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Music Business MA

  • Level(s) of Study: Postgraduate taught
  • Start Date(s): September
  • Duration: One year, full-time
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time
  • Campus: Confetti Nottingham
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information

Introduction:

On this Masters degree you’ll be able to put theory into practice by developing your very own personal projects and ideas as part of the course, using the Confetti infrastructure and industry mentors to steer your career to the next stage.

What you’ll study

Confetti has been running its own commercial businesses for almost 30 years, which includes a live music and events venue, Metronome. Through these businesses, you’ll have access to amazing facilities and industry professionals working in the music and events industries.

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.

At the start of your degree 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.

Supporting your industry knowledge, we’ll provide you with regular guest lectures and the chance to experience Confetti Industry Week; the largest of its kind in the UK.

Industry exposure at Tileyard

As part of your degree you’ll get exclusive access to the UK’s best music industry insights and connections through our partnership with Tileyard – the world’s largest professional music community.

You can expect regular masterclasses, industry briefs, mentoring and a host of other opportunities to further develop your portfolio, industry knowledge and those all-important connections and contacts.

This module will equip you to understand key components of, and issues within the global music industry. You will examine current and emerging structures, processes and trends through an international lens and will enable you to identify opportunities for your own activities the world over.

You'll examine broader contextual issues within the modern music industry and look ahead to the future, analysing and proposing solutions to problems such as gender imbalance, the ethics of operations and sustainability whilst predicting where key music industry infrastructures and relationships might go next. You will examine where your own practice fits in whether as a freelancer, sole trader, partner, Limited Company or employee allowing you to understand how you can positively impact the future of the industry

Understanding and applying appropriate legal frameworks protects you, the business you run and the artists you work with but they also allow you to monetize the art. In this module you will recognise danger areas, analyse copyright, IP, contracts and other relevant legal structures and apply them to your related activities over the years outputs: importantly, all of your music business activities in and out of your course can be fed into your portfolio for assessment making the module centrally relevant and vocationally applicable to you as an emerging professional.

You will have the option to apply your legal skills to real life projects within Confetti's working record label and publishing company, Denizen.

Whether you're running a label, self-releasing music, putting on a tour or planning on joining an established music business of any scale, music and marketing go hand in hand. During this module you will analyse and practice the theoretical and practical skills needed to arm you to make sure whatever you do, the right people will know about it! Whether it's the psychology behind customer behaviour, market research or analysis of data you'll have the knowledge to apply with the graphic design, photography, filming and editing skills you will gain and develop.

The Content Creation Boot Camp will boost your practical asset creation skills to empower you to create innovative marketing content throughout your course and beyond. As with your other modules, we know you may be working on many music related projects outside of your course: you'll be able to feed all you learn into those projects and what you learn from those into your Creative Entrepreneurial Approaches Module.

You will have the option to employ your marketing skills within Confetti's very own working record label and publishing company, Denizen on real life campaigns too.

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.

Based on your experience in the Research for Creative Industries module and the resulting Proposal you will now embark on your Masters Dissertation journey which will be an independent study into your specific chosen area of interest.

You will have paths available to you to help you personalise your level 7 experience, for example a more traditional Desktop Study or a more practical Project Based approach to prepare you for an future in Industry or Doctoral study.

This module runs across multiple creative Masters degrees, enabling cross course collaboration and reflection. Throughout the module you will be scaffolded to arrive at a fully formed Proposal for your Masters Dissertation module.

How you’re taught

The three key approaches to learning and teaching for this course are:

  • Active Collaborative Learning
  • Learning through Research
  • Online or Blended learning

You will participate in workshops, lectures, small group and one-to-one tutoring designed to help you develop the practical and thinking skills that you will need in your chosen career. There is also a collaborative project along with online practice supporting portfolio development.

How you’re assessed

You will be assessed in a number of ways, including:

  • Written Assignments
  • Reports
  • Presentations
  • Creative outputs/production
  • Portfolio

Formative assessment is what we call the opportunities you have to produce and get feedback on work that will help you to prepare to complete your summative formal assessment.  There are specific named activities in your assessment and feedback plan which you will be asked to complete and submit for feedback.  Additionally, peer, class and individual feedback on your ongoing work is formative.

Assessment tasks are designed to challenge you over the year to increasingly demonstrate your own creativity, reflect your own interests and include independent research.

