A&R Academy - RCA
Full-Time | London, UK
Location: London, UK
Employment Type: Full-Time
Who are RCA?
The RCA Label Group UK is a flagship recording label of Sony Music Entertainment encompassing RCA Records and Since ’93. The company has existed since 1919 and pioneered the very first 45 rpm record. The label has a history littered with legendary artists – from Elvis Presley and David Bowie to Nina Simone, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Harry Nilsson and Diana Ross.
UK artists on RCA today include Myles Smith, Bring Me The Horizon, JADE, Paloma Faith & Cat Burns, joining US superstars such as Miley Cyrus, SZA and Beyoncé.
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&Rs 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 12-month, 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 RCA, who will develop your A&R skill set through on the job training and real-life scenarios.
The program starts in March 2026, runs for a full year and is paid at London Living Wage. You must be eligible to work in the UK and be available for a full-time role for 12 months. This is an entry level role and not suitable for experienced industry professionals.
Day to Day of the role:
You will actively build and develop an in-depth and specialist knowledge and understanding of hip hop, R&B and pop music.
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, you will 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
In depth knowledge of platforms for unsigned artists
You will have the ability to identify opportunities that translate an artist’s vision to the fans
What we are looking for:
Be able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the music industry
You are digitally savvy and fully understand the different DSPs such as Spotify, Soundcloud (and others!) and be able to pull data from them
You have good skills in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint and 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 RCA roster
Confident, with the gravitas to deal with a broad range of contacts and personalities
You are a self-starter
You are resilient and be 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 can 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
How to Apply
Fill in this form (mentioning shesaid.so in your application).
Deadline: Monday 24th November at 10am GMT.
Application details:
Your application will be reviewed and you will have a response no later than the end of January 2026
There will be a combination of online and in person interviews. The in person interviews will be in February 2025
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 from March 2026 - 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.
Equal Opportunities
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.
Privacy Policy
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Please note that applicants must be at least 18 years of age.