Music Business - London MA
- Level(s) of Study: Postgraduate taught
- Start Date(s): September
- Duration: One year, full-time
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: London Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
This degree is delivered at our London Campus in Whitechapel.
This Music Business Masters degree puts the final polish on your industry knowledge and practice.
You’ll develop your very own personal projects and ideas as part of the course, with industry mentors to steer your career to the next stage.
You will be taught the crucial skills of music industry practice by industry experts – project management, budgeting and collaborative working and develop a deep understanding of IP management, negotiation and contracts. You will also dive into new and developing technology and use data analysis tools to measure, plan and take action. Live events are an essential part of the revenue mix and you’ll learn everything you need to create and promote your own gig and club brands or work in that sector.
You will undertake a large-scale research project into your specialist area of interest and plug your business and career activities into an ongoing creative entrepreneurial portfolio.
Take advantage of our in-house record label, Denizen, where you can gain access to industry mentors and grants, to help you progress in your music career.
What you’ll study
We run commercial businesses, including a live music and events venue and an esports complex. These dynamic spaces provide opportunities for you to learn, gain valuable experience, and work alongside industry professionals who deliver events week in, week out.
You'll have the unique opportunity to take a leading role running our very own record label, Denizen Records, and collaborate with students studying courses in music performance, sound, production, and events.
At the start of your degree you’ll be paired with an industry mentor, matched to your project and/or specialism. They’ll work with you throughout your studies, acting as an external source of advice, support, contacts, and possibly employment opportunities.
Industry exposure at Tileyard
As part of your degree you’ll get exclusive access to the UK’s best music industry insights and connections through our partnership with Tileyard – the world’s largest professional music community.
You can expect regular masterclasses, industry briefs, mentoring and a host of other opportunities to further develop your portfolio, industry knowledge and those all-important connections and contacts.
Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches
(60 credit points)
This Music Business master’s degree puts the final polish on your industry knowledge and practice.
You’ll develop your very own personal projects and ideas as part of the course, with industry mentors to steer your career to the next stage.
You will be taught the crucial skills of music industry practice by industry experts – project management, budgeting and collaborative working and develop a deep understanding of IP management, negotiation and contracts. You will also dive into new and developing technology and use data analysis tools to measure, plan and take action. Live events are an essential part of the revenue mix and you’ll learn everything you need to create and promote your own gig and club brands or work in that sector.
You will undertake a large-scale research project into your specialist area of interest and plug your business and career activities into an ongoing creative entrepreneurial portfolio.
Take advantage of our in-house record label, Denizen, where you can gain access to industry mentors and grants, to help you progress in your music career.
Music Business Practice
(60 credit points)
This is your Music Business playground! We all have our specialisms, but have you ever thought how you can apply those skills in related fields? The key to your development is going through the ‘doing’ process in a number of scenarios and examining how you can use what you learned in your own practice.
Through a series of workshops and projects you’ll explore and enhance your processes and skills in these related areas. You’ll experiment and see how related competencies can be developed to increase your employability across the music business sector: You might experiment mapping your ear for spotting a good song to trying your hand at some music supervision for media projects, or your organisational skills to support the release strategy on our record label, Denizen : you’ll work to personalise and apply these techniques to your own practice to enhance what makes you, you!
The key in this module is in the process and reflection, but assets related to your intended employability journey can be honed to completion for use in your ‘Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches’ module to show you at your very best.
Research Project
(60 credit points)
In an ever-shifting and more complex creative industry, the need to source, analyse and process knowledge has never been more important. Research is an essential skill in the toolbox for any creative practitioner wanting to have an extensive and rewarding career in a brave new world of opportunity and challenge.
The Research Project module enables you to collaborate with other creative cohorts and formulate life-long robust research practices. You will learn the essential skills necessary to investigate and synthesise information in order to develop informed conclusions and new and exciting practices. The module will enable you to take a deep dive into your own specialist areas of interest to deliver a large research project.
The project can be delivered in media that most closely align with your creativity, with outputs that could include a whole range of audio, visual or webspace artefacts.
Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches
(60 Credit Points)
This module is designed to reflect the interdisciplinary collaborative and entrepreneurial nature of music sector working practices. You will critically examine the current music sector practices most applicable to your own journey as a music industry professional, whether that's as an employee, a business owner, or a freelancer with one or more business activities: you'll look for your place in the sector and work towards finding a home there during your studies.
You'll work on relevant real life projects and these will provide you with the opportunity to examine key music sectors, industry stakeholders, and critically examine the work environment to identify relevant professional opportunities to support your development to give you the best chance to thrive. You will have an assigned mentor from industry to give you a vital insiders perspective, and you will also have the opportunity to work for and with label and publishing arm Denizen.
You will ultimately form an output plan and will pitch for an Employability Grant to help you on your next steps.
Research for Creative Industries
(20 Credit Points)
This module runs across multiple creative Masters degrees, enabling cross course collaboration and reflection. Throughout the module you will be scaffolded to arrive at a fully formed Proposal for your Masters Dissertation module.
Masters Dissertation
(40 Credit Points)
Based on your experience in the Research for Creative Industries module and the resulting Proposal you will now embark on your Masters Dissertation journey which will be an independent study into your specific chosen area of interest.
You will have paths available to you to help you personalise your level 7 experience, for example a more traditional Desktop Study or a more practical Project Based approach to prepare you for an future in Industry or Doctoral study.
Music Business Practice
(60 Credit Points)
This is your Music Business playground! We all have our specialisms, but have you ever thought how you can apply those skills in related fields? The key to your development is going through the ‘doing’ process in a number of scenarios and examining how you can use what you learned in your own practice.
Through a series of workshops and projects you’ll explore and enhance your processes and skills in these related areas. You’ll experiment and see how related competencies can be developed to increase your employability across the music business sector: You might experiment mapping your ear for spotting a good song to trying your hand at some music supervision for media projects, or your organisational skills to support the release strategy on our record label, Denizen : you’ll work to personalise and apply these techniques to your own practice to enhance what makes you, you!
The key in this module is in the process and reflection, but assets related to your intended employability journey can be honed to completion for use in your ‘Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches’ module to show you at your very best.
How you’re taught
The three key approaches to learning and teaching for this course are:
- Active Collaborative Learning
- Learning through Research
- Online or Blended learning
You will participate in workshops, lectures, small group and one-to-one tutoring designed to help you develop the practical and thinking skills that you will need in your chosen career. There is also a collaborative project along with online practice supporting portfolio development.
How you’re assessed
You will be assessed in a number of ways, including:
- Written Assignments
- Reports
- Presentations
- Creative outputs/production
- Portfolio
Formative assessment is what we call the opportunities you have to produce and get feedback on work that will help you to prepare to complete your summative formal assessment. There are specific named activities in your assessment and feedback plan which you will be asked to complete and submit for feedback. Additionally, peer, class and individual feedback on your ongoing work is formative.
Assessment tasks are designed to challenge you over the year to increasingly demonstrate your own creativity, reflect your own interests and include independent research.
Careers and employability
Graduates will be equipped to take up roles working for/with record labels, publishers, venues, distributors, digital aggregators, artist manager, tour manager, marketing and comms, catalogue manager or setting up their own music related business.
Campus and facilities
This course is also available for online delivery. If you have chose this pathway certain facilities and resources available on our physical campus may not be accessible to you due to the nature of remote learning.
As part of our degree, you'll be working in the studio, collaborating with musicians and producers. And you're in for a treat, with world-class facilities...
We’ve worked closely with industry partner and leader, SSL, on creating a bespoke-built console. TriniTy is the first-of-its-kind system, delivering SSL’s SuperAnalogue sound, digital production power, and seamless integration.
Check out SSL’s announcement on their website.
You’ll find SSL ORIGIN consoles in all edit suites as standard. The studio mixing console has a traditional analogue studio workflow at its heart whilst providing the perfect partner for a modern DAW-driven ‘hybrid’ production studio.
Audio monitoring throughout the music facilities is provided by PMC and Focusrite Rednet interfaces throughout, allowing for audio recording to be captured remotely.
