Music is Universal
It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music UK who help make us Britain’s leading music company.
From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.
Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other forms of neurocognitive variation.
We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email UniversalMusicCareers@umusic.com
The A Side: A Day in The Life
To manage print and online campaigns for emerging artists and core specialist releases from Decca Records, Mercury KX, and other affiliated labels. To ensure good overall coverage across the extensive roster and to manage external communications in relation to these artists and their releases.
You will be inspired by the challenge of breaking artists into mainstream print & online media, establishing their profiles within taste maker publications & appropriate genre focused music media.
Along with securing traditional print and online editorial, you will have a forward thinking approach to developing relationships with social media & playlist teams within National music and style press collaboratively creating innovative content ideas, placing video assets, streams & sessions for artists on the Decca roster. (With support from marketing dept & digital teams)
To provide support to the Head of Communications on additional high-level campaigns as necessary and to lead various frontline campaigns in addition to all specialist and new music projects. Also, to train and mentor junior members of the department (e.g. monthly Work Experience placement) to ensure that the department output is running effectively.
To write publicity materials (press releases/ news stories/ biographies) on demand.
This role is primarily focused on (but not limited to) managing the media profiles of emerging, niche & established artists covering a broad spectrum of genres that will include; electronic, jazz, afrobeat, folk, indie & piano pop.
Whatever the genre, exceptional song writing will be at its core. Due to Decca’s roster of artists from differing genres and backgrounds a broad musical knowledge and innovative approach to PR is essential. The candidate should have a thorough knowledge of all music media, a strong network of relationships with music journalists from The Line of Best Fit, Jazzwise & Dork to Mojo, Record Collector & The Guardian, also having the ability to take any particular artist outside their specialist arena and introduce them to the mainstream
The following are a guide to the tasks that will be expected of the successful candidate and should not be considered an exhaustive list, as the role will adapt to the needs of the business.
The B Side: Skills & Experience
Be operational
- Management of high-level media campaigns to include pitching, liaison, logistics and enabling artist publicity to run smoothly.
- Planning full campaigns and securing appropriate coverage (features/reviews/news/ streams & sessions)
- developing creative ideas and identifying what angles will make newsworthy opportunities.
- Inform media of forthcoming releases, create news stories and ensure timely mailouts of advance digital promotional music.
- Liaison with artists, artist managers and label representatives.
- Building key relationships with on and offline media.
- Staying up to date with digital developments and their application in the specialist media area.
- Internal communication of developing campaigns, including liaison with senior staff.
- Attendance at relevant company meetings, events and artist press/promotion as necessary.
- National and overseas travel as necessary.
Person Specification
- Proven experience of delivering coverage in specialist music, style press and mainstream media
- Excellent and established media contacts in these areas
- Ability to demonstrate successful execution of creative media campaigns
- Ability to work on own initiative and an appetite to drive forward artist profile
- Willingness to travel and attend gigs outside of office hours
- Flexibility to work according to the demands of a small, busy team.
- First-rate verbal and written communication skills
- Highly organised
Bonus Tracks: Your Benefits
- Group Personal Pension Scheme (between 3% and 9%)
- Private Medical Insurance
- 25 paid days of annual leave
- Interest Free Season Ticket Loan available
- Holiday Purchase scheme
- Dental and Travel Insurance options
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Salary Sacrifice Cars
- Subsidised Gym Membership
- Employee Discounts (Reward Gateway)
Just So You Know…
The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder & specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive and exhaustive statement.
