BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship

This module introduces you to the principles of entrepreneurship and marketing, and how these can be effectively implemented, specifically in the context of the music industry. You’ll learn about the characteristics of successful entrepreneurship and barriers to enterprise, as well as techniques for recognising new business opportunities and how they could be translated into successful ventures through feasibility analysis and customer-driven marketing strategies. You’ll develop a basic business plan and marketing strategy for a music business project, and will explore the concept of the artist as a brand, considering key areas such as brand partnerships, and commerce versus credibility in music.

This module will introduce you to the framework and functions of the modern music industry, exploring its three main sectors: recorded music, live music and publishing. You’ll examine current industry models, processes and practices to show how creatives and businesses interact, and will explore the inter-relationships between each area of the industry. You’ll learn about music copyright and the roles played by collection societies, professional membership organisations and trade bodies, and will cover the function of artist management, the A&R process, music marketing and promotion, sales and distribution, music rights and royalties, and a brief introduction to the various revenue streams.

To be a successful musician, you need to have a clear understanding of the business, legal and economic roles and relationships which underpin the live music industry. In this module, you’ll explore how live music tours are planned, budgeted and run, and will cover the key elements of tour planning such as artist contracts, riders, payment structures, technical requirements, hospitality and catering. You’ll gain first-hand experience of tour management by creating a tour book for an artist, mapping out a tour route and addressing issues arising from international touring, such as obtaining work permits and dealing with the withholding of tax.

In this module, you’ll research the key social, cultural and economic factors in the formation and evolution of the modern music business. Following the chronology of popular music from the post 1945 era up to the present day, significant genres and movements which served to map the story of popular music will be explored in an academic context. These include Tin Pan Alley and the foundations of early rock ‘n’ roll, through to The Beatles and the ‘British Invasion’ of the ‘60s, right up to glam rock, disco and punk in the ‘70s, and today’s hip-hop, rap, EDM, indie and grime.

This module examines the digital revolution which has occurred in music, its key technologies and practices, and its impact on performers, consumers and the global music industry as a whole. Through a series of case studies, you’ll explore key issues relevant to the evolution of the music industry landscape, such as the decline of the traditional record label model and the future of the recording industry; label services; new business models such as direct-to-fan, crowdfunding, access over ownership and streaming; the impact of digital on ticketing; synch, film, TV and gaming; and the future of music publishing.

Through this highly practical module, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the concepts of music marketing, promotion and digital distribution. Working on your own real-world project, you’ll learn how to develop a fully effective, low-budget plan for a successful product launch campaign and will be able to deploy integrated promotional strategies based on detailed market analysis and research, effective marketing techniques, and engaging branding and communication methods. Some areas covered include DIY strategies, social media, viral marketing, press and PR, blogging, online presence building, digital platforms, streaming playlists, creating low-budget music videos, merchandise and the role of advertising agencies.

This groundbreaking module provides you with a multifaceted understanding of the personal and professional elements needed to successfully manage a creative individual. You’ll explore the discovery, assessment and development of musical talent, as well as the ever-evolving legal, commercial and practical mechanics of artist management. You’ll discuss the critical marriage of ‘music’ and ‘business’ and the tension that exists between managing the creative process and meeting commercial requirements and business targets. The new and diverse needs and challenges of creative individuals are covered, particularly highlighting industry mental health issues, and you’ll discover the important work of the Music Managers Forum (MMF).

Develop essential knowledge in finance, accounting, management and business principles and understand how these interrelate in different types of organisations. In this module you’ll develop the technical skills needed to understand budgets, control costs and interpret financial reports to assess the performance of a business. You’ll also analyse the role and goal of financial management and assess the factors affecting business decisions and opportunities presented to an entertainment or music organisation. Topic you’ll cover include business terminology; organisational types such as sole trader, partnership, limited company, multinational, conglomerate and not-for-profit; taxation and VAT; and financial decision-making.

In this module you’ll develop your knowledge of music law and copyright and will gain a comprehensive understanding of the business and mechanics of music publishing, including learning about royalties, collection societies, the registration of songs, revenue streams, types of publishing deals, co-writing and song splits, new business models, music supervision, and synchronisation licensing for film, TV, the internet and video games. You’ll also analyse the business practices of major and independent publishers, as well as self-published songwriters and performers, and will examine how the future of the music publishing sector is being shaped by technology and consumer trends.

