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Music Business (online) MA

About this course

This online postgraduate degree is delivered in partnership with Tileyard Education, London.

This innovative online postgraduate degree is designed for ambitious music business professionals looking to lead and innovate within the industry. Taught in partnership with Tileyard, the world’s largest professional music community, the Music Business Masters degree offers a flexible and advanced pathway to mastering the commercial and operational aspects of the music industry. You’ll develop strategic expertise in project management, IP management, budgeting, and contracts while diving into cutting-edge technologies and data analysis to make informed, impactful decisions.

The course challenges you to think critically and creatively about the evolving industry landscape, with opportunities to conduct in-depth research in your chosen area of interest. You’ll also build a personalised entrepreneurial portfolio, integrating your business ventures with the programme’s academic and practical insights.

You'll have the unique opportunity to take a leading role running our very own record label, Denizen Records, and collaborate with students studying courses in music performance, sound, production, and events.

You’ll be paired with an industry mentor, matched to your project and/or specialism. They’ll work with you throughout your studies, acting as an external source of advice, support, contacts, and possibly employment opportunities

NTU’s virtual learning platform provides a comprehensive education from the comfort of your home, while fostering collaboration within the NTU x Tileyard community. Through on-demand resources, regular virtual one-to-one mentoring sessions, and interactive workshops, you’ll remain fully engaged and supported.

The programme positions you as a future leader in the music industry, equipping you with the skills, knowledge, and network to shape its next generation.

Student Spotlight: Aaron's Online Learning Experience

Discover how Aaron, a recent graduate of the NTU x Tileyard online MA, benefited from the flexibility and industry connections offered through online study. In this video, Aaron shares his insights on balancing studies with personal commitments and how the industry mentorship scheme helped him advance his music production career.

 

What you’ll study

About the Tileyard community: Tileyard is home to 200+ creative businesses. Tileyard’s vibrant business ecosystem includes record labels, digital agencies, and more, offering unparalleled networking opportunities. Tileyard’s global network extends online, connecting you with their vibrant community of artists, producers, and music professionals.

Benefits of the NTU x Tileyard partnership: Enjoy the best of both worlds — NTU’s outstanding online resources, plus exclusive access to Tileyard’s range of experts and events

  • Access to Music Business camps and workshops
  • Personalised mentorship from current leading industry professionals
  • Weekly live industry briefs
  • Exclusive access to Tileyard’s Discord Server for feedback, networking and collaboration
  • Remote access to networking events with industry-active professionals
  • Monthly A&R surgeries with expert feedback
  • High-profile speakers and masterclasses
  • Collaboration with an online songwriting community
  • Mentorship and funding opportunities through NTU’s Denizen record label

Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches

(60 credit points)

This module is designed to reflect the interdisciplinary collaborative and entrepreneurial nature of music sector working practices. You will critically examine the current music sector practices most applicable to your own journey as a music industry professional, whether that’s as an employee, a business owner, or a freelancer with one or more business activities: you’ll look for your place in the sector and work towards finding a home there during your studies.

You’ll work on relevant real life projects and these will provide you with the opportunity to examine key music sectors, industry stakeholders, and critically examine the work environment to identify relevant professional opportunities to support your development to give you the best chance to thrive. You will have an assigned mentor from industry to give you a vital insiders perspective, and you will also have the opportunity to work for and with Confetti’s own label and publishing arm Denizen.

You will ultimately form an output plan and will pitch for a ‘Confetti Employability Grant’ to help you on your next steps.

Music Business Practice

(60 credit points)

This is your Music Business playground! We all have our specialisms, but have you ever thought how you can apply those skills in related fields? The key to your development is going through the ‘doing’ process in a number of scenarios and examining how you can use what you learned in your own practice.

Through a series of workshops and projects you’ll explore and enhance your processes and skills in these related areas. You’ll experiment and see how related competencies can be developed to increase your employability across the music business sector: You might experiment mapping your ear for spotting a good song to trying your hand at some music supervision for media projects, or your organisational skills to support the release strategy on our record label, Denizen : you’ll work to personalise and apply these techniques to your own practice to enhance what makes you, you!

