Online Undergraduate Degree Course

Music Business Capstone

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Authored by Dr. E. Michael Harrington

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Course Code: OMBUS-498

Next semester
starts Jan 12, 2026

12 Weeks

Level 4 - Degree Only

Level 4

The Music Business Capstone course is the culminating course, in which students bring to bear all the learning and knowledge they have undertaken to achieve a Bachelor of Professional Studies at Berklee College of Music. It is a twelve-week self-directed, integrated, learning opportunity that should be completed as the last class in the program of study.

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Students will work during the course on specific milestones to complete the course requirements with the course instructor as a mentor. Students will have the freedom to choose a topic and implement their plans. Please note that students cannot proceed with their chosen topic until their instructor has approved their proposal. Students will have the first three weeks to research and get approval for their topic.

The capstone course is divided into three major areas:

  • Reflective Course Work
  • Capstone Project
  • Capstone Project Presentation

The above deliverables must be submitted on the assigned due dates to avoid any late penalties. Lets take a look at what they entail:

Reflective course work: students will reflect on their course work and use it as a guide to identify a potential topic for their capstone project. This should be an evaluative process that will help you examine all the activities you have been engaged in over the span of the degree program. It should reflect your professional development, accomplishments, and document the your efforts at developing new skills.

Capstone Project: students will research, evaluate, analyze, draw conclusions, and make recommendations on a specific topic. Ideally, the capstone project should identify a specific concept that is based on a practical experience and something that contributed significantly to a project that the student is currently working with or has worked with in the past. Typically, the capstone project will run between 15 and 25 pages in length (not including the tile, table of contents, reference and Appendix pages). All work must be formatted as per APA guidelines.

Capstone Project Presentation: students will complete a formal presentation via the Web Chat tool in front of their classmates and instructor, followed by a short Q&A session. In the presentation, students should demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively, solve practical problems, and communicate effectively. Students will be required to provide feedback to each other's presentations following the above-mentioned criteria.

By the end of this course, students will understand the new opportunities and challenges faced by creators and performers of music, as their work is increasingly influenced, enhanced and altered by the larger playing field.

That playing field now includes technologists, telecoms, the options provided by new non-music players in the new music world, as well as the new methods created by traditional companies in the music sphere.

Goals of the Capstone Experience

By the end of this course students will be able to:

  • Identify the principal issues in technology, law and business as they relate to music, entertainment and communication
  • Debate the merits of new technology, technological services and platforms, and social media
  • Apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their courses to a specific topic of their capstone project
  • Think critically and creatively utilizing their academic experience in working with new ideas and issues
  • Demonstrate proficiency in written and/or oral communication skills
  • Demonstrate achievement in the realization of their personal and professional goals
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Overview Syllabus Requirements Instructors

Interested in this course?

This course can be taken as part of Bachelor of Arts in Music Business Degree Program
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Syllabus

Lesson 1: What Is Intellectual Property? 

  • Creating a Copyrighted Work
  • Works of Authorship
  • What Copyright Does Not Cover
  • Exclusive Rights
  • Modifying Exclusive Rights
  • Workshop: Fair Use and Lack of Originality
  • Workshop: Fair Use or Copyright Infringement?
  • Discussion: Led Zeppelin
  • Cover Recordings: Section 115 (2)
  • Discussion: Section 115 (2)
  • The Capstone Project: Reflections
  • Assignment 1: Capstone Project Reflections

Lesson 2: How Does IP Affect the Creation and Dissemination of Music

  • Music Copyright Infringement Lawsuits
  • Copyright Holders Making Overly Broad Claims
  • The Intersection of Copyright and Contract Law
  • Music and Copyright Law
  • Chords and Chord Progressions
  • Bass Lines
  • Tradition and Culture vs. Copyright Law
  • Copyright and the First Amendment
  • Workshop: Borrowing from Other Songs
  • More on Parody
  • Sound Recording, Performing Arts, and Copyright Confusion
  • Marvin Gaye v. Robin Thicke
  • Workshop: Marvin Gaye v. Robin Thicke
  • Discussion: Sampling Other Songs
  • How Do You Choose a Capstone Topic?
  • The Capstone Project: Proposal Requirements
  • Assignment 2: Capstone Topic and Draft

Lesson 3: Competing Interests

  • What Are the Competing Interests?
  • The VCR
  • The mp3 Player (Antecedent to the Apple iPod)
  • Napster, Grokster, and P2P
  • Who Are the Principal Stakeholders?
  • Arranging Groups by Category
  • For Whom Do the Interested Parties Lobby?
  • What Are the Peculiarities of These Groups?
  • Concerns and Differences between Groups
  • Putting it All Together
  • Past and Present Issues
  • Copyright Term Extension
  • Grokster and Net Neutrality
  • SOPA and PIPA
  • Discussion: Stakeholders
  • Expanded Performance Rights
  • The Sound of Recordings
  • The Disparity in Performance Rights
  • Songwriters vs. Musicians
  • Discussion: Musicians' Contributions to Recording
  • Assignment 3: Capstone First Draft for Approval

Lesson 4: Brands, Endorsements, Sports and Lifestyle Companies

  • Musicians and Music Companies
  • Widening the Connections between Musicians and Music Companies
  • Musicians and Endorsements for Products and Services Outside of Music
  • Car Commercials
  • Non-Musical Endorsements
  • Musicians as Entrepreneurs, Brands, and Companies
  • Best Tech/Mobile Media Endorsements
  • Sports, Lifestyle Brands, and Music
  • Companies Sponsoring Musicians
  • Companies Sponsoring Music Festivals
  • Exercise: Sponsorships
  • Exercise: Endorsements
  • APA Formatting and Citation
  • Discussion: How is Your Research Going?

