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Music Business & Management at UCA

If you have your sights set on working in the creative, innovative, and fast-moving music industry, then our BA (Hons) Music Business & Management degree course at UCA Epsom’s Business School for the Creative Industries, is for you.

As well as providing you with an overview of the industry, this course will give you the chance to explore your own areas of interest and develop the skills you need to thrive in this increasingly global sector.

Whether you picture yourself working in record company management, music marketing, talent scouting and development, artist management, or live music, this course will give you everything you need to achieve your goals, including expertise in merchandising, e-commerce, social media marketing, branding, management, and promotion.

You’ll benefit from our excellent facilities and impressive array of industry contacts, ensuring you graduate with the knowledge, skills, and professional network you need to make your mark in the music industry, whether in the UK or beyond.

 

Course entry options

Select from the following options to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W376
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
3 years full-time
Entry requirements

112 UCAS points
International equivalent qualifications

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W37A
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
4 years full-time
Entry requirements

32 UCAS points

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W37C
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
4 years full-time
Entry requirements

12 years of schooling (with good grades)

 

Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W377
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
4 years full-time
Entry requirements

112 UCAS points
International equivalent qualifications

Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W37B
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
5 years full-time
Entry requirements

32 UCAS points

Close
Institution code
C93
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
5 years full-time
Entry requirements

12 years of schooling (with good grades)

 

What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has an Integrated International Foundation Year to bring students from around the world to one hub of creativity. 

This year of preparatory study is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and the English speaking and writing skills you’ll need to succeed.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated International Foundation Year

Core units

You will study the following core units:

Principles of Live Events

You’ll be introduced to the fundamental principles of designing, funding, delivering, and evaluating successful events, from conception to the post-event review. You’ll explore, analyse and critique the theory, working practices, and funding models of cultural live events of various scales, with a particular focus on concerts and music festivals. Finally, you will create and manage a group-run live event, presenting your group project and reflecting on the different components of the event.

Introduction to the Music industry

You’ll be introduced to what are commonly regarded as the three pillars of the music industry - live performance, recording, and publishing. You’ll explore the wide network of businesses within the music industry, from small entities such as music creators, DJs, and performers, to large corporations such as Live Nation and Universal, and major technology and media companies such as Spotify, TikTok and YouTube, and how they interrelate.

Fundamentals of Marketing and Social Media

You’ll be introduced to foundational concepts, theories and models used in marketing and social media, specifically in terms of how they operate as a business function. This unit is designed to help you gain a sound understanding of marketing and marketing principles and will enable you to apply best practices in marketing and social media in future coursework.

Music Publishing and Synchronisation

In this unit, you will gain a critical understanding of music publishing as well as synchronisation and its expanded role in the music industry. You’ll explore how music, copyright and performing rights societies have developed over time, and how music and moving image have worked in synergy to fuel the growth of the music industry. Additionally, you will gain an understanding of the diverse royalty deals and income streams, and how they combine to create incomes for artists, publishers and labels.

Industry Brief Project: Contractual Agreements and Negotiation

Through interactive exercises and case studies, you’ll learn the fundamental principles of contractual agreements, and the important techniques required for successful negotiation.

Elective units

You will study one of the following elective units:

Experience Economy

In this unit you will explore experiences as a distinct fourth economic offering (beyond commodities, goods and services). Using case studies from a range of businesses, this unit will focus on creative insights sought by businesses that aim to generate memorable experiences for their users, audiences and/or consumers.

Brand Logo and Design

A brand is built of many things, and crucial amongst those are the visual and lived experience of the brand. We can understand brand as the external image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with by identifying the name and logo. Branding is essential to identify and leverage competitor advantage in a crowded marketplace. It helps differentiate products and services from competitors and captures a target market, maximising customer loyalty and ensuring brand success. Understanding the principles of design and brand building is an essential skill to have in Creative Industry.

Managing Creative People

You’ll consider and reflect upon the key skills and attributes effectively manage creatives. This unit will develop your understanding of the knowledge, skills, and personal qualities required to responsibly manage diverse teams in the cultural and creative industries. 

Core units

You will study the following core units:

Recordings and Distribution

You’ll gain critical understanding of the principles underpinning the recording industry. The pivotal roles played by record labels, distributors, and digital platforms will be the main focus, but you’ll also critically examine the marketability of artists and the evolving A&R process.

Principles of Content Creation

This unit takes a strategic approach to understanding why, where, and how to deliver brand concepts and content. These outcomes will be achieved through the creation of appropriate and industry proficient deliverables, combining strategy, vision, concept, and idea making.

Artist Management and Development

You’ll learn about artist management practices and deepen your understanding of how different stakeholders collaborate to build up artists’ careers in this unit. You’ll also be introduced to concepts from branding, semiotics, creativity, and communication, to produce original work. By analysing case studies involving artist managers, producers, artists, and entrepreneurs, you can explore the practical application of brand theories, focusing on enhancing value and boosting audience and fan interaction.

Professional Practice: Your Professional Self

This unit aims to prepare you for the development of your creative professional practice and equip you with the critical awareness of current and emerging trends in the global creative industries. You’ll have opportunities to create and develop your professional network and think critically and creatively about how you can make a positive contribution to industry and how you present yourself professionally.

Creative business brief: Releasing Music

This unit will give you the knowledge and skills required to carry out an Artist Direct / do-it-yourself (DIY) record release and, by the end of the unit, you will have created a record release strategy, ready for application in the real world.

