A Day in the Life: Licensing Agency Intern

As an intern at a music licensing agency, your days are filled with challenging, exciting and fast-paced work. Music licensing agencies help musicians and composers monetise their music by licensing it to be used in a variety of media, such as TV shows, films, advertisements, and video games. As an intern, you will get a unique behind-the-scenes look at the music industry and will have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in the field.

In this piece, we will walk you through a typical day in the life of Lloris, a second year undergraduate student and 2023 BeatBrdg intern at a music licensing agency.

8:30 AM – Arrive At The Office

My day starts early, but i’m excited to get started. As I walk into the office, I’m greeted by my colleagues, who are already hard at work. I head to my desk and start up my computer. After checking my emails and making a to-do list for the day, i’m ready to jump into my first task.

Review Music Submissions

One of the most important tasks for music licensing agencies is to review music submissions from artists and composers. My first task of the day is to review a batch of submissions that were received over the weekend. I put on my headphones and start listening to the music, taking notes on each submission, evaluating the quality of the music, its marketability, and its potential uses in media.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve started to develop an ear for what the agency is looking for, and can now identify trends and patterns in the types of music that are successful in the media. I can also now recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each submission, and to understand how to provide feedback in my reports that I hope will help artists improve their music.

11:00 AM – Assist With Music Searches

My agency often receives requests from media companies looking for specific types of music. In my role, I work to assist in these searches. Today, I’ve been asked to help find music for a new TV show that is being produced. I start by reviewing the show’s script and identifying the mood and tone that the producers are trying to convey. Then use the agency’s music library to search for tracks that fit the criteria. I listen to dozens of tracks, taking notes on each one, and eventually narrow down the options to a handful of tracks that feel like they would be a good fit, and present your findings to your supervisor. Once its approved, I am tasked with preparing the tracks for submission to the TV show’s producers.

12:30 PM – Lunch Break

After a busy morning, it’s time for a break. I normally grab lunch with some of my team colleagues and chat about the music industry, and how the weekend was. Discussing recent trends in the industry, and the challenges that music licensing agencies face, I learn a lot about the future of licensing and how digital has impacted our industry and day to day work.

1:30 PM – Attend a meeting with a music supervisor

As an intern, I have the opportunity to attend some of our client and partner meetings. Today, I’m attending a meeting with a music supervisor who works for a film production company that we’d like to win as a new client.

The music supervisor is looking for music to use in an upcoming film. We listen to his needs, and I take notes while my supervisor makes recommendations based on the agency’s music library. We discuss the marketability of certain tracks and I listen as my supervisor suggests potential ways to promote the music to the film’s audience. The meeting is productive, and the client seems genuinely impressed and will wait for our formal proposal

3:00 PM – Work On A Marketing Campaign

My agency really works hard to promote their music library to potential clients, and to keep it at the forefront of our existing clients minds. In my role, I’m sometimes asked to help with our external marketing campaigns. Today, we’re working on a campaign to promote the agency’s music for use in trade advertisements.
I help write copy for the campaign and develop ideas for social media posts to go out on our channels.

5:00 PM – Wrap Up For The Day

As the workday comes to a close, I stop to reflect for a second on the day’s accomplishments. Being here for3 weeks already, I feel proud of the work I have done and my contributions to the agency so far. With only 5 weeks left, I know that time is passing by so quickly and look forward to what new challenges and opportunities await over the coming weeks.

Interning abroad has been an exciting and rewarding experience. I get to work in a fast-paced and creative environment, learn about the music industry, and have made valuable contributions to the agency’s success.

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