What Can You Do With A Digital Media Degree?

by Taylor Slattery | July 7, 2023

What Is Digital Media?

Digital media refers to any type of content that someone consumes on a digital device—including smartphones, tablets, or computers. Common digital media includes podcasts, videos, articles, and ebooks. Although, when the term is used in the context of job listings, it’s usually in reference to video or audio production. The reason for that is simple. In the battle for attention, Video Is King.

Many companies are dedicating an increasingly larger portion of their advertising budgets to targeting online video. Even platforms such as YouTube are rivaling and in some cases surpassing network television in terms of viewership. The digital media landscape is far different than it was even five years ago and continues to rapidly change as new platforms and trends emerge. Whether that means producing more native content for social media or working directly with influencers on advertising campaigns.

A Market More Ripe Than Ever Before

As more advertisers have come to understand and accept the significance of the role that digital media plays in the current landscape, a passing of the baton has occurred from old media to the new digital platforms. While YouTube is no longer the disruptive force it once was, and has come to occupy a more legacy role amongst the new digital media platforms, new players like TikTok continue to emerge and leave marketers drooling at the prospect of tapping into these massive, younger audiences. 

Reaching audiences is no longer the main challenge faced by those looking to make it big in digital media. All you need is talent, persistence, and a bit of luck with platforms handling the distribution. Now more than ever, the door is wide open for anybody with the creativity and ingenuity to make a big splash in the online media space. The sorts of jobs available to those in the digital media space continue to change as well as the types of video content we consume online continues to grow in importance and variety. So what sort of things can you do with a digital media degree?

Types Of Digital Media Jobs

Whether for online video or television, the production process looks very much the same and the types of jobs in digital media you should look into will depend on which stage of production you find the most interesting. You could pursue a career as a videographer or production sound mixer if you like to get your hands dirty on set.

Or you might enjoy the planning and the early stages where all of the fine details get hashed out if carrying heavy equipment and dialing in that perfect shot isn’t for you. A production or director role might be better suited for you if helping to conduct the shoots and make sure everything goes according to plan is in your blood.

Post-production might be more your speed if you’d rather avoid the set altogether. This is where video editors and sound designers get to craft the narrative and drive home those moments of emotional impact that stick with viewers. Post-production is also where motion designers get to add that extra bit of flair and polish that helps brands to stand out from the crowd, although motion graphics have become an increasingly viable means of producing videos in full, with more and more content choosing to go the animation route.

Obtaining a professional Digital Media Degree is a great way to pick up the skills and knowledge you’ll need on the job. It’ll hold more weight in the current marketplace now more than ever before, regardless of what career field you choose.

Taylor is the Managing Editor of Notes on Design. Taylor is a graphic designer, illustrator, and Design Lead at Weirdsleep.

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