Music Business BA(Hons)

In your first year you will explore the foundations and contexts of contemporary music business practice. You’ll investigate approaches to managing yourself, other people and organisations and resources, and dive deep into the artists and repertoire (A&R) process to understand creative processes and development. You’ll study the structures, shapes and roles in the music business and understand the industry’s economics. You’ll put on your first live event, having learned about the live music business and how to market artists and products effectively and ethically.  

Modules

The Music Industry Environment

Explore the breadth and scope of the music business – from live to synchronisation – and how these sectors work together organisationally and financially. 

Management: Organisations, Artists & Self

Learn management theory and practice and how it relates to managing artists, organisations, information and yourself. 

A&R and Creativity

Explore the concept of creativity as both a musical act and a practical discipline and apply the skills in A&R.  

Music & Sound: Contexts and Cultures

Understand the social and cultural contexts in which music and music businesses exist and analyse them from a variety of critical positions. 

Branding

Collaborating with students on Fashion Marketing BA(Hons), you will learn to first analyse brands and branding and then build your own. 

Live Production Management

Learn how to design, plan and run live events as you produce a live show at AMATA in collaboration with Sustainable Festival Management BA(Hons) students.  

In year two, you’ll develop and understanding of contracts and negotiations and how IP is at the heart of the music business. You’ll explore the digital world as well as physical products and formats, and how genre worlds and fan cultures play a part in the products that are produced. You'll collaborate on projects and debate the differences in the DIY and corporate spaces. 

Modules

The Business of Music and Sound 

Learn about intellectual property, contracts and negotiation, and how the money from IP moves around the different sectors of the music business. 

The Business of Things 

Explore the different physical formats, such as vinyl and cassettes, and merchandise in a variety of contexts and learn to design sustainable merchandising campaigns and physical format releases. 

Promotion (Optional) 

Explore the promotional aspects of the entertainment sector alongside with Fashion Marketing BA(Hons) students. 

Project Management 

Learn the theories and practices necessary to plan and run projects with business students and festival and event managers. 

Collaborative Working 

Understand collaborative working strategies and skills in the music business. 

Music & Sound: Resonant Futures 

Further explore different cultural understandings of music contexts and possible futures for sectors in the music business. 

Synchronisation 

Learn the systems, processes, legal and financial elements of the fastest growing sector of the music business. 

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme.

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your professional placement 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

In year three you will put your knowledge into practice and prepare yourself for a career in the industry. You will debate leadership and management at strategic levels with ethical approaches, have the opportunity to develop your specialisms in research and produce practical projects at professional levels.  

Modules

Music & Sound Dissertation 

Design and execute a research project exploring aspects of the music business that relate to your future career. 

Professional Development 

Develop business skills and industry practices that relate to your professional growth in your specialism. 

Leadership 

Learn the skills that are required for successful leadership in music business.  

Showcase Portfolio 

Produce a showcase – a live event, digital portfolio or another piece of work – that demonstrates your music business specialisms. 

You'll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, project work and masterclasses. You'll also develop your music business skills and understanding through collaborative projects and guest speakers. 

At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.   

You'll be assessed through a combination of coursework and practical submissions produced both individually and in groups. 

Assessment methods 

Assessments can take many forms, including: 

• Practical projects 
• Presentations  
• Portfolios 
• Written work 

You will receive regular formative verbal feedback on your progress, through workshops and tutorials throughout each module.