Career Journey: Nanami Garcia Soga, International Marketing Coordinator

Whilst music is global, bringing it to fans and audiences in every corner of the world takes real expertise and insight, which is where record labels add real value to an artist’s career journey..

We caught up with Nanami, who went from studying languages and completing an internship at Sony Music UK to now working in the label’s Latin International Marketing team. She talked us through what international marketing actually looks like, the things she’s learnt along the way, and how working across global markets has changed the way she approaches campaigns and the audiences they’re designed to reach.

You studied languages before moving into music marketing. Was there a particular moment when you realised those two worlds could come together, and how has that shaped the way you work today?

I don’t think there was one defining moment, but studying languages made me realise how closely communication is connected to culture. A message cannot always be translated literally and expected to have the same impact; you have to understand the cultural context, the audience and the nuances behind how people communicate.

Music marketing felt like a natural place to apply that perspective because music travels across borders, but the way an artist or campaign connects with people can be very different from one market to another. Today, that shapes how I approach international campaigns. I am always thinking about how we can retain the core identity of an artist and their work while making sure the storytelling feels relevant and authentic within each market.

What first drew you to the Sony Music internship, and what did you hope to learn when you started?

What drew me to the internship was the chance to understand how music and culture travel internationally, and how campaigns are adapted for different audiences and markets. When I started, I wanted to gain a practical understanding of how the music industry operated behind the scenes: how global campaigns were built, how different departments and markets worked together, as well as where my existing skills could add value and what I would need to develop to build a longer-term career in the industry.

What’s something you learned during your internship that you still use in your role today?

The importance of being proactive, while also knowing when to ask questions.

When you are new to an industry, it can be tempting to stay quiet because you don’t want to ask the “wrong” thing. However, I quickly realised that asking thoughtful questions is one of the fastest ways to learn. It also helps you understand the wider purpose behind a task rather than simply completing it without context.

At the same time, being proactive means trying to find the answer yourself, anticipating what might be needed next and communicating clearly when something is unclear. I still use that balance every day. I also learned that reliability matters enormously. Following up, paying attention to detail and consistently completing even the smaller tasks well helps build trust. Once people know they can rely on you, they are more likely to involve you in larger projects and give you greater responsibility.

International marketing involves working across different markets and teams. What’s something you’ve learnt about collaborating across cultures?

When you are working internationally, it is easy to come into a campaign with a global idea of what you think should happen, but the local teams best understand their audiences, media landscape and market behaviour. I have learnt that great international marketing is much more about listening and collaborating than simply taking a central campaign and asking every market to execute it in the same way.

It’s also about understanding that people communicate and work differently across cultures. Sometimes that means being more conscious of how you present an idea, how much context you provide, or how you build relationships before asking a team or partner to get behind something.

Working across different markets has made me much more aware of the importance of cultural curiosity. You do not need to be an expert in every market, but you do need to be willing to ask questions, listen to the people who are, and avoid assuming your own perspective is universal.

What advice would you give someone trying to break into the music industry without a traditional music background?

The important thing is being able to understand what your existing skills are and translate them into the context of the role you are applying for. You may not have worked at a label before, but perhaps you have experience in events, social media, university societies, hospitality or another industry that has taught you how to communicate, organise, understand audiences or work under pressure. Those skills are still valuable.

I would also encourage people to be curious about the industry beyond just applying for jobs. When I was trying to understand where I might fit, I spent a lot of time researching different roles and reaching out to people whose work interested me. Those conversations helped me understand parts of the industry I didn’t even know existed and ultimately led me to discover the Sony Music internship.

That curiosity has stayed with me, and it is also part of what led me to co-found Guestlist, a platform built around candid conversations with people working across entertainment, culture and technology, with the aim of making those career journeys and parts of the industry feel more accessible.

Being confident in your own potential also helps. You sometimes have to believe an opportunity could be for you before you have any real reason to think it is. Of course, that still needs to be backed up by preparation and hard work, but I think a lot of people rule themselves out too early. So, be confident! Apply, send the message, put yourself forward and see where it leads you.

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