Universal Music Group 2026 Summer Internship Program: Brand & Label Opportunities: Creative - Santa Monica, 90404

Universal Music Group 2026 Summer Internship Program: Brand & Label Opportunities: Creative - Santa Monica, 90404, United States of America

Program Eligibility:

• Currently enrolled at an accredited two or four-year college/university in the United States, pursuing an undergraduate, graduate and/or law degree  

• Graduating between Spring 2026 - Fall 2028

• Have access to housing and transportation within the designated city (We do not offer housing or transportation accommodations)

• Legally authorized to work in the United States and will not require sponsorship for employment visa status, now or in the future (e.g., H1-B, OPT, etc.)

• Commit to 20 - 40 hours per week (based on individual business area)

Note: There are multiple job descriptions listed below. Please read carefully.

2026 Summer Internship Program Dates: June 8 - August 14, 2026

Def Jam A&R (Onsite: CA)

The A&R Department is responsible for finding & developing talent

How You’ll CREATE:

• Listening to demos
• Research
• Lyric transcription
• Administrative duties.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Must have a strong interest and experience in music research
• Experience looking for unsigned acts and identifying rising artists
• Skilled in social media platforms and DSPs
• Knowledge of the current music landscape and market
• Be passionate about music

FONO A&R (Onsite: CA)

The A&R department at FONO US is responsible for discovering, signing, and developing musical talent for the label. The A&R teams scout new artists, help shape their musical direction, and oversee recording projects from matching songwriters, with producers and building camps and early demos to the final step of their music releases. They also guide and support the artist’s broader creative vision, including visual identity, style, branding, artwork, and music videos, ensuring all creative elements align with the artist’s goals and the label’s overall strategy.

How You’ll CREATE:

• Research emerging artists, trends, and new music.
• Identify and research events, showcases, and local scenes for A&R scouting opportunities.
• Help organize databases, schedules, and project materials.
• Assist in coordinating studio sessions, writing sessions, and meetings.
• Listen to demos and provide initial notes or summaries.
• Support creative projects with reference materials, visual ideas, or mood boards.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and general team support tasks.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Spanish speaking
• A 'can do" attitude
• Stay on the forefront of music trends
• Discretion when handling confidential information

Urban A&R (Onsite: CA):

This role offers hands-on experience in the creative and administrative processes behind A&R development. Interns will gain valuable exposure to the music industry by contributing to active artist projects, assisting with day-to-day A&R operations and supporting the overall A&R staff.

• Shadow A&R staff on real projects to understand the process of developing artists and building records
• Contribute to the preparation of materials for internal creative meetings and artist presentations
• Gain an understanding of how A&R intersects with other label functions including marketing, digital strategy and production
• Participate in cross-functional projects that contribute to the success of upcoming releases.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Strong passion for music and interest in artist development, particularly in the Urban / Hip-Hop / R&B space
• Familiarity with music databases (DISCO, Genius, etc.) is a plus

Marketing/Creative (Onsite: CA)

How You’ll CREATE:

• Cutdowns & video edits for short form content
• Graphic design
• Brainstorm content / concepts for both short form & long form pieces (social media videos or music video creative)
• Suggest potential creatives for artists on our roster to collaborate with
• Help on site w/ artists at shoots
• BTS content / photos etc.
• Help run Mercury social media account

Ideal candidates will have:

• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (specifically Photoshop for graphic design)
• Experience video editing (Premiere Pro)
• Creative brainstorming - ability to analyze an artist's vision & propose new creative ideas that fit into their world
• Fluent in social media creative (ideation, editing, etc)

Marketing (Onsite: CA)

How You’ll CREATE:

