Music Industry Internships in London

Disclaimer - My review will not be the typical international student internship review, as I live in London, go to uni here in London, and so while I love London as a city, it is not a new place for me, it is home, so my lens may not be as valuable for overseas students.
 
Ok, where to start? London is a great city. Fun, cultural, tolerant, exciting, expensive, wet (yes, even during the Summer months), and it cannot be beaten when it comes to opportunities to develop your career through an internship, or just to enjoy all that one of the worlds best known cities has to offer.

If it is your first time here, there is lots to experience, for all budgets. It if it is not your first time here, then you can dig a little deeper and get to know the London I know, that lives alongside the touristy parts of town.

Doing an internship here can be a thoroughly rewarding experience, and something that will look great on your CV. I learned about Beatbrdg through my careers officer, and decided to apply primarily because I want to work in music licensing.

My first impressions of the Beatbrdg experience was a little chaotic, they are quite new but very helpful and insightful about the industry in general, and how to help me in achieving my summer goal.

Interning at The Wire was an amazing experience! I worked for five days per week, basically full-time hours, and rotated across industry news, and social media, which is now one of the dominant areas of the magazine. The work environment was really informal and flat, so everyone including interns was given the confidence to have a voice, and share opinions, ideas, and knowledge. Work was intense, and we had tight deadlines each week, mostly focused on submitting copy.

Working in the heart of the West End meant a short commute by tube everyday of about 25 minutes, plus a further 6 minute walk each morning, which is probably going to be normal for most interns staying in central London.

Socially, with The Wire's offices being close to Soho and the West End, some evenings and Fridays we went for after work drinks, and the braver ones went on to clubs!

At the end of my internship, I gave a presentation on what I had learned, how I would expand the business, and my key takeaways. For someone that is slightly introvert, I found this really challenging, but equally rewarding once it was over, as the feedback on my ideas instilled a lot of confidence in me. 

Before starting my internship, I would say that I had slightly biased pre-conceived ideas about what to expect, but the experience taught me to be open to new challenges, leave my preconceptions at the door, and to fully embrace new challenges. 

Overall, doing an internship is a great way to spend the summer.