Elective units

You will study one of the following elective units:

Cross-Cultural Management

This unit will introduce you to the importance of cross-cultural awareness and intercultural competence for business success in the global cultural and creative industries. It will explore the risks, uncertainties, and topics of debate within intercultural creative business and management, inviting you to consider what kinds of sophisticated, proactive leadership skills are needed to ensure positive cross-cultural collaboration and cooperation. Alongside international case studies, it includes an exploration and critical analysis of influential theories from management studies and global indicators of cultural context, including economic, political, social, and business issues across the world, allowing for comparison and discussion of key topics.

Creative Content: Analogue and Digital

The focus of this unit is to continue building your knowledge of and experience with design approaches and methodologies, specifically related to both analogue and digital design. The creative approach is specific to industry, encouraging outcomes through the approach of concept, vision and idea making. Students are required to develop a range of physical proficiencies that utilise both analogue and digital skills that investigate, generate, articulate and communicate ideas and solutions applicable to standards, approaches, and methods practiced across the Creative Industries.

The combined approach to Analogue and Digital Design throughout disciplines and across multiple mediums is more relevant and necessary than ever, the art and skill of hand rendered design and quick digital ideation enables effective communication and concept share to be developed, discussed and agreed prior to any undertaking of finalised, potentially costly and labor-intensive end solutions.

Managing International Tours & Events

In this unit, you will critically examine concepts and working practices related to the touring of arts and music events on an international level. You will identify potential international markets for distinct cultural products and assess the feasibility of touring to those markets, considering financial and logistical aspects. Through case studies from music, performing and fine arts, you will develop knowledge and critical understanding required to plan sustainable international tours across a range of disciplines and contexts.

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While you study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

You’ll spend two years learning with us, before putting what you’ve learned into practice through a year-long industry placement.

Our Professional Practice placements give you the opportunity to develop your professional, academic and personal potential, equipping you to be confident and engaged in creative workplaces. These qualities are widely recognised by employers and a significant proportion of placement students nationally are offered graduate-level jobs or go onto postgraduate study.

Throughout your placement, your course team will support you, making use of our extensive industry connections to help facilitate you to find about the right placement for you. On conclusion of the placement, you’ll return to complete your final year of study – applying what you’ve learned on the job.

Core units

You will study the following core units:

Emerging Trends and Technology in the Music Industry

The music industry’s emerging trends and technological advancements shaping its evolution are covered in this unit. You’ll analyse the impact of these developments on various parts of the music industry, including production, distribution, marketing, and consumption.

Data Analytics in the Creative Industries

This unit will equip you with the data analytics knowledge and skills required for working in the data-driven global creative industries. Working with existing or self-generated data sets, you will explore and develop a critical understanding of the fundamentals of data analytics and its use in the global creative industries, including the differences between descriptive and predictive analytics; the ethical, social, legal, and economic considerations of data collection and analysis; and the statistical and data visualisation tools required to produce meaningful insights into the global creative industries.

Artist x Brand Collaborations

This unit explores the relationship between artists and brands and how the two can work together to provide mutual benefits. You will gain a critical understanding of the power of combining music with brands and explore issues around authenticity and integrity and analyse how well-conceived strategic alliances can exploit commercial opportunities.

Degree Project, Creative and Cultural Industries

In this final unit, you will apply knowledge, skills and experience gained throughout your course, to create a distinctive piece of work for your degree project. The purpose of your degree project is to successfully identify an opportunity within the global creative industries, which aligns with your career aspirations.

Through academic and industry research, you will create a project concept relating to the global creative industries. You will choose between a practical project (e.g. the creation of a business start-up) or an academic project (e.g. a dissertation) and deliver your project from initial idea to completed work.

This course is designed to offer you (if eligible) the opportunity to study part of your degree aboard at a UCA partner university, while still earning credits towards your UCA degree.

For more information please visit the Study Abroad section

Industry placement
offer

Preparing graduates for successful careers underpins everything we do, and all students on this course may be offered support to identify and prepare for an industry placement according to their individual needs. We’ll draw on our wide range of contacts within the creative industries to help provide you with opportunities that align with your interests and future career aspirations.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Explore our gradshows

Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.

Visit the online showcase
Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
  • BA course: £9,250

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2024 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry

  • Integrated International Foundation Year: £9,250 (see fee discount information)
  • BA course: £9,250 (see fee discount information)

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2024 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry

  • Integrated International Foundation Year: £16,950
  • BA course: £17,500

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2024 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,390. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Please note: The fees listed on this webpage are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

Facilities

Dedicated studio space for tutorials, workshops, group and independent working with course recording area with booth for radio and podcast podcast production. Campus digital media suites with Macs and PCs programmed with the latest design software and fully-equipped photographic studios with lighting rigs, green screen lighting and set up.

View 360 virtual tour

Music Business studio, UCA Epsom

Recording area, UCA Epsom

Digital media suite, UCA Epsom

Photography studios, UCA Epsom

Career opportunities

Graduates of this course can expect to leave with the necessary skills to thrive in various sectors of such a fast-paced and diverse create space in various roles.

These include:

  • Talent agent
  • Artist manager
  • Music business manager
  • Music programme co-ordinator
  • Royalties manager
  • Record label manager
  • Project manager
  • PR manager
  • Tour manager

Your training on this course will prepare you for a wide range of postgraduate courses.

We offer postgraduate opportunities in our Business School and we will help you find the correct course for you and support you in your application should further study be for you.

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Entry requirements

This course doesn't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course.

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