Tips for Getting Into the Music Industry as a College Student

The entertainment industry can be hard to get into, especially with the lack of experience as an entry applicant. Juggling the weight of schoolwork and establishing a balanced and healthy schedule is a complicated start but can be a good start to establishing your future career. Here are a couple of tips to make your presence known in the field. 

Find a Specific Part of the Music Industry 

The music industry itself has so many parts you can be a part of. Do you want to work backstage? Do you want to manage an artist? Work within marketing or publicity? Understanding which part of the music industry you want to be a part of helps out greatly. 

Once there is a part of the music industry that finds your interest, try to find different positions that can perfectly fit your decision of the field you want to work in. 

Join Street Teams

Most record labels and agencies curate street teams to help promote their artists and expand their fanbases. You can enjoy being a fan of an artist or company all while receiving the perks of being a part of a group and understanding teamwork.

Being a part of a street team adds experience in promotions, you can gain connections with other people on the team and learn more information from professionals and peers. 

Interested in joining a street team today? Contact Kenzie (kenzie@jvagency.co) to join JV Agency’s Street Team!

Constantly Update Your Resume

All experience is experience. If you come across volunteer positions and think they can be valuable to your choices, add them to your resume. Make sure your resume is up to date as you navigate through college. If there was a project related to the field you want to work in, add that as well. It shows that you’re working on your craft as you carry on through your college career. 

While you are constantly updating your resume, make a second one. The second resume should show your creative side. The music industry admires creativity, especially if you want to work in graphic design, social media, or publicity. Channel your creativity in a second resume with your art style. Something that can catch the eye of a recruiter. 

Join Campus Organizations

School organizations are perfect for finding people that share the same interest as you. The organizations can be something within your major or a hobby that you find interesting. These organizations can help you learn about your students with the same interests and also can teach you more about the career you want to focus on, with more insight on the topic.

Many organizations tend to have more guest speakers and informational meetings to help you grow your connections and insight into the field that you’re passionate to be in. If there are not any organizations on campus that interest you or fit into your schedule, try to look at organizations that are local. If you’re interested in Public Relations, try joining the chapter of PRSA or GRAMMYU. 

Establish Your Online Presence

Your presence online creates an established stance for future employers. Make it clear what you want to do and how passionate you are about it. In addition to constantly updating your resume, create a portfolio of projects you have worked on in class. It can be for school, other jobs, or just for fun. 

Lastly, Know it is a Work in Progress

As stated in the beginning, getting into the music industry is a challenging and competitive field to get into. There will be a couple of rejections along the way and know that that just invites more room for improvement and to keep on going. Try to stay organized and on top of plenty of topics and the things you are more passionate about. If you are interested in working in PR or graphic design, try making designs and come up with ideas for fun. These can help you work on your craft more with the ideas that you have in mind. Remember that things do not happen overnight all of the time so just keep working on what you are passionate to achieve.