If you’re keen to develop an understanding of what entrepreneurship can do for individuals, enterprises or communities, this module draws from a wide range of disciplines – including behavioural sciences, economics, communications, competitive strategy, finance and marketing – to give you that knowledge. You’ll be encouraged to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and will be inspired by ideas, techniques and skills which help you create and develop early-stage ventures, leading all the way to enterprise growth. By working in teams on complex, real-life business problems and challenges, you’ll learn to develop business plans, generate ideas, recognise innovation, secure funding and analyse your competitors.

Using case studies and reviews of current working practices, this module aims to analyse the impact of digital technologies on consumers, creators, distributors and publishers. You’ll examine the impact of technology and digital media as drivers of innovation and business growth in the creative industries, and will gain a detailed knowledge of digital concepts such as disruption, innovation, consumer behaviour, digital business models, social networking, big data, analytics and blockchain technology, and operating in the digital domain. You’ll also develop a host of practical ICT skills, such as image and video editing skills, to help communicate your business ideas.

Expanding on your live event knowledge from Year 1, this module offers you the opportunity to work in teams to plan, develop and deliver you own live music event. You’ll be encouraged to approach your events creatively while developing an awareness of the importance of branding and sponsorship, the possibilities of new income streams and the changing patterns of live music consumption. Methods of communication and convergence will be examined, including the importance of employing social media and online strategies to promote your event, and you’ll gain a solid understanding of live issues including health and safety, legislation and regulations.

With an emphasis on interactive, problem-based and inclusive learning, this module will provide you with a coherent and detailed knowledge of theories, models, ambiguities and challenges in management, all in the context of the creative industries. You’ll investigate a range of contemporary issues in the management of organisations, and will develop techniques for devising solutions to situations faced by modern groups and businesses. You’ll also gain an awareness of the macro, meso and micro situational factors that can affect the effectiveness of managers and their organisations. The content of your learning will be tailored, where possible, to reflect your background, aspirations and interests.

Studying this module will see you gain an appreciation of strategic management for creating and sustaining organisational effectiveness. You’ll explore theoretical perspectives on strategy development and methods of achieving competitive advantage in business, both nationally and globally. You’ll develop a range of techniques for evaluating the strategic capabilities of organisations and their operating environments, and will be able to devise recommendations to strategic problems faced by organisations, with a specific focus on the creative sector. Your comprehensive examination of strategic capabilities and the environmental context of organisations will see you make sound strategic decisions about real-life management challenges.

As part of this truly unique module, you’ll build on your business and entrepreneurship experience from previous years and will develop critical skills allowing you to identify, research, plan, develop, brand, market, launch and manage an authentic music business initiative or a charitable, publicly funded or social enterprise business project. You’ll work independently or as part of a small multi-discipline team to simulate a real-world initiative and execute a substantial project within both time and budgetary constraints. With the help of a supervisor, you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your ideas to NatWest as part of their Entrepreneur Accelerator service.

Build on previous learning to consolidate your understanding of contract and intellectual property law and their application in the music and entertainment industries. This module will help you explore copyright and intellectual property (IP) rights by examining precedents, landmark cases and the main statutes in England and Wales which deal with IP. This knowledge will stand you in good stead in your future career to negotiate music recording, publishing and artist management agreements, and arrange contracts for evolving business models such as sponsorship, endorsement, merchandising, multiple rights, and film and television sync deals.

This highly practical optional module introduces you to the principles of content marketing and provides you with the opportunity to explore content creation across multiple formats. You’ll build on your previous marketing knowledge to focus specifically on content development strategies for social media and other digital platforms, and will gain creative and technical skills to deliver and manage digital content. You’ll explore how Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tactics can further support content strategies and marketing activities, and will cover topics including copywriting, Content Management Systems (CMS), WordPress, growth hacking, website updating, Google Analytics, auto-scheduling and lead capture campaigns.

Enhance your academic learning with a period of work experience in the music and creative industries with this optional module. You’ll gain a host of practical skills working within a professional environment relevant to your area of interest, and will develop your employability and transferable skills through the practical application of theoretical knowledge learnt during your studies. You’ll receive CV, interview and careers support from ICMP’s The Hub in the researching and preparation of your work placement application, but will be expected to identify, apply for and secure the work placement independently, and evaluate your experience in a report.