Music Business

The music industry is one of the most complex and rapidly evolving sectors in the creative economy. It encompasses recording, publishing, live performance, artist management, licensing, streaming, marketing, and the increasingly important intersection of music and technology, including social media, sync licensing, and data analytics. Understanding how the industry actually works, who the key players are, how rights and royalties function, how artists build careers, and how businesses within the sector make money, requires a combination of creative sensibility and hard-nosed commercial understanding.

At Leeds Beckett University, the BA (Hons) Music Business is offered on a part-time basis, making it accessible to those who are already working in or around the music industry or balancing study with other commitments. The programme covers the full range of business functions within the music sector, from promoting new releases and running events to managing the legal and financial dimensions of music careers and catalogues. A sandwich year, a year abroad option, and a work placement are built into the degree, giving you substantial professional experience in the industry alongside your academic study.

Leeds has a vibrant and active music scene that provides a rich real-world context for what you learn.

Graduates in music business work across the full breadth of the industry. Artist management, record labels, music publishing, live music companies, booking agencies, music technology companies, performing rights organisations, and streaming platforms all employ people with this kind of background. The combination of industry knowledge and business skills the degree develops also opens doors in media companies, entertainment law, and the broader creative industries.

For those who want to continue their education, the degree provides a foundation for postgraduate study in music business, arts management, or entertainment law.