Sony Music Entertainment – Alumni Spotlights highlight the success of THF interns with Sony Music Entertainment, a Platinum Diversity Partner.
Ashley Nguyen (THF ‘21)
1) Please share your internship title
Copyright Film & TV Intern at Sony Music Publishing (SMP)*
*Sony Music Publishing is affiliated with Sony Music Entertainment.
2) Please describe your duties & responsibilities.
- Indexed cue sheets for TV shows and movies
- Identified AD IDs for commercials containing SMP-administered songs
- Searched for songs codes in the SMP database and paired them with songs used in TV shows for tracking purposes
- Indexed composer agreements and other legal documents
- Sifted through the BMI and ASCAP repertory to make sure new acquisitions were registered to the correct publisher
3) How did your role/department fit into Sony Music Publishing overall business objective/mission?
My department ensures that all the rights are secured when a song is placed into a film or TV show. They have to complete certain processes, so the company and writers could get paid for the use of their song. I helped organize our system and make sure everything was up to date.
4) What did you like most about interning with Sony Music Publishing?
My team was extremely welcoming from day one and made me feel like a member of the family. A lot of my favorite memories are rooted in the small moments we shared during chats or meetings as we discussed our favorite movies or most difficult projects. Also, the HR team at Sony Music Publishing had an incredible programming schedule that included a variety of events such as a resume workshop, a session with the A&R team, and a sit down with our company’s CEO. These really rounded out my experience and helped me learn a lot about the music industry.
5) What were the most challenging parts of your role and how did you overcome those challenges?
I think the most challenging part of my role was having to complete the internship remotely. Sometimes it can be hard to explain or understand a task when you are using just email and video chat instead of being able to sit next to each other. I overcame this by getting over my fear of asking questions. There are NO stupid questions, and it was much better for me to ask when I needed clarification than to make a mistake.
6) What skills or talents (hard/soft) were most essential to be effective in your internship role?
The most essential skills for my role were communication, organization, time management, data entry, and super speedy typing skills.
7) How has your internship experience impacted your career goals?
Prior to working at Sony Music Publishing, I had not seriously considered a career in music publishing or licensing. I thought I only wanted to work on the record label side, but I loved my internship so much that I have pivoted and started to consider roles in sync licensing.
8) What advice would you give to THF interns as they begin internships/careers in media?
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK! Talk to past and current interns as you are preparing your applications and getting ready for interviews. When you finally do land that internship, set up meetings with people on your team and from different departments at the company. Ask them about their career journeys and tips they might have for you. These types of meetings really helped me figure out what I want for my own career. Make sure you also maintain your relationship with your recruiter. They can be an extremely helpful tool when you are looking to extend your internship, trying to move to a different department, or hoping to get a full-time role.