IS THERE A CAREER FOR ME IN RADIO AND LIVE MUSIC?
Do you love music? Are you looking for ways to make this passion your career? Look no further for inspirational stories and expert advice from industry professionals who work across music at the BBC.
INTRODUCTION
This resource is inspired by the BBC Music Introducing “Is there a career for me in Radio and Live Music?” event at East Careers Week in March 2023. The session explored the varied careers available in Radio, Live Music and Events through panel discussions with Angelle Joseph, Jess Iszatt, Shreni Yajnik and Katie Crooks.
East Careers Week provides young people of East London with experiences and insights into future careers from world-leading institutions, led by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
BIOGRAPHIES
Angelle Joseph
Presenter
Angelle Joseph is a Community Worker and Broadcaster and self proclaimed ‘music addict’ based in Suffolk. As Presenter of BBC Suffolk’s Music Introducing show, she is a pioneer of unsigned, undiscovered and under-the-radar music in Suffolk. She has also presented and hosted mixes on BBC Sounds for BBC Introducing, 1Xtra and 6Music and recently covered on BBC Radio 1 as a Christmas presenter for the 2nd year in a row.
Alongside this, Angelle works with Independent Venue Community and Future Female Society to inspire young people in media/music in local venues. She also presents ‘Belongings’, a show on BBC Radio Suffolk & Norfolk, which brings people together from different cultures and communities to share their love of music and talk about their work and ideas.
Listen to Angelle on the BBC Suffolk's Music Introducing show on BBC Sounds
ADVICE FROM ANGELLE
How did you get into your role at the BBC?
"I started in community radio doing a UK rap, grime and R&B show, and was uploading as an artist to the Introducing uploader. I tweeted about wanting to know more about the show and was invited in for a tour and visit. After doing an interview about my music, a couple months later the editor offered me a presenting role."
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?
"Focus on your own path. Everyone has a different way in and a different goal in their career. Focus on your steps, say yes to things that take you out your comfort zone and your own path will start to chisel ahead of you."
What advice would you give to your younger self, just starting out in their career?
"Do it sooner! Stop faffing about deciding what you think everyone else wants you to do and focus on what makes you buzz, because there's probably a job for that!"
Katie Crooks
Live Music and Events Production Coordinator
Katie Crooks is Production Coordinator for the BBC Radio Live Music & Events team - she works at BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 1Xtra, 6 Music, Asian Network and BBC Music Introducing to make some of the biggest live music moments in radio come to life. From Radio 1’s Big Weekend to 6 Music Festival, festival partnerships such as Glastonbury to Latitude, this job helps make these multi-network special live moments happen whilst always helping to champion new talent. Originally from Northern Ireland, her big break came from an internship with BBC Radio 1 and she hasn't looked back since…
Listen to BBC Music Introducing on BBC Sounds
ADVICE FROM KATIE
How did you get into your role at the BBC?
"I started on the Where It Begins scheme at BBC Radio 1: a dream-come-true 8-week internship which genuinely kickstarted everything for me. This eventually lead me to work in radio production and now in the Live Music & Events team - a team and role which I adore."
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?
"Treat everyone with the same respect - from work experience to CEOs, everyone deserves the same amount of your time, effort and interest."
What advice would you give to your younger self, just starting out in their career?
"Keep the faith - what you may think as impossible right now may actually be different! Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen…"
Jess Iszatt
Presenter
Jess Iszatt is the Presenter and Producer of the BBC Music Introducing show every Saturday night 8pm-10pm for BBC Radio London, showcasing the best undiscovered and under-the-radar musicians from the region. In 2021 she became part of the Radio 1Relax presenting team, helping listeners tune out of their hectic lives and unwind to chilled out beats. She often covers for BBC Radio 1 shows including Jack Saunders Future Artists Show, the Chillest Show and Early Breakfast. Jess has also covered the BBC Introducing Mixtape with Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music) and has featured on Jamz Supernova’s Tuesday night specialist show (BBC Radio 1Xtra) and Radio 1’s Introducing show. She won silver for Best New Talent at the Frank Gillard Awards 2021, for local BBC Radio.
Listen to Jess on BBC London's Music Introducing show on BBC Sounds
ADVICE FROM JESS
How did you get into your role at the BBC?
"I started volunteering at my local BBC (Three Counties) on BBC Music Introducing Beds, Herts and Bucks, applied for the Team Assistant role when it came up and was then placed on the BBC Introducing Essex show. Soon after that, I was moved onto the BBC Music Introducing London show in 2016 and became Producer and Presenter in April 2019. Following a Christmas Presenter role on Radio 1 in 2020, I now also present on Radio 1 Relax."
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?
"No one knows how nervous you are (this helped when I was first presenting and hosting!)"
What advice would you give to your younger self, just starting out in their career?
"Put yourself in the spaces you wanna be. If you wanna DJ, go to nights that you might wanna play at. If you wanna work in new music, go to BBC Music Introducing gigs. If you wanna write for NME, go to some of their events. Be in the right spaces and make a network with the right people!"
Shreni Yajnik
Producer
Shreni is the Producer for Listen Entertainment working on BBC Radio content and joined in September 2021. She produces BBC Introducing on the Asian Network with Jasmine Takhar, which was the first show on the Asian Network nominated for a Music Week Award. Shreni’s main aims for the show are to get new British Asian music heard and break these artists into the mainstream. This was achieved in 2022 with Celina Sharma performing at Radio 1's Big Weekend, and Asha Gold and Bambi Bains performing at Glastonbury.
