BA Music Vocal: Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

Bachelor of Arts [BA] (Music Vocal) is a 3 year undergraduate full-time musical course, eligibility to which is 10+2 or an equivalent examination from recognized university.

Candidates should get a minimum average of 50% marks in 10+2 examination (5% reduction for SC/ST/OBC students). The percentage may vary from one college to another.

Many colleges offer BA Music Vocal course in India. Every college or institute has their own eligibility and admission process.

The average fees for this course range between INR 2,000 to 1 lac based on the marks obtained in the entrance exam and in 10+2 examination.

This course builds a strong foundation in music literature and its history imparting both vocal and instrumental skills.

Admission for BA Music Vocal is based on the merit-based or entrance-based. Some of the colleges or institutions have their own entrance exam for admissions. Most of the colleges select students based on their marks obtained in their 10+2 examinations.

After completion of this course, Graduates may get opportunities in areas are Music companies, Music and Film studios, Music Industry Associations, Performing Arts Centres, etc. These professionals can work in positions like Bandleader, Composer, Music critic, Singer, Recording Technician, etc. The average salary for these professionals ranges between INR 3 to 10 lakhs based on their experience and expertise in this field.

BA Music Vocal: Career Prospects

Graduates in music field have many options and they can choose to work in a range of professions inside or outside of music. If they choose to follow a music career, they may get opportunities on several roles with different areas and they may also work as freelancers and contract basis workers.

Major areas are:

• Music retailers
• Music production companies
• Media organizations
• Orchestras
• Touring companies
• Mental health care providers
• Charitable organizations
• The armed forces
• Music schools and universities

Jobs directly related to this course and graduates may work as a music therapist, musician, private music teacher, secondary school teacher, sound technician, arts administrator, broadcast engineer, event manager, radio producer, theatre stage manager, PPC specialist, etc.

Advance study: Students can pursue Master’s in Music which leads to improving their knowledge and skills can go for further study. They can choose any one of specialization such as direction, performance, instrumental or vocal teaching.  

Given below are the major job positions, their descriptions, and the Average annual salary for each position:

Job Position	Job Description	Average Annual Salary (in INR)
Band leader	Band leaders are responsible for playing popular music as a small combination or in a big group. Most of these professionals perform with their own band, or instrumentalists, or singers, playing an instrument like piano, electric guitar, or other instruments.	INR 6,00,000
Composer	Composers are responsible for composing music for Orchestras, band or choral group. They also responsible for creating, designing, and developing new music, ideas, including artistic contributions. They also observe and receive notes from all the relevant resources and create the new musical notes.	INR 4,89,000
Music critic	Music critics are responsible for combining music studies with journalism. They write for magazines, daily newspapers, media outlets, and other online publications. They also write for a variety of online publications covering broad ranges of music or specialized genres of music. Their main goal is to describe the purpose and feeling of a particular piece of the music as well as a composition’s technical breakdown.	INR 3,50,000
Recording Technician	Recording technicians are responsible for recording music, synthesizing, mixing, voices, and sound effects for recorded productions. They also operate microphones, amps, outboards, transformers, and software to edit perfect recordings. They may also work in film studios, recording studios, concert stadiums, churches, televisions stations, and corporate sound departments.	INR 4,88,000