Arts & Entertainment Resources
Engaging with different types of resources will help you understand your industry on a deeper level.
Caution
When using resources on this guide, continue to evaluate credibility and relevance for your audience. A resource can be considered credible in one situation but questionable in another, or its quality can suddenly degrade. Additionally, credible resources can still contain problematic content like content marketing, inaccurate opinion pieces, flawed research, or misrepresented evidence.
Professional Organizations
Professional organizations and trade associations promote their industries and provide networking opportunities to members. Their websites offer information and educational materials for to professionals in the industry.
The following examples are organizations for professionals in arts and entertainment:
- Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)
- American Alliance of Museums (AAM)
- American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
- American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)
- American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
- Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC)
- Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD)
- Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
- Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
- Association of Talent Agents (ATA)
- Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (GEMA)
- National Council of Nonprofits (NCN)
- The Performing Arts Alliance (PAA)
- Society for Nonprofits
- Society of Camera Operators (SOC)
- Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL)
- Women in Film (WIF)
Trade Publications
Trade journals or trade magazines provide industry-specific insights, giving prospective professionals an insider’s view of the field.
The following examples are trade publications that may be relevant to professionals in the arts and entertainment:
- Aesthetica
- American Art Collector
- American Cinematographer
- American Theatre
- Apollo
- Artforum
- Art in America
The link above provides access to the archive via the library database. The ARTnews link (https://www.artnews.com/) provides access to the current online version which sometimes contains photographs and images missing from the database version of the publication.
- ARTnews
- The Art Newspaper
- ArtReview
- BOMB Magazine
- Boxoffice
- Cinema Technology
- Filmmaker
- First American Art Magazine
- Graphic Design USA
- Juxtapoz
- Museum Magazine
- Hollywood Reporter
- Perspective Magazine: The Journal of the Art Directors Guild
- Screen International
- Sourcing Journal
- Tape Op Magazine
- Variety
Popular Magazines
Popular magazines, although aimed at a general audience, can be useful for understanding an industry in a larger context or from a consumer’s point of view.
Popular magazines that could be useful to professionals in arts and entertainment related fields include:
Newspapers
Newspapers cover current events relevant to professionals in all fields.
Newspapers with useful arts and entertainment coverage include:
- Los Angeles Times
- New York Times
- UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library
Podcasts
Most industries have reputable experts who post, stream, or podcast about their chosen field, providing an insider’s look. These types of information resources vary widely and require vetting, but can be credible.
The following resources might offer useful perspectives:
- 99% Invisible
- Popculture Happy Hour
- New York Times Music Popcast
- KCRW’s The Treatment Podcast
- KCRW’s The Business Podcast
- The New Yorker Radio Hour Podcast
- The New Yorker’s Critics at Large
Websites
You can find information from resources that don’t fall into a particular category of publication, though many of the most influential websites started as blogs.
The following resources cover arts and entertainment:
Books
Most industries have notable books that insiders find useful or that have had an influence on that industry. Asking insiders is the best way to find out which books are considered essential in your field.
Here are a few examples of influential books relevant to arts and entertainment:
- All You Need To Know About The Music Business (Donald Passman)
- Appetite For Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash Of The Record Industry In The Digital Age (Steve Knopper)
- Blockbusters: Hit-Making, Risk-Taking, And The Big Business Of Entertainment (Anita Elberse)
- Boom: Mad Money, Mega Dealers, And The Rise Of Contemporary Art (Michael Shnayerson)
- Bossypants (Tina Fey)
- The Business Of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV, And Video Content In An Online World (Jeff Ulin)
- Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide For Financial Analysis (Harold Vogel)
- Powerhouse: The Untold Story Of Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency (James A. Miller)
Scholarly Journals
Scholarly journals publish in depth research, usually conducted by professors.
The following resources offer academic perspectives on arts and entertainment:
On this page
Related pages
More information
This guide details strategies for effective workplace communication and approaches for research in professional settings.