module specification

In Music Marketing and Business Planning you will have the opportunity to explore and develop your entrepreneurial thinking in relation to careers in music technology and production.

Through examining music production as a marketplace, you will be introduced to potential career paths and opportunities for developing business ideas following graduation. This will include enterprise opportunities in areas including studios, music licensing and library music, loop and sample pack production, production roles, merchandising, song writing and composition.

Through taking this module you will examine the role that networking, advertising, and marketing campaigns play in promotion for music creators and producers and securing work in a competitive market. By doing so you will investigate and develop skills in communication, self-evaluation, and promotion.

Furthermore, through developing a business plan, you will perform research into examples of competitors in related fields, perform SWOT analysis and developing practices in self-evaluation and reflection. 

This module therefore aims to:
• Develop your entrepreneurial thinking regarding music technology and production
• Explore enterprise and business opportunities in the music production sector
• Discuss the role of the marketplace regarding music technology and production
• Introduce the importance of business plans for securing funding and finance
• Develop reflective practice and introduce concepts of continuing professional development.
• Develop reflective writing skills in preparing self-evaluations, executive summaries and business plans.

• Freelance work and entrepreneurship in the music industries (LO4)
• Marketing and promotion (LO2)
• Business structure and planning (LO1, 2, 3)
• Competitor and SWOT analysis (LO1)
• Future trends and innovation in music (LO4)
• Business grants and start-up loans (LO3)
• Brainstorming and idea generation (LO1, 4)
• Independent record labels (LO1, 4)
• Recording studios and production services (LO1, 4)

Students teaching and learning will consist of weekly classes comprising a combination of seminars, and workshops totalling 36 hours of contact time. Students will be given the opportunity to engage in discussions regarding the music industry and opportunities for enterprise.

Seminar discussion will take place weekly on topics related to music marketing and its role in promoting creators and producers.

The learning and teaching in classes will be supported by the University’s VLE and a blended learning approach, sharing class materials, recommended reading. Tutorials will also be offered to support students in the preparation of their assessments.

In addition, students will undertake independent study, including researching and assessment planning.

Students will engage in reflective practice, reviewing their own, and each other’s works. Peer review will form part of the assessment of the Proposal Presentation, with students offering feedback and guidance on each other’s project ideas.

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

LO1. Analyse and evaluate business and enterprise opportunities using a range of methods including SWOT and competitor analysis.
LO2. Demonstrate an understanding of the marketplaces by developing marketing plans relevant to the needs of music technologists or producers.
LO3. Formulate a business plan, with the aim to secure funding or partnerships.
LO4. Identify future opportunities and trends in the technical and creative sectors of the music industry.

Proposal Presentation – 25% weighting
Students are required to present a pitch proposal of their business idea. The proposal presentation will give the student an opportunity to receive peer and tutor feedback on their ideas, before performing exhaustive research.

Business Plan (2500-words) – 75% weighting
Students are required to prepare a circa 2500-word business plan, outlining an enterprise opportunity in relation to music technology and production. The plan should identify the market, competitors and using critical analysis outline the plans strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Students are also required to produce a cash flow and profit loss projection for the first year of trading.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/1CB38987-8468-CC52-576A-604925869B4E.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

Core Reading:
• Bargfrede, A. (2017) Music law in the digital age: copyright essentials for today's music business. 2nd edition. Boston, MA: Berklee Press.
• Barrow, C., Barrow, P. and Brown, R. (2021) The business plan workbook: a step-by-step guide to creating and developing a successful business. Tenth edition. London, United Kingdom ; New York, NY: Kogan Page.
• Borg, B. (2020) Music marketing for the DIY musician: creating and executing a plan of attack on a low budget. Second Edition. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Fitterman Radbill, C. (2017) Introduction to the music industry: an entrepreneurial approach. Second edition. New York, NY; Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
• Harrison, A. (2021) Music: the business: the essential guide to the law and the deals.
• Hepworth-Sawyer, R. et al. (eds) (2020) Gender in music production. 1. New York: Routledge (Perspectives on music production).
• Media, M. (2021) Social Media Marketing 2021.
• Passman, D.S., Organ, C. and Glass, R. (2021) All you need to know about the music business.
• Stewart, P (2018) The live-streaming handbook: how to create great live video on your phone, for Facebook and Twitter. London: Routledge.
• Tschmuck, P. (2021) The economics of music. Second edition. Newcastle upon Tyne: Agenda Publishing (The economics of big business).
• WikstroÃàm, P. (2020) The music industry: music in the cloud. Third edition. Medford: Polity (Digital media and society series).