How to Write a CV for a Music Industry Job

Keep it short and specific

A recruiter often spends less than a minute on a first read. Aim for one page for early-career roles and two for experienced candidates. Lead with a two-line profile that states who you are, what you do best and what you are looking for, for example a marketing coordinator with experience running release campaigns and a strong grasp of streaming analytics.

Put the most relevant information in the top third of the page. Use reverse chronological order, clear headings and consistent dates. Remove anything that does not support the job you want, such as unrelated school activities or a long list of software you barely use. A focused page is more persuasive than a long one.

If you have gaps or a mix of unrelated jobs, a short profile and a skills summary can explain the thread. Be honest, but help the reader see why your background fits the role.

Mirror the job description

Applicant tracking systems and humans both scan for the words in the posting. Read the description carefully and reflect the relevant terms in your CV where they are honestly true: tools, platforms, genres, markets and responsibilities. If the posting says release planning and you wrote campaign scheduling, use the employer's wording.

Do not stuff keywords; use them to describe real work. A good method is to copy the requirements into a document, mark the ones you can prove and make sure each one appears somewhere in your CV with an example. If a requirement is missing, say what you have that comes closest rather than leaving a gap.

Think about the order of the information too. If the posting stresses a tool or market that you know well, mention it in your profile and your first bullet points so that it is impossible to miss.

Show results, not duties

Replace a list of tasks with achievements. Instead of saying you managed social media, say you grew a channel from a starting figure to a result in a set period, or that you planned and delivered a release campaign on a stated budget. Numbers, even small ones, make the claim believable.

Strong bullets start with a verb and end with a result: planned and delivered a release campaign across social and playlist channels within budget; reconciled monthly royalty statements and reduced reporting errors; built a dashboard that tracked streaming performance for the label team; coordinated travel and schedules for a multi-city tour. Adapt the pattern to your own experience and keep every claim truthful and verifiable.

Avoid long paragraphs under each job. Three to five bullets are usually enough, with the strongest achievement first. If you worked in a team, say what your own contribution was.

If you cannot quote numbers, describe the scope and the outcome: the size of the team, the number of events, the range of platforms or the feedback received. Specific detail beats vague praise every time.

Include the music-specific evidence

Add a short section for projects that prove your connection to the industry: events, playlists, releases, newsletters, radio shows, volunteer roles or courses. For creative and marketing roles, link to a portfolio or a sample campaign. For technical roles, link to a repository or case study. Make sure every link works and opens without a login.

Choose projects that match the role. A booking assistant application benefits from an event you organised, a royalty analyst application from a spreadsheet or data project, and a marketing application from a campaign write-up. Two or three well-described items are stronger than ten vague ones.

Also include any relevant awards, published writing or speaking at events. For creative roles, a one-page case study with the goal, the approach and the result can be more convincing than a list of tasks.

Tailor the cover note

Keep it to a few short paragraphs. Say why this company, mention one concrete thing you know about its artists, products or events, and connect it to a relevant achievement. Avoid generic claims about loving music. If the posting asks for a specific language or a start date, address it directly.

Close with a clear next step, such as your availability for a call, and check that the company name and role title are correct. Sending a note addressed to the wrong employer is a surprisingly common mistake and is usually an immediate rejection.

Tailoring does not need to take hours. Keep a master version of your CV and a bank of paragraphs, then adjust the opening lines and the three most relevant bullet points for each application.

Language and country conventions, and final checks

CV conventions differ across Europe. Some countries expect a photo and personal details, while others advise leaving them out to reduce bias. When the posting is in English, use an English CV unless the employer asks otherwise, and when it is in the local language, follow the local format. State your language levels honestly using a standard scale.

Use a clean, readable layout without graphics that confuse parsing software, save as a PDF unless told otherwise, check spelling twice and make sure your contact details and location are clear. If you need a work permit, say so briefly. Then apply through the employer's own careers page, ideally within the first days after the role is published, and ask a friend to read your CV before you send it.

Finally, keep your online presence consistent with your CV. Employers may look at your public profiles, so make sure titles, dates and descriptions match and that any music projects you mention are easy to find.

A final practical point: name the file clearly, for example with your name and the role, so that it is easy for a recruiter to find among many applications.

More guides

• How to Get a Job in the Music Industry in Europe
• Music Industry Careers by Field
• How to Start in Entry-Level Music Jobs