What do Administrators do?

An Administrator in the music industry can take on different roles depending on the size and nature of the organisation they are working for. They may work for a record company, musician's agency, orchestra, music college but whatever the company an Administrator is always a position which is essential to the efficient working and success of the organisation.

Administrator can be a very senior role and can involve managing staff and sometimes responsibilities for the probity of the company - ensuring it abides by legal and ethical regulations. It can also be a more junior role, for example ensuring that the day to day business of the company is conducted effectively and all the necessary administrative tasks are done.

Working as an Administrator in the music industry can either be a satisfying job in its own right, or an excellent way to start a career in media or music. If you are looking for a varied role with the opportunity to become involved in a wider range of tasks you are more likely to find this in a small company, for example a small independent record label or music publisher. The more informal and flexible the music company you are working for the wider the responsibilities you may be asked to take on. For example in working for a small music producer or record label you may be involved with PR and Marketing, Copyright and Royalties or Artist Liaison.

Regardless of the nature of the company you work with it can be an excellent way into the music business and can offer a good opportunity for networking and building up contacts, as well as offering music industry experience. Some jobs will ask for experience of working in the arts and some knowledge of the music industry, possibly in a specialist area such as classical music.

A successful candidate is likely to be flexible and to have excellent organisational and IT skills, they may also need management skills is they are responsible for other staff. They will also need to have meticulous attention to detail and be able to work under pressure.

Administrator jobs in the music industry may also involve organising and providing administrative support for events such as concerts, gigs or tours, and sometimes helping to organise and promote them. The job may involve setting up administrative systems to manage research, relationships with musicians, artists and clients, marketing and PR as well as provifing other staff in the company with day to day administrative support.

The work can be very varied and their is often a chance to become involved in ad hoc projects, such as helping to organise a music event or helping to set up an online campaign to promote an artist or a record label.