What Music Industry Employers Are Looking for in Summer Interns (2026)

Analyzed from postings from AEG · Live Nation · C3 Presents · UMG · UnitedMasters · Too Lost & more

Most paid roles land between $15 – $21/hr`

Skills every intern must have

Communication

Listed in 100% of postings:

  • Strong written & verbal skills

  • Professional email etiquette

  • Cross-team collaboration

  • Presentation readiness

Organization

Listed in 100% of postings:

  • Manage multiple projects at once

  • Meet deadlines under pressure

  • Detail-oriented documentation

  • Calendar & file management

Microsoft Office

Listed in 90%+ of postings:

  • Excel — data, pivots, tracking

  • PowerPoint — decks & presentations

  • Word / Outlook — professional docs

  • Basic formulas & reporting

Industry Passion

Listed in 85%+ of postings:

  • Genuine love of music & live events

  • Knowledge of artists & trends

  • Understanding of the business side

  • Fan of the culture, not just the music

Top tools to learn before you apply

Airtable / Asana

Project management tools used across C3 Presents, Live Nation, and Too Lost

Chartmetric / Spotify for Artists

A&R and streaming strategy roles rely heavily on these

Meta Ads Manager / TikTok Ads

Required for any paid media or digital marketing role

Microsoft Excel

Data tracking, reporting, pivots — mentioned in nearly every posting

Adobe Creative Suite

Photoshop + Illustrator for merch/creative roles; Premiere for video

Canva

Quick content creation — AEG, social media, and marketing roles

Available roles & what they do

Operations & Events

C3 Presents · Circuit of the Americas · SXSW

  • Vendor communications & contract paperwork

  • On-site setup & day-of event support

  • Sustainability tracking & reporting

  • Calendar management & scheduling


Tools: Asana | Airtable | MS Excel

Marketing & Social

Big Loud · C3 Presents · Live Nation · AEG · UMG

  • Post & schedule content across IG, TikTok, X

  • Compile social analytics & performance reports

  • Support campaign strategy & influencer outreach

  • Assist with digital ad campaigns

Tools: Adobe Suite | Canva | Meta Ads

Ticketing & Box Office

C3 Presents · Ticketmaster · Live Nation

  • Build events in Ticketmaster / ticketing systems

  • Track daily ticket counts & generate reports

  • Process ticket requests & credentials

  • Assist with inventory management

Tools: Ticketmaster Host | Excel

A&R & Artist Development

UMG · Too Lost

  • Research emerging artists & music trends

  • Evaluate demo submissions & streaming data

  • Coordinate studio/writing sessions

  • Shadow senior A&R staff on real projects

Tools: Chartmetric | Spotify for Artists | DISCO

Sponsorships & Partnerships

AEG Global Partnerships · C3 Brand Partnerships

  • Source & research potential brand partners

  • Maintain internal decks & sponsorship resources

  • Learn lifecycle from pitch to execution

  • Contribute ideas for brand activations

Tools: PowerPoint | Excel | CRM tools

Merchandise & Retail

Live Nation Merch · C3 Presents · UMG

  • Learn festival merch lifecycle (concept to sale)

  • Assist with e-commerce & post-event inventory

  • Support graphic design & creative decisions

  • Compile data reports for retail performance

Tools: Adobe Illustrator | Photoshop | Excel