u/thatABRgroove

I recently graduated with a Communications degree and I'm trying to land my first job in the music industry.

My experience includes AV production for live events, hosting a college radio show where I interviewed local artists, and producing a short documentary about a local band and the music scene at my university. I've also done video production and event coordination.

I'm open to a wide range of roles on the business side of the industry—communications, marketing, partnerships, artist relations, label operations, live events, account management, or even sales if it's within music.

The challenge is that almost all the interviews I'm getting are outside the industry, so I'm wondering what kinds of entry-level jobs I should really be targeting. Are there companies, job titles, or parts of the industry that are easier to break into than others?

I'd really appreciate any advice from people who got their foot in the door without already having industry connections.

I recently graduated with a Communications degree and have been trying to figure out the most realistic way to break into the music industry.

Working in music has always felt like an achievable dream, but I'm not dead set on one specific role. I'd be happy in communications, marketing, partnerships, artist relations, sales, live events, or really anything on the business side that fits my background.

I have experience in AV production, live events, hosting a college radio show where I interviewed local artists, and producing a short documentary about a local band and the music scene at my university. Despite that, most of the interviews I'm getting are for jobs outside the music industry.

For those of you already working in music, what path did you take? If you were graduating today with a background like mine, what kinds of entry-level roles would you be targeting? Is it better to keep applying directly to music companies, or build transferable experience elsewhere and pivot later?

I'm not looking for a shortcut—just some honest advice from people who've actually found their way into the industry.

I recently graduated college and I'm trying to start a career in professional AV. I have about a year of experience as an Audio/Visual Technician at my university, where I supported live events, set up and tore down AV systems, troubleshot equipment, and worked with microphones, projectors, displays, and switchers. I also have experience with live radio and video production.

I'm applying for entry-level AV jobs and wondering if I should start earning certifications now or wait until I'm working in the field. I'm considering CTS and Dante Levels 1–3.

How much do certifications actually help you get hired? Are there any others you'd recommend for someone hoping to eventually work in live music, venues, or touring?

So I’ve known power pop exists but was never really sure. I recently saw a random tweet saying that the album Girlfriend by Matthew Sweet is one of the most underrated guitar albums ever. And the tweet wasn’t wrong! I was really impressed. I’ve dug deeper into power pop. I’ve obviously known the hits like weezer and Ben folds (five) but I’ve found a lot more and it’s just a fun genre tbh. Based on my playlist, lmk what else I should add!

I will soon be graduated with a Communications degree and I’m in the process of figuring out my next step. I’ve done some hands-on media experience in college (TA for a media class, co-founding a short film club, live event work), but I’m still unclear on how that translates into a clear career path.

I’ve explored a few directions like sales and media/marketing-adjacent roles, but nothing has fully clicked yet. I’m mostly trying to figure out what roles or industries might realistically fit someone with my background and interests in media, storytelling, and entertainment.

I know what my passion is. Music. I hope to be in a cover band some day and maybe writing some original music for fun.

Any perspective on how you eventually found direction would be really helpful.

I’m graduating this spring with a Communication in Media degree and trying to find a realistic way into the music industry, ideally on the artist side (A&R, artist development, management). I know those are tough to break into, so I’ve also been applying to entry-level roles like label assistant, marketing/ops, and agency assistant just to get in the door.

My background isn’t traditional industry internships, but I’ve been building my own experience: I made a short-film music documentary about an emerging band and DIY scene (handled everything end-to-end), I host a radio show on my college campus where I curate music and interview artists, and I’ve done some live event work (announcing a band and helping keep artists organized backstage). I also do some freelance video/content work with artists, and I’ve started a YouTube channel where I’ve released the documentary so far.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t really set myself up specifically for A&R yet in terms of formal experience, but I know I want to work in music and be around artists in some capacity, and that’s the direction I’m trying to move toward. My work experiences are more in communications in general and video/Audio-visual.

I’m based in South Jersey (close to Philly) and actively applying, but trying to be strategic. If you were in my position, would you focus more on landing an entry-level role at a company ASAP, or keep building directly with artists and let that turn into opportunities? And for those already in, what actually makes someone stand out at entry level without big-name internships?

Always liked redbull but this flavor made me a certified redbull fan. Need them to bring it back. Top tier flavor.