Careers and employability

Graduates will be equipped to take up roles working for/with record labels, publishers, venues, distributors, digital aggregators, artist manager, tour manager, marketing and comms, catalogue manager or setting up their own music related business.

Campus and facilities

You'll learn in our very own live music and events venue, Metronome.

With its unrivalled reputation for the quality of its sound and visuals, Metronome hosts a successful commercial programme of live events throughout the year – and it’s here where you’ll learn from the best and gain real work experience.

This world-class venue is home to some amazing facilities, jampacked with recording studios, rehearsal rooms, performances spaces, and a 400-capacity venue.

NTU’s City Campus

As a Confetti student, you’ll also have access to the facilities at our partner institution, Nottingham Trent University. The NTU City Campus is just a ten minute walk away, and boasts cafes, shops, a gym, a three-story Students’ Union building, and an art gallery. You’ll have full student access to the Boots Library right in the centre of the campus, fully equipped with journals, articles, books and e-resources, as well as a laptop loan service and PCs for student use. There’s also a dedicated postgraduate study room at the Boots Library; a private space for postgraduate students to work and study.

You’ll also be welcome to use the facilities at NTU’s Clifton Campus and Brackenhurst Campus, just outside Southwell.

Accommodation

Our partner institution, NTU, offers accommodation specifically for postgraduate students. You can find out more on their accommodation pages.

Entry requirements

This programme is open to graduates with a degree from any discipline and does not require music business study to be completed at undergraduate level.

Entry & admission criteria:

  • A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or an appropriate equivalent, i.e. a professional qualification, from a recognised British or overseas institution
  • If you don't have a degree, please detail related industry experience and the length of time the activities took place over in your personal statement
  • Applicants should have a genuine interest in music business. Please use the personal statement to demonstrate your motivation and suitability for the course, including related skills.
  • Applicants who have been taught and assessed in languages other than English should have an English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5.

Personal statement:

You should include in your personal statement why you want to study this course and what career in the music business you are aiming for. Please also include:

  • Evidence of knowledge of the music industry
  • Any experience of management (of people or projects)
  • Any details of organisational skills (for example in modules or in your work)
  • Any experience of marketing skills (in your course or in your work)

Interview:

You'll be invited to an informal interview after you submit your application, to determine your project ideas, your fit with the course, and to discuss your aspirations.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

This programme is open to graduates with a degree from any discipline and does not require music business study to be completed at undergraduate level.

Entry & admission criteria:

  • A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or an appropriate equivalent, i.e. a professional qualification, from a recognised British or overseas institution
  • Applicants should have a genuine interest in music business. Please use the personal statement to demonstrate your motivation and suitability for the course, including related skills.
  • Applicants who have been taught and assessed in languages other than English should have an English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5.

Personal statement:

You should include in your personal statement why you want to study this course and what career in the music business you are aiming for. Please also include:

  • Evidence of knowledge of the music industry
  • Any experience of management (of people or projects)
  • Any details of organisational skills (for example in modules or in your work)
  • Any experience of marketing skills (in your course or in your work)

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

English language entry requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Fees and funding

Postgraduate fees and living costs

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there is no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding page will answer your questions.

We are pleased to offer a 20% alumni discount for graduates of Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies and Nottingham Trent University. Terms and conditions apply.

Postgraduate loans

The government introduced a new postgraduate loan scheme for Master degrees. The loan will be a contribution towards the costs of study and it will be at the student's discretion to use the loan towards fees, maintenance costs or other costs. Find out more on our postgraduate loans page.

Scholarships

We award scholarships to those students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion and dedication to their studies. To find out more visit our Postgraduate Scholarships web page.

Postgraduate fees and living costs

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there is no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding page will answer your questions.

Scholarships

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

Living costs

Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:

Paying fees

Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

How to apply

If you are interested in joining us in September 2025, this course will be open for applications through the applicant portal from September 2024. Courses starting in January 2026 will be open for applications from July 2025.

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.

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

If you need more help or support, you can call our Admissions Team on +44 (0)115 848 4200, or email applications@ntu.uk.

Good luck with your application!

If you are interested in joining us in September 2025, this course will be open for applications through the applicant portal from September 2024. Courses starting in January 2026 will be open for applications from July 2025.

Apply online through our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  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.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.