From the very moment I was 4 years old and my parents took me along to a concert of some people we met while travelling, I developed an obsession with music. Sadly, I don’t have any musical talent whatsoever myself. So I decided the next best thing to do to follow my passion for music is to work in the industry. Now here I am, six months into an internship at a record label and I have plenty of insights to share about my experience within the industry I have always dreamed of working in.
The music industry is intense, draining and quite strange at times. But it is also rewarding, heart-warming and entertaining. As an intern at a music label, you gain a “behind-the-scenes” kind of insight into the music industry. Although my job was focused on marketing, promotions and social media, that is only a small part of everything I have learnt. Working at such a small label gave me the chance to learn about all the processes involved in the making and sharing of music, from publishing contracts to licensing agreements and distribution.
While the music industry may seem exciting and like an endless concert, most days are structured like a regular 9-5 job. Responding to emails, calling managers, creating promotional plans for new releases, working on new content for social media and strategizing on how we can get more plays, more fans, and more music. When we’re not doing any of that, we’re distracted by something that is somewhat related to music. We could be angrily discussing Spotify’s algorithm and contemplating if the newest releases’ playlists add and radio plays are satisfactory, or we could be gossiping about a DJ’s latest drama.
My favourite distraction is the A&R process. Luckily, having the head of our A&R team sitting right next to me, I was able to enjoy all of it. And what I learnt is that there is a lot of music out there, and a lot of it is really bad. But bad music is what makes our days spent doing all our regular work so fun. Out of nowhere a colleague starts playing that one terrible demo we received 2 months ago and for a couple of minutes, everyone forgets about their stress and has the time of their lives.
I would recommend an internship at a record label to anyone with a passion for music. Although much seemingly boring work is involved, the time spent listening to, working with, discussing and playing music makes it all worth it. However, it is important to note that while musicians may seem to have an abundance of money and glamour, the music industry does not. Unless your love for music is out of this world and you thrive whilst working with music, it may be worth reconsidering if money is what you’re after.