Each week, Music Week profiles the brightest new talents in the business. This week, Jamie Leeming, digital agent at United Talent Agency, tells his story...
How did you break into the music industry?
Studying Music Management at Bucks New University gave me the ability to network with key executives in the industry. During university, I worked as an intern for karaoke distributors, live equipment manufacturers and some of the largest independent music trade bodies and publishers. Upon graduating, Universal Music presented me with an opportunity to work within their eCRM team, enabling me to get to know execs from across all of UMG’s record labels.
What’s your proudest achievement so far?
Working closely with our music brand partnership team to help secure considerable brand campaigns for our artists. Our advanced data and analytics work is revolutionising how our artists are positioned in the marketplace, unlocking additional income and brand-building opportunities.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The ability to educate our artists on how to get the maximum impact from their efforts online is one of the most rewarding aspects of working in the digital strategy team. The digital world can often be overwhelming to an artist, and we have the opportunity to help clear up any concerns or misunderstandings and equip them with the tools and strategies needed to take their careers to new heights. It’s remarkable to see the unified effort between digital teams and the artist turn into impactful results.
What’s the biggest challenge?
Staying on top of the ever-changing digital and entertainment landscape. We’re in an enormous time of change, and as part of the digital department, it is our job to stay on top of the news and have a clear point of view on how changes in technology and our industry will affect our clients’ long-term business goals.
What advice would you give to those looking to break into the biz?
Network. Constantly. Many jobs in the entertainment industry never appear as a public job listing. People are less likely to hire you if they don’t know that you exist and what you are capable of, so use your time to go to gigs, parties, events and panels and make sure you are introducing yourself to as many people as possible.
What’s your greatest ambition?
To help build a strong community of influential industry executives that are forward-thinking, that support each other and are excited about what’s next for the entertainment industry. I would love to one day be in a position where I might be able to help aspiring executives reach their full potential.
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