• Attend and participate in department, staff and artist meetings
• Develop an understanding of the role of a modern marketing/project manager within the label services model through meetings with marketing managers.
• Conduct high level audits on marketing plans to identify universal needs across all marketing plans.
• Create a marketing cheat sheet/project management tool to better inform, prepare and automate a checklist on the standard deliverable elements across all projects. Collate these deliverables into an adaptable checklist with assignments and accompanying deadlines and deliverables. Using marketing automation tools to develop content
• Identify commonalities across campaigns, and pain points on deliverables.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Interest in music, artists and audience development with an emphasis on digital marketing and data analysis.
• Familiarity with Project Management and available tools.
• Experience with Airtable
• Data-driven individual with the ability to organize, plan and execute
• Attention to detail and interest in planning strategy
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and is at ease communicating across teams and different levels within a large organization
• Passion for music and developing artists across multiple genres.
• Working with both artists and artist management teams.
• A heightened interest in marketing.
• A love for analytical tools, research and a knack for distilling data into actionable items.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to handle confidential information
• Ability to interact comfortably and effectively with employees of our company at all levels including Senior Management
• Self-motivated, analytical, proactive, and resourceful problem solver
• Excellent follow-through and attention to detail

Paid Media & Audience (Onsite: CA)

How You’ll CREATE:

The Paid Media and Audience department oversees all digital activations in the paid space including digital advertising and influencer marketing. From full scale global ad activations to multi-faceted influencer and creator campaigns, we centrally manage all campaigns.

• Assist in developing media plans and campaign execution
• Assist in influencer marketing campaigns liaising with agencies and/or influencers/talent management
• Manage internal communication between the paid media team to various stakeholders (marketing, upper management, etc.)
• Manage reporting, decipher data pulls and communicate to stakeholders

Ideal candidates will have:

• Desire to learn about digital advertising and/or experience with digital ads/influencer marketing

Sports & Gaming Marketing (Onsite: CA)

How You’ll CREATE:

This role offers hands-on experience in music marketing, brand partnerships and campaign execution within the intersection of music, sports and gaming.

• Support the team with day-to-day operations and coordination across departments and external partners
• Assist product managers in the execution of marketing campaigns and partnership activations for Interscope and Capitol artists
• Design and update marketing materials, including pitch decks, event invites, recaps, one-sheets, timelines and other creative assets
• Conduct research on sports, gaming and cultural trends to help inform strategy and identify new opportunities for artist integrations
• Help organize and maintain campaign trackers, calendars and project documentation to ensure smooth execution and team alignment.
• Contribute creative ideas in team brainstorms and assist in preparing presentations for internal and external meetings.
• Provide general administrative and logistical support, including meeting preparation, asset organization and coordination of deliverables.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Experience with Canva
• Passionate for sports, gaming, music and general popular culture
• Interest in creative sync and marketing

uDiscover & D2 (Onsite: CA)

How You’ll CREATE:

Specifically working with the Editor In Chief and lead curator of uDiscover Music, UMG's direct to consumer editorial and eCommerce store, this role would assist with both editorial content, storytelling and news coverage, as well as aspects of the store, socials and audience growth. The intern will assist with all aspects of running uDiscoverMusic.com, including news coverage, stories, features, social content as well as curation and store management for the uDiscover Music store.

• Support the editorial team by researching, writing and publishing news coverage of UMG releases.
• Assist with curation, merchandising, and product setup for the uDiscover Music store.
• Contribute to social media and short-form video strategy for uDiscover Music and The Sound of Vinyl, with a focus on engaging and growing younger audiences.
• Help identify emerging trends in music, culture and e-commerce to inform content and marketing initiatives.
• Provide general team support across editorial, marketing and e-commerce projects as needed.
• Support and engage in efforts to utilize AI tools and technology to support and grow the brand's traffic, engagement and other areas.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Excellent writing and editing skills, with a strong interest in music journalism and storytelling
• Working knowledge of content management systems (e.g., WordPress) and social media publishing tools
• Familiarity with social and digital platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) and awareness of trends in music and pop culture
• Basic understanding of e-commerce or digital marketing principles (experience with Shopify or similar platforms is a plus)

Bring Your VIBE (ALL ROLES):

• Strong attention to detail

• Strong organizational skills and efficiency

• Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines in fast- paced, high-pressure environments

• High level of integrity

• Discretion in handling confidential information

• Professionalism in dealing with senior professionals inside and outside the company

• A “can-do” attitude

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Exce l, PowerPoint) 

• Self-starter

• Excellent communication skills

• Eager to learn