Module overview
Music Management Fundamentals lays advanced theoretical foundations for the practical work you will learn to do later in the Programme. Why is the international music business organised the way it is? What forces – technological, economic, political and creative – have driven industry developments in the past, and where are they likely to drive it in future? How do audiences consume music? How are consumption patterns changing? What motivates musicians to make music; and why do audiences want to listen? These questions matter because they define the context in which music managers have to operate.
What do managers actually do? What do managers have in common with entrepreneurs? How might the roles of manager and entrepreneur differ, and how might they be combined?
To answer questions like these, Music Management Fundamentals will introduce you to a set of academic theories and show you how the theories can be used both to explain the structure of the music industry and to predict some of the changes likely to affect the industry in years ahead.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the different educational and pre-professional pathways open to following by different types of musician
- academic theories explaining patterns of behaviour prevalent within the music industry.
- the role of music managers – past, present and likely future
- the structure of the music industry
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- demonstrate critical understanding of a range of professional arts practices
- understand and devise music marketing strategies specific to a variety of artists, audiences and repertoires
- understand the fundamental principles underpinning international copyright law, and know how those principles determine professional practice in the creative industries.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- understand the ways in which music markets operate – in particular their winner-take-all character.
- place different types of music in appropriate (industry-recognized) categories, and decide which sector(s) of the industry you are best suited to work in
- recognise audience tastes and expectations, and align your own management approach some of those tastes and expectations
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- carry out complex research tasks on specific topics related to your chosen field
- communicate clearly and persuasively to potential academic and industry clients
- identify and analyse data and information to evaluate their relevance and validity using a range of sources
- recognise your own academic strengths and weaknesses, reflecting on your performance and progress and be able to respond to feedback
Syllabus
Syllabus content would typically include:
- introductions to theories of management and theories of entrepreneurship
- a selective introduction to cultural economic theory, seeking in particular to explain the structure of the music industry and its winner-take-all character
- description and discussion of the education and training systems from which musicians with professional potential emerge
- introduction to theories of taste formation
- theoretical and some practical (case study) consideration of music marketing
- description and discussion of the legal – copyright – framework within which music businesses operate.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods may include
- lectures
- whole-class activities during lectures
- individual tutorials to answer questions and look at written work in draft
Learning activities may include
- lectures
- tutorial discussion with teachers
- private study
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Tutorial | 6 |
| Lecture | 30 |
| Independent Study | 264 |
| Total study time | 300 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Paul Westhead and Mike Wright (2013). Entrepreneurship: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Candace Jones, Mark Lorenzen, and Jonathan Sapsed (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Creative Industries. Oxford University Press.
John Hendry (2013). Management: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
A test to check your understanding of concepts discussed in class.
Written submissions to assess your ability to present you own management skills, analyse artist careers and development needs and pitch for managing clients, using ideas discussed in class and your own research.
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Timed Assignment | 20% |
| Written assignment | 50% |
| Written assignment | 30% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 30% |
| Timed Assignment | 20% |
| Written assignment | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External