Behind the Music at Sony Music’s The Orchard

Hello everyone! My name is Arianna Watkins, and I’m a rising senior at Temple University majoring in Advertising with a concentration in Brand Strategy and Research. This summer, I’ve had the opportunity to intern with Sony Music’s The Orchard, a subsidiary of the company. The Orchard is a music distribution company, and, here, I interned with the Video Services Marketing team. Over the summer, I’ve also had the pleasure of being an SMG Impact fellow and being a part of the 2024 Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) Cohort. 

Moving to New York City for the summer and working with The Orchard has been nothing short of a dream! This internship has given me not only insight into the industry but also the new life experiences that come with moving to a new city. New York has been such an inspiring environment filled with people from all walks of life, trying to make a way for themselves in the Big Apple. 

As the Video Services intern, I’ve worked on a lot of YouTube marketing projects, my main task being “Radial by The Orchard,” which is our company channel with 2.9 million subscribers, 40,000 of which have been acquired since my time here. I make sure the community tab is updated and create shorts for the channel. It has been such a pleasure watching the channel grow as we approach three million subscribers!

When I first arrived, YouTube marketing was not something I was familiar with, but with the help of my team, it has become a valuable skill set I’ve learned. I’ve become familiar with optimizing video content, analyzing channel growth and engagement, and effective strategies to boost reach and visibility. 

Throughout my internship, one of the standout experiences has been the willingness and eagerness I was met with when connecting with established professionals who worked for the company. I’ve been able to speak with industry leaders who were more than willing to share their experiences and offer some advice. Equally as rewarding, I’ve had the greatest pleasure of working alongside my fellow interns who have inspired me with their unwavering passion and commitment to the industry so early on in our careers. Meeting and getting to know them has definitely been one of the highlights of this entire experience.

If I could go back and talk to myself before the internship, I would advise myself to make a plan. A team member of mine, Brad Wilson, offered me some advice and he said, “Failure to plan is planning to fail” and this is something I will take with me for the rest of my life.

As I continue to navigate this exciting journey in my final weeks, I look forward to entering my senior year with the knowledge and guidance Sony and The Orchard have offered me. Moving to New York and having the opportunity to work in the music industry has truly been an unforgettable experience and I look forward to what the future has in store!