Career guide
Music Marketing Jobs: Music and Entertainment Marketing Careers
Music marketing jobs get artists, releases and shows in front of fans, on streaming services, social platforms, radio and at live events. The main roles are label product and digital marketing, streaming and playlist marketing, social and content, publicity, tour and live marketing, and brand partnerships, with similar jobs in film, TV, games and podcasts.
Key takeaways
- Music marketing jobs sit at record labels, artist management companies, distributors, streaming services, concert promoters and venues, publishers and specialist agencies.
- A label marketing or product manager runs the plan for one release or artist, coordinating digital, streaming, publicity, radio and touring teams.
- Music marketing moves on release dates and tour cycles, and most new music comes out on Fridays.
- Paying for radio airplay without disclosure is illegal under the FCC's payola rules, and paid creator posts need clear disclosure under the FTC's Endorsement Guides.
- Internships, college radio, street teams, artist management assistant roles and running an artist's socials are common ways into music marketing.
What does a music marketer do?
A music marketer builds an audience for an artist and gets fans to listen, follow, buy tickets and buy merch. The product is a person and their music, so the job means working closely with artists, managers and their teams, not just a brand guideline.
A typical week around a release might include:
- Building the rollout plan for a single: teaser content, pre-save campaign, release-day push, follow-up content.
- Pitching the release to streaming services’ editorial teams through their artist tools.
- Briefing creators and fan accounts on a sound for short-form video.
- Planning ads for tour dates in cities where ticket sales are slow.
- Reporting streams, saves, follower growth and ticket sales back to the artist’s manager.
Who hires music and entertainment marketers?
Music and entertainment marketers work at labels, at companies around the artist, at the platforms where people listen and at the businesses that sell live shows. Each hires differently.
| Employer type | What marketing focuses on | Typical roles |
|---|---|---|
| Major and independent record labels | Releases and artist development | Product manager, digital marketing, streaming, publicity |
| Distributors and label services | Marketing support for independent artists and labels | Marketing manager, streaming and playlist pitching |
| Artist management companies | The artist’s whole career: releases, touring, brand deals | Day-to-day manager, digital marketing coordinator |
| Streaming and audio platforms | Growing listeners and subscribers, artist campaigns | Growth, artist marketing, editorial, brand |
| Concert promoters, venues and festivals | Selling tickets | Tour or event marketing, ticketing, partnerships |
| Music publishers | Songwriters and sync placements in film, TV, ads and games | Sync, creative and marketing roles |
| Music marketing, PR and radio agencies | Campaigns, press and radio promotion for clients | Account manager, publicist, radio promoter |
| Film, TV, streaming and game studios | Releases, premieres, launches and fan campaigns | Entertainment marketing, publicity, social, creative advertising |
For a look at how one audio platform markets itself, see our Spotify marketing teardown.
What are the main music marketing jobs?
The main music marketing jobs are label product management, digital and social marketing, streaming marketing, publicity, tour and live marketing, and brand partnerships. The table compares them.
| Job | What you do | Where it sits | Entry route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product manager or marketing manager (label) | Run the plan for a release or artist across every team | Labels | Marketing coordinator, assistant |
| Digital marketing manager | Paid social, email, pre-saves, websites, fan data | Labels, management, agencies | Digital marketing specialist, ads roles |
| Streaming or DSP marketing | Relationships with streaming services, playlist pitching, release-day plans | Labels, distributors | Coordinator, distributor roles |
| Social media and content | Artist and label channels, short-form video, creator campaigns | Labels, management, artists | Social media jobs, running an artist’s socials |
| Fan community manager | Discord, fan clubs, super-fan programs | Labels, management, platforms | Community manager roles |
| Publicist | Press, interviews, reviews, media training | PR agencies, labels | PR assistant, PR specialist path |
| Radio promotion | Getting songs added and played on radio formats | Labels, independent promoters | Radio station or promo assistant |
| Tour and live marketing | Ticket on-sales, local ads, venue and promoter coordination | Promoters, venues, management | Venue, street team, ticketing |
| Brand partnerships and sync | Artist sponsorships, brand deals, songs in ads and shows | Labels, agencies, publishers | Influencer marketing, publishing assistant |
| Entertainment marketing | Campaigns for films, series, games and podcasts | Studios, streamers, agencies | Coordinator, publicity, creative agencies |
What’s different about marketing in music and entertainment?
Music marketing differs from most marketing because the product is an artist with their own voice, schedule and opinions, and the release date drives everything. A few other things set it apart:
- Release dates set the rhythm. Most new music comes out on Fridays, the global release day since July 2015 (Fortune), and a rollout is planned backwards from that day: announcement, pre-save, singles, release, then the push to keep it going.
- Artists approve the work. Content, imagery and messaging usually go through the artist and their manager. Strong relationships and clear plans make this easier.
- Short-form video and creators matter a lot. Songs often find audiences through clips people make themselves, so labels work with creators and watch which sounds are catching on.