The key in this module is in the process and reflection, but assets related to your intended employability journey can be honed to completion for use in your ‘Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches’ module to show you at your very best.

Research Project

(60 credit points)

In an ever-shifting and more complex creative industry, the need to source, analyse and process knowledge has never been more important. Research is an essential skill in the toolbox for any creative practitioner wanting to have an extensive and rewarding career in a brave new world of opportunity and challenge.

The Research Project module enables you to collaborate with other creative cohorts and formulate life-long robust research practices. You will learn the essential skills necessary to investigate and synthesise information in order to develop informed conclusions and new and exciting practices. The module will enable you to take a deep dive into your own specialist areas of interest to deliver a large research project.

The project can be delivered in media that most closely align with your creativity, with outputs that could include a whole range of audio, visual or webspace artefacts.

We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.

How you're taught

Studying an online course with the Nottingham School of Art & Design means having full flexibility when it comes to your environment. The main delivery platforms you will be using are Microsoft Teams, Bebop and our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) NOW.

Our online study community is very close-knit and we recommend that students who live in similar geographical areas organise meet ups regularly in order to support collaboration.

Campus and facilities

This course is also available for online delivery. If you have chose this pathway certain facilities and resources available on our physical campus may not be accessible to you due to the nature of remote learning.

As part of our degree, you'll be working in the studio, collaborating with musicians and producers. And you're in for a treat, with world-class facilities...

We’ve worked closely with industry partner and leader, SSL, on creating a bespoke-built console. TriniTy is the first-of-its-kind system, delivering SSL’s SuperAnalogue sound, digital production power, and seamless integration.

Check out SSL’s announcement on their website.

You’ll find SSL ORIGIN consoles in all edit suites as standard. The studio mixing console has a traditional analogue studio workflow at its heart whilst providing the perfect partner for a modern DAW-driven ‘hybrid’ production studio.

Audio monitoring throughout the music facilities is provided by PMC and Focusrite Rednet interfaces throughout, allowing for audio recording to be captured remotely.

Metronome London is a purpose-built multi-discipline events and production space with the versatility built-in to function as a 600-capacity live venue, or a virtual production studio complete with LED volume.

Similar to our Nottingham venue, Metronome it's here where you'll gain valuable work experience and access world-class facilities.

Entry requirements

UK students

Academic Entry Requirements:

This programme is open to graduates with a degree from any discipline and does not require music songwriting study to be completed at undergraduate level, but you need previous related experience and a passion for putting together high quality compositions.

  • A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or an appropriate equivalent, i.e. a professional qualification, from a recognised British or overseas institution, in a related subject, such as Music Performance, Music Production, Audio Production, Commercial Production, Composing for Media.
  • If you don’t hold a suitable degree, you should include a link to streamable recordings and/or compositions made with and state your role in their writing and production. Write a short statement on the techniques you used to create the songs that illustrate your suitability for the course along with any industry related experience
  • Non-standard applicants with at least three years’ industry experience are also welcome to apply.
  • Applicants who do not fully satisfy the general criteria will be considered if they are able to demonstrate that they are capable of successfully undertaking and completing the programme at the required standard. Eligibility may be determined by means of an interview for some applicants.

International students

Academic Entry Requirements:

This programme is open to graduates with a degree from any discipline and does not require music songwriting study to be completed at undergraduate level, but you need previous related experience and a passion for putting together high quality compositions.

