Foundation Diploma in Music Business

The rapidly evolving music business is a multi-facetted, technologically driven industry. Effective music industry practitioners must understand how the numerous businesses, organisations and professionals operate, how they work alongside each other and interconnect. Furthermore, due to the rate of change, it is essential to make informed predictions about the future of the industry and evolve operations accordingly. This module is designed to offer you a holistic perspective of the industry, from where you can clearly identify conventions, standard working practices and growth areas.

This module will help students make informed choices about their career and introduce them to fundamental topics within the music business. The current circumstances of the music industry require individuals capable of the kind of multi-tasking that might see someone tour managing a band, promoting independent recordings online, advising on or negotiating a wide range of contracts and deals, engaging with publishers or in synchronisation agreements, or any other business activity.

There will be a strong focus on copyright and how it underpins the wider music industry. Key stakeholders in the music industry will be identified, and their respective roles will be explored. Students will be given the opportunity to examine management contracts, and to chart the revenue flow of the wider industry. Topics introduced in the module will give students a firm knowledge base of the wider sector. These topics will then be explored in more depth in semester 2 with The Recorded Music Industry and Music Publishing modules.

Module aims:

– To identify and examine music industry structures and practices

– To examine key contemporary developments in the music industry

– To engage in an appropriate level of reading and research, demonstrating appropriate academic conventions

Out of the three key revenue streams in the music industry (the recorded music industry, the live music industry, and the music publishing sector), the recorded music industry is one of the most vital and visible sectors to industry practitioners. Releasing recorded music is an integral step in any professional artist’s career. As a result, there are numerous key stakeholders, businesses and operations in this sector of the industry, all performing many different tasks. A clear comprehension of these respective roles, along with the typical agreements and contracts used is crucial for a foundational knowledge of the music industry. This module seeks to explore all of the above topics in depth to prepare the student for a career in the recorded sector.

This module provides students with an in-depth exploration and analysis of the mechanics and structures of the commercial recording industry. Technological advancements in the sector have continuedly allowed recording artists multiple ways of distributing their recorded work. At the same time, many corners of the sector have become more consolidated, with a handful of large multinational companies dominating the market. This module will focus on the impact and importance of the digital tools, platforms and networks designed to enhance self-promotion have had on the wider sector. It will look at the value of copyright ownership in current and future marketplaces.

The module builds on what was introduced in the Music Business Fundamentals module. It begins by examining the building blocks of the recording industry from digital service providers and royalty collection, to the different structures and roles within record labels. There is a focus on recording contracts, and how consumer behaviour has shifted the structure of these contracts. The role of additional key stakeholders such as publicists, radio pluggers, and physical and digital distributors will be explored.

Module aims

– To provide the student with a thorough examination of the contemporary landscape of the recording industry, and to identify the importance of its key stakeholders.

– To examine the role and importance of digital services, platforms and networks supporting the recording industry.

– To provide the student with a comprehensive perspective on how to successfully navigate an artists’ career through the recording industry

From developing emerging artists at a grassroots level to building fanbases through national and international touring and delivering career-defining moments at stadiums and festivals, the live sector is key to building and engaging audiences.

It is also responsible for generating substantial revenue, however, just as in other sectors there are new challenges arising all of the time and as such the live industry is constantly having to adapt and evolve.

This module will aim to contextualise and explore concepts introduced in the Music Business Fundamentals module to give you the tools and knowledge to navigate the Live Music Industry. Covering both ground-level insight into how live events work and the roles of those involved, through to industry trends and the challenges faced by everyone from small venues to world-renowned festivals.

The module is designed to give the student an insight into the workings of the live music industry, this module will help students make informed choices about their career and introduce them to fundamental topics within the live music sector.

Module aims:

– To identify and examine current live music industry structures and practices

– To examine key contemporary developments in the live music industry

– Engage in an appropriate level of reading and research, demonstrating appropriate academic conventions

This module will focus on the fundamentals of the music publishing sector covering areas such as: the definition of a song, the publisher’s role, the collection societies, the types of music publisher, and music publishing contracts. In this module, you will explore the relationship between these core concepts and current music industry developments.

This module will familiarise students with the fundamental issues in music publishing. The module will build on what students have learned from Music Business Fundamentals module in semester 1 and will delve deeper into the Music Publishing sector. It will begin with the history of the industry, defining what a music publisher does as well as reviewing the role of collection societies, collective licensing and what income is derived from these bodies.

As the module progresses it will cover more complex topics, including a detailed analysis of music publishing and licensing contracts, before moving on to other advanced subjects such as synchronisation and direct licensing all the while referring to examples of legal disputes that have come about from these documents.

The module will conclude with a comprehensive analysis of contemporary issues in music publishing such as the opportunities and challenges of digital, updates to copyright and new business models which offer choice to songwriters.

Module aims

– To recognise fundamental concepts in music publishing and copyright

– To interpret key terms in music publishing contracts

– To recognise important contemporary issues in the discipline