Program Overview

---

Do you want to create music media content, plan, promote and manage live music events, create your own music enterprise, develop project management skills, understand music promotion and PR, or have an interest in music as relating to wider creative and cultural industries? Then our

BA (Hons) Music Business

degree is the ideal course for you. We will support you in developing innovative and creative entrepreneurial skills and approaches needed not just to

work

in, but to

shape

the exciting and dynamic, multi-platform music industries.

Studying in our industry-standard media centre in the heart of Birmingham, you will be taught in a friendly, supportive learning community, by an academic team of music business professionals and researchers who have industry experience. You will benefit from cutting-edge knowledge and research from our active popular music and music industries research community, who not only produce internationally recognised research and publications, but also contribute their expertise on the course.

This course is

open

to

International

students.

What's covered in this course?

With the advent of digitalisation and the rapid rise of social media networks, the music industries have been radically transformed during the past 15 years. Driving this transformation is the demand for music media content as evolving services and features that let fans and audiences interact and play

with

music rather than just

play

music. You will develop music business and music media content production skills through a combination of hands-on learning, supported by critical investigation into the local, national, and international music industries, creative music cultures, and music business issues, which will underpin the importance of research and creative problem solving needed to work within the UK’s world-leading music industries. It will help you to position yourself at the forefront of creating and developing innovative ideas and exploring niche markets within the music industries.

Using Birmingham’s vibrant and dynamic music scenes and cultures as your learning environment, you will have the opportunity to apply these skills and knowledge through designing and developing your own projects that speak to your interests, strengths, and future career aspirations in the music industries. While studying with us, you’ll have the opportunity to set up a record label, promote artists or organise a music event for a paying audience, as well as exploring music entrepreneurship, music online, music promotion and PR, music video, music programming and podcast production. In your final year of study, you will complete a final major project, drawing together the strands of knowledge, skills, and experience that you gained during your time with us. The course provides opportunities to collaborate with local and national music businesses and stakeholders, alongside work placements with key organisations within the UK music industries.

---

---

---

---

Professional Placement Year

This course offers a professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, between the second and third years of your degree, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

The University will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. If you do not find a suitable placement, you will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year (£1,850 for UK students).

Whilst I was studying, I carried out placements in music industry corporations such as Kerrang!, IFPI and BPI. I also set up my own promotions company on the side to gain extra experience before entering into the real world. Work placements and networking is extremely important in this industry and led me to gaining my first full time job in the Content Protection team at BPI right after I finished my studies. I’ve now worked at BPI for two years.

2015 School of Media graduate

---

---

---

---

Why Choose Us?

As a BA (Hons) Music Business student you will benefit from our membership of

UK Music’s Music Academic Partnership

.

97% of students are satisfied with the teaching on this course (National Student Survey 2022).

You will be taught by staff with extensive experience of both industry and education. You will also have access to a well-established research culture based around music industries and popular music. The Popular Music Studies research group within the School of Media promotes new and innovative approaches to the study of popular music that are relevant to academics and practitioners, as well as anyone interested in popular music.

We provide specialised, sophisticated equipment for every area in our £62 million home, The Parkside Building, including six radio studios, four TV studios, one of the largest free-standing green screens in Europe, editing suites, music production studios, a new media suite, a newsroom and photography studios (including a half and a full infinity cove).

You will have the opportunity to expand your professional network through a range of relevant field trips and industry conferences. In recent years our students have attended

We Are Robots

in London,

Liverpool Sound City

, and

Off the Record Manchester

.

You will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience and develop industry contacts and experience through work placements and collaborative projects with our industry partners in Birmingham’s expanding music sector.

---

---

---

---

Studying with us during the Covid-19 pandemic

The University has put in place

measures in response to Covid-19

to allow us to safely deliver our courses. Should the impact of the pandemic continue in future years, any additional or alternative arrangements put in place by the University will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the

student contract

.