Becoming more ingrained in the music industry

  • January 3, 2022
Becoming more ingrained in the music industry
Sarah Beckford looks at computer.

This semester, I worked with The House Music Group as a press relations intern. Though the internship only lasted for this semester, I really enjoyed it. Since the summer, I have been working on my goal of being part of the music industry. Through this internship I was able to get my foot in the door and also secure a job with a major music company. 

Working with the team at the House Music Group PR has been wonderful. The entire team, though small, is fully staffed by an empowering and talented group of women of color. I can honestly say that I learned so much, even from when I had my interview. I truly appreciate the culture of The House Music Group PR, as I was able to be myself and really enjoy each day. The internship, though remote, was fun, and I was able to build a camaraderie with my fellow intern and the rest of the team. 

The company was founded in 2017 and supports a small roster of up-and-coming artists. They seek to secure brand partnerships, press and social-media traction for their artists such as YNG Martyr, Elliot Kerbel, ZEMBU, Eve Birtwhistle and more. A big part of my job was to research trends on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. My daily tasks included writing about potential competitors or artists similar to the Group’s roster, as well as drafting ways to promote House artists’ music. 

My data journalism class, JRN 415, definitely helped as I did my social media research. (Due to all of that time doing research, my weekly Screen Time Reports definitely went up, but for good reason!) I also gave feedback on our artists’ music, as well as how to describe it for potential sync placements (sync placements refer to when an artist’s music is played in an ad, TV show, or movie.) 

My favorite part of my internship was developing social media calendars for the artists. Though it was challenging to come up with a unique idea for each day, it gave me insight on how to hone a brand and execute it for a specific artist and their fanbase. 

A typical week would last 10-15 hours, with flexible scheduling for my school schedule, which I found to be really helpful. In addition, we had a team chat as well as monthly meetings to check in and relax with each other. 

This internship was incredibly helpful as I sought to network and become more ingrained in the music industry. My supervisors have worked in various capacities such as A&R (Artists & Repertoire), Sync, PR and Legal. I myself would like to work in A&R, in helping record labels discover new talent, and one of my supervisors, Maya Levy, was really helpful in educating me on what a role like that would entail and how I can prepare for it. I now work as a strategic partnership representative for Universal Music Group’s 1824 agency, and the research, communication and PR skills that I’ve honed within this internship and in my journalism coursework has helped me immensely. 

This internship also helped me with my time management skills, networking and personal branding. I highly recommend this internship to students who are interested in PR, music and social media management. The House Music Group is still hiring interns, and the position can last for an entire year or just a semester. 

Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow, and I can say with confidence that this semester was one in which I grew significantly in my confidence, work ethic, and goals for my post-graduation career. My advice to fellow students would be to apply to positions that may seem out of the ordinary or even out of reach. You never know who will say “yes” to you. That “yes” can really be life changing and an opportunity for you to grow.