Metronome London is a purpose-built multi-discipline events and production space with the versatility built-in to function as a 600-capacity live venue, or a virtual production studio complete with LED volume.
Similar to our Nottingham venue, Metronome it's here where you'll gain valuable work experience and access world-class facilities.
Entry requirements
This programme is open to graduates with a degree from any discipline and does not require music business study to be completed at undergraduate level.
Entry & admission criteria:
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or an appropriate equivalent, i.e. a professional qualification, from a recognised British or overseas institution
- If you don't have a degree, please detail related industry experience and the length of time the activities took place over in your personal statement
- Applicants should have a genuine interest in music business. Please use the personal statement to demonstrate your motivation and suitability for the course, including related skills.
- Applicants who have been taught and assessed in languages other than English should have an English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5.
Personal statement:
You should include in your personal statement why you want to study this course and what career in the music business you are aiming for. Please also include:
- Evidence of knowledge of the music industry
- Any experience of management (of people or projects)
- Any details of organisational skills (for example in modules or in your work)
- Any experience of marketing skills (in your course or in your work)
Interview:
You'll be invited to an informal interview after you submit your application, to determine your project ideas, your fit with the course, and to discuss your aspirations.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
This programme is open to graduates with a degree from any discipline and does not require music business study to be completed at undergraduate level.
Entry & admission criteria:
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or an appropriate equivalent, i.e. a professional qualification, from a recognised British or overseas institution
- Applicants should have a genuine interest in music business. Please use the personal statement to demonstrate your motivation and suitability for the course, including related skills.
- Applicants who have been taught and assessed in languages other than English should have an English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5.
Personal statement:
You should include in your personal statement why you want to study this course and what career in the music business you are aiming for. Please also include:
- Evidence of knowledge of the music industry
- Any experience of management (of people or projects)
- Any details of organisational skills (for example in modules or in your work)
- Any experience of marketing skills (in your course or in your work)
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
Fees and funding
| Mode of study | Home tuition fee |
|---|---|
| full-time | £11,150 |
Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.
Postgraduate fees and living costs
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there is no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding page will answer your questions.
We are pleased to offer a 20% alumni discount for graduates of Nottingham Trent University. Terms and conditions apply.
Postgraduate loans
The government introduced a new postgraduate loan scheme for Master degrees. The loan will be a contribution towards the costs of study and it will be at the student's discretion to use the loan towards fees, maintenance costs or other costs. Find out more on our postgraduate loans page.
Scholarships
We award scholarships to those students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion and dedication to their studies. To find out more visit our Postgraduate Scholarships web page.
| Mode of study | International tuition fee |
|---|---|
| full-time | £19,900 |
Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.
Postgraduate fees and living costs
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there is no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding page will answer your questions.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
How to apply
If you are interested in joining us in September 2025, this course will be open for applications through the applicant portal from September 2024. Courses starting in January 2026 will be open for applications from July 2025.
Applications for this course can be made via the NTU Applicant Portal - click on the Apply button at the top of the page to be taken straight through to the Portal.
For a step-by-step guide to making an application through our Applicant Portal, please visit our postgraduate application pages.
Writing your application
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. Make sure you include as much information as possible, including uploading evidence of results already achieved, as well as a personal statement.
Advice for non-standard applicants
We welcome applications from applicants without prior qualifications. However, in this instance, you must have proven experience in industry, which demonstrates appropriate knowledge and skills at honours degree (undergraduate) standard.
If you are applying without prior qualifications, you will need to submit comprehensive details of your achievements with evidence to substantiate your claim (any documentation can be uploaded to the My Documents section of the Applicant Portal). This type of application will be considered with respect to the University’s provision for ‘accreditation for prior experiential learning’. Decisions regarding the accreditation of prior learning are a matter of academic judgement.
Keeping up to date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process - so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Getting in touch
For admissions-related enquiries please contact us:
If you are interested in joining us in September 2025, this course will be open for applications through the applicant portal from September 2024. Courses starting in January 2026 will be open for applications from July 2025.
Apply online through our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.