Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Disc jockey to sound artist

A disc jockey already meets 35% of what the sound artist role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From disc jockey
35 % overlap
Distant match
To sound artist
11 You already bring
14 Still to learn
36 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

68.5/ 100

1 How much of what a sound artist 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 sound artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A sound artist role treats 9 of its required skills as things a disc jockey already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • acoustics
  • edit recorded sound
  • mix multi-track recordings
  • mix sound in a live situation
  • operate sound live
  • perform soundchecks

What stands in the way is 14 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A sound artist 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held set up a multi-track recording working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held mix multi-track recordings working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held mix sound in a live situation communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held operate sound live working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held perform soundchecks working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held record music communication, collaboration and creativity

All 11 carried skills, including the 9 the sound artist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 25 missing skills fall into 7 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 information skills 3 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn contextualise artistic work required
  • still to learn gather reference materials for artwork required
  • still to learn keep up with trends required
  • optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
  • optional, not held develop artistic project budgets optional
  • optional, not held keep personal administration optional
02 management skills 3 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn manage electronic logistics for sound equipment required
  • still to learn analyse own performance required
  • still to learn coordinate activities in audio recording studio required
  • optional, not held develop artistic educational activities optional
  • optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn operate the sound in the rehearsal studio required
  • still to learn program sound cues required
  • still to learn set up basic recording required
  • optional, not held coordinate audio system programmes optional
04 business, administration and law 2 required
  • still to learn intellectual property law required
  • still to learn labour legislation required
05 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 5 supplementary
  • still to learn discuss artwork required
  • optional, not held confer with event staff optional
  • optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
  • optional, not held present exhibition optional
  • optional, not held propose improvements to artistic production optional
  • optional, not held develop educational resources optional
06 arts and humanities 1 required
  • still to learn art history required

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a sound artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 11 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held acoustics knowledge
  • already held edit recorded sound skill
  • already held mix multi-track recordings skill
  • already held mix sound in a live situation skill
  • already held operate sound live skill
  • already held perform soundchecks skill
  • already held record music skill
  • already held set up a multi-track recording skill
  • already held use audio reproduction software skill
  • already held participate in music studio recordings skill
  • already held record multi-track sound skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 constructing 1 required
  • still to learn manage sound quality required
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
  • optional, not held confer with event staff optional
  • optional, not held coordinate audio system programmes optional
  • optional, not held develop artistic educational activities optional
  • optional, not held develop artistic project budgets optional
  • optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
  • optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
  • optional, not held present exhibition optional
  • optional, not held propose improvements to artistic production optional
  • optional, not held develop educational resources optional
  • optional, not held keep personal administration optional
28 held skills the sound artist role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role ICT software specifications knowledge
  • not needed by the target role assess sound quality skill
  • not needed by the target role attend music recording sessions skill
  • not needed by the target role compose music 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 consult with sound editor skill
  • not needed by the target role design a music show 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 multimedia systems knowledge
  • not needed by the target role musical genres knowledge
  • not needed by the target role musical instruments knowledge
  • not needed by the target role musical notation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role musical theory knowledge
  • not needed by the target role operate an audio mixing console skill
  • not needed by the target role perform music solo skill
  • not needed by the target role play musical instruments 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 sound equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role specialise in a musical genre skill
  • not needed by the target role study music skill
  • not needed by the target role transpose music 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn art history required
  • still to learn intellectual property law required
  • still to learn labour legislation required
Index

Other moves recorded from disc jockey

Full index of moves from disc jockey

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a disc jockey become a sound artist?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A disc jockey already covers 35% of what a sound artist is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 9 of which the sound artist role treats as required.

What skills does a disc jockey need to become a sound artist?

14 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is manage electronic logistics for sound equipment.

How hard is the move from disc jockey to sound artist?

Its learning distance is 68.5 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.