Music Business

The music industry is a complex, competitive, and rapidly changing field that requires practitioners to understand both the creative and commercial dimensions of how music is made, marketed, distributed, and monetised. Music business as a degree takes you inside those structures, examining how record labels, streaming platforms, live music venues, music publishers, and artist management companies operate, and developing the skills to work effectively within and across them. It is a degree for people who are passionate about music and serious about building a career in the industry.

At Nottingham Trent University, this three-year programme gives you the industry connections, real-world experience, and specialist knowledge to enter the music sector with confidence. You will study the economics and business models of the music industry, including how revenue is generated across recorded music, live performance, licensing, and sync. You will examine how artists are developed and managed, how music is marketed in the digital age, and how the industry has been reshaped by streaming, social media, and new technologies.

NTU's emphasis on industry connections and practical learning means you will engage with the business of music in ways that go beyond the classroom.

The combination of business knowledge and music industry specialism develops both the analytical and commercial capabilities needed for professional roles, as well as the network and awareness of current industry practice that employers look for in graduates entering this competitive field.

Graduates move into a wide range of roles across the music industry, including artist management, A&R, record label operations, booking and touring, music publishing, sync licensing, marketing and promotions, events management, and music journalism. Many also pursue entrepreneurial paths, launching their own labels, management companies, or creative agencies. The business skills developed are also transferable to the broader creative industries, including film, television, and live entertainment.

Some graduates pursue postgraduate study in music business, entertainment management, or marketing.