Music Business BA (Hons)

Applied Marketing & PR (20 Credit Points)

Building on the Year 1 Music Marketing and PR module, you'll delve deeper into the psychology of marketing and examine further techniques and case studies used to influence consumer behaviour.

As part of a team, you'll be assigned an artist as client around the release of a single and be directed to analyse their current branding, carrying out market research and other techniques, resulting in a proposed branding and marketing strategy plan.

Is your plan strong enough? Can you adapt to working with a client and your peers? You'll also start to consider yourself as a brand, whether that's as an artist or as a business practitioner.

Discovering & Developing Talent (40 Credit Points)

One of the most exciting things you can do is find an artist to shape what's to come: those who'll write and perform future classics. You'll be surrounded by musicians and producers, so make the most of your time by making life-long connections.

In this module, you'll find and develop an artist or band which will culminate in the release of a single under the guidance of Denizen Records, our own record label. You'll reflect on the appropriate A+R process, and develop the skills and people-network to move a track from discovery to release-standard.

You'll be learning alongside students on a host of creative degrees, enabling collaboration in the recording, production and release of a song for a defined market. You'll have assigned personnel to develop your marketing strategy and assets, but you'll be responsible for quality control.

You'll need to work within the parameters of the label structure and propose and justify a budget, take direction and instruction from label staff and consider options to self-release outside of the structure if the single is ultimately rejected by the label. Can you go from discovery to impact?

Popular Music History (20 Credit Points)

The history of popular music has informed where we are and where we might go next.

In this module, you'll be exposed to decades of key recordings, events, artists and the movers and shakers involved in shaping modern popular music as we know it. You'll examine the importance of music and see how it's been influenced by and influences society, politics and the world we live in.

You'll choose your own specific area to explore in more detail, then consider how you could apply what you have learned in your Discovering and Developing Talent project.

Revenue Streams (20 Credit Points)

There are many income streams in the world of music and it's vital you know and understand them.

During this module you'll learn all about the main sources, covering Performing Rights Organisations, (PROs), neighbouring rights, sync, and other key avenues to make money through a global lens. You'll take your findings and evaluate how you might apply them in your Discovering and Developing Talent module.

Music Industry Law (20 Credit Points)

The music industry can be a minefield and you need to be able to find your way around the fundamentals of the legal and ethical aspects of protecting yours and others' intellectual property.

In this module you'll explore what the law means to you and your potential avenues of income and will prepare you to spot the icebergs! You'll reflect upon what you learn and apply it to the Discovering and Developing Talent module.

Emerging Trends (40 Credit Points)

As a future leader of change, you'll create a dissertation based on your interests and personal study related to emerging opportunities, trends and thinking within the music business, negotiated through consultations with your supervisor.

The module gives you greater autonomy to define your potential career direction, and demonstrate your potential for professional practice as a initiator of change in the world of music.

You'll demonstrate your ability to research, critically analyse, and contextually formulate opinion on emerging industry related topics. You'll test and scrutinise your findings and present them in appropriate ways.

Your Music Business (40 Credit Points)

Planning your next steps in your career is vital.

In this module you'll spend time reflecting on how you've developed in terms of skills, knowledge and broader ethics, and plan how you will achieve a sustainable career in the music industry; whether this is as a freelancer, business start-up, or working for a music-related company.

You'll examine funding options, business plans, contact lists and your strategy for the future resulting in a plan that you can use to help you on your way. Your output plan will be pitched to a panel, and the most considered, focused and realistic will win an Employability Grant to support you in your goals. You will also hone your own branding and develop a web presence to support your professional direction.

Your Major Project (40 Credit Points)

This 'Capston Project' is a chance to put your skills and aspirations into practice into a final major project that can define you as a music business graduate and professional.

This output could take the form of a single or album project, a gig or tour, the management and development of an artist, or the creation of a label or music business app: the world is your music oyster!

You'll need to evidence, where appropriate, your team management skills by recruiting relevant team members from your network and recognising the importance of driving a project using people's specialist skill sets.

An industry mentor will be assigned to you. They'll support you throughout the project, culminating in a final presentation and analysis of its success.