Alexander Miles is a Marketing Communications major with some serious marketing chops. He’s someone who knows what he wants and knows the opportunities he’ll need to take to get there. Coming off of a Summer internship with Warner Bros. Records (WBR), Alex is someone who’s now had experience with a marketing campaign at every level and has even had a hand in carrying them out for a major label. I reached out to Alex over the Summer to get a better idea of his internship and to learn more about what he was able to take away from working with such an impressive company.
Alex Miles
What was the title of your internship and what were some key responsibilities?
“I was a Marketing Intern for the Electronic & Dance Music (EDM) department… I was involved in marketing tasks for the EDM artist roster. This included analysis of streaming data, campaign development, and press management. Throughout the summer I was asked to creatively plan and orchestrate certain parts of a marketing campaign that I would then present to my supervisor and implement as an integral part of an artist’s marketing development. This included tour promotions, social media curation, playlist curation, and poster/image illustration and editing.”
What drew you to this internship specifically?
“I was drawn to [it because of] my love of music and interest in the music business… I found this opportunity first through a friend who had interned at Warner in 2016 and I asked him about it. He explained to me the steps I’d need to take and gave me the contact info for one of the intern supervisors at Warner. From there I stayed in contact, attended the Q&A that Warner had at Emerson and met the intern coordinator I had been emailing for the past months.”
Alex went on to mention that he had some background in the industry thanks to a trip he took back in 2016 to Valencia, Spain where he studied with the Berklee School of Music. It was during that experience that he was really able to apply his passion and start building the understand he’d need to work in what is definitely a complicated yet exciting industry!
What was the experience at Warner Music like?
“The culture at Warner Music was nothing less than upbeat and lively. There was always music playing and the atmosphere was highly cohesive with office doors open and several people running in and out. Sometimes people would just come into the office because they found a cool new song and wanted people to hear it… Every step of a release, promo, and campaign was handled meticulously by each department with only one thing in mind: ‘It’s all about the music.'”
What is one experience you’ll always remember?
“One experience I will never forget was the signing party of Joe Gifted. I remember Joe Gifted came to the conference room and I was able to talk to him about his journey of becoming a signed Warner artist. He explained to me some challenges he faced while pursuing his career and how he overcame them.”
What are your next steps?
“I am going to continue my start-up, Can’t Not Entertainment. I hope to continue honing my marketing and managing skills so I can build Can’t Not’s artist roster. I’m also seeking potential internship opportunity overseas with music management.”
From startup’s to internships to travel, Alex proves just how valuable an experience like this can be for those who are passionate about the music industry. One of the things that continues to impress me about this story is just how much Alex illustrates an Emerson entrepreneurial spirit and how he’s working to gain value from his professional experience to build toward his goal of managing his own label.
This is what it’s all about: Working hard to become the professional you’re meant to be.