  • A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or an appropriate equivalent, i.e. a professional qualification, from a recognised British or overseas institution, in a related subject, such as Music Performance, Music Production, Audio Production, Commercial Production, Composing for Media.
  • If you don’t hold a suitable degree, you should include a link to streamable recordings and/or compositions made with and state your role in their writing and production. Write a short statement on the techniques you used to create the songs that illustrate your suitability for the course along with any industry related experience
  • Non-standard applicants with at least three years’ industry experience are also welcome to apply.
  • Applicants who do not fully satisfy the general criteria will be considered if they are able to demonstrate that they are capable of successfully undertaking and completing the programme at the required standard. Eligibility may be determined by means of an interview for some applicants.
  • Applicants who have been taught and assessed in languages other than English should have an English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5.
  • We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.
  • £7,500 per year

Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including scholarships, discounts and loans.

Scholarships

You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies. We award scholarships to students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion and dedication to their studies.

Alumni discount

We’re happy to offer a 20% alumni discount to most current NTU students and recent NTU alumni. This discount is currently available for those starting an eligible postgraduate taught, postgraduate research or professional course.

Postgraduate loans

There is a government postgraduate loan scheme for Masters degrees. The loan contributes towards costs of study, and students can put it towards tuition fees, maintenance costs or other costs at their discretion. Find out more about postgraduate loans.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.
  • £7,500 per year

Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including scholarships, discounts and loans.

Scholarships

We offer scholarships for international students up to 50% off your tuition fee. You can apply for a scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Alumni discount

We’re happy to offer a 20% alumni discount to most current NTU students and recent NTU alumni. This discount is available for those starting an eligible postgraduate taught, postgraduate research or professional course.

Living costs

See our advice on managing your money, the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget.

Paying fees

As an international student, you'll need to make an advance payment of £6,000 when you've accepted your offer to study at NTU. You'll then need to pay your tuition fees in full, or have an agreement to pay in two further instalments, before the start date of your course.

Find out how and when to pay your fees, including information about advance payments, instalment dates and how to make payments securely to the University.

Enquiries

If you have any queries relating to advance payments or arrangements to pay, please contact our friendly and experienced international enquiries team.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, you can email our Student Money Team or phone us on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

How to apply

Applications for this course can be made via the NTU Applicant Portal - click on the Apply button at the top of the page to be taken straight through to the Portal.

Your application will include a personal statement, and you’ll need to provide a reference.

For a step-by-step guide to making an application through our Applicant Portal, please visit our postgraduate application pages.

Writing your application

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. Make sure you include as much information as possible, including uploading evidence of results already achieved, as well as a personal statement.

Advice for non-standard applicants

We welcome applications from applicants without prior qualifications. However, in this instance, you must have proven experience in industry, which demonstrates appropriate knowledge and skills at honours degree (undergraduate) standard.

If you are applying without prior qualifications, you will need to submit comprehensive details of your achievements with evidence to substantiate your claim (any documentation can be uploaded to the My Documents section of the Applicant Portal). This type of application will be considered with respect to the University’s provision for ‘accreditation for prior experiential learning’. Decisions regarding the accreditation of prior learning are a matter of academic judgement.

Keeping up to date

After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process - so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Getting in touch

For admissions-related enquiries please contact us:

Applications for this course can be made via the NTU Applicant Portal - click on the Apply button at the top of the page to be taken straight through to the Portal.

Your application will include a personal statement, and you’ll need to provide a reference.

For a step-by-step guide to making an application through our Applicant Portal, please visit our postgraduate application pages.

Writing your application

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. Make sure you include as much information as possible, including uploading evidence of results already achieved, as well as a personal statement.

Advice for non-standard applicants

We welcome applications from applicants without prior qualifications. However, in this instance, you must have proven experience in industry, which demonstrates appropriate knowledge and skills at honours degree (undergraduate) standard.

If you are applying without prior qualifications, you will need to submit comprehensive details of your achievements with evidence to substantiate your claim (any documentation can be uploaded to the My Documents section of the Applicant Portal). This type of application will be considered with respect to the University’s provision for ‘accreditation for prior experiential learning’. Decisions regarding the accreditation of prior learning are a matter of academic judgement.

Keeping up to date

After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process - so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Getting in touch

For admissions-related enquiries please contact us: