Musical Directors (MDs)

A Musical Director (MD) is a core role in musical theatre. MDs often carry responsibilities that go far beyond conducting. They act as the link between musicians, cast, and management, liaising across departments and are often the first point of contact for musical and pastoral issues, managing and supporting the company while maintaining musical standards. 

However, responsibilities and remuneration can vary widely. Many MDs report that fees have not kept pace with the scope of the role, and emerging MDs often earn less than their predecessors did a decade ago. 

The role of a Musical Director 

The MU’s collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and in-house agreements generally apply only to players’ contracts. The MU does not set Musical Director rates, but we monitor fees and terms and conditions where possible and provide guidance to help members make informed decisions where we are able to. Based on our experience, Musical Director fees tend to be around 50-100% higher than player rates.

This uplift typically reflects:

• Leadership responsibilities: Overseeing musical direction, maintaining performance quality, managing the band, and teaching or coaching cast members.
• Exclusivity to the production: MDs are usually asked to be exclusive to the production, which means it may limit what they are able to take on outside of the production. Cover is typically provided by the Assistant Musical Director (AMD) or another agreed arrangement.
• Additional duties: Warm-ups, rehearsals, and pastoral care.

Fees may also need to account for:

• Overtime and extended working hours
• Bank holiday and Sunday performances
• Holiday pay
• Travel, accommodation, and allowable expenses.

In some instances, an MD may have an agent handling negotiations; in others, the MD will negotiate directly.

Musical Director employment status

Unlike players, who are generally self employed and can freely dep out performances, MDs are not usually afforded the same level of flexibility. MDs are often engaged on exclusive contracts and may, in some cases, be contracted as employees. This distinction can have important implications for:

• Tax, National Insurance, holiday pay and pension contributions
• Time off
• Sick Pay.

Musical Directors and buyouts

It is also common for engagers to offer MDs some form of buyout, though the scope and structure of these can differ significantly.

Sometimes a single buyout fee is offered for the whole contract, which may or may not be paid in instalments. In other cases, the buyout may cover certain parts of the contract, for example, during rehearsals, tech week, or any pre-production work, followed by a move to an agreed weekly fee once the show is running, to reflect the shift from creation and development into ongoing maintenance.  Other terms, conditions, and certain fees may refer to one of our Theatre Agreements.

MDs are advised to gain a clear understanding of the expected working hours in order to negotiate a fair and appropriate fee and terms and conditions.

Make sure:

• The buyout terms are clearly defined in the contract
• The fee reflects the full scope and responsibilities of the role
• The figure is sufficient to cover all eventualities throughout the contract.

Key points to confirm before you sign:

• Define what’s included: Make sure you know what the fee covers—hours, duties, warm-ups, overtime, bank holidays, publicity calls, meetings, and any extra responsibilities.
• Hours and remuneration: Tech, rehearsal, and preview periods often involve longer, unpredictable hours than performance weeks. You could be offered the same weekly wage for significantly longer hours in these weeks. You could consider negotiating a cap on hours and/or agreeing in advance on overtime. Our MU Theatre Agreements can be a useful benchmark, as players working under those agreements can often earn above their minimum weekly rate during these periods, while MDs on a flat buyout may not.
• Factor in hidden time: Daily warm-ups can add a significant amount of additional time each week, so make sure your fee reflects what is being asked of you.

What should be included in your Musical Director contract?

A clear outline of your role and boundaries is essential. Typical responsibilities might include:

• Conducting
  -  Typically 6–7 performances per week
  -  One may be a designated “show watch” to maintain quality
  -  Weekly salary may include a set number of rehearsal hours.
• Rehearsals
  -  Acting as rehearsal pianist and leading musical rehearsals, including understudy and cover calls
  -  Rehearsal weeks are often paid at an inclusive rate up to a maximum number of hours per week
  -  Fee may rise once performances begin, and there is sometimes more structure around expected working hours.
• Warm-ups
  -  Leading company vocal warm-ups (or delegating to AMD when present)
• Credit
  -  Billing as ‘Musical Director’ in the programme and any other promotional materials. We would encourage this wherever possible
• AMD supervision
  -  Teaching the show to the AMD.
• How you get paid
  -  Information on whether you have to submit invoices or if you will be on the payroll.

Sometimes included—check your contract

• Managing the band or liaising with the orchestral manager/fixer on dep requests
• Mandatory training (EDI, safeguarding)—aim to negotiate payment for any time spent outside the agreed buyout
• Publicity calls and press events—try to agree on additional fees if these fall outside the buyout scope.
• Touring arrangements: if your show is touring, accommodation or allowances like touring allowance and subsistence may be mentioned. You may be able to ask that reasonable expenses be reimbursed. But make sure these are clearly outlined
• Transition from rehearsal rate to show rate—specify when or if this will happen
• Some terms may follow the players’ contract if they are engaged under an MU in-house or Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Sometimes expected but NOT included in the contract 

• Being ‘on call’ outside contracted hours without compensation
• Emergency rehearsals in situations like last-minute cast changes. Whether or not these are paid depends on the terms of the agreement, so make sure the contract is clear and you don’t leave it to chance
• Tech responsibilities: MDs may be required to trigger effects and may also be asked to assist with programming, click tracks, playback systems, or liaise with sound teams. Minimum payments for any duties beyond core playing should be agreed in advance, proportionate to the scale, responsibility, and impact on the show, and in line with any MU minima and agreement in place at the time.
• Sometimes, MDs are asked to creatively contribute – such as arranging or composing - this can sometimes happen informally or evolve during the production process. Unless this was something you expected and agreed to from the outset, it should be treated as additional work and agreed separately. Make sure you understand exactly what’s being asked and that the scope and fee reflect the extra responsibility. While initial discussions may start verbally, they should always be confirmed in writing before you begin any creative work. In short: if you’re creating music, get it in writing, ideally before you start the work. 
• Further guidance on composing and songwriting is available via the MU’s Composing and Songwriting page.

MU Theatre Agreements have strict rules regarding the use of recorded music, meaning you may be asked to create or supply material that the production is not permitted to use under the relevant agreement, so check with your Regional Office if you have concerns. 

Cover and time off

MD roles can involve periods of intense work, and schedules can vary widely between productions. This intensity can make it challenging to maintain balance and wellbeing during the run. Even small adjustments—such as discussions around limits on consecutive long days—can make a big difference.

Recording

We do not recommend agreeing to recordings being bundled into your fee or granting blanket consent. Your contract may include a full buyout of rights, meaning the Producer would own all recordings made and could use them in perpetuity without any further payment beyond your playing fee. This undermines potential earnings from streaming, broadcast, or other exploitation. If recordings are needed, we’d advise you to contact your regional office before you sign. 

MDs also generally receive a higher rate than players for recording sessions too. Under the MU/BPI agreement, if an MD participates in a recording, they are entitled to an additional fee equal to 100% of the applicable session fee on top of the standard session payment. This uplift recognises the MD’s leadership role in the recording process and shouldn’t be included in the buyout. 

Wellbeing and managing expectations

Musical theatre schedules can be demanding, and the MD often carries a significant pastoral role alongside musical leadership. Before signing, check what the contract says about sick pay, rest days, and how illness is managed. Taking time off can be difficult if cover is limited, so make sure there is something in place, so you have the cover you need. 

Understand the expected hours and workload, and be realistic about what you can sustain. If parts of the role feel outside your experience – for example, managing a music team, handling interpersonal issues, or supporting vocal health be clear about what you can confidently handle and where you may need support. Setting clear boundaries and securing appropriate support will help protect your well-being and ensure you can meet the expectations of the role effectively.