Music Business Management MA

Program Overview

The Music Business Management MA at Westminster University equips students with the skills and knowledge to navigate the global popular music sector. Emphasizing creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability, the program fosters leadership skills in artist management, business management, and live music management. Through industry-focused coursework, mentorship from experienced professionals, and strong industry connections, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the evolving music landscape and prepare for a variety of careers in the music and creative industries.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Music Business Management MA is a dynamic and challenging program designed to cultivate the next generation of music professionals. It aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the global popular music sector. The program emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and agility, preparing students for leadership roles in the industry. The program's core values include:

• Music as a lens: The program uses music as a central focus to analyze and enhance the potential of the creative industries.
• Industry-focused: All teaching staff have extensive professional experience or are currently active in the music industries.
• Interdisciplinary approach: The program integrates business, cultural, economic, and sociological theories to provide a comprehensive understanding of the music environment.
• Flexibility: Students can choose from informal pathways specializing in artist management, business management, and live music management.
• Current industry trends: The program addresses contemporary issues such as equality, diversity, inclusivity, and mental health, reflecting the evolving landscape of the music industry.
• Research-driven: The program is supported by research initiatives from the Black Music Research Unit, Centre of Research in Arts and Media, and Communication and Media Research Unit.
• Leadership development: Students are encouraged to become leaders in various fields, including music entrepreneurship, ethical management, social justice, and sustainability.

Outline:

Core Modules:

• Entrepreneurship and Innovation: This module provides a systematic and critical understanding of entrepreneurial theories and practices within music and wider creative industries.
Students develop the skills to pursue new enterprises and employment opportunities ethically and confidently.
• Intellectual Property and Copyright Management: This module critically examines the role of Intellectual Property and Copyright in the global music and entertainment market.
It explores the impact of legal regulation on artist development and the management of the music business and live music industries. Students gain a deep understanding of the complexities and debates around global IP and Copyright Management.
• Music Business Management Final Project: This module allows students to consolidate their knowledge, skills, and insights gained throughout the course.
The Final Project takes the form of a Dissertation, but alternative formats are also possible, to be negotiated and agreed with the project supervisor.
• Music Industry Structure, Roles and Development: This module equips students with a systematic understanding of music industries organizations and their labor relations.
It contextualizes and critically evaluates current issues in business and management theory and practice. Students develop an understanding of career development within music and wider creative industries.
• Music, Mental Health and Wellbeing: This module explores the growing field of music and mental health.
It examines the importance of artist health, safety, and wellbeing in relation to the duty of care owed to artists by other music industry professionals. The module critically evaluates ideas around mental health and wellbeing and how they are applied in the music industries.

Option Modules:

• Artist Development: This module explores the popular music landscape and critically evaluates contemporary music practices as they apply to artist development.
Students gain a holistic understanding of artist development in a contemporary landscape.
• The Live Music Industry: This module covers contemporary critical theory and practice in the live music industry.
Students develop critical understanding of approaches to key roles and issues in the live music industry, including regulations, ticketing, contracts, performing rights, sustainability, and the relationship of live with recording.
• Global Music Markets: This module examines the landscape of global recorded and publishing music and live entertainment corporations.
It explores how global corporations develop their brand strategies as they seek to exploit music-based products across international markets. The module examines emerging global markets and discusses sustainability, decolonization, and social justice as applied through corporate practices and Big Tech.
• Managing the Music City: Policy and Strategy Issues in the Live Music Economy: This module examines the complex and evolving infrastructure of live music, from local to global scales.
Drawing on London as a leader in developing “music city” strategies, it develops conceptual and historical awareness and practical analytic skills to explore issues of regulation, development, entrepreneurship, diversity, environmental and cultural politics in a range of contexts.
• Music and Social Change: This module explores the post-second world war history of recorded popular music through the lens of social change.
The module critically examines the ways in which changing music practices coincide with social movements, migration, and decolonialisation. The module will critically explore issues of race, gender, sexuality, and social justice as they are communicated through local and global music scenes and events.

Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Practical: Presentations, podcasts, blogs
• Coursework: Essays, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation

Teaching:

• Active learning: Teaching methods focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and practical application.
• Industry experts: Students are taught by experienced industry insiders and regularly hear from and network with industry leaders at guest talks.

Careers:

The Music Business Management MA prepares students for a variety of roles in the music industry and creative industries, including:

• Artist management
• Copyright administration
• Digital content creation
• Music marketing
• Music publishing

Other:

• Guest speakers: Previous guest speakers have included representatives from companies such as Atlantic Records, Beggars Group, Believe Digital, Columbia Records, Ditto, Help Musicians UK, Island Records, iTunes, KeyChange, Kobalt Music, Method Management, Ministry of Sound, Musicians Union, Ninja Tunes, Parlophone Records, Performing Right Society, Polydor Records, PPL (Public Performance Licensing), Secretly Canadian, Shesaidso, Sony Entertainment (UK), Sony Music Publishing (UK), Tap Management, The F List, The PRS Foundation, Universal Music Group, Universal Music Publishing, Utopia Music, Virgin Records, Warner Music, Women in CTRL, and XL Recordings.
• Industry links: The program has strong industry links, with weekly guest talks enabling students to network with potential employers and discover recruitment and internship opportunities.
• Alumni success: Alumni have gone on to work across the international music industry and creative industries in areas including live music, music publishing, artist management, music companies, and technology start-ups.
• London's music scene: Students benefit from easy access to London's vibrant music scene and commercial music industry.
• Westminster Employability Award: The program offers the Westminster Employability Award, which allows students to formally document and demonstrate their personal and professional development activities.

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company. When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.