Cracking the Code: Your Guide to Warner Music Group Internships
Warner Music Group (WMG), a global leader in music and culture, offers several internship programs. The Emerging Talent Associate (ETA) Program is a paid internship designed to provide individuals with the opportunity to apply their skills and gain hands-on experience in the music industry. For students looking to break into the music industry, WMG’s Emerging Talent Associate Program is a fantastic pathway into the business. However, such a great opportunity attracts many candidates.
Warner Music Group: A World of Opportunity
With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, East West, Elektra, Erato, FFRR, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner Bros., Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. WMG operates in more than 50 countries through various subsidiaries, affiliates, and non-affiliated licensees. Our headquarters are located in Manhattan at 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
The Emerging Talent Associate (ETA) Program
Warner Music Group’s Emerging Talent Associate (ETA) Program is a semester-long, fully-immersive opportunity, available in the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. As an ETA, you will be able to engage with departments across WMG’s businesses, where establishing a deeper understanding of music and fostering meaningful connections are of the utmost importance. Warner Music Group’s Emerging Talent Associate (ETA) Program is a paid internship opportunity designed to provide individuals with real world experience in the music industry. This multidimensional, hands-on program begins with matching potential ETAs to participating departments across WMG, and supporting their development through a variety of programming and events.
This multidimensional, semester-long program begins by matching ETAs to specific departments based on their interests as well as the position qualifications. Upon joining the program, Emerging Talent Associates (ETAs) are fully immersed in the day-to-day activities of their assigned department. They participate in strategic meetings, help solve key business issues, and offer ideas and perspectives to further WMG's global success. In addition, working as an Emerging Talent Associate ensures access to incredible developmental activities such as our Professional Development Workshops, Industry Insights, and the Emerging Talent Associate Capstone Project.
Key Program Details
- Program Duration: Varies by option (example from Spring 2026):
- OPTION ONE: January 20, 2026 - March 27, 2026
- OPTION TWO: January 26, 2026 - April 3, 2026
- OPTION THREE: February 2, 2026 - April 10, 2026
- Scheduled Weekly Hours: 20-25 hours per week (varies based on department)
- Internship Credit is also provided for students seeking academic credit for this experience.
Eligibility Requirements
- At least 18 years of age by the program start date.
- Located within the United States for the duration of the program.
- Have access to housing and transportation within the designated city.
- A self-starter attitude with a genuine curiosity for our business.
- Able to commit to a 20-25 hour work week
Desired Skills and Qualities
- Professional goals that align with Warner Music Group's core values and business objectives
- Knowledge of and passion for the different business units that makeup WMG
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as effective problem-solving and organizational skills
- Strong passion for and knowledge of the music industry
- Leadership experience on or off campus
Placement Opportunities
Please note the departments listed below are subject to change.
Read also: Comprehensive Internship Guide
Warner Music Group’s Values
At Warner Music Group, everything we do is built upon our values of Curiosity, Collaboration, and Commitment. Through advocacy, philanthropic partnerships, and community engagement, we drive positive change and address challenges that are top of mind for our industry. As a global leader in music and culture, we recognize the importance of leading by example to reduce our environmental impact in the world. We are also committed to empowering our artists to connect with fans in ways that reflect their shared passion for sustainability. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to our employees and applicants for employment, to ensure that individuals with disabilities, sincerely held religious beliefs, or other classifications protected by applicable law, have equitable access to all employment opportunities.
Atlantic Records Internship Program
Atlantic Records Program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain a real world experience in the music industry. This multidimensional, educational program begins by matching interns to specific departments in Atlantic Records based on their interests, for a semester long internship. Atlantic Records offers internships all year long in the summer, fall and spring seasons in New York City and Burbank, California.
What to Expect as an Atlantic Records Intern
Upon joining our team, interns gain real world experience by participating in the day-to-day activities in their department, networking and learning from industry professionals, and are exposed to the broader music industry environment via key note speaker forums, and educational workshops. Throughout each semester, interns collaborate on innovative projects that increase an overall understanding of the music industry, how each department operates, and how best to help departments address real business issues. Interns at Atlantic Records will also have a chance to participate in Marketing Madness. Marketing Madness is a mock group project that interns work on throughout each semester, developing a detailed and innovative marketing plan and fresh ideas for an Atlantic artist. Interns will also have the opportunity to present their project to Atlantic Records executives.
Please note: Atlantic Records internships are unpaid and for academic credit only. If you cannot receive academic credit from a four-year accredited university, you will not be considered for an interview.