Shreni also produces Asian Network Represents, training 12 completely new presenters to take over the airways. In 2023, Shreni is producing two shows for BBC Sounds: Asian Network Motivation and Asian Network Celebrates. Working for an indie production company, Shreni has also cover-produced many times on Radio 1’s Future Artists show, working with Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri, Nels Hylton and more. Shreni got into radio through Leeds Student Radio society where she presented and produced a variety of shows. She made Weekend Editor in her final year, then applied for the Bauer’s Women into Programming apprenticeship, working at Free Radio. After being Junior Content Creator for a year, Shreni was promoted to Breakfast Radio Producer for Birmingham, Black Country & Shropshire. She then joined Listen by applying for a Radio Producer role and won her pitch for BBC Introducing on the Asian Network.
Listen to BBC Introducing on the Asian Network with Jasmine Takhar on BBC Sounds
ADVICE FROM SHRENI
How did you get into your role at the BBC?
"I got into Producing at the BBC by winning a commission for BBC Introducing on the Asian Network through Listen Entertainment."
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?
"Emailing a thank you/nice to meet you message after meeting or interviewing someone. Should be pretty standard, but so many people forget!"
What advice would you give to your younger self, just starting out in their career?
"Everything is experience! Email local radio stations and shows and ask to shadow. You can see how different shows, stations and presenters work, and then add this experience to your CV."
CAREERS AT THE BBC
BBC Apprenticeships
Across the BBC
The BBC’s award-winning apprenticeship schemes could be your chance to start an exciting career across a wide range of areas in the media industry.
With opportunities across the UK, in the fields of technology and engineering, production, business, and journalism, there’s a place for you at the BBC. The early careers schemes are for anyone aged 18 upwards – whether you’re a school leaver, a career changer or anything in-between.
Applications will open for the next scheme in late 2023, register for job alerts on BBC Careers Hub and follow @BBCGetIn on Instagram and twitter for top tips and information.
Where it Begins
BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra
Where it Begins is a paid traineeship at BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra. You’ll work with teams across live shows and departments such as music, social media and podcasts, learning about everything Radio 1 and 1Xtra do and how they do it. This is a great opportunity for creative and talented people aged 18 and upward, with a passion for radio, music and everything that appeals to a young audience to start their career within audio production.
Applications open in May, register for job alerts on BBC Careers Hub.
Radio Production Development Scheme
BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra
The Radio Production Development Scheme is a paid scheme based in Birmingham for BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra, dedicated to finding those with the right specialist knowledge, and develop their technical skills in the audio sector. It’s a great opportunity for creatives who are passionate about radio and music with at least 2 years’ experience in audio production (at any level) or are working in the screen and/or digital industry. It will consist of BBC Academy training, followed by a placement with a production company based in the West Midlands working towards Asian Network or 1Xtra programming. You must be from the West Midlands and 18 and over to apply.
Applications open for the two schemes in May (Asian Network) and September (1Xtra), register for job alerts on BBC Careers Hub.
ABOUT THE BBC
BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING
BBC Music Introducing was created in 2007 to support unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar musicians. We've brought all of the BBC's supporters of unsigned music together under one brand to nurture and give great exposure to the freshest artists across the UK. Your music could be played on our family of local and national BBC Radio shows, broadcast throughout the UK every week.
Every summer, you'll find the BBC Music Introducing stage at major events and festivals like Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, and Radio 1's Big Weekend. For those acts that are ready, we also host stages at international events like SXSW in Austin, Texas. We also invite the very best new acts to record sessions at the BBC's world famous Maida Vale studios, all of which are filmed or recorded and made available online.
Discover more on BBC Music Introducing
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is the UK’s No.1 youth station, targeting 15 to 29 year-olds with a distinctive mix of new music, entertainment and programmes focusing on issues affecting young people. The station is the soundtrack to young people's lives in the UK and has been for over 50 years.
Radio 1 has 8.62 million weekly listeners and an audience of 9.1 million on social media. It is the most watched radio station in the world, with over 11.06 million subscribers to its YouTube and Vevo channels and over 5 billion total views on the platform.
Listen on BBC Sounds
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC 1Xtra is the number 1 station in the UK for Black artist discovery and has helped catapult the careers of many now iconic, Black, British artists including Stormzy, Wretch 32, and Skepta, as well as Mahalia, Ella Mai and Little Simz.
BBC 1Xtra was launched in 2002 to be the UK's home of new Black music and 20 years later, 1Xtra stands strong in its mission to amplify Black music and culture.
Over the past 20 years, BBC 1Xtra has been fundamental in bringing genres like grime, RnB, garage, dancehall, afrobeat and drill into mainstream music, and given UK rap a major platform.
BBC 1Xtra celebrates and explores Black British identity in all its nuances and doesn’t shy away from the important conversations.
BBC 1Xtra has approximately 800,000 weekly listeners and an audience of nearly 3.8 million across social media and YouTube.
Listen on BBC Sounds
BBC ASIAN NETWORK
BBC Asian Network is a national digital radio station that broadcasts to an average audience of nearly half a million listeners a week, featuring a presenting talent line-up including Nikita Kanda, Bobby Friction, Haroon Rashid, Jasmine Takhar and Ankur Desai to name a few. It has a strong focus on music – with particular support for new British Asian music - plus news and current affairs relevant to its primary target audience of 18-34 year old British Asians. For anyone inspired by British Asian culture, the Asian Network offers a unique platform for creativity, entertainment and impactful debate. Asian Network has combined following of 2.3 million across social media and YouTube.
BBC Asian Network is a multiplatform station, enabling young audiences to connect to the network and to listen, watch and share great content both at home and whilst on the move - via BBC Sounds; DAB Digital Radio; online; Freeview and other digital television platforms; and via mobile.
Listen on BBC Sounds