Ask the Experts: DEMYSTIFYING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
In last year’s Social Mobility Commission report it was found that only 23% of the music and performance industry came from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This is in comparison to 57% coming from professional backgrounds.
Alongside a lack of accessible support and connections, the roots of this stems from there being little knowledge on the different paths that can be taken within the industry. Believe it or not, there’s a lot more than production, singing and management.
So, we took it upon ourselves to ask three different professionals in the music industry about the day-to-day of their jobs and career journeys - hopefully batting away some of the smoke shrouding the music industry.
WHAT DOES THE DAY-TO-DAY IN YOUR ROLE LOOK LIKE?
“The majority of the day consists mainly of listening to music and talking about music! The rest of it centres around leadership duties I.e. managing people, liaising with the music industry. “
Junior Foster, Director, Global Artist Relations at Napster
“My role lacks a bit of definition due to So Young now being a print mag, record label, online platform, live events promoter and clothing brand. And I'm actively involved in all of these sections, alongside co-founder, Josh. In print, my day-to-day is listening to new music, creating new direct relationships with bands, managers and publicists in order to make our magazine sound as fresh and exciting as possible. This then feeds into everything else, be it developing those artist relationships into an online feature on a new single, a record deal or a live show. In short, lots of new music, and lots of emails.”
Sam Ford, Editor at So Young Magazine
”I wear a few ‘hats’ so it can really vary but as a publicist, I usually will start the day with doing a press sweep, which means looking to see if any of the artists I represent have had any new pieces of press come through. Once a week I will then collate any live links and feedback into a report and send to the artist’s label and/or management. Most days consist of wiring press releases, sending mailouts to press announcing new music, pitching and chasing editors and trying not to annoy them in the process!”
Ellie Sorensen , PR Manager and Publicist at A Badge of Friendship and Crosstown PR
HOW WAS YOUR JOURNEY OF BREAKING INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
“It was hard for me as when I was younger, as diversity just wasn’t there. There weren’t as many entry points then. Now times are changing and there are less barriers.”
Junior Foster, Director, Global Artist Relations at Napster
“I think the important note for me when it comes to working in music is that, So Young was the only way it was going to happen. I didn't study for a career within it, and I didn’t know a thing about anything we've done until we went out to try and do it. I only got here out of passion for new bands and creating something as an extension of that. We started So Young as a response to the big music titles having the same old covers and the most exciting stuff crammed into a corner.
Josh studied illustration and had a passion for the punk fanzines of the past. We followed these passions and created something which ultimately represented us first and eventually, fortunately, represented others too. We stuck at it, alongside our jobs, and bit by bit added new sections and found new ways to show our fanship.”
Sam Ford, Editor at So Young Magazine
“I studied Professional Musicianship at BIMM Brighton with quite a naive dream of becoming a professional singer… sadly I suffer from quite severe stage anxiety and so I knew I needed to find a different path. One of the modules included finding work experience within the music industry and one of my tutors suggested that PR may be a good fit for me.
I spent two weeks working at Anorak PR who represented some of my favourite artists such as The Maccabees and Foals and I loved every minute of it. From that moment on I made it my mission to apply for as many internships as possible. It can be tough as most internships are generally unpaid, so I also had to continue working in retail to support myself but it all worked out in the end. After 2 or 3 internships over the next few years, I ended up being offered my first full time job in PR and got to quit my day job!”
Ellie Sorensen , PR Manager and Publicist at A Badge of Friendship and Crosstown PR
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER SOMEONE TRYING TO GET INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
“Work hard and always be the best version of you. The industry is small; you never know who is watching you or thinking about you for a role.”
Junior Foster, Director, Global Artist Relations at Napster
“The music industry is a strange place, but it's also somewhere with a lot of opportunity and somewhere where a variety of experiences can open so many doors. Many of our writers have gone on to work within management, publishing, freelance editorial, formed bands, A&R...the list goes on. The crossover of skills is enormous within this world, so be flexible and go out and get as many experiences as you can.”
Sam Ford Editor at So Young Magazine
“Make the most of every opportunity you’re given and utilise all your resources. Start interning as early as possible and make the most of any contacts and connections you make along the way. Networking is a huge part of the music industry so don’t be afraid to get stuck in and shoot your shot. If you want to be a journalist, start your own music blog, if you want to be a publicist, start doing PR for your friend’s bands. It can take time but your hard work will be rewarded.”
Ellie Sorensen , PR Manager and Publicist at A Badge of Friendship and Crosstown PR
If you’re looking for more information and advice on breaking into the music industry, check out the live Q&A we held with Corbyn Asbury, Label Relations Manager at Youtube here.