Creative Music Business (Cert HE)

Covering some key milestones and events in music industry history, the main areas of the music business and the impact of digital technology, you will evaluate the way in which the music industry, its key structures, terminology and operating models have developed and evolved.

An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:

• The early music industry: songwriter vs artist.
• Music publishing.
• The record label.
• Live music.
• The manager.
• A&R.
• Marketing and promotion.
• Format wars: vinyl, cassette, CD, mp3, stream.
• Death of the label: From 5 to 3, 360 degrees, label services and DIY.
• Go digital: Napster, iTunes and Spotify.
• Go social: Direct to Fan.
• The future of the industry: trends, data and analysis.

Through this unit, you will explore and evaluate a range of business tools, principles, plans and approaches to allow you to consider a start-up company of your own within the music industry.

An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:

•  Entrepreneur success stories: music entrepreneurs.
• The business plan: why you need it, how you create and further develop it.
• Evaluating market need and understanding your future customer.
• Raising capital, basic financing and understanding the three core financial reports in business.
• Planning your start-up: managing your time, setting goals and milestones.
• Integrating research: business planning, demonstrating market need, using data-driven evidence.
• Persuading others. Partnering to succeed: JV, collaborative projects, recruiting.
• Anatomy of a startup.
• Timeline to launch.
• Business perception, branding and promotion.

This module will look at a range of practices and approaches to creating content and experiences in an increasingly digital world that also needs to transition online, offering custom and blended approaches to the production, promotion of shows and the provision of content that audiences can consume and engage with.

It will cover live events and streaming revenue through broadcast, adapted event models and an in-depth look at the Music Venues Trust in conjunction with government policy for this previously lucrative area of the industry.

An indicative lecture program relating to the module will comprise:

• Career roles in the live industry.
• The logistics of touring at a professional level.
• Legislation, insurance, finances and contracts.
• Developing the performance of an artist onstage and online.
• Digital enablement: the technology of live event operations.
• Ticketing and percentage breaks.
• The show promoter and their costs, moving promotion online.
• Festivals and arena shows: history, development and evolution.
• Merchandise.
• Live streaming and content.
• Brands and sponsorship.
• Broadcast, press, promotion and marketing.

Through this module, you will explore key concepts in product development and management, ensuring that you develop a key range of transferable skills to equip you for the current music industry whether as an artist, entrepreneur or industry professional.

An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:

• Introducing product: key concepts and theories.
• Product Design.
• The product lifecycle.
• Product Development.
• Product Management.
• The Artist as Product.
• Music Services: applying product thinking.
• Using the customer to build your product: Customer value proposition and the customer journey.
• Beyond the product: subscription, content and surround.
• The monetisation of your product.
• Analysing success and continual development.
• When to retire: withdraw, replace and enter the new.

Through this unit, you will explore different career opportunities, apply for music industry roles, and develop your interview/ audition techniques to allow you to gain a career in the music industry.

An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:

• Opportunities in the creative music industry: Career types, where opportunities are advertised across each type of role, long term career planning and progression.
• Applying for a role: types of application required for different roles, how to create a suitable application to showcase your skillset and further develop it.
• Applying for a music industry role: How to effectively sell yourself through a traditional application process eg CV/covering letter.
• Applying for a music industry role: How to effectively sell yourself through different mediums- eg audition, portfolio or other suitable media showcasing.
• Job Interview/ audition development: Develop Interview skills for a face to face interview.
• Job Interview/ audition development: Develop interview skills to take part in a panel interview.
• Job Interview/ audition development: Develop Audition/ and other methods to showcase your music industry capability in a live environment.
• Take part in a job interview/ audition for a suitable creative industry role.
• Interview and job application reflection; A critical review of your music industry application and interview ability to refine future techniques, and gain employment.
• Career development and review: CPD opportunities within your chosen career pathway.

This unit introduces you to a range of core critical and cultural perspectives and encourages you to debate these, and integrate research of this kind into your music and business programmes as you develop and create music products and also understand audiences and the broader cultural landscape to market and promote music products.

You will also learn some core research methods that will support you to create a start-up music business idea of your own as you progress through each unit and programme.

An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:

• What is critical and cultural theory and why is it important?
• Data and sources: collecting, integrating, interpreting.
• Research methods in business and music.
• Modernism and postmodernism in the creative world.
• Popular music histories: shaping today.
• Cultures and subcultures.
• Studying the consumer.
• Defining taste.
• From research to argument.
• Integrating critical perspective.
• Identifying trends.

This course comprises 6 Assessments totalling 120 credits.

You will complete around 320 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities and 880 hours of independent learning on projects, productions, placements or self-directed study.

Assessment will be through: Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials and portfolios.