Music Business Degree BA (Hons)

COURSE OVERVIEW

The highly practical BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship is the first music business degree in the UK to give equal weighting to the concept of ‘entrepreneurship’. This groundbreaking programme promotes enterprise and innovation across all three years, and will see you work on real-world industry projects, all with the aim of encouraging your natural creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

The BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship course is perfect for those wanting to establish a multi-skilled, entrepreneurial career within the music and wider creative industries, and will provide you with the tools, opportunities and experience you need to develop and launch your music business career. The emphasis on entrepreneurship means you’ll be encouraged and supported to launch and run your own business, with the ability to pitch your ideas as part of NatWest’s Entrepreneur Accelerator programme.

You’ll learn a wide range of management, business and creative skills in small, personalised learning groups, and will be taught by established music industry executives whose aim is to help you maximise the creative and commercial potential of the artist–business relationship. The encouragement of collaboration at ICMP will see you work in partnership with fellow student musicians from the college’s talent pool, promoting them as creative artists as part of your course content.

You’ll discover every aspect of the music business first-hand through sessions with special music industry guest visitors, attendance at music conferences as delegates, and via industry networking events.

ICMP’s unique and innovative programme has been developed and designed courtesy of a high level of consultation from the music business, with ongoing external feedback provided by global music organisations such as Island Records, Warner/Chappell Music, Live Nation, PRS for Music, Music Week, BMG Rights, Music Managers Forum, Spotify, Brace Yourself PR and many more.

Upon graduation, you’ll have learnt to critically assess new business opportunities and practices, will have gained the ability to undertake and manage a variety of different music projects, will be confident at communicating both orally and in writing, and will have developed a toolkit of ICT skills for application in the wider business environment. You’ll be experienced at working both independently and as part of a team, and will possess the ability to organise, identify problems, exercise initiative, select and implement effective solutions, and meet strict deadlines and targets.

Fees & Funding

Taking a Music Business degree course at ICMP makes financial sense too, with the fees for ICMP music degrees significantly less than those at many traditional universities, and, also much lower than other UK music education providers - making studying music at ICMP in London great value as well as great fun.

2020/21 Course Fees: £9,250 (UK & EU Students) | £11,700 (Non-EU Students)

Please visit our Fees page for information on access to Student Loans. Please note, students eligible for loans are able to borrow the full annual course fee for ICMP degrees, unlike many other UK music schools where students are required to pay additional top-up fees themselves.

EU Students, applying to start their course in 2020, will continue to be eligible for both home fee status and have access to student finance. This entitlement will remain in place for the duration of the course. Read more

Full Fees Information | Programme Specification

Successful completion of the BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship at ICMP leads to the award of Bachelor of Arts by the University of East London.

UCAS CODES

Course Code: BAEM
Institution Code: i25
View course on UCAS

Key facts

Promotes entrepreneurship and innovation at each year level through work on real-world industry projects, collaborating with and promoting fellow student artists from ICMP’s rich talent pool.
Develops your management, business and creative skills to maximise the potential of the artist–business relationship.
Extensive music industry connections enable you to build an impressive music business network.
Course structure and content designed with high level of input from the UK’s top music industry businesses.
The London location provides opportunities to develop your business ideas at the heart of the global music industry.
Attendance at music conferences and networking events, plus unrivalled access to special music industry guest visitors.
A high level of contact teaching hours delivered in small groups in world-class facilities.
A creative and inspiring learning environment.

COURSE DETAILS

Year 1 (Level 4)

Year 2 (Level 5)

Year 3 (Level 6)

During your first year, you’ll be introduced to the full range of topics concerning music business and entrepreneurship, and will develop a solid base from which to build your future learning. You’ll gain a good grasp of the music industry landscape and structure, while also studying its historical context. Music marketing and promotional strategies will be explored from an entrepreneurial viewpoint, and you’ll learn about the live music industry by creating an international tour book for an artist. You’ll complete your first year with a strong understanding of what it takes to manage a creative individual, both personally and professionally.

PRINCIPLES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MARKETING

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.

MUSIC INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

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.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LIVE INDUSTRY

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.

THE MUSIC BUSINESS: A CONCISE HISTORY

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.

THE EVOLVING MUSIC LANDSCAPE

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.

PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES

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.

MANAGING CREATIVITY

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).

Your second year will see you deepen your knowledge of the financial, legal and business principles essential to understanding and managing projects and rights in the industry. You’ll explore music publishing and sync, and will recognise the role a music supervisor plays within the music business. Study of entrepreneurship and innovation continues, and you’ll explore ideas, techniques and skills to begin to develop early-stage ventures. You’ll plan, organise, deliver, promote and monetise your own live events, and will start formulating digital promotional strategies while learning practical skills, such as photo and video editing, presenting and how to pitch business ideas.

BUSINESS AND FINANCE ESSENTIALS

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.

MUSIC PUBLISHING AND SYNCHRONISATION

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.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

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.

