Music Business Diploma

This course will provide students with a broad introduction to the entertainment industry and the interrelationships between art, technology, and business. During the course, students will be introduced to the music, broadcast, motion picture, game, and live event industries and their various subsidiaries.

This course will provide students with the necessary written and oral communication skills relevant to most businesses. Students will be introduced to techniques for effective business writing, incorporating letters, reports, electronic communications, and oral presentations. This course will also present students with a fundamental overview of business ethics. Students will gain an understanding of basic moral and ethical theories, and learn how to apply those theories to business and corporate concerns. Students will examine several case studies to better understand key ethical principles, and learn the various ways in which business owners address these ethical issues.

This course will introduce students to the essential technologies used in the entertainment industry, including a brief history of technology in the last century, professional recording equipment, various consumer devices, computer software, and recordable media.

This course will provide students with an overview of fundamental financial management and accounting practices. Students will be provided with an overview of basic economic theories and practices, as well as important personal financial management practices. Students will then explore fundamental accounting principles and practices, including forms of business organization and business transactions, balance sheets, journals, financial statements, and the accounting cycle. Students will also discuss taxation, analyze financial statements, and explore cost behaviour and break-even analyses. This course will also explore the elements involved in creating and managing a small business. Students will discuss the financial management of events, the creation of event budgets, and the costs and risks associated with creating an event planning business.

This course will provide students with a broad understanding of intellectual property and copyright. Students will be introduced to the concepts of patents, trademarks, and trade secret laws, moral rights, licensing, ownership, duration, infringements, and current laws regarding industrial designs. Students will also explore the nature of contracts and contract law, and examine basic contractual elements, verbal and written contracts, and discuss several basic types of contracts and clauses related to employment. This course will also provide students with an understanding of entertainment industry agreements and contracts, including those utilized by the film, publishing, and sports industries. Students will examine the numerous types of contracts utilized in the music business, including recording contracts, producer agreements, and live performance agreements.

This course will provide students with broad and thorough insight into the history of music and art and their impact on and from culture. During this course, students will be introduced to the evolution of music and the interrelationships between various musical styles and genres through historical study.

This course will provide students with a broad introduction to the fundamental principles of marketing, promotion, and publicity. Students will learn methods of analyzing, segmenting, and targeting customers, and learn the fundamental marketing practices of product development, brand positioning, and brand management. Students will also examine various pricing strategies, and traditional and modern methods of product distribution and sales. This course will examine how those marketing methods and practices are applied in the entertainment industries, including film, television, radio, book publishing, and digital media. Students will also learn the other components of the marketing mix, namely publicity and promotion. Students will learn the vital role of radio promotion in music, and examine the tools used to publicize and promote music.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the music business, and the interrelationships between art, technology, and business. Using both case studies and lectures, students will learn the nature of copyright, the value of songs and their potential revenue streams, the role of music publishers, and the role of the artist and their surrounding team. Students will also examine record labels, their personnel, and the basic elements of recording and production agreements. Students will analyze key entertainment industry statistical data and learn to use that information to forecast consumer spending habits in the music and entertainment industries. This course will also provide students with a thorough study of the methods, technologies, and new revenue streams involved in the digital distribution of music.

This course will teach students the theoretical and practical applications of various artist management concepts and strategies. Students will discuss the role of the manager, the relationship between artists and managers, artist management agreements, and the other key members of the artist’s team, including agents, lawyers, business managers, publicists, and promoters. This course will also provide students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required in event planning and management. Students will discuss the various types of events and venues, as well as live event agreements and personnel, and apply that theoretical training to the production of a live event. This course will also provide students with a broad understanding of radio and broadcasting, focusing on important radio terms and terminology.