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Data Analyst
Also Called: Business Analyst, Research Analyst, Digital Product Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Scientist

Data analysts procure, investigate, and elucidate the meaning of

data for businesses and nonprofits, helping them to evaluate the
success of past projects and plan for the future.

Related to
Careers in Artist Services
Careers in Music and Audio Tools
Careers in Radio and Streaming Music
Careers in the Recording Industry
Music Careers in Advertising
Music Careers in Technology
Careers in Business

What does a Data Analyst do?

The value and availability of data has become one of the defining characteristics of 21st-century
business—and music-related industries are among those who stand to benefit the most. From
record labels, music publishers, and artist management companies to streaming services, radio
stations, and music technology startups, everyone wants to take advantage of the wealth of
information provided by data in order to improve their sales and marketing strategies.

For this they need the help of data analysts, business professionals who specialize in acquiring,
manipulating, analyzing, and explaining data. If that sounds a little vague, it's only because data
analysis can be used in so many different ways: depending on the type of company employing
them, a music industry analyst could be working to discover the next hot artist, identifying core
demographics for a concert venue or festival, or using sales data to identify a label artist's next
career move.

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Ultimately, while technical abilities are the main

barrier to entry, it's interpersonal, critical thinking, and
problem-solving skills that make a great data analyst.

Data analysis, itself a subcategory of business intelligence, is a broad field. On the more technical
side are data scientists and engineers, whose primary job consists of acquiring data, writing
processes that clean, organize, and transform said data, and managing the company's data
warehouse using Python and SQL. On the other side are dedicated analysts, who utilize a mix of
original code and data wrangling software to blow up and examine data from every angle. While
they too must possess a solid technical background, their primary focus lies in finding the practical
and valuable information hidden within datasets and conveying this information to higher-ups and
members of other departments—a part of the process known as "reporting," in which analysts use
software like Tableau to create graphical representations of their findings.

Most data analysis positions lie somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, including both
technical database-oriented tasks and open-ended analytical projects and presentations.
Specialized subjects like machine-learning and neural networks can also be highly valuable for
data analysts, allowing them to rapidly scan complex sources like social media posts and
transform them into useful data.
People in the Field

Name: Anahita Bahri

Class of: 2015

Position: Music Data and Insights Manager for Netflix

Read about my career

At a Glance

Career Path
Data analysts frequently get their start as interns in business intelligence or analytics
departments. For these programs, requirements frequently include prior study of
marketing, statistics, or data science; technical skills like SQL and Python; and strong
supporting knowledge of the relevant industry. Successful interns are often hired
directly on completion of the program or recommended to companies with entry-
level openings. Skilled and experienced data analysts may go on to become section
heads, department directors, or even high-level independent data consultants. 
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Finding Work
In the music industry, data analysts are often employed by record labels, music
publishers, artist management companies, concert promoters, venue management
companies, streaming services, radio stations, and music software companies.
Advanced knowledge of Excel is usually sufficient to start a position in data analytics
in the music industry. Outside of the industry, analysts can find work almost
anywhere there's data and a desire to put it to good use; this can include nonprofits
as well as businesses, and even companies without existing business intelligence or
data analysis departments. While the majority of data analysis positions are full-time
opportunities, freelance opportunities also exist, particularly in the world of
independent labels and venues.

Professional Skills
Ability to identify trends in large datasets
Expert with electronic spreadsheets (pivot tables, V-Lookups, index functions,
CSE functions)
Experience with data reporting and visualization software (e.g. Tableau)
Knowledge of database management processes and best practices (e.g. data
wrangling and/or ETL processes)
Familiarity with (and sometimes fluency in) SQL and Python
Outstanding knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Jupyter Notebook
Experience with major Python libraries like pandas and NumPy
Written and verbal communication skills
Basic computer science
Knowledge of advanced topics like machine learning

Interpersonal Skills
Ultimately, while technical abilities are the main barrier to entry, it's interpersonal,
critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that make a great data analyst. Analysts
must possess exceptional attention to detail, a strong intuition about which questions
will produce the most valuable results, and the flexibility to perform well in both
independent, self-guided roles and collaborative, team-based ones. Additionally, the
ideal analyst should possess developed knowledge of the relevant industry; this not
only eliminates the need for a separate subject matter expert (SME) but also greatly
reduces the likelihood of costly mistakes—which occur far too often when analysts
don't understand the real-world systems and ideas behind the data. Most people
would be surprised to discover that strong communication skills are absolutely vital
for data analysts, who are frequently called upon to convey their findings to clients
and executives who may lack their mathematical background—for which it's essential
to be able to find (or create) the narrative behind the data. 

Work Life
Most data analysts are full-time employees who work regular hours in an office
setting. A typical day might include routine database management tasks, complex
analytical projects, project presentations, and participation in interdepartmental
teams. 

GROW YOUR
NET WORK
Clubs, Associations, and Professional Groups

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 

Professional Group Convention

Digital Analytics Association (DAA) DAA OneConference



Professional Group
Professional Group
SIGKDD (The Association for Computing
INFORMS (The Institute for Operations Research
Machinery's Special Interest Group on Knowledge
and the Management Sciences)
Discovery and Data Mining)

 

Resource Big Data, Analytics, Business Intelligence &

Institute of Analytics Job Board Visualization Experts Community

Business Intelligence Professionals (BI, Big Data,

Analytics)

The Berklee Boost

Employers look for skills learned in the following
Berklee programs.

Berklee Valencia
Master of Arts in Global Entertainment
and Music Business

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