- Streaming has its own relationships. Editorial playlist pitching and platform marketing are specialist skills at labels and distributors.
- Live shows pay the bills. Tour marketing is about selling tickets city by city, often with local ads and promoters.
- Payola rules apply to radio. The FCC’s payola and sponsorship identification rules require broadcasters to disclose when something of value was given for airplay. Paid posts by creators also need clear disclosure under the FTC’s Endorsement Guides, and the FTC expects brands to monitor what creators post for them.
- Entertainment marketing follows release windows. Films, series and games plan campaigns around premieres, launch dates and award seasons, with tight approvals from studios and talent.
- Hours follow the show. Release nights, concerts, festivals and premieres happen in the evening and on weekends.
How do you get a job in music marketing?
You get into music marketing by getting close to artists and fans early and showing you can grow an audience. Music has a reputation as a closed industry, but much of the proof it wants is something you can build yourself, starting with one artist. The steps below work for students and career changers.
- Do the work for an artist now. Run socials, ads or a release plan for a local or independent artist. Track streams, followers and ticket sales, and put the results on your resume.
- Take an internship. Labels, management companies, promoters and agencies run internship programs. Our marketing internship guide covers how to apply.
- Work at a venue or on a street team. Venue, ticketing and promoter jobs teach you how live shows sell.
- Use college radio and student media. College radio, music journalism and campus event boards build contacts and real experience.
- Bring a skill the industry needs. Paid social, CRM, data and community managers from other industries can move into music, especially at labels and streaming services.
- Learn the business. Know how artists make money: streaming, touring, merch, publishing, sync and brand deals. It changes how you talk in interviews.
- Treat each release like a project. Label work is project management with many teams. Our marketing project manager guide covers the skills.
Small numbers count in step 1. A local artist whose monthly listeners doubled because of your plan is a story you can tell in any label interview, so start tracking from day one.
What should you research before a music marketing interview?
Research the company’s artists or titles, its recent campaigns and how it reaches fans, and arrive with a view on one release. Music interviewers want to see you listen and pay attention to fans.
- The roster or slate. Current artists, recent releases and what’s coming, or the films, series and games on the schedule.
- Recent rollouts. How a recent release was announced, which content and creators it used, how fans responded in comments.
- Streaming and social presence. Where the artists or titles grow, which platforms they lean on.
- Touring and live. Current tours, festival slots, ticket on-sales.
- For agencies and platforms: their clients, their services and recent campaigns they promote.
When you share your view on a release, say it like a fan who also thinks like a marketer. Your own taste and the details you noticed are what make the answer yours, so don’t sand them off.
Our guide to how to research a company before an interview covers the general method.
How much do music marketing jobs pay?
Music and entertainment marketing pay follows the job and level, and BLS has no separate figure for music marketing. Use our marketing manager salary page for manager roles, the marketing specialist salary page for coordinator and specialist roles, and the PR specialist salary page for publicists. Entry roles are competitive, so ask about pay early.
Tailor your resume to the music role
A label digital role wants audience results; a tour marketing role wants ticket sales; a publicist role wants press you landed. Lead with the result this posting cares about. Recon reads the posting and your resume and suggests rewrites using only what’s already true on your resume.
FAQ
Do you need a music business degree to work in music marketing?
No. Music business degrees help with internships and contacts, but labels and agencies also hire marketers with other degrees or none, especially those who can show an audience they grew.
What entry-level music marketing jobs are there?
Marketing coordinator or assistant at a label, digital marketing coordinator, publicity assistant, street team and venue roles, and internships. Our list of entry-level marketing jobs explains what each kind of entry role does.
What does a product manager do at a record label?
A label product manager runs the marketing plan for a release or artist. They set the timeline and budget, coordinate digital, streaming, publicity, radio and touring teams, and keep the artist’s management informed.
Is entertainment marketing the same as music marketing?
They overlap. Entertainment marketing covers films, TV, streaming series, games and podcasts as well as music, with campaigns built around premieres and launch dates. The skills, especially social, publicity and creator work, carry across.
How do you find freelance music marketing jobs, like festival work?
Freelance music marketing work usually comes through people rather than job boards: festivals, promoters, independent labels and artist managers hire freelancers for a season, a tour or a release. Start by doing a small, well-documented project for an independent artist or a local venue, then pitch festivals and promoters a few months before their season, when they staff up. A short case study with real numbers does more than a long resume here.
Are there remote music marketing jobs?
Yes, especially in digital roles: paid social, playlist and streaming marketing, CRM, content and analytics can be done from anywhere, and many independent labels and distributors hire remotely. Roles tied to live shows, artist relations and street teams still need you in a city. Our remote marketing jobs guide covers how to search and stand out for remote roles.
Which cities have the most music marketing jobs?
Los Angeles, New York and Nashville are the cities people search for most alongside music marketing jobs, because that’s where many labels, publishers, management companies and agencies keep offices. Don’t let that stop you if you live elsewhere: digital roles are often remote, and every city has venues, promoters and artists who need marketing help.