The recording industry is made up of small companies as well as transnational corporations. Many are concentrated in music centers, such as New York, Los Angeles, London, and Nashville, while others thrive in markets where corporate and private products involving sound are produced, such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami. Companies in the recording industry employ clerical and administrative staffs, accountants, and lawyers, though only the larger companies have in-house accountants and lawyers.

The everyday, essential staff areas are often the easiest way to gain employment with industry companies, thereby facilitating access to positions that are more directly engaged with creative processes. In major markets, there are usually temporary staffing companies that specialize in serving recording industry companies. Temporary assignments often lead to full-time jobs. Once an individual is employed in the industry, it becomes easier to find out about and move toward...