Lesson 5: Music & Radio, Internet Radio, Podcasts, DIY Broadcast

  • The First Commercial Radio Station
  • AM vs. FM
  • Albums vs. Singles
  • Racism
  • Censorship and Veiled Threats
  • Clear Channel and Censorship
  • Important Issues in Radio Today
  • The Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act (DPRSRA)
  • Paying Songwriters and Publishers
  • Workshop: Radio Station Rates
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Workshop: Exempting Stations
  • Radio Aggregators: Stitcher, TuneIn, Radio.com, iHeartRadio
  • Exercise: Which Format Will Win?
  • Why Radio Will Always Exist
  • Exercise: Radio
  • Project Documentation Requirements
  • Project Documentation Examples
  • Discussion: How Is Your First Full Capstone Draft Coming?

Lesson 6: Television and Netflix

  • Television
  • Early Commercial Television
  • PBS and Alternatives to Network Programming
  • Music and Censorship on TV
  • MTV and Music Videos on Television
  • Cable TV
  • Discussion: Music and TV
  • New Ways to Watch TV
  • HBO
  • Netflix
  • Amazon
  • Unbundling and Advanced Cord-Cutting
  • Future Developments
  • Discussion: Effective Content Creators and Music
  • Assignment 6: Capstone First Full Draft Submission

Lesson 7: YouTube and Internet Issues

  • YouTube and Copyright
  • YouTube and the DMCA
  • YouTube as a News Outlet
  • Artists Whose Careers Began on YouTube
  • YouTube Initiatives and Original Content
  • Google Play Music, YouTube Music Key, and Streaming
  • Newest YouTube Developments
  • Discussion: YouTube
  • YouTube and 360-Degree Videos
  • YouTube’s Competition and New Threats
  • Podcasts about Google and YouTube
  • Suggested Reading and Viewing
  • Discussion: YouTube and Missed Opportunities

Lesson 8: Advertising

  • The History of Advertising
  • Music in Advertising
  • Chiquita Bananas 
  • Cigarette Jingles  
  • Other Famous Jingles  
  • Use of a Preexisting Recording
  • Use of a Preexisting Hit Song
  • Use of a Preexisting Hit Song with Changed Lyrics
  • Placement of Master Recordings in Commercials
  • Legal Issues with Music in Advertising
  • Flirting with References and Sound Alikes
  • The "Creepy Clown"
  • Supporting Evidence for The "Creepy Clown"  
  • Music Copyright Infringement in Advertising
  • Discussion: Copyright Infringement in Advertising
  • Ads with Ongoing Characters
  • New Issues in Advertising
  • Discussion: Advertising in Social Media
  • Evaluation Grid
  • Capstone Presentation Requirements
  • Tips for Creating Memorable Presentations  

Lesson 9: Apps, Mobile Tech & Law

  • Mobile and Apps
  • Apps
  • Apps and Music
  • Artist Apps
  • They Might Be Giants
  • Radiohead
  • Bjork
  • Apps for Musicians
  • Smule
  • Music Maker Jam App
  • Traktor DJ App
  • GarageBand
  • Discussion: Apps for Creating Music
  • Apps for Discovering Music
  • Best Radio Apps
  • Free Apps and In-App Purchases
  • Problems Stemming from In-App Purchases
  • Foolish and Failed Apps
  • Apple Maps
  • Patent Trolls
  • The Future of Apps
  • New Directions for Apps
  • Wearable Technology and Apps
  • Discussion: Apple Watch Apps
  • Assignment 9: Capstone Second Full Draft Submission

Lesson 10: Music and Social Media

  • Overview of Social Media
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Retweet
  • Twitter Analytics
  • Twitter Lists
  • Instagram
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Advantages to Pinterest
  • Ello
  • Periscope (and Meerkat)
  • Snapchat
  • Klout
  • Vine
  • Discussion: Social Media
  • Capstone Presentation Requirements
  • Tips for Creating Memorable Presentations
  • Assignment 10: Presentation and Feedback (Group 1)

