soul-crushing - Sales Associate Music & Arts Employee Review

1.0
Jul 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

just being around music. but once you're there long enough you'll be so dead on the inside that even music loses its appeal

Cons

i don't think i could fit all the cons here. if music is important to you, DO NOT work here. they notoriously prey on young starry eyed musicians who go into it wanting to find an intersection of music and vocation, only to be treated subhuman by toxic upper management. nothing can ever quite kill music, but that isn't going to stop Guitar Center from trying (yes Music & Arts is owned by GC if you didn't know)

Explore other reviews about Music & Arts

5.0
May 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Perks and hours were balanced

Cons

Commission structure could be better

2.0
May 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Teachers and sales employees who actually work in retail locations tend to be passionate & knowledgeable about music. Stores open later in day (11am-8pm weekdays) which is nice if you're a night owl or hate waking up early. Good employee discounts on products.

Cons

Inflexible corporate policies & attempts to standardize procedures across stores in wildly different markets makes it impossible for store-level management & employees to deliver well on expectations of upper management & customers. Store managers who work in store full time have no real authority, influence, or decision-making power, whereas district managers (who visit each location once a month at best) have to pass on orders from even higher level management that may have never even stepped foot in the store. They will start you at as close to legal minimum wage as they can get by location, and even the hourly pay for store managers is absolutely criminal compared to the amount of work & complexity of operations required. Commission structure is also highly flawed.

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