The Business of Songwriting: Protecting, Marketing and Monetizing Your Craft

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Authored by Isabeau Miller

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Course Code: OSONG-235

Next semester
starts April 6

12 Weeks

Level 2

Level 2

3-Credit Tuition

$1,575

This course provides an in-depth exploration of the business elements integral to a songwriter’s career. You will gain a foundational understanding of copyright law, publishing deals, revenue streams, branding, marketing, team building, and long-term career sustainability. Through guided lessons, practical assignments, and the innovative “Opportunity Tracker” exercise, you will learn how to navigate the music industry’s complex infrastructure, identify and evaluate opportunities, overcome obstacles, and leverage creativity and strategy for sustained success.

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By the end of the course, you will have a clear roadmap for your career, a refined personal brand, a professional pitch deck and outreach plan, and the resilience to reach out to influential industry figures—even in the face of potential rejection.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain fundamental copyright principles, publishing deals, and revenue flows in the music industry
  • Build a personal strategy for generating income through diverse publishing, licensing, and monetization avenues
  • Develop effective networking and marketing approaches to build industry connections and promote your work
  • Create a personalized pitch deck that highlights your unique brand, music samples, and professional narrative, tailored to diverse industry audiences
  • Employ essential time and financial management skills to sustain a long-term career in songwriting
  • Demonstrate resilience and proactive career planning by transforming setbacks into growth opportunities
  • Evaluate songwriting opportunities using structured decision-making tools
  • Assemble a long-term career roadmap that aligns creative goals with legal, financial, and strategic planning
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Overview Syllabus Requirements Instructors Related Music Career Roles
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Syllabus

Lesson 1: Songwriting as a Business

  • Course Overview and Expectations
  • The Music Business Mindset
  • The ‘Opportunity Tracker’ Concept
  • Identifying Career Influences and Opportunities
  • Artist Statements for Different Contexts
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 1: Artist Statements and ‘Opportunity Tracker’

Lesson 2: Copyright Fundamentals and Protection

  • Copyright and Its Purpose
  • Exclusive Rights of Copyright Holders
  • Registration and Protection Methods
  • Avoiding Infringement: Fair Use
  • Case Study: Dissecting a Copyright Dispute
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 2: Copyright

Lesson 3: Publishing

  • Publishing Deals
  • Revenue Streams in Publishing
  • Money Flow in the Publishing Ecosystem
  • Diverse Career Paths for Songwriters
  • Choosing the Right Publishing Partners
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 3: Publishing

Lesson 4: Revenue Streams and Administrative Planning as a Creative Director

  • Mapping Out Your Revenue Ecosystem
  • Balancing Administrative Duties and Creative Work
  • Delegation, Outsourcing, and Collaboration Tools
  • Strategic Scheduling and Batch Processing
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 4: Revenue Stream and Admin Map

Lesson 5: Your Team and Finances

  • Building Your Team
  • Thinking Outside the Traditional Team
  • Advisors and Mentors
  • Intro to Professional Infrastructure
  • Real-World Financial Management
  • Financial Stability and Career Growth
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 5: Budgets and Advisors

Lesson 6: Industry Organizations, Tech Integration, and Business Formation

  • Key Industry Organizations
  • Industry Bodies and Their Impact
  • AI in Songwriting and Business
  • Integrating Tech and Structure for Growth
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 6: AI Application and Business Formation

Lesson 7: Agreements, Contracts, and Five-Year Plans

  • Songwriting Agreements
  • Protecting Your Interests
  • The Five-Year Plan to Thrive
  • Long-Term Relationship Building
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 7: Split Agreements

Lesson 8: Advanced Monetization and Long-Term Catalog Strategies

  • Expanding Revenue Beyond Traditional Streams
  • Long-Term Catalog Management and Exploitation
  • Advanced Licensing Frameworks
  • Strategic Partnership and Brand Extensions
  • Future-Proofing Your Business Model
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 8: Advanced Licensing or Monetization Strategy

Lesson 9: Industry Executives, Networking, and Marketing

  • The Roles of Key Industry Professionals
  • Strategic Networking in a Global, Digital Landscape
  • Marketing Strategies for Differentiation
  • Integrating Networking and Marketing Efforts
  • Leveraging Social Media, Podcasts, and PR Opportunities
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 9: Networking and Marketing Outreach Plan

Lesson 10: Professional Presentation and Brand Communication for Songwriters

  • Production Quality for Pitching and Licensing
  • Refining a Personal Brand
  • Interviewing and Media Training
  • Aligning Production, Branding, and Media Strategies
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 10: Branding Strategy and Short Media Kit

Lesson 11: Songs for Visual Media and Pitch Deck Preparation

  • Sync Licensing and Its Opportunities
  • Pitching Strategies for Visual Media
  • Assembling Your Pitch Deck Components
  • Integrating Business, Branding, and Legal Elements into the Deck
  • Prepping for Feedback and Iteration
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 11: Pitch Deck

Lesson 12: Elevating Your Songwriting Business: Brand, Strategy, and Vision

  • Personal Brand Alignment and Cohesion
  • Presentation Techniques for Impactful Storytelling
  • Integrating Feedback and Iteration
  • Future-Proofing Your Career: Sustainability and Opportunity Mapping
  • Journey of a Song
  • Assignment 12: Culminating Experience

Requirements

Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements 

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
Students should have:

  • Basic knowledge of music theory and songwriting craft (assumed from prior study or experience)
  • Familiarity with basic recording tools

Textbook(s)

Recording

  • Students are required to submit MP3 files of their songs for assignments. You will not be evaluated on arrangement or production quality in this course, but melody, harmony, and lyric should be clearly audible. A basic audio recording tool is available inside the learning environment. Alternatively, you can use software such as GarageBand (Mac) or Audacity (PC).
  • Students are required to record video for their assignments. Options for recording video include:
    • Smartphone
    • Digital camera
    • Webcam (using either video recording software, or the video recording tool that is built into the learning environment)

Software

  • Office suite, such as Microsoft Office, Google Drive (free), Apple iWork, Apache OpenOffice (free), etc.
  • Software for basic graphic design, building a pitch deck, and brand identity development, such as Canva (free plan sufficient)

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

  • macOS Monterey 12.0 or later

PC Users

All Users

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

Instructors

Isabeau Miller
Isabeau Miller

Author & Instructor

Isabeau Miller is an accomplished songwriter, entrepreneur, published author, and vocalist. Passionate about inspiring the next generation of songwriters and industry professionals, Miller draws on her 17 years of experience as a professional songwriter in Nashville, where she penned chart-topping hits with pop and country music artists and producers such as David Archuleta, John K, Cason Cooley, Nate Dodge, Will Champlin, Jamie Kenney, Risa Binder, Morgan Myles, and more. Miller’s catalog, represented by Me Gusta Publishing, spans more than 1,500 songs, and grows by about 100 songs yearly. In addition to her work in the arts, Miller is also an entrepreneur and frequent contributor to several publications. Miller’s focus in life and in music is on telling authentic stories through radical truth-telling and intuitive collaboration. To learn more, visit her at isabeau.com.

What's Next?

When taken for credit, The Business of Songwriting: Protecting, Marketing and Monetizing Your Craft can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

Lyricist

Music Publisher

Performing Songwriter

Songwriter-Producer

Staff Writer

Top-Line Songwriter

Questions?

Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.

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