Music Business

Would you like to understand music contracts, manage artists, plan events or create your own music company? Maybe you are an aspiring artist who would like to know more about making money from your music? If so, this course is ideal for you.

Studying at Solent offers a unique experience for music business students, combining the excitement of real-world practice alongside in-depth, thought-provoking academic research on a wide range of music business issues. In addition to our own vibrant industry events and conferences, you can also get involved in Southampton’s music scene, with a wide range of venues across the city catering for all musical tastes. Our graduates have provided excellent feedback on their experience at Solent, with former Music Management students giving us a satisfaction rating of over 90% in both 2018, 2019 and 2020 (NSS).

This innovative music business degree will provide you with a thorough understanding of the industry, covering artist development, live events, festivals, project management, finance, marketing, legal contracts and copyright. We will support you to develop the entrepreneurial skills to succeed in this exciting industry, in addition to essential digital training on podcasting, web development, social media and video production.

As part of the course, you will promote your own live event(s), work with artists and launch a new music business project. Our collaborative culture also encourages you to work on projects with students from other courses, reflecting the working practices of the industry. The course also has a strong emphasis on gaining hands-on work experience, which we encourage at local businesses, venues and festivals.

The course is led by an experienced, well-connected team of lecturers who regularly publish academic research and also maintain excellent links with industry professionals and employers. At our conference events, you will have the chance to talk with industry experts. Previous guests have included staff from Domino Records, Latitude Festival, BBC Radio 1 and Universal Music Publishing Group.

Teaching is delivered by an academic team of music business professionals and researchers who have extensive experience of the industry.

What does this course lead to?
Throughout the course you will be provided with real-world learning opportunities and essential skills for a wide range of music business careers after graduation, including; record companies, publishing companies, artist management, live music management, marketing, digital roles, public relations (PR) and the creation of independent music companies.

Graduates of our previous courses have gone on to work with leading music companies including; Sony, Universal, Warner, Live Nation, Spotify, The O2, PRS for Music, Dirty Hit, William Morris Endeavor and YMU Group. Others manage their own record labels, artist agencies and live promotion businesses.

Who is this course for?
Our degree course is ideal for students who want to build a career within the music business. Our students include aspiring musicians and managers from a wide range of backgrounds, having previously studied varied subjects such as art, science, photography, English, business studies, media studies and economics.

The unifying theme amongst our students is a passion for music, regardless of previous experience or study. We also support mature students who may have previously worked in music and now wish to formalise their experience with a degree qualification.

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Understanding the Music Industries
Music Business Strategy and Planning
Digital Marketing and PR
Music, Society and Culture
Making Money from Music
Artist and Business Branding

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Global Music Industries: Trends and Issues
Live Music and Festivals
Audio-Visual PR
Music Law: Contracts and Controversies
Events Management and Marketing
Professional Development

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Individual Research Project
Pitching and Planning a Business
Managing and Developing a Business
Copyright, Publishing and Sync

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (Please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Festival Cultures
Pop, Politics & Protest

There are no exams on the course. Our degree supports future graduates through assessments that are carefully designed by the course team to be fully relevant to real world practice in the music business. You will be assessed on a wide range of portfolios, projects, essays, reports and presentations. Our practice-based assessments also enable you to create an impressive portfolio and a network of both local and national contacts, which will help your transition to professional industry roles.