Music Business (MPAMB-UE)

The course will provide a background study of all related areas of the multibillion-dollar music industry, including the evolution and operations of the record company, music publishing, artist management, live entertainment, copyright, business-to-business and consumer-facing digital services.

An introduction to the sources and uses of data as a strategic asset in the music industry. Students gain literacy in the methods decision makers use to analyze data about music itself, music discovery and music consumption in the effort to drive competitive advantage. Students interact with the data sources and analytic tools in wide use; learn the basics of data storage,manipulation, and modeling techniques; and become familiar with the practical applications and business benefits of data analysis in the music in the music industry.

Introduction to the legal environment as it pertains to profit-making music & to ethical considerations as well as social & political influences. Emphasis on copyright law & contract law as they affect the economics of the music industry.

Global Music Trend Analysis provides undergraduate students abroad with the opportunity to conduct primary & secondary research about the music industry in their local country, compare their findings with students concurrently in different locations, research business expansion into their local country, & propose an international expansion plan to a music company.

Introduction to the concert business: contracts; the relationship between promoters, managers, & agents; marketing & ticket sales; how the concert business relates to other segments of the music industry.

The music industry is made up of two primary rights holders: record companies and music publishers. This seminar focuses on the latter, the poorly understood stepsister to the front and center record companies, and dissects the business of songwriting in the digital era. Areas covered include the origins of copyright and copyright legislation, performing rights/PROs, mechanical Licensing/CMOs, publishing deals and agreements, synchronization, digital media, song catalog evaluation, and the role of the creative songwriter and music publisher.

This course looks at the changing, converging and sometimes disruptive relationship between music and media — both traditional and digital. Students explore voice activated listening, media consolidation, the new music industry, streaming services, video, music discovery across multimedia platforms, sync marketing, and future technologies.

Explores international perspectives on the recording, publishing, streaming, live performance, and broader music markets beyond the United States, grounded in contemporary theories of globalization, hybridization and “soft power”. Topics include the roles of firms, creators and states in different types of music and media networks and economies; global and local music business related institutions and governance models from regions to countries to cities; and targeted examinations of specific developed and emerging national and diasporic markets around the world.

This course focuses on the skills necessary to engage in assessment of talent, role, & risk in the contemporary music business. Students will be exposed to the detailed thinking & decision-making process of high-level music business professionals, who will visit to work with them on the evaluation of work submitted by NYU songwriters, performers, producers, & other music creators.

This course explores the music industry to examine how popular music influences global social, cultural and technological trends. Through multimedia presentations, readings, debates and interactions with artists and tastemakers, students explore the relevance of popular music as an expressive culture and the role of New York and London as gateways to music genres from around the world. The course provides a historical overview of contemporary popular music and a critical evaluation of the music industry as catalyzer for self-expression, tradition and media stardom.

This course examines how economic principles are applied in government regulation of the music industry. Production, distribution and consumption of recorded music in the U.S. are affected by copyright laws, licensing statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions. Students examine the forces and principles of economics, including the power to establish royalties paid by streaming and other services to the owners of musical copyrights, and how they’re applied (or misapplied!) when the government implements regulatory requirements established by Congress.

A survey of contemporary theoretical, technological, and socio-economic structures that link music and participatory/interactive media and entertainment forms. 'Interactive' models in the new music industry include social networks, music search and recommendation engines, personalized Internet radio and streaming, mobile music, live entertainment, and the use of music in video games and smartphone applications. These are examined and contextualized with a view to identifying business opportunities for musical entrepreneurs, creators, fans and facilitators.

This course is designed to provide aspiring music professionals with positive practices to deal with pressures to succeed, performance anxiety, fear of failure, and the challenges that affect the confidence it takes to know how to make a life and living in music and the performing arts. Using a structured set of tipping points, readings and creative assignments, learners develop skills that apply to their academic life, internships and careers.

Village records is a team-structure course in which students operate an independent record company. Decision-making on the operational & artistic levels leads to strategy formulation. Implementation of strategy & record label management concepts & techniques are central to this course. Specifically, students administer all aspects of a record label including but not limited to: artist selection, creative design, manufacturing, marketing, promotion, publicity, & sales.

This course provides a broad and practical look at the fundamentals of nonfiction writing about music in its many forms. Through the reading/writing of articles, blog entries, anthologies, biographies, liner notes, press materials, essays, and criticisms, the course explores the context and practice of writing about music—from journalist to publicist, as well as record labels, digital service providers, social media and other entities’ content creators. Students write essential materials that will benefit them within any facet of the music industry.

This course examines the economics, marketing, content development process, consumption patterns, merger & acquisition activity, core companies, technological innovation, and trends driving the podcast industry. Through workshops, discussions, readings, research reports, social media and guest speakers, students gain a deep understanding of the business while learning essential fundamentals that will benefit them within any facet of podcasting and other forms of linear audio storytelling.

Assignment to record companies, music venues, management agencies or music industry-related firms for on-the-job training. s or other Written report, workshop, & orientation required.

Students will acquire a basic framework for understanding the discipline of entrepreneurship & how to apply it to the music industry. The course is organized around the creation, assessment, growth development, & operation of new & emerging ventures in the for-profit music environments. Key concepts will be explored using the case methods.

All undergraduate music business majors meet in Collegium six times each semester to discuss broad issues of the profession, career opportunities, and program/department matters. During the remaining weeks students meet with members of their major program for visits with specialists in their field and for progrommatic discussions.

A background study of all related areas of the multibillion-dollar music industry, including records company operations, music publishing, artist management, promotion, copyright, & corporate structures.

Overview of the business of songwriting and music publishing in the 21st century music marketplace. Topics include the legal foundations of copyright, performing and mechanical rights, A&R, contracts between songwriters and publishers, synchronization licensing, royalties, streaming and sub-publishing.