My Internship at Warner Unlocked Life in the Music Industry

Andrea Moreno’s journey into the music industry is a testament to seizing unexpected opportunities.

With a formal background in law, having earned both a B.A. and a Master in Legal Studies from the University of Arizona, her planned path seemed far from the world of music. Yet, her deep-rooted love for the subject, stemming from childhood experiences in dance, violin, and piano, found its way into her professional life in ways even she couldn’t have expected.

Earlier this year, she landed an internship with Warner Music Group as an Emerging Talent Associate and has recently progressed from a bright-eyed intern to a full-time Audit Analyst. We caught up with Andrea to learn more about how her early fangirl days, her passion for music, and a little bit of luck, led her to one of the biggest names in the industry.

How did your fangirl life begin? 

My fangirl life started at the tender age of 12. I had been a fan of multiple musicians prior, but I fully delved into my first fandom right around the time I started middle school. I was a fan of Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and My Chemical Romance – back then, it was known as the Emo Trinity (a little cringe, I know). I got into it while watching the popular shows in that crowd: Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural, etc. But it was when I joined social media and my algorithm had been tailored to these shows, I was exposed to these bands and it was love at first sight – or sound in this case!

I was obsessed with watching interviews and music videos on YouTube. I even had a popular fan page that I was able to sell! Participating in fandom made me feel less alone during that time in my life and I made tons of friends from it too.

Who are some of the artists you grew up listening to? 

The “Emo Trinity” as I called them were the main part of my LimeWire and (eventually) Spotify repertoire, but I also listened to artists like OneRepublic, Pierce the Veil, Eminem, and Melanie Martinez. All of them make vastly different music but their lyricism is what drew me in the most about them. About the time I got to high school, I looked up to the likes of BTS, Hozier, and The Weeknd. Looking back at all of these artists now and understanding more about how this industry works, I hold an even greater amount of respect for their craft. 

When and why did you decide that you wanted to explore the music industry?

It was probably around the eighth grade when I decided that I wanted to be a producer! I was creating my own music and was lucky enough to be placed among rather successful musicians while I was in high school, making recording much easier than when I first started. They were willing to lend me a hand whenever I had an idea. However, when I told my parents I wanted to study music in college, they had told me it wasn’t a good idea as it wasn’t sustainable.

They always did encourage my musical side, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t think they envisioned me actually wanting to do it as a career, though. 

It was around the time I got to college that I’d really given up that chapter of my life. I stopped writing, stopped producing, and even stopped playing all of my instruments. I didn’t even take them to my new apartment when I first moved. I focused solely on my law degrees for a couple of years. I tried to produce again for a friend who needed someone to help him record an EP, but my heart just wasn’t in it. But in my final year of college, I joined a dance group. I was desperate to have music back in my life one way or another.

That is what revitalised my desire to work in the music industry, but this time, with a new goal: to be an agent or attorney for artists. 

So, how did the internship with Warner come about? 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think that I would have ventured into the music industry as quickly as I did. I studied Family Law for my Master’s because there was no option for Entertainment Law and it was something I was interested in as a second choice. I’d planned to go to law school and that is where most of my music law studies would have taken place anyway. However, I needed a job after graduating, especially because I had planned to take a gap year. Nothing was landing in the field that I studied, so I decided to look for internships knowing I should be fine as long as it was paid. 

This was a hail mary, to be honest. I applied to all kinds of internships, Warner being one of them and I had not thought about it much when I sent in my application. It was when I got the email that I felt my entire body freeze and disbelief washed over me. With zero music experience, zero education in music business law, or visual media, and no friends or family in the business – I was offered an interview. It was practically unheard of. 

What was the interview and application process like?

The application process was quite fun. Apart from your resume and cover letter, they asked a lot of fun questions about your favourite artists or what songs motivate you – stuff like that. I went a little full-on with those questions and my manager let me know that those detailed and genuine answers had caught her attention. Moral of the story – being passionate pays off!

For the interview, I had lucked out again as I didn’t have to go through multiple rounds like I know that so many people do. I was matched to a department right away and only had to complete one interview with my manager. I was so scared that I was shaking and stumbling over my words. I thought I had bombed that interview but within a week, I had gotten the internship offer. 

What were some of your highlights?

I worked remotely so I can’t really say that the free cafe for all Warner employees was the highlight of my internship. But I was so proud of myself when I was assigned a project that should have taken all summer and finished it within the day. I must say, that was probably the reason the team decided to keep me on and why I am working there full-time now. I also presented to quite a few Warner employees with my group about the positives and negatives of AI to Warner and its artists and I must say, we aced it.

What tips would you give to someone also looking to gain experience in the industry? 

First, just take the leap! Whether it is an internship application, job application, or moving to one of the main music cities – just do it. You will not gain anything by being scared you are not good enough yet or by being unsure of what you want. Try anything that is given to you – it’s great experience and you’ll start building those all-important connections immediately.

Network, network, network. Let me tell you, I had messed up on this big time. I genuinely did not think it was important and I know everyone says it, but networking is so important. LinkedIn is a great place to start for those who don’t live in a place where music is a big industry. Leave a message for the person you want to connect with and let them know why you would like to connect.

Confidence really is key. Imposter syndrome can be daunting, but I’ve learned that confidence in your abilities is crucial. I walked into this internship feeling that I got here out of luck, not my abilities. However, I was constantly reminded that I was here for my skills and had successfully proved myself time and time again. Remember, you’re there for a reason – your skills and contributions matter!

And lastly, be passionate – I promise, it really does make all the difference. You can tell who is absolutely in love with music versus who just studied it and ended up there. These companies would prefer that you were passionate about it rather than. With an existing interest and passion for the subject and the work, you’ll be less likely to burn out, be more knowledgeable in trends and terminology, and overall, your attitude will be better. 

So what’s next?

I was lucky enough to be hired by Warner Music Group (WM) as a full-time consultant. I love what I’m doing right now a lot and if I was offered to stay in that department, I most certainly would. However, I would also like to try and be in an artist-facing job, whether that is within the A&R or touring department, or even possibly being an agent. Watch this space!