional
- optional, not held write musical scores optional
- optional, not held practise singing optional
- still to learn music literature required
- optional, not held film music techniques optional
- still to learn copyright legislation required
- still to learn study musical scores required
- still to learn write to a deadline required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a lyricist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 create a rhyme scheme structure practise this
- 02 match lyrics to mood of melody practise this
- 03 write songs practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 8 skills that carry over
- already held musical genres knowledge
- already held musical notation knowledge
- already held musical theory knowledge
- already held study music skill
- already held attend music recording sessions skill
- already held compose music skill
- already held consult with sound editor skill
- already held record music skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
- optional, not held advise on music pedagogy optional
- optional, not held create musical forms optional
- optional, not held film music techniques optional
- optional, not held sing optional
- optional, not held transcribe ideas into musical notation optional
- optional, not held transcribe musical compositions optional
- optional, not held work with composers optional
- optional, not held write musical scores optional
- optional, not held practise singing optional
31 held skills the lyricist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role ICT software specifications knowledge
- not needed by the target role acoustics knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess sound quality skill
- not needed by the target role compose playlist skill
- not needed by the target role connect music fragments skill
- not needed by the target role design a music show skill
- not needed by the target role edit recorded sound skill
- not needed by the target role ensure the appropriate atmosphere skill
- not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
- not needed by the target role follow a brief skill
- not needed by the target role interact with an audience skill
- not needed by the target role maintain sound equipment skill
- not needed by the target role mix multi-track recordings skill
- not needed by the target role mix sound in a live situation skill
- not needed by the target role multimedia systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role musical instruments knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate an audio mixing console skill
- not needed by the target role operate sound live skill
- not needed by the target role participate in music studio recordings skill
- not needed by the target role perform music solo skill
- not needed by the target role perform soundchecks skill
- not needed by the target role play musical instruments skill
- not needed by the target role record multi-track sound skill
- not needed by the target role select music skill
- not needed by the target role select music for performance skill
- not needed by the target role select music for training skill
- not needed by the target role set up a multi-track recording skill
- not needed by the target role set up sound equipment skill
- not needed by the target role specialise in a musical genre skill
- not needed by the target role transpose music skill
- not needed by the target role use audio reproduction software skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn music literature required
- still to learn copyright legislation required
- optional, not held film music techniques optional
Common questions about this move
Can a disc jockey become a lyricist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A disc jockey already covers 34% of what a lyricist is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 4 of which the lyricist role treats as required.
What skills does a disc jockey need to become a lyricist?
7 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is create a rhyme scheme structure.
How hard is the move from disc jockey to lyricist?
Its learning distance is 64 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.