Program Overview

This cutting-edge Music Business BA (Hons) degree will give you knowledge and contacts required for a successful career in the music and entertainment industry. During the course you’ll organise your own live event, work with real clients in the music industry and gain up-to-date knowledge of music management.

We’ve reinvented this undergraduate course to offer a great level of subject specialism from your first year, based on research and input from industry connections. You’ll study unique, advanced modules co-delivered with prominent industry partners and gain hands-on experience in the field.

We’re the first university in the country to combine teaching digital strategies, business models and about digital royalties, while also heavily investing in providing you with practical experience.

The course focuses on building the skills and knowledge you’ll need to succeed in the music business. In your first year you’ll complete both individual and group tasks, researching industry practice and developing your personal leadership aims. This will help you to reflect on the importance of research and problem solving within the music industry.

Our approach covers every business sector of music, from digital streaming and artist management to merchandising and innovative business operations. You’ll explore crucial topics such as music publishing and copyright in the digital age, focusing on the management of important music rights. Supported by the latest practice and industry commentary, you’ll consider how the future is being shaped by technology and consumer trends.

The course has a unique focus on innovation through business strategies in live, digital, publishing, media and interactive marketing contexts. Our aim is to enable you to commercially apply the understanding of corporate, enterprising and creative contexts of music. Exploring how money is made from music related content, with a special focus on music streaming platforms and various media, you’ll aim to predict the ‘how and why’ of the next major music business shift.

You’ll be taught by experts in the field who have published industry research that has been praised by Forbes. This will help prepare you for a career within a start-up environment, which is an expanding business approach within the music and technology industry.

We will provide industry contexts throughout your degree and have a good track record of guest talks, student showcases and team projects, think-tank industry panels and networking events with leaders, innovators and our successful alumni. We will help you develop the skills to succeed in the industry, whether that’s running your own business or inventing new approaches to licensing, marketing and promotion of music. In your first year you’ll learn about the sectors of music publishing, events and publicity, and in your second year you’ll organise your own live events, physical or virtual.

This course teaches more than leadership and decision making. You’ll also learn how to negotiate and draft with key legal aspects of a music deal. We will help you understand commercial processes in the industry including investment, rights payments and catalogue value. Marketing is also a key aspect that you’ll explore by designing online marketing and PR strategies.

Our graduates have gone on to work for major labels and independent companies, run their own businesses, or host and promote events. You’ll be able to apply your skills across music, media and entertainment.