Universal Music Group 2026 Summer Internship Program: Brand & Label Opportunities: Creative (Onsite: NY))

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.
 

Program Eligibility: 

• Currently enrolled at an accredited two or four-year college/university in the United States, pursuing an undergraduate, graduate and/or law degree   

• Graduating between Spring 2026 - Fall 2028  

• Have access to housing and transportation within the designated city (We do not offer housing or transportation accommodations) 

• Legally authorized to work in the United States and will not require sponsorship for employment visa status, now or in the future (e.g., H1-B, OPT, etc.) 

• Commit to 20 - 40 hours per week (based on individual business area)  

Note: There are multiple job descriptions listed below. Please read carefully.

2026 Summer Internship Program Dates: June 8 - August 14, 2026 

A&R (Onsite: NY):

How You’ll CREATE: 

• Scout and identify potential new talent through various sources (social media, industry networks, playlists, blogs. etc.) 

• A&R research, data review and analysis 

• Provide administrative support: organizing and scheduling meetings, listening sessions, studio sessions, artist showcases, sharing show calendars, travel coordination, Grammy submissions work 

• Conduct research on industry trends, emerging artists and market data 

• Collaborate with other departments, such as marketing, publicity and creative services to coordinate artist releases and promotional activities 

• Attend A&R meetings: take notes and follow up on action items 

• Assist in the organization and maintenance of artist files, contracts and other important documents  

• Prepare artist one-sheets and brief artist presentations 

• Attend shows/concerts as needed 

• Assist with lyric transcription for song deliveries 

• Listen and review beat packs, song pitches and demos 

• Identify trends in fan markets 

• Stay ahead of industry trends by exploring innovative genres, artists, and visual/audio technologies 

• Review daily research reports 

• Pitch creative ideas for artists on roster 

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Have a strong interest in music research 

• Experience looking for unsigned acts and identifying rising artists  

• Skilled in social media platforms and DSPs 

• Knowledge of the current music landscape and market  

• Basic understanding of music data/analytics 

Creative Strategy (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

• Support creative strategy development through research, insights and trend analysis across digital platforms. ​

• Contribute ideas and assist in brainstorming sessions for campaigns, social content and brand initiatives—especially for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. 

• Help build creative decks, briefs and presentations that integrate digital storytelling and platform best practices. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and optimize content strategies that drive engagement and visibility across emerging digital channels. 

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Proficiency with creative and design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro) or Canva. 

• Strong command of social media platforms and analytics tools — including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), and Meta Business Suite. 

• Experience with presentation and collaboration tools like Google Workspace, Keynote, and PowerPoint

Digital (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

The intern will be immediately integrated into daily operations, focusing on execution, creative contribution, and organizational support across our digital campaigns.

1. Content Creation & Execution:

• This is the primary creative focus, demanding strong visual skills and quick turnarounds.
• Video & Photo Editing: Directly responsible for editing photos and videos into engaging, platform-optimized assets (especially short-form content for Reels/TikTok) under supervision.
• Asset Creation: Developing various digital content and assets needed for social posts, stories, and campaign rollouts.

2. Ideation & Strategy:

• The intern is expected to be an active, creative partner in planning.
• Content Brainstorming: Actively coming up with content ideas that align with artist branding, current music releases, and trending topics.
• Trend Spotting: Daily monitoring of social platforms to identify viral trends relevant to our artists, translating them into actionable concepts for the team.

3. Fan Base & Community Management:

• This involves direct interaction with the audience to foster loyalty and growth.
• Fan Page Management: Assisting with the day-to-day oversight and execution across various fan pages, ensuring consistent voice, engagement, and accurate information sharing.
• Community Engagement: Participating in monitoring comments and interactions to help build fan bases and maintain a positive online community presence.

4. Administrative & Organizational Support:

• Ensuring the team runs smoothly by handling necessary background tasks.
• Document Organization: Organizing critical team documents, content calendars, asset libraries, and campaign tracking files to maintain efficiency and easy access for all members.

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Strong organizational skills and efficiency!!!
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Canva
• Strong attention to detail
• Understanding of social media platforms
• Passion for pop culture
• Exceptional video editing and graphic design skills
• Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines in fast-paced, high-pressure environment

Digital Innovation (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

Digital Innovation comprises of gaming, AI, innovation, media planning, digital marketing and more! 