Rockstar Candidates
- Receive college credit for the semester you participate in the internship
- Be enrolled in a 4 year accredited university or college
- Sophomore or junior year standing
- Have at least one prior internship experience
- Commit 20 hours per week in the fall semester to an internship
Desired Skills and Qualities
- Professional goals that align with Atlantic Records core values and business objectives
- Exceptional written/verbal communication skills
- Strong passion and knowledge of the music industry/media
- Prior work experience (part-time/summer) preferred
- Leadership experience on or off campus preferred
- Digital/technical savvy required
Areas of Opportunity
- A&R
- A&R Admin
- Artist Development & Touring
- Brand Partnerships
- Digital Design and Animation
- Digital Marketing
- Executive
- Graphic Design
- International Marketing
- Marketing (Pop/Rock, Urban)
- Publicity
- Radio Promotions (Metal, Pop/Rock, Urban)
- Sales
- Studio Services
- Video Content
- Video Production
- Video Promotions
How to Increase Your Chances of Landing an Internship
Application Tips for the Emerging Talent Associate Program
- Apply Early: Applications for the Emerging Talent Associate Program are rolling. Apply ASAP for the best consideration!
- Valuing Written Responses: The applications will ask you for written responses. These will be critical for students looking to stand out beyond the strength of their resumes. Hiring managers at WMG stress they can tell the difference between carefully written responses and those written by generative AI (ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.). The effort you put into the responses reflect the kind of intern you will be!
- Highlight Transferable Skills: You do not necessarily have to have prior music industry experience. You should lean into relevant transferable skills to make the case why you would be an asset to the organization and the department in which you are expressing interest.
- Make Clear Connections to Career Goals: WMG values hard work. When speaking about your experience make reference to how your choices including what you are studying and the positions you have held tie back to your ultimate career goals and why that is relevant to the Emerging Talent Associates Program.
- Open-mindedness and flexibility: There are multiple internship postings currently available on Handshake. Although candidates can express their specific interests, they can also be referred to other departments depending on need. Applicants, especially those without prior music-industry experience, should lean into their transferable skills!
- Pay attention to the small Details: When referencing Warner Music Group, make sure to use the correct name. It is easy to forget to mention the specific label for the positions you are applying to in the prompts, but doing so is important to make the responses appear tailored.
- Mention your Favorite (WMG) Artists: When asked to discuss your favorite artists, make sure you avoid mentioning artists not on a Warner Music Group label. This shows that you have done your research and respect their historic brand!
The Interview Process
The hard work you put into your application has paid off and earned you an interview with our team! With all of the various opportunities available across the business, we couldn’t possibly have one standard interview process that would adequately cover the needs for all of our amazing hiring managers. While each interview process is unique, candidates can expect to participate in at least one interview. Be ready to talk about why you are interested in the role as well as WMG as a whole. To help you shine during your interview, we encourage you to put your best foot forward!
Read also: Explore Warner Bros. Data Science Internship
Following the interview, jot down a few notes. What questions did you feel you answered well? Were there any questions that caught you off guard? What did you learn about WMG, the team, or the ETA role that stood out to you?
After an interview, it’s natural to feel excited while you wait for a response. The hiring process often involves multiple stages and can take some time. The ETA Program is a highly competitive program with a large volume of talented candidates and a limited amount of available placements.
Additional Information
How to Submit a Demo
Demos should only be submitted to our record labels (e.g., Atlantic, Elektra, Warner Records, Parlophone) for consideration, not directly to Warner Music Group. However, please note that our record labels do not accept unsolicited materials. This means that your demo must be recommended to our labels by an established industry professional (manager, agent, lawyer, journalists, one of our artists, etc.). Industry professionals that understand the creative goals of our record labels are best suited to make these recommendations.
How to Obtain Rights to Use a Song
If you are interested in using the actual sound recording by an artist on a WMG record label, a good place to start is by calling our licensing division at Rhino Entertainment (818) 238-6100.
Scam Warning
Scam artists are misusing the Warner Music Group brand to defraud people. They’re enticing people to invest cryptocurrency to join a pyramid scheme. We’ve filed a complaint with prosecutors and are talking to law enforcement about the scheme.
Read also: A Look at Warner School
Royalty Information
Over the years, some recording artists, songwriters and producers affiliated with us and our companies have moved without notifying us of their new addresses.
Press and Media Inquiries
For press and media inquiries, please reach out to our Corporate Communications team directly.
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