Marketing Representative Jobs

About This Music Career

A record company Marketing Representative may work locally or regionally, and their prime responsibility is to come up with numerous ways and tactics to market and hopefully sell the record label's albums. Locally, a Marketing Rep will oversee specific territorial markets (like a specific city); while the regional rep oversees entire regions (like a part of the country).

In order to successfully market label albums, the Marketing Rep will work closely with the director of Marketing to plan and implement strategies including delivering and setting up promotional displays in record stores, concocting radio station giveaway contests, and so on. A popular tactic involves a joint promotion between a radio station and record store, where artists make promotional appearances in record stores, which is combined with radio stations giving away that artist's album in conjunction.

The Marketing Rep is also responsible for calling and/or visiting record stores in a specific area to ensure the stores have enough product on hand to keep up with demand, especially after something like positive album review, an awards show, or a successful concert. The Marketing Representative also gathers album sales reports from the various stores in their specific market and will then pass these sales numbers along to radio and TV stations, major trades, and tip sheets.

In most cases, the Marketing Rep reports directly to the Director of Marketing, and may also report to the Regional Director of Marketing. As with many of the promotional/marketing positions within a record company, working hours are irregular. There is also a lot of travel as a Marketing Rep.

Salaries
Rep salaries vary depending on the size of the record label and the level of experience and responsibilities of the individual. All things considered, salaries range from $27,000 to $50,000 or more annually.

Employment
This is one record company position that seems to always have many openings. With that said, obtaining a job is never easy, and you might have a better chance landing a job as a Marketing Rep if you start as an intern in the department.

Advancement
As a Marketing Rep, one can advance their career by becoming regional marketing reps or directors. They can also be promoted into the position of Marketing Director of a distinct genre of music like hip hop or country. From there, the rep can become a national marketing director.

Education and Training

Educational requirements depend on the size of the label. Smaller companies may only require their reps to hold high school diplomas, while larger labels might prefer or require college or music school degrees. Good college majors include advertising, marketing, or communications – a few colleges offer music-business or music-merchandising degrees.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
To start as an intern might be the best way into a position as a Marketing Rep, because he or she will gain hands-on, real world experience with the company. In terms of skills, the Marketing Rep must be very articulate and comfortable with math and numbers, and creativity is always a "nice to have." It is imperative that he or she has a general understanding of the music business, and a complete working knowledge of the record industry.

Unions and Associations
The Country Music Association (CMA) or the Gospel Music Association (GMA), are a couple of associations the Artist Relations and Development Representative in a record company might belong to. He or she might also be an associate member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS).

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