The music industry thrives on creativity, culture, and connection.
Whether you're an indie label, streaming platform, or artist management company, the way you present your company to potential candidates directly impacts your success - because music professionals want more than a paycheck. They want purpose, culture, and alignment.
Let's break down 7 practical employer branding steps every music company can use to stand out, attract top talent, and retain future leaders.
Step 1. Use Vouch to Capture Real Employee Stories
In the music industry, authenticity matters. That's why employer branding must start with real voices, your actual employees.
Vouch is a powerful video tool that enables you to collect concise, impactful testimonials from team members. Think of it like an "unplugged" session for your brand story: raw, honest, and effective.
Here's why a strong employer brand works:
- 92% of consumers trust user-generated content more than traditional media (Nielsen)
- Video testimonials increase engagement on careers site content and social media platforms dramatically
Use Vouch to:
- Capture employee stories across departments like marketing, A&R, digital strategy, etc.
- Share career pathways and artist journies through video
- Highlight diverse employee voices
Pro tip: Feature these videos on your careers page and in recruitment campaigns on social media channels like Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Step 2. Define Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
What makes you an attractive employer? If you're not sure, start with your EVP, a clear statement of what your company offers to current and future employees.
A great music industry EVP includes:
- Career development: Showcasing a career in music marketing or artist relations
- Company culture: Highlighting collaboration, diversity, and creativity is key for your EVP
- Company values: Be clear about your approach to client needs and artist representation
- Perks: Think beyond free concert tickets. Include streaming subscriptions, PLI certificate coverage, or content production access.
The AI-enabled workspace for talent teams.
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Step 3. Make Your Social Media Speak Like a Brand
Most music companies have killer social media accounts. But are you using them for employer branding?
Try turning your platforms into recruitment magnets by:
- Sharing employee testimonials and team shout-outs
- Posting behind-the-scenes clips of team activities or artist projects
- Promoting advertising roles and marketing team job openings
- Spotlighting your Admissions Team, A&R squad, or music video editors
According to Glassdoor, 79% of job seekers use social media when job hunting.
Step 4. Highlight Career Pathways and Development
Music professionals want momentum. Highlighting growth and career path options is a huge trust signal for prospective candidates.
Here's how you can highlight career pathways:
- Share staff artist journey stories, like how someone started in distribution and moved into label operations
- Build mentorship programs and promote them internally
- Offer upskilling tracks like Self-Releasing Music boot camps or music marketing certifications
Use blog posts, recruitment videos, and even podcast episodes to make these artist and employee journeys public.
Step 5. Launch a Transparent and Human Recruitment Process
Music companies need to ditch vague job listings. Today's ideal candidates want clear expectations and reasonable processing times.
Make your recruitment process shine by:
- Including video intros from hiring managers
- Provide timelines upfront and build personal communications
- Offer a transparent look at business goals and team culture
And don't forget to use your employer branding videos to communicate not just job roles but lifestyle, flexibility, and community.
Step 6. Celebrate Your Company Culture
Your company culture is one of the top reasons candidates say yes to your position and company or walk away.
Showcase your culture by:
- Showing how your team celebrates music lovers and creative freedom
- Showing examples of content and resources that are accessible to all employees, such as tools, resources, and creative spaces
- Showing activities that reflect your social responsibility, like music fundraisers, local mentorships, or eco-conscious production efforts
Culture equals retention, and a great culture reduces employee turnover, which is one of the biggest costs in hiring.
Step 7. Align Employer Branding with Your Music Brand
In music, your employer brand and public brand need to sync. That means your approach to artist representation, demand streaming, and accessible music distribution should reflect your internal values too.
Use your recruitment marketing to show:
- How your team supports artists through music endorsement deals
- The actual product your employees help shape, whether it's on Apple Music, Spotify, or indie radio
- How your advice to companies and artists sets you apart from competitors
FAQs
What is employer branding in the music industry?
Your employer brand is how your company is perceived as a place to work by potential and current employees.
Why should we use video testimonials?
They boost credibility and engagement and help show off your real team culture.
What makes a strong EVP?
A strong employee value proposition shows clarity around perks, growth, purpose, and the people you work with.
How often should we update careers content?
At least quarterly, especially if roles or company culture evolves.
Can small labels do this, too?
Yes! Employer branding doesn't require big budgets, just authenticity, effort and tools like Vouch.
Should we post job roles on social media?
Absolutely, social media increases visibility and engagement with fans and future hires.
How do we attract diverse candidates?
By being transparent, inclusive, and actively celebrating employee differences.
Who are the Top 10 Global Music Companies in 2025?
In the global music and entertainment industry, most companies are household names, and this is also why your employer brand matter so much. Here are the top 10 music companies globally in 2025:
Universal Music Group: umusic.com
The largest music corporations include Interscope, Def Jam, etc, estimated revenue ~$10.3B
Sony Music Entertainment: sonymusic.com
Global music label and publishing, estimated revenue ~$9.1B
Warner Music Group: warnermusic.com
Home to Atlantic, Warner Records, more, estimated revenue ~$6.5B
Spotify: spotify.com
Leading streaming service and employer in music tech, estimated revenue ~$13.7B
Apple Music (Apple Inc.): music.apple.com
Major streaming platform tied to iTunes and iOS, estimated revenue ~$5B (estimated)
Ingrooves Music Group: ingrooves.com
Music distribution and marketing services, estimated revenue ~$600M
Believe Digital: believedigital.com
Accessible music distribution for indie artists, estimated revenue ~$1B
BMG Rights Management: bmg.com
Music publishing and recording firm, estimated revenue ~$900M
Tencent Music: music.tencent.com
Streaming and licensing in Asia, estimated revenue ~$4.3B
TuneCore: tunecore.com
DIY distribution for artists, estimated revenue ~$200M
Summary
If you're ready to become a strong employer in the music industry, this 7-step strategy is your backstage pass.
Use real employee voices, share your employee value proposition, and make your recruitment marketing as inspiring as your artist campaigns.
See Why Employer Branding Managers Love Vouch!
Loved by companies like Canva, Nike, Cisco, Stryker, HubSpot, Amazon, and more, tools like Vouch make leveraging employer branding strategies in your business remarkably easy.
Book a Vouch demo today and chat with an employer branding expert about your business needs.
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