How To Get Music Festival Jobs
All over the world, festivals have now become a staple for summers. The possibilities are endless: grand music festivals, yoga, beer, food, arts, and dance!
Festivals do not just happen overnight, but a team of hardworking professionals is working tirelessly to bring everything to life.
In an ideal world, all of us would have participated in this activity to save our precious, hard earned money and amp up for the amazing festive season that will take place once the world adjusts to the new normal. In all honesty, we did not really do that. However, we have still got you covered.
In the music fraternity, there are a variety of volunteer and job roles that one can opt for. You can easily make your way to most festivals, which is not as hard as you may consider it to be. There are a variety of reasons that requires your involvement. You may want to become a part of this upbeat industry, or you simply want a free ticket for yourself. As simple as it can get, there are different job roles predefined for your needs.
So, how do you get a job at a festival?
How to Get Music Festival Jobs?
Do not give up if working at your favorite event is your dream job! Even if you do not have relevant or adequate industry experience on your CV, this blog post will help you get started to apply for a position at a music festival.
1. Get Acquainted with the Industry and People
Getting a musical festival job is easier said than done. The first step is to get your foot in the door. But, what does that mean?
You should start arranging your professional movements at least a year before the festival. List down potential employers and see if you find any connection to make an easy path for yourself. This is not mandatory, but it is always better to ask someone you know about openings. In case you do not have any connections within an organization, research on who to contact about getting involved.
A good starting point is to look for opportunities with record labels, production firms, and performance venues that participate in your desired festival. If you have no prior experience in the music industry, seek possibilities to join a street team, volunteer, or intern with groups present at the festival.
Moreover, job fairs and volunteer opportunities can be found on the festival’s website. These job postings frequently manage ticketing booths and entry lines to advise people to their desired areas. Positions like this do not necessarily pave your way to help you find your dream job. But it is a good start!
These roles will look excellent on your CV and demonstrate you are interested in working your way up if you’re a teenager with limited work experience. However, to show your interest in moving from the parking lot to the production offices, you’ll need to network like crazy with people in more music-focused employment responsibilities at the festival, and you won’t always have this opportunity.
When you work closer to where the individuals you need to know are (both physically and in terms of talent), it is much easier to meet them. This is why you should look for places to work with music industry professionals, especially if you have any music-related experience.
2. Networking
Networking is the key to securing vacant positions in every industry, not just music festival jobs. This method is even better if you are starting as a volunteer and want to ladder up to your way to a staff position.
It may sound paradoxical, but getting a job at a music festival may necessitate volunteering for a couple of months to demonstrate your commitment and allow staff members to get to know you.
Keep in mind that it is simpler to get engaged early in the festival when there’s less competition for jobs. This is also the time when your potential employers are not struggling with deadlines and last-minute snafus and can devote more time to a promising new festival staff member. Getting engaged with an organization before festival season allows you to showcase your devotion, work ethic, and enthusiasm to learn, so you will be all set for a festival staff position when the season arrives.
The key to all of this, of course, is networking. To find your first festival job, network, and advance from a volunteer to a staff position, network. Volunteering will help you introduce yourself to the right people, but you need to do more than just an introduction. You will need to create relationships with the individuals who make the festival happen if you wish to succeed and climb the way up to your desired position
Suppose you’re looking for a job at a local festival. In that case, you will have a better chance to climb the ladder as it is easier to use your existing music industry contacts to help you find any available openings.
3. Do Your Due Diligence
Research all of the festival’s participants, from the marketer to promoter and videographers. As previously said, reaching out to your contacts regarding possible festival-related jobs early is critical.
If you do not know anyone at a company, do some internet research to find out who would be interested in hiring you. Send them your CV and express your interest in working for the business. There’s bound to be something to suit your skillset with so many diverse areas of the music industry joining together to make the festival a success.
4. Apply to Relevant Positions
It is a really simple process — you go to the festival’s website, complete some multiple-choice questions, pay a deposit, and send in some photo ID, and then you are ready to go. For pupils who are new to the game, this is the place to start. But once you are in, make sure you network to get the most out of your experience.
Different Jobs at Music Festivals
In the music industry, there are numerous job opportunities as well as volunteer opportunities. Most festivals let you to earn your way in, and it’s a lot easier than you would imagine. There are a variety of reasons why you might wish to get engaged. You may be looking to break into the industry or simply want a complimentary ticket. Whatever your requirements are, there are opportunities available.
