Music Business Management MA University of Westminster

Wednesday 7th June 2023 - On campus - 5:30-7PM (BST)

Our Music Business Management MA is highly regarded in both music business education and the industry at large. It will prepare you to become one of the next generations of music industry leaders and entrepreneurs. All teaching staff on the course have comprehensive professional experience or are currently active in the music industry, and industry guests are a cornerstone of our weekly lectures. You'll need to be a self-motivated and open-minded student, as this is an intense course, but one which can help you to progress your career across a wide range of music business disciplines.

Working with music industry leaders and organisations, the course has developed a unique curriculum. You'll be able to combine a strong underpinning of key business skills (entrepreneurialism, leadership, organisational management, and marketing) with essential music industry management knowledge (strategic innovation technology, intellectual property and copyright) and academic concepts and theories relevant to the industry today.

Teaching is conducted through sessions which each include a formal lecture, industry guest speaker and seminar exercises. Each of the six modules has a minimum of two assignments. The final project (equivalent to three modules) is a report of a minimum of 12,000 words.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our exciting and challenging course is focused on enhancing your employability and preparing you for future music industry leadership.
• Contemporary global popular music and entertainment culture are at the centre of all of our teaching.
• Music industry guests deliver in-class talks every week throughout the teaching semesters.
• Our teaching team is involved in cutting-edge music industry research, from music and mental health to the new landscape for emerging musicians to diversity and inclusivity.

Why study this course?

• Experience London's music scene
  You'll be within easy access to London's unrivalled and exciting music scene and commercial music industry.
• Enhance your career prospects
  You'll learn key business skills such as leadership and marketing, along with essential music industry management knowledge and relevant academic theory.
• Learn from industry experts
  You'll be taught by experienced industry insiders and regularly hear from and network with industry leaders at our guest talks.

Our course is globally recognised, and our teaching team has links with employers in all areas of the music industry. We're committed to developing your employability by ensuring that key career skills are embedded in the course and that you're supported in exploring internships and work-related opportunities.

• Graduate success
  Our 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.
• Strong industry links
  Our weekly guest talks enable you to network with potential employers in-class and in social situations to make important contacts and discover recruitment and internship opportunities.
• Employers around the world
  The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Guest speakers

Previous guest speakers have included representatives from the following companies:

• 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
• XL Recordings

Job roles

The course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

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

Course alumni

Our alumni keep in close contact with the course, often returning to deliver guest speeches and meet and network with students.

Graduates from the course include:

• Andrew Mikkelsen, A&R, Atlantic Records UK
• Colin Hembus, Senior artist/producer management, Eaves Music
• Esther Oram, Senior event manager, Association of Independent Music
• Lauren Powell, Senior marketing manager, ILuvLive
• Rhys Dsouza, Copyright assistant/Copyright management, Sony Music Publishing
• Shanice Edwards, A&R, Since '93, Sony Music

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, comprising a set of core and optional extracurricular activities.

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up for a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.

The following modules are indicative of what you'll study in this course.

Core modules

• Artist Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Intellectual Property and Copyright Management
• The Live Music Industry
• Music Business Management Project
• Music Industry Structure, Roles and Development
• Music Marketing and Technology