Music Industry Management and Artist Development MA

This module provides a critical overview of the evolving infrastructure of the music industry and how to successfully set up, operate and grow an independent music-based company – such as a record label, artist management company or events company. This will include developing skills in business planning, entrepreneurship, artist development and financial management within the context of the music industry.

There is an increasing move towards smaller specialised companies, short-term contracts and freelance project-based employment. Therefore, it is necessary for students to embrace the principles of digital entrepreneurship; incorporating the techniques of business planning, raising capital and marketing. Generating successful business ideas is a process of creative thinking and a critical awareness of the business landscape. This module will focus on both the theoretical and practical aspects of initiating and developing a creative enterprise in the modern marketplace.

A study of entrepreneurial traits provides the framework for the module, which includes the development of a credible business idea and the presentation of a formulated and considered business plan.

During this module students will explore the skills required to create, manage and critically evaluate digital music marketing campaigns. Students will appraise essential marketing principles and critique their application within the music industry.

Digital marketing provides students with a range of digital tools required to deliver cutting-edge campaigns and an awareness of project management, which focuses on strategies for how to successfully market and brand a chosen artist. Therefore, students will explore and analyse a variety of techniques - including the use of social media, viral and experiential marketing - with a view to creating their own campaigns.

Key skills investigated include:

• Entrepreneurial skills
• Marketing and branding
• Budgeting
• Setting up and running small businesses
• Teambuilding

Using these skills, students will produce a digital marketing and branding plan with a budget to develop either their own career, or an act they represent.

Comprising of a series of lectures designed to enhance students understanding of the live event environment within the music industry, and the income streams generated within, this module forms part of the key provision for Leadership in Event Management.  The module will also investigate and analyse business models and their formation, along with more specialist issues such as international touring and festival management. Students will undertake one assignment focusing on the issues of planning and executing an event, by way of a written report, budget, stage plan and technical rider.

Students will be introduced to contractual obligation between the parties and how to construct industry standard documentation including riders, budgets, and routing plans. Close attention will also be given to government regulations on health and safety, work permits, and overseas taxation.

The module will examine the UK and global live performance industry, focusing on its business models and working practices. Students will be introduced to the management and staffing structures of the sector with an emphasis on leadership in the purposeful design of live music events. Study for this module is a combination of lectures and self-directed work that requires practical research methodology, problem solving, and careful time management.

This module will enhance students understanding of managing an artist’s commercial and artistic development and their engagement with copyright, intellectual property law and contracts. Students will consider the legal system within the music industry, both from the management and performer perspective.

The module will also explore issues such as intellectual property law related to user-generated content, artist branding, music synchronisation and digital streaming. A highly experienced industry practitioner working within the media law and copyright sectors of the industry delivers the module. The lecturer is a practicing commercial music lawyer with many years’ experience constructing and negotiating contracts, working with high profile commercial artists from the UK and around the world.

Each lecture will focus on a key element of Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 and the laws relating to the artist, the industry, and the digital domain, as well as the areas of contractual obligation in relationship to the key providers of services within the music industries.

The module will also investigate and analyse established legal doctrines and their concepts, along with more specialist issues such as confidentiality and the application to the music industries. The content of this module will inform and provide a legal foundation to contractual obligations and documents investigated in the other modules this semester.

Research Methods is an integral part of your master’s course. It is a core module for all students undertaking taught master’s work at the London College of Music and the Ealing School of Film, Media and Design. It may also be pursued by students preparing for MPhil (leading to DMus).

The purpose of this module is to train you in research methods and critical methodology as preparation for undertaking research, and is designed to support and advance the project work produced during the rest of your study through a developed investigation of research methods.

You will define, articulate and critically reflect upon the research concerns of your own practice during this unit, thereby underpinning and enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the chosen field of study, as well as developing your ability to communicate this in a variety of ways. This will enable you to develop your writing and analytical skills.

The aim of this module is to conduct a sustained piece of individual research related to a particular specialism within the subject of music management. The module allows students an opportunity to devise and execute an ambitious, personal, self-managed piece of written work, or artistic product equivalent, that expands and enhances the knowledge and many of the skills acquired during their course. It also allows students to explore some of these ideas and techniques in a more focused and detailed way. The exact brief is up to the individual, but a named project supervisor will guide students.

The actual project offers students an exciting opportunity to both refine topic-specific skills and research at a high level, but also to embrace and develop the broad base of transferable skills needed for the execution of a large-scale project. These include planning, self/time/resource management, communication, creative and imaginative exploration and independent problem solving. This approach will prepare students to function as highly skilled professionals, ready to excel in the professional arena.

This module aims to develop skills in individual personal and interpersonal effectiveness to support future career entry and development, thereby enabling positive impacts in professional environments. The module seeks to develop not only technical and subject capacity, but also personal and professional capability.

On this module, students will research companies, prepare CVs and covering letters for interview and work with an industry mentor to create a personal development plan and strategy. Students will examine contemporary working practices as well as build their online presence and professional portfolio of work. This module is part of other structured activities, which includes support from the UWL Careers Team, to develop employability and career progression as well as learning and pastoral support from tutors to maintain good academic progression.

This module is designed to develop skills organising and directing an ensemble. You will play music with your peers and other members of the LCM community. You will combine practice, discussion, co-operative learning and reflection in directed workshop sessions. You will be required to work in a group with their peers, taking a range of roles in the group. At times you will direct the ensemble, on other occasions you will be required to be a musician under the lead of another director and at times you will work as a co-operative group. These will prepare you for the role of musical director in a series of rehearsals and a final performance.