Royal Marines Band Service

Welcome to the Royal Marines Band Service. Where you can combine your musical talent with a life of action and camaraderie.

Musical excellence and active duty

Throughout your career with the Royal Marines Band Service you will be playing at a consistently high level – for heads of state, for royalty and foreign dignitaries. As well as taking part in our world famous marching band.

You will also receive one of the world’s most demanding and prestigious musical educations you could get. Because before you join one of our five bands, you’ll learn from some of the best civilian professors, as well as our own instructors, who have played with top orchestras.

You will also have crucial duties during service – like medical support, driving your colleagues on mission and convoy security. So if you love music and an active life, this is the ideal way to have the best of both worlds.

Case study

NAME:: Matthew
ROLE:: Musician
Service:: RM Band Service

Apart from playing the music he loves, Matthew has represented the Band Service at football and rugby while in training. He’s also taken part in many mountaineering expeditions as part of his adventurous training. His highlight? The exercise ‘Per Mare Per Tien’ in 2007 where he spent a month in Kyrgyzstan climbing uncharted mountains in the Tien Shan range.

“My father served in the Royal Marines Commandos for 22 years. As a child, I remember watching in awe as the Band Service marched past. This inspired me to make the Royal Marines Band Service my career.”

Musician

Becoming a professional musician isn’t just a career choice. It’s a vocation and a commitment to hard work and excellence.

Find out more

Roles by service

As a ROYAL MARINES Officer either on ships or submarines you'll need to be a strong leader, tactician, seaman and navigator to handle your ship safely in all conditions and represent the Captain on the Bridge as an Officer of the Watch. There are many opportunities to sub-specialise within the branch and if you show the potential, you may be selected to command a ship or submarine yourself.