On my first day on the job, another employee gave me advice that still rings true: stay here for a year or two, learn as much as you can, and then get out. Soundtrack consistently was a nightmare.
The changing landscape of the film industry causes constant money issues, such as COVID and the SAG/WGA strikes. Employees' hours are cut with little to no notice, all with zero control or help from upper management.
The CEO, Rob, is disgustingly greedy- every single employee is overworked, underpaid, and doing the jobs of a few different people. Employees stay their entire careers and never leave, so there are very few growth opportunities, even though those legacy employees often earn the same sad entry-level salaries. Employees would try to negotiate raises due to market salaries for their jobs, and Rob would say, "Leave and go work there," showing 0 respect for the longevity and sustainability of his employees. In fact, any opportunity Soundtrack could take to screw over the employees for profit, they would take. Payroll constantly wouldn't fix glaring errors in your timesheet unless you fixed them. Why? So Soundtrack can save the 50 bucks you earned that week or not pay your overtime rate. There were multiple times when holidays came around, and employees would find out two days before that they weren't being compensated. The PTO is a joke, and the healthcare system is even worse. Soundtrack also violated union laws constantly and no one seemed to care. There is also no HR, so virtually no one is on your side, and you are constantly advocating for yourself.
Because of how overworked and underpaid people are and the company's instability, most people at Soundtrack are unhappy. There is a toxic, gossip-driven, stressful, and manipulative work environment that often ruins productivity. Constant micromanagement, bitterness, and feuds between the men who had worked together for 20+ years made the whole place unpleasant. I truly believe that if people were paid more, had better healthcare and PTO, and felt valued at the company, the culture would improve.