• Brainstorm creative marketing/social/content ideas for breaking artist campaigns 

• Creative output a plus, if decks/slides can be executed, face/AR lens build & testing, cover art generators, and other digital development toolkits 

• Asset management and delivery on a weekly basis to necessary parties  

• Assist in LinkFire creation  

• Calendar management  

• Bulk buy advertising and media plan submissions and organization  

• Creative/Audience analysis  

• Auditing TikTok accounts spend tracking 

• Audience export, pixel, and backend D2C requests 

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Experience and familiarity in the gaming/sports space  

• Experience with programs like Adobe Creative Cloud Suite  

• Graphic design and creative skills are a plus  

• Familiarity with social platforms and media planning (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, Discord) 

Digital and Fan Strategy (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

This intern will be supporting both the Digital Strategy and Fan Strategy departments of Virgin Music Group. These departments focus on audience building and optimization across digital platforms (social media, gaming, web), short form video marketing and CRM.

This intern will be assigned tasks in the area of social media / short form video content creation, email/SMS marketing and digital research/analysis. 

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Social media content creation and community management experience.
• Working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, etc.).
• An interest in the video game industry and artist brand partnerships. 

Digital Marketing (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

We handle social media strategy, content strategy, influencer marketing, audience building, and general online brand building for our artists

• Content Ideation
• Influencer Research
• Seeding Narrative Ideation
• Data Research

Digital Marketing (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

The Digital Marketing Department at Verve Label Group drives the online presence and fan engagement for the label’s diverse roster of artists. The team develops and executes innovative digital campaigns that blend creativity, data insights, and strategic partnerships across social media, community platforms, and digital advertising channels. Through content creation, audience growth, and digital storytelling, the department works to amplify artist visibility, strengthen brand identity, and connect music to fans in authentic and impactful ways.

• Assist in building and strategizing social media calendars to support artist releases, campaigns, and ongoing content.
• Edit and adapt social content for various platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, YouTube, etc.), ensuring each piece aligns with platform best practices and the artist’s brand identity.
• Research and compile current digital trends, proposing creative and cohesive social media ideas tailored to each artist’s tone and audience.
• Participate in creative brainstorm sessions with the Digital team and cross-departmental partners (Publicity, A&R, Streaming, etc.) to generate campaign concepts and content ideas.
• Identify influencers, tastemakers, and digital partners for potential collaborations or promotional opportunities.
• Support day-to-day campaign management, including tracking performance metrics, organizing assets, and maintaining artist content libraries.
• Stay up to date with emerging platforms and audience engagement strategies to help keep VLG artist's digital presence innovative and relevant.

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Strong understanding of social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter) and awareness of current digital and music trends.
• Basic skills in tools like Photoshop, Canva, Premiere Pro, or CapCut to edit and adapt content for different platforms.
• Comfortable using social insights and analytics tools (such as Sprout Social or Chartmetric) to understand audience engagement and campaign performance.
• Passion for music, digital storytelling, and artist development, with a proactive, curious approach to learning and staying ahead of trends.

Marketing (Hip-Hop Lab)(Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

Marketing interns at Republic Records will support the department across a range of artist and campaign initiatives. Responsibilities may include assisting with marketing strategy development, tracking campaign performance, and contributing to creative brainstorming sessions. Interns will help organize promotional assets, update marketing reports, and research audience and trend insights to support upcoming releases. They may also assist with social media planning, content creation, and coordination of events or listening sessions. Throughout the internship, interns will gain hands-on experience in music marketing, artist development, and cross-team collaboration within a major record label environment.

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Creative Thinking: Brings fresh, innovative ideas to marketing campaigns and social media initiatives.
• Strong Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally, both within the team and with external partners.
• Organization, Time Management, and Attention to Detail: Stays on top of multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining accuracy and high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for Music and Culture: Shows genuine enthusiasm for music, artists, and industry trends, with an eagerness to learn and contribute.

Marketing (Onsite: NY) 

How You’ll CREATE: 

• Attend team meetings and take/distribute notes
• Internal folder organization
• Asset/deck creation, copywriting, editing
• Update internal marketing documents
• Set up radio blasts, physical mailers
• Compile release recaps
• Attend artist events/concerts
• Ad-hoc tasks as assigned

Ideal candidates will have: 

• Working knowledge of Photoshop/other image editing platform
• Working knowledge of social media platforms (inclusive of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) and digital community spaces (inclusive of Discord and Reddit)
• Stay on top of trends and be able to ideate/script/edit short-form content optimized for social media
• Demonstrated interest in jazz, classics, catalog music strongly preferred

Bring Your VIBE (ALL ROLES): 

• Strong attention to detail 

• Strong organizational skills and efficiency 

• Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines in fast- paced, high-pressure environments  

• High level of integrity 

• Discretion in handling confidential information 

• Professionalism in dealing with senior professionals inside and outside the company 

• A “can-do” attitude 

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)  

• Self-starter 

• Excellent communication skills 

• Eager to learn 

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster: English / Spanish

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Job Category:

Internships

Salary Range:

$17-$20 per hour

The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include, as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.  All candidates are encouraged to apply.