The music industry offers many career opportunities that go far beyond performing on a stage: careers spanning from songwriters and composers, production and sound engineering, music distribution and promotion, business and management, music publishing, music journalism, marketing and social media, to touring and beyond! These industry professionals are the backbone of the music world, ensuring the music we love thrives through their contributions to its creation, production, and distribution.
Music marketing shapes how artists connect with their audience by helping to build their brand, establishing a loyal fanbase and creating long lasting success. By having a successful marketing team, an artist is able to see which songs resonate most with their audience and are able to attract sponsorships and collaborations that ultimately help to grow their brand.
Social media has changed the way an artist is able to promote their work. TikTok has revolutionized the way artists promote their music, giving them the opportunity to catapult a song to fame. Instagram, for example, has allowed artists to connect with their fans, creating personal connections that help to establish a loyal fanbase.
Hannah Glass is coming up on four years of working in the music industry, three of which were spent at her current company Crowd Surf, where she works as a digital marketing manager.
“I’m a very firm believer and supporter of the fangirl to music industry professional pipeline, as I’m a product of it myself,” Glass says.
One of the perks of working in music marketing is that each day can bring something new. When you are working as a manager on a project, your job is to oversee and lead digital marketing initiatives, says Glass. It’s important to frequently check emails and check in with your clients via text message as you prepare for upcoming meetings to brainstorm big-picture marketing campaigns and content creation.
“My Google Calendar is my bible,” the Kansas City native admits. “I update and check it at least 15 times a day. With sometimes 7 plus meetings a day, it’s easy to lose track of things and Google calendars help me stay on track so nothing is missed. Even if it’s simply for blocking off an hour or so and allocating time to a specific task, it can be super helpful.”
By becoming well-respected in your field and building relationships with people in the industry, the door is open to exciting opportunities.
“[I’ve] checked off some bucket list clients over the past few years,” Glass says, as she has had the opportunity to work on some of her favorite artists’ projects. A core memory for her was attending one of her first client’s shows, who she had been a fan of throughout different stages of her life.
“I worked on this release. I marketed these shows. This show wouldn’t be sold out without my work. That was something that I will never forget,” Glass says.
For those who are aspiring to work in music marketing, the best thing you can do for yourself is to say yes to the opportunities that are presented to you. Glass paid her dues and got her foot in the door by taking internships and working gigs, regardless of if it was related to her long term goal.
“Any experience is experience and can add great value to your music industry knowledge, even though it might not be exactly what you are looking to do in the long run.”
Follow Hannah Glass on Instagram
Photos courtesy of Hannah Glass.