Lesson 11: Social Media: Wins and Fails

  • Social Media Management
  • Best Practices
  • Twitter Best Practices
  • National Geographic Photos
  • KUYI and Techdirt
  • Musicians to Follow on Twitter
  • Best and Worst Social Media Campaigns
  • United Breaks Guitars
  • ALS Association’s Ice Bucket Challenge
  • Marriage Equality
  • Discussion: Social Media Campaigns
  • Television and Social Media
  • Vines
  • Social Media Fails
  • Rep Anthony Weiner
  • Ann Coulter
  • DiGiorno’s Pizza
  • Discussion: Social Platform Longevity
  • Assignment 11: Presentation and Feedback (Group 2)

Lesson 12: Crowdfunding & New Music Marketing Platforms

  • Music-Marketing Platforms
  • Nimbit
  • Bandzoogle
  • Bandcamp
  • Topspin Media
  • Tunecore
  • OneRPM
  • Soundcloud
  • Discussion: Music-Marketing Platforms
  • Crowdfunding
  • Indiegogo
  • Patreon
  • Artistshare
  • Further Reading
  • Discussion: Crowdfunding Platforms
  • Submit: Finalized Capstone
  • Discussion: Evaluate Your Capstone Experience

Requirements

Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements 

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
You must be a Music Business major to take this course and have successfully completed OMBUS-360 and OMBUS-475.

Textbook(s)

  • No textbooks required

Other

  • Scientific or financial calculator (hardware or software)

Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

Mac Users

PC Users

All Users

  • Latest version of Google Chrome
  • Zoom meeting software
  • Webcam
  • Speakers or headphones
  • External or internal microphone
  • Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Dr. E. Michael Harrington
Dr. E. Michael Harrington

Author

Dr. E. Michael Harrington is a professor in music copyright and intellectual property matters. He has lectured at many law schools, organizations, and music conferences throughout North America, including Harvard Law, George Washington University Law, Hollywood Bar Association, Texas Bar, Minnesota Bar, Houston Law Center, Brooklyn Law, BC Law, Loyola Law, NYU, McGill, Eastman, Emory, the Experience Music Project, Future of Music Coalition, Pop Montreal, and others. Michael has worked as a consultant and expert witness in hundreds of music copyright matters, including efforts to return "We Shall Overcome" and "This Land Is Your Land" to the public domain, and has worked with director Steven Spielberg, producer Mark Burnett, the Chicks, Steve Perry, Busta Rhymes, Samsung, Keith Urban, HBO, T-Pain, T. I., Snoop Dogg, Collin Raye, Tupac Shakur, Lady Gaga, George Clinton, Mariah Carey, and others. He sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Popular Culture, advisory board of the Future of Music Coalition and the Creators Freedom Project, and is a member of Leadership Music. Michael has been interviewed by the New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg Law, Wall Street Journal, Time, Huffington Post, Billboard, USA Today, Rolling Stone, Money Magazine, Investor's Business Daily, People Magazine, Life Magazine, and Washington Post, in addition to BRAVO, PBS, ABC News, NBC's "Today Show," the Biography Channel, NPR, CBC and others. Harrington has bicycled twice from Los Angeles to Nashville and once from Florence, Oregon to Nashville (3,400 miles).

Jon Bonci
Jon Bonci

Instructor

Jon Bonci began his career in the music business by working at a 24-track recording studio in New York City. This led him to a job at Chrysalis Records where A&R legend, Bruce Dickinson recommended him for a position at Chappell Music Publishing. As Chappell Music transitioned into the leading music publisher of the day, Warner/Chappell Music, Jon rose from position of Archivist in sheet music and tape library to that of Creative Manager.

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As Creative Manager at Warner/Chappell, Jon scouted bands and writers in the evenings and worked with songwriters and record labels, to secure cover recordings by day. He’s had songs cut with Milli Vanilli’s multi-platinum debut album, Hot Tuna, several boy bands and secured the first Country cut for Michael Bolton and Jonathan Cain of Journey by legendary Country artist, Conway Twitty.  

While BMG Music Publishing, Jon headed the New York office and continued to sign bands and songwriters to the company. Most notably, Jon signed Russ Freeman and The Rippingtons to a publishing deal.

While working for Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Jon held a position in the Synchronization Licensing department, where he delt with all forms of licensing of their catalog. It was here that he worked alongside Eric Beall, author of the Berklee Online class, Music Publishing 101. Eric introduced Jon to Berklee in 2008 and Jon has been onboard ever since, teaching Music Publishing, Artist Management, Music Licensing, and Music Business 101.

Following his tenure at Shapiro, Bernstein, Jon became the Music Associate Director for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, where he traveled with the game for five seasons. In 2012 and 2013 Jon was nominated for an EMMY for “Outstanding Sports Series.”

Between jobs in the music industry, Jon worked on his Masters in Education, working in several school districts, learning the art of teaching. This has proven helpful during his time at Berklee College of Music.

These days, Jon is a consultant for U.K. music publisher, Blank Canvas Music Publishing. In his role, Jon is working on the company’s annual New Christmas Classics album where the company will both publish and release new original holiday music each year.

Jon belongs to many professional organizations including The National Music Publisher’s Association and The Association of Independent Music Publishers where he is an active member in the New York City chapter. Read Less

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