Excelling in Music Studio Internships: A Comprehensive Guide

Landing a music studio internship can be a crucial first step towards a fulfilling career in the music industry. However, securing and succeeding in such a role requires more than just a passion for music. It demands a combination of technical skills, professional aptitude, and a proactive mindset. This article provides a comprehensive guide to navigating the world of music studio internships, covering everything from preparation to making the most of the experience.

Preparing for the Internship

Acquiring Essential Technical Skills

For audio engineering or production internships, a solid understanding of industry-standard software like Pro Tools is nearly a requirement. Pro Tools is a complex set of tools, and mastering it before the internship is highly recommended. While Pro Tools is prevalent, research to determine if your desired studio uses a different Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

Dedicate ample time to developing fluency in your chosen DAW. This will enable you to work efficiently in a fast-paced session environment. Even without a home recording setup, numerous online practice sessions are available. Focus on speed and track editing skills, as these are often delegated to assistant engineers and offer valuable opportunities to earn credits.

Familiarizing Yourself with Studio Hardware

Studios often have unique hardware setups. Fortunately, most studios readily share their gear lists. Researching unfamiliar consoles, microphones, or compressors beforehand will allow for smoother conversations and demonstrate initiative. While the studio will provide specific training, a general foundation will significantly aid your learning.

Researching Potential Internship Locations

Like most creative fields, landing the right internship involves tough decisions with no clear path. Research the company and learn as much as possible about how they work to ensure you have put the time in to get yourself ready to work.

Read also: Breaking into LA Music

The ideal music production internship should offer both experience and connections. All other decisions will revolve around your ability to develop these two areas. To determine if an audio production internship will help you develop the necessary experience, a former intern is the best person to ask. Find and message a few alumni from a particular studio or other internship. It should become fairly straightforward whether they were given any training, had access to studios in downtime, and had access to observe or assist on actual work.

By comparing the clientele of various studios and seeing how busy their schedule is, you can get a good idea of how likely it is for you to meet and work closely with professionals in your particular area of interest. For example, suppose you want to work primarily on Hip Hop. In that case, working at a studio with primarily country or rock artists in their credits may not be particularly useful. You may develop experience but are not likely to find meaningful industry connections. It may even make sense to reach out to your industry idols to get their opinion on the best place to start.

Landing the Internship

Crafting a Professional Resume

Building a professional-looking resume is essential. Use templates from Canva or similar services as a starting point, but tailor it to highlight the specific skills and experience required for the internship. Include industry-relevant references and showcase a strong work ethic through previous employment.

Preparing for the Interview

Present your dedication and work ethic without arrogance. Emphasize your eagerness to learn, as most studios prefer interns who are teachable and humble. Employers seek interns with a strong work ethic, customer service mentality, and the ability to contribute to a smooth-running studio environment. Technical capabilities are often a bonus.

Making the Most of the Internship

Demonstrating Initiative and Work Ethic

Many music production internships will have a certain element of competition among the new recruits, but they probably won’t acknowledge that. Nobody will likely be forcing your pace, so it’s entirely up to you to ensure you get the most out of every day! A small notebook and pen are invaluable tools for taking notes and managing tasks efficiently. Meeting or exceeding expectations by completing assigned tasks thoroughly will set you apart from other interns.

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Paying Attention to Detail

Even seemingly minor tasks, such as picking up lunch, demonstrate your attention to detail and commitment. As Producer/Engineer Greg Collins (Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, System of a Down) has described, double-checking orders and ensuring all necessary items are included reflects your reliability and trustworthiness.

Utilizing Downtime for Learning and Practice

Any moment of downtime should be spent learning. If there is access to equipment or studios, time spent experimenting and practicing is invaluable. Mistakes are inevitable, but making them in front of clients isn’t! Don’t ever wait until crunch time to try to get good at something. Coming to your internship coordinator asking for more work is also a great (and subtle) opportunity to show that you have completed your tasks well.

Networking and Building Relationships

Internships offer opportunities to connect with industry professionals. Building relationships with producers, engineers, and other staff members can lead to future collaborations and career advancement.

Being Eager and Hard-Working

The surest path to success is to be the most eager and hard-working person in the room and one who can make the studio and production crew look amazing.

Skills That Will Help You Land The Internship

Cable wrapping.
Cleaning.
Making coffee.
Basic studio maintenance.
The ability to make and repair cables (i.e., basic soldering skills).
The ability to use a patchbay quickly and effectively.
The ability to tune drums, edit vocals, and clean up sessions.
The ability to run multiple kinds of software. Pro Tools, Cubase, Reaper, etc.
Experience working with paying clients.
Knowing how to shut up, be quiet, and back up your engineer. This is possibly the most important skill. You're not here to be a producer or an engineer, you're here to help me out, make the studio look good, and do whatever I need you to do.

What Not To Do

DO NOT emphasize how much you want to learn. I know you're going to learn and want to learn, that's implied. Bringing it up makes me question your goals. It makes you seem so unconfident in your abilities that the only card left you have to play is begging. It's unprofessional, and frankly, a bit pathetic. I'm not a charity trying to help those in need, I'm a business owner trying to hire skilled workers.
BAD Example: "Please, I'll do anything to work at this studio, I'll clean toilets or wash your car or pick up your laundry or do anything to learn from you, you're the best, please!"
BETTER Example: "I would love the opportunity to work in a professional studio environment to help out however is needed."
Be prepared to show off something you've recorded.
If you have nothing to show, I immediately assume you're not that serious about it.
It doesn't quite matter if it's great or not, what matters is that you're trying. If you have never recorded anything on your own, you probably won't get hired. It's really that simple. It's not 1995 anymore.
DO NOT name-drop stuff meaninglessly. Name-dropping gear, or your degree, or your college, where you're from, who your dad is, or people you've worked with, isn't really necessary. In fact, I really don't care. If you do name-drop gear, it better be something I own and use at the studio, or something that you own and use personally. Otherwise, I don't care.
Summarize and reiterate why I should consider you, and add a simple salutation.
Ex: "I hope you consider me for this position. I think I could be a valuable asset to your studio and help to keep sessions running smoothly and efficiently. Thank you for your time, Jane Doe"

Alternatives to recording schools

Get a job, buy some gear, buy some software, treat your room, and start recording. Do it until you're blue in the face. Read about it. Research it. Listen to podcasts, read books, subscribe to magazines.

Opportunities for Internships

DreamWorks offers students and recent grads the opportunity to work alongside artists and storytellers in TV and Feature Animation.
Concord's theatricals, narrative content, and music internship programs allow aspiring entertainment professionals to experience the industry firsthand.
The Universal Music Group Internship Program is an immersive opportunity designed to provide hands-on experience and exposure to a career in the music entertainment industry.
Warner Music Group’s Emerging Talent Associate Program (ETA) provides paid internships for students seeking real-world experience in music.
The Sony Music Internship Program provides opportunities for students seeking real-world experience in the music industry.
South By Sea, an independent record label in Nashville, has a 3-month music internship available.
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Blackbird Studio has a prestigious reputation, with around 10 recording studios and a legendary client list.

Music Industry Internship Interview Questions

Who are your favorite artists?
Tell me about your prior experience in the music industry.
What do you want to learn from this internship?
Where do you live?
Why do you want to work at this company?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Tell me about how you manage deadlines.

Read also: Internships in Boston Music

tags: #music #studio #internships #requirements