DIGITAL STRATEGIES IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

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.

LIVE EVENT MANAGEMENT

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.

In your final year, you’ll further develop your understanding of what it means to be an artist manager, with modules taught by MBA graduates and successful management professionals. You’ll also gain a detailed understanding of contracts and intellectual property with tuition from specialist music and entertainment lawyers and business mentors. As part of ICMP’s truly unique Business Enterprise Project, you’ll also develop, brand, market, launch and manage your own music business initiative, and with the help of a supervisor, pitch your ideas to NatWest as part of their Entrepreneur Accelerator service. On top of this, you’ll have the opportunity to choose to either explore the practical side of content marketing or complement your academic learning with a period of work experience in the industry.

CRITICAL ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT

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.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

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.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROJECT

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.

MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW

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.

CONTENT MARKETING (OPTION)

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.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE (OPTION)

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.

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

You will be taught at our bespoke campus in Kilburn, utilising our classrooms and lecture rooms. You will also have access to our music facilities, including our live rooms, tech suites and in-house music studio facilities, outside of timetabled hours, while you are a student at ICMP.

You will be taught through a variety of lectures, small tutorial groups, workshops, group work and student-led classes/presentations.

You will have access to the Student Services Department for support and advice concerning welfare, finance, personal development, safeguarding etc. You'll also have access to our Professional Development team ‘The Hub, who provide bespoke music industry careers advice and access to unique industry opportunities.

Teaching and Learning

On the BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship programme you will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small tutorial groups, workshops, hands-on technology laboratory tutorials, group work and student-led classes/presentations.

When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you'll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments.Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including our Learning Resource Centre, our many performance and practice rooms, and well-equipped tech suites.

Throughout the duration of your course your time will be split as follows:

Teaching, Learning and Assessment hours per year
Year 1: 288 hrs | Year 2: 264 hrs | Year 3: 240 hrs

Self-study hours per year
Year 1: 912 hrs | Year 2: 936 hrs | Year 3: 960 hrs

Assessment

Assessment activities will include, but not be limited to, student presentations, portfolios, individual and group projects, case studies, written examination papers, aural examinations, coursework, group problem solving, reflective journals, self and peer assessments.

The assessment breakdown of this programme is:

Year 1: 5% Written | 95% Coursework
Year 2: 12% Written | 88% Coursework
Year 3:12% Written | 88% Coursework

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants will typically have A Levels, BTEC Diploma or Extended Diploma, or International Baccalaureate equivalent to 80 UCAS points, or an ICMP Higher Diploma.

In addition, you should hold a GCSE Grade C or 4 or above in English and Maths, or suitable equivalent, such as Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Adult Literacy/Numeracy.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants who may have no formal qualifications but can demonstrate their suitability for study through appropriate skills and experience.

International students will typically hold a relevant equivalent qualification – please check your qualification with our Admissions Team. In addition, you should hold a relevant English language qualification equivalent to CEFR Level B2.

All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

This course is also available as a one-year Cert HE option.

UCAS code BAEMUni code i25

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply via the "APPLY NOW" link below.

At any time during the application process if you need help or further advice just contact our Admissions team who will be happy to assist you.

By phone:
020 7328 0222

By email:
enquiries@icmp.ac.uk

APPLY NOW

Tutors

Ken ForemanMusic Business

Ken has made records for labels including Elektra Entertainments, East/West Warners, Chrysalis, Sony, Palm Pictures, RTI/S4, Toshiba/EMI, and Almo. There followed a number of years, managed by Pan-American Ad agency, Amber Music Ltd, composing music for commercials. His compositions featured in many US and European campaigns, including Adidas, Bass, Vauxhall, Tennants, Benetton, Foxes, Titleist, Bell Atlantic, and 7 Up.

Stephen MixMusic Business

Stephen Mix’s early career was in business start-ups. He obtained an MBA at Imperial College before joining Hamilton Bradshaw, James Caan’s investment firm, in 2009 as an Investment Manager. Today, Stephen manages a number of high performing staffing businesses including Exsurgo, DRC Locums, and HB Retinue. He provides strong business expertise from marketing and strategy to financial and operation control. He is also very involved in identifying senior talent and investment opportunities for his portfolio companies.

Korda MarshallMusic Business

During his time at Warner, Korda became Managing Director of the company’s Atlantic Records label, where he signed The Darkness and James Blunt among others, before taking over at Warner Music in 2004 and overseeing the careers of Madonna, Green Day, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and signing artists including Gnarls Barkley, The Foals, The Enemy, Pendulum, and Seasick Steve.

Nigel Dewar GibbMusic Business

Nigel is a commercial lawyer with intellectual property (IP) expertise, specialising in media, entertainment, and technology. He has worked for major record companies including London Records and Virgin as well as for their affiliated music publishing companies. He also worked for Picture Music International, a division of EMI Records and was involved in TV and video production.

BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship

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