Emotional Communications Within Entrepreneurship in the Music Industry

Publication Date

Fall 11-24-2025

Presentation Length

60 minutes

College

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Department

Communication Studies, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Amy Schmisseur

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

The entertainment industry is built on emotional artistry. Artists put their heart and soul into their work, and their music is part of themselves. The product being sold is an emotional expression through song, meaning the conversations around the product are inherently filled with emotion. The industry professionals in this field find themselves communicating with and about emotion more often than not. For music industry professionals, proficiency in emotional communication is the key to success.

For this report, two interviews were conducted to determine the connection between emotional communication and entrepreneurial companies in the music industry. Both interviews were conducted with entrepreneurial women who are in the music distribution scene. Their perspective is unique to the corporate world because they primarily communicate directly with clients. These interviews highlighted the small business client relationships that drive the industry. The topics of these interviews were work/life balance, emotional intelligence, emotions as a commodity, and others. From these interviews, a few themes emerged that told the story of the connection between emotions and entrepreneurs in the music scene.

Both interviews talked about how entrepreneurship was a big step that they both took to deal with the burnout and stress they experienced in corporate life. They spoke about the struggles in their old corporate jobs as compared to the current CEO positions of their own companies. Having flexibility and control over their company was a large contributor to their happiness at work. They also both spoke about diligence and self-regulation, and how that plays a large role in their work/life balance while running a company. The overarching theme of these interviews was that entrepreneurship requires balancing emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and relationship management while also facing the demands of running a business. These components are essential to maintain both professional success and personal well-being.

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