The Institute Of Contemporary Music Performance

MA Music Business

Take your career to the next level and discover your ultimate potential on this highly immersive postgraduate programme, where you’ll unlock the tools, techniques and inside knowledge to maintain a competitive advantage in the ever-evolving world of music.

The MA in Music Business is an immersion into the global music ecosystem, offering artists, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to delve into critical industry debates around the societal, cultural, and environmental impacts of the business of music.

The programme equips you with the skills required to capitalise on ethical data-driven decision-making, examine the nuances of the exploitation of intellectual property, cultivate strategic acumen and a growth mindset, and emerge with a distinct competitive edge in the global music market.

Whether you're planning to found a music startup, supercharge your growth as an artist or lead the effort to tackle intricate industry challenges, this forward-looking, multidisciplinary music business masters programme is designed to boost your career to the next level.

Led by a cast of inspiring experts and specialists at the forefront of their careers, you’ll collaborate with powerful new connections and unlock up-to-the-minute insights on every facet of the industry – from the latest tools, techniques and technologies, to the most cutting-edge concepts and forecasts of future practices.

In order to deliver a truly broad and diverse exploration of the industry, the course is designed to immerse students in each sector of the music business. Through these versatile and highly interactive modules, you’ll gain a rich understanding of the laws and customs that govern this complex world, navigating topics such as rights management, contractual frameworks and the latest trends such as the ‘financialisation’ of music. Employing data analysis to unlock the secrets of marketing, strategy and customer-experience optimisation, you’ll become fluent in tactical decision-making and consumer behaviour.

You’ll also navigate the sphere of entrepreneurship, examining the critical role of specialised startups and freelance project-based employment in the music industry. And, from global political and cultural discourse, to debates around current issues such as carbon-neutral touring, artist empowerment and caring for talent, you’ll examine the ever-changing and symbiotic relationship between live and recorded music – using predictive modelling to justify talent acquisition and explore the roles of augmented reality and virtual events in the future of music consumption.

With support and input from your project mentor as well as prominent industry figures, business communities and external guides, your highly personalised final project will encompass real solutions to contemporary industry challenges – reflecting the advanced knowledge, skills and insights you’ll have gained through an exciting year of study, discourse and practical application.

With a strong focus on your own personal and professional goals, this MA in Music Business gives you the platform to hone your craft, amplify your knowledge and diversify your approach. By the end of the course, you’ll have mastered the agility, strategic thinking and intuition you need to maintain a competitive advantage in the ever-evolving world of music.

Key facts

• Gain a deep understanding of each facet of the music business industry – from its cultural and economical impacts to its future challenges and opportunities.
• Enrich your knowledge of industry-specific language, concepts and theories to make significant contributions to current debates and discourse.
• Make critical connections with key industry players and specialists at the forefront of their careers.
• Enhance your appreciation for the part each role in the industry has to play – from artists and managers to executives and entrepreneurs.
• Explore the fascinating sector of music law, gathering real-world insights from professional practitioners.
• Culminate your exciting year with an industry-standard final project, tailored completely to your own personal and professional goals.
• Connections with the wider London music industry enable you to build an impressive professional network.
• Offered as one-year full-time or two-year part-time study (UK students only).