We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world's leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.

Motown Records has long been a cultural force-shaping music, influencing society, and creating breakthrough opportunities for Black artists since Berry Gordy founded the label in 1959. Today, Motown is home to a new generation of legends and remains committed to building strategic, sustainable solutions that uplift its artists, their communities, and the world beyond. Motown's New Legends Program honors that legacy through a comprehensive social impact initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of musical talent and leaders-and create lasting, measurable change.

This summer, the program will spotlight emerging voices through paid internships at Motown's Los Angeles headquarters. Four interns will be placed across key departments - Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Creative gaining hands-on label experience and contributing to campaigns for the artists they love.

We are looking for four (4) interns to work across the following departments:

• Creative (2 interns)
• Digital Marketing (1 intern)
• Marketing (1 intern)

Program Eligibility Criteria

• Currently enrolled at a Historically Black College or University

• Graduating between Spring 2026 and Fall 2028

• Demonstrated interest in Digital, Creative, and/or Marketing

• Have access to housing and transportation within the designated city

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

• Commit to 20 hours per week

Digital Marketing (Onsite: CA)

Digital marketers at Motown translate an artist's music, identity, and cultural moment into digital ideas that feel authentic to fans. This work is rooted in storytelling, culture, and intention not trend-chasing.

Purpose

This exercise helps us understand how you listen, think creatively, and translate music into digital moments that build real momentum.

Your Assignment

Choose one Motown artist and one specific song or project from them, then create 2-3 digital-first ideas that:

• Fit the artist (voice, visuals, culture)
• Pull from the music (lyrics, themes, moments)
• Invite fan participation (UGC, challenges, duets, prompts)
• Grow socials (reach, followers, conversation, shares)
• Build CRM (email/SMS sign-ups, pre-saves, exclusives, community)
• Include digital activations (lives, listening parties, interactive drops)
• Consider partnerships/collabs (creators, brands, tastemakers + how they activate)

Ideas can take any form (short-form series, social formats, fan/community activations, interactive prompts, etc.).

For Each Idea, Include:

• What it is (the concept)
• Why it fits (artist-specific reasoning)
• How it moves the music forward (what it unlocks or builds digitally)

What We're Evaluating

We're not looking for metrics, budgets, or viral formulas. We're looking for:

• clear, original thinking
• artist-specific ideas (no copy/paste concepts)
• cultural taste and awareness
• strong reasoning and intention

How to Submit (Required)

Post your video on Instagram as a Reel

• Start your caption with: "SUBMISSION: Motown Digital Marketing Intern"
• Include hashtags: #motownnewlegends #digitalmarketingintern
• Tag: @motownrecords and @motownnewlegends

Submit your Reel link in the application form

• Paste your Instagram Reel link and include your social media handle
• Your submission is only complete once both the application and link are submitted

Marketing (Onsite: CA)

Marketers / Project Managers at Motown oversee the full rollout of an artist's campaign, shaping and executing a strategy that clearly communicates the artist's vision to the public. They manage assets and timelines while coordinating cross-department teams to ensure the campaign is aligned, timely, and effective.

Purpose

This exercise evaluates your ability to interpret an artist's music and translate it into a high-level, cross-department marketing plan that feels cohesive, intentional, and executable.

Choose an R&B/Hip-Hop artist + single of your choice.

Your Assignment

Create a marketing deck for your chosen single campaign with one slide per department, then record a 60-second video presenting the deck slide-by-slide.

Your deck must include a slide for each department:

• IRL Activations
• Digital Marketing (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
• Streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, etc.)
• Press
• Creative (Video + Artwork Creative Direction)
• Brands (Collabs / Partnerships)
• Ecommerce (Merch, D2C, CRM)

For Each Department, Include:

• What it is (the concept)
• How it supports the artist's vision for the single
• Mockups (if applicable - especially for Creative & Ecommerce)

What We're Evaluating

We're not looking for budgets or viral formulas. We're looking for:

• strategic interpretation of the artist + music
• cross-department thinking and campaign cohesion
• creativity, clarity, and executional detail
• strong reasoning and intention

Post your video on Instagram as a Reel

• Start your caption with: "SUBMISSION: Motown Marketing Intern"
• Include hashtags: #motownnewlegends #marketingintern
• Tag: @motownrecords and @motownnewlegends
• Please include the link to video within your application notes

Creative (Onsite: CA)

Creative at Motown translates an artist's music, identity, and cultural world into a cohesive visual language. This work is rooted in storytelling, aesthetic clarity, and intention not replication or trend-driven visuals.

Purpose

This exercise helps us understand how you build a complete creative world around an artist and translate that into a campaign that feels clear, compelling, and artist-specific.

Your Assignment

Choose any independent or non-UMG artist (emerging, underground, unsigned, or personally connected). Create one fully developed creative campaign concept for a single or album that builds a cohesive visual world across touchpoints (artwork, video, press, design, content, etc.).

Your concept can include any combination of:

• Music video direction
• Single/album artwork
• Press/editorial shoot concept
• Creative collaborators (photographer, director, stylist, designer, etc.)
• Physical design (vinyl/packaging/posters/merch)
• Visualizers or short-form content direction

In Your Reel, Include:

• The Core Concept (the central creative idea)
• Visual World (tone, palette, styling, textures, references, atmosphere)
• Execution Touchpoints (how it extends across artwork, video, press, design, content, etc.)
• Creative Collaborators (who you'd partner with and why)
• Why It Fits the Artist (artist-specific reasoning)
• How It Strengthens the Campaign (identity, narrative, longevity)

What We're Evaluating

• world-building ability
• strong visual taste + cultural awareness
• artist-specific thinking (no copy/paste concepts)
• intentional execution choices
• clear articulation and creative presence
• Campaign should feel complete and intentional

How to Submit (Required)

• Submit a link to your post on the application along with your social media handle. Paste your Instagram Reel link in the form. Your submission is only considered complete once both the application and link are submitted.
• Post your video on Instagram as a Reel. Start your caption with: "SUBMISSION: Motown Creative Intern" Include hashtags: #motownnewlegends #creativeintern Tag: @motownrecords and @motownnewlegends

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster: English / Spanish

E-Verify Right to Work Poster: English | Spanish

Job Category:
Internships

Salary Range:
$18.00-$20.00

The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include, as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. All candidates are encouraged to apply.