Some of these positions are full-time, and others are part-time. The benefit of all of them is that they allow you to participate actively in the planning of festivals.
1. Organizer
This is where people want to be – organize a music festival. However, arranging and organizing one takes a tremendous lot of hidden labor. From booking the talent to renting a venue, ordering audio and visual equipment, and marketing – being an organizer is not easy, but definitely the position everyone would love to be in!
2. Brand Ambassador
Not getting any luck becoming an organizer? A brand ambassador job is a simple to get non-professional job. The majority of festivals around the globe require ambassadors to get the word out there about their organization. And, it is not necessary to be a brand ambassador to a music festival. You can look for sponsors and become their ambassadors at the event. But, how can you stand out among hundreds of applicants?
Companies seek outgoing, engaging, and friendly individuals to sell their products or services at events, such as festivals. Chatting with attendees about the product, handing out samples, and raising brand awareness are just a few of the responsibilities.
3. Marketer
Every event in the world requires the magic of a marketer to be successful and popular. The advertisements can be found on the Internet or the street. You receive emails or keep up with your favorite festival on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. You may have heard about the headliners on the radio or seen a flyer.
All of their efforts did not appear out of anywhere. Many festivals, in fact, have their own in-house marketing staff, which is responsible for everything from constructing social media platforms to creating commercials and billboards to promote the festival.
4. Sales
There is no doubt about the fact that sponsors bring a festival to life, and sponsorship revenue is often a significant portion of a festival’s overall earnings. Sponsors are not going to jump on board with any festival.
Festival organizers must persuade like-minded companies that their event will provide them with an opportunity to connect with potential customers while also raising visibility and engagement. Because obtaining partnership agreements with significant partners is not an easy undertaking, many festivals and large event businesses hire a sponsorship or sales staff.
5. Talent Booker
Mostly overlooked, but a talent booker is one of the most crucial job roles that could make or break a festival. A talent manager, sometimes known as a booker, is responsible for securing major performers for the festival’s roster. Reaching out to managers, arranging a budget and compensation contract, and ensuring that the talent is taken care of while on site are all part of this process.
If you have been an active attendee at your local club or festivals, this is an ideal job where you can bring in new talent to the spotlight and make a name for yourself if the booking is successful.
6. PR Manager
A festival will almost certainly seek to have its event covered via blogs, magazines, television, or radio. They would like to spread the word in a favorable light tapping the potential audience for the next event.
This is where a PR Manager comes in. An event public relations or communications manager manages the festival’s external reporting and communication. They could also function as the festival’s public face or spokesperson in interviews.
7. Event Producer
All components of the festival are coordinated and overseen by an event producer. This includes the event space, the show’s running, the talent, the merchants, the quality of the attendee experience, and logistical matters such as budget, production timetables, and much more.
Such a cool job, right?
It is not an easy profession, and certainly not an entry-level one, but you can be a terrific fit if you are level-headed, extremely detail-oriented, and hardworking.
8. Audio – Visual Guy
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes of your favorite event or festival, from light design to sound engineering. Festivals hire technicians and designers to ensure that each act is of the highest quality and most entertaining to the audience.
9. Operations Team
Festivals cannot rely only on volunteers to do the heavy lifting. Many festivals hire an operations team to help with the required but often onerous chores that must be completed on-site, such as setting up sets, transporting equipment and supplies, feeding the staff, cleaning up, and anything else that may arise during the event.
10. Hospitality Manager
Festivals bring together the very best in music, gastronomy, movies, yoga, and the arts. It’s not easy to coordinate the flights, accommodation, and transportation of that many people, even significant headliners in some circumstances. Consider a profession in group or business hospitality, or travel, to get there.
What’s Next?
If you do not get to know the people who operate the festivals, you will constantly be at the bottom of the heap, manning the car lot, and never progressing to assisting with stage management.
Festival season should not finish in the autumn if you want to make it a career. Attend local gigs, volunteer, organize events, and assist musicians on their national tours. Even if you have to work in the car park for a few seasons before moving up, it’s better than sitting inside Tesco for the summer while everyone ignores you since they’re using the self-service machine.
