A&R Academy - Ministry of Sound

A global dance music powerhouse, Ministry of Sound Records has spent over three decades shaping modern electronic music by launching icons, breaking new talent, and redefining the genre. Home to a diverse and acclaimed roster, Ministry of Sound represents BRIT-nominated and Ivor Novello Award-winning group London Grammar, whose albums have sold over three million copies worldwide; multi-Platinum DJ and producer Sigala, one of the UK’s most consistent hitmakers; dance music pioneer Pete Tong MBE; and rising star cassö. Beyond its roots in dance music, Ministry of Sound is also the UK home for global superstars like Doja Cat, Victoria Monet and Tate McRae, leading domestic strategy and driving global success.

What is A&R? A&R is the part of the record label that is responsible for scouting new talent and then commercially developing that talent. A&R act as a liaison between the artist, artist management and the record label. A&R’s oversee the recording process and assist with the marketing and promotion of the artist. You will nurture and help develop the artist.

Who are you? We’re looking for innovators. Someone bright who has their ear to the ground, extremely hardworking with a great eye and ear for talent. Someone who can keep up with the new trends in culture and new artists in the music industry as they emerge. You will have the tenacity and drive to develop your skills for spotting emerging artists, understanding and seeing growth in tracks, alongside developing extensive industry relationships. During your placement on the A&R Academy you can expect to receive lots of on-the-job and real-life A&R experiences.

What is the opportunity? This is a paid opportunity and as part of the A&R Academy you will also be part of the wider internship network at Sony Music UK. You will have a personal mentor throughout your time with us and along with fellow interns, you will get to attend “spotlight sessions” where you will get to learn the mechanics of a major record company. Day to day you will be working closely with the A&R team at Ministry of Sound, who will develop your A&R skillset through on the job training and real-life scenarios. The program is paid at London Living Wage. You must be eligible to work in the UK and be available for a full-time role until the end of March 2027. This is an entry level role and not suitable for experienced industry professionals. The window of application for this role will end on Friday April 3rd.

Day to Day of the role:

• You will actively build and develop an in-depth and specialist knowledge and understanding of Dance music and other genres.
• Listen to demos, cataloguing submissions and feedback to label presidents – you’re always on the lookout for the next big hit!
• You will take a proactive approach to building relationships, managing key contacts and artists.
• You will be attending gigs, showcases, festivals and clubs, and researching new ones to attend.
• Research new artists using different tools such as YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok as well as word of mouth from your own network of creatives.
• Proactively learning and engaging with the music industry through blogs, social media, trade papers/websites and magazines.
• Collate A&R reports and be able to feedback to label heads.
• Suggest artists that could potentially partner with suitable producers for remixes.
• Keep up with new trends and new artists in the music industry as they emerge.
• Create commercial and creative pitches on new artists for label heads.
• Source songs and new songwriters for already established artists where necessary.
• Be a key point of contact for all external relationships, picking up correspondence on behalf of the A&R team.
• At all times maintain the highest levels of confidentiality, never disclosing Sony or artist information outside of the label.
• Maintain trackers and records on all projects pitched, in development or released.
• Develop in depth knowledge of platforms for unsigned artists.
• You will identify opportunities that translate an artist’s vision to the fans.

What we are looking for:

• You’re able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the UK Dance scene (both commercial & underground).
• You will be digitally savvy and fully understand the different DSPs such as Spotify, Soundcloud (and others!) and be able to pull data from them.
• You will have good skills in Microsoft Office (Excel, Powerpoint, Word) or similar programs.
• You have experience balancing multiple priorities.
• Flexible and committed – this is not a 9-5 office job!
• Passionate about the Sony Music roster and specifically the Ministry of Sound roster.
• Confident, with the gravitas to deal with a broad range of contacts and personalities.
• You are a self-starter.
• You are resilient and are able to adapt your communication style for different audiences.
• You will already have taken steps to establish yourself in this space.
• You need to be comfortable talking and interacting with talent at a professional level.
• You demonstrate sound and professional judgement when interacting with external partners, always remembering you are acting on behalf of Sony Music.

What we give you:

• You join a vibrant global community with the opportunity to channel your passion every day.
• A modern office environment designed for you, empowering you to bring your best.
• Investment in your professional growth and development enabling you to thrive in our vibrant community.
• The space to accelerate progress, positively disrupt and create what happens next.
• We give you the platform to champion positive change, with the opportunity to contribute to our social impact, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• We provide an excellent range of benefits like private medical cover, a generous pension scheme, life assurance, income protection, plus loads of music industry perks. There’s also time off over winter break.

There will be a combination of online and in person interviews. You must be over 18 to apply. You must have the right to work in the UK to apply. You must be able to work full time hours until March 2027. If you live abroad, we can arrange an online interview with the team. You do not need to fly to the UK to interview.

As an active part of a culturally and socially diverse society, Sony Music’s aim is that our workforce is diverse and inclusive. Sony Music is an equal opportunity employer and supports workforce diversity. We employ, retain, promote and otherwise treat all employees and job applicants according to their merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We apply this policy without regard to any individual’s sex, race, religion, origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition or disability.