Undergraduate Degree Program
Bachelor of Arts
Music Business Degree
• $75 application fee waived through November 12
Sharpen your knowledge of the concepts, skills, and methodologies needed to succeed in today’s evolving music business. You will study how the music business currently operates and where the business is headed in the key areas of music publishing, licensing, law, management, touring, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Through hands-on instruction from Berklee College of Music’s award-winning music business faculty and industry professionals, this degree will prepare you for a variety of music business-focused careers, including artist manager, booking agent, music publisher, business manager, concert promoter, music supervisor, label operations manager, entrepreneur, and more.
Upon completion of the Music Business major, you will be able to:
- Draw on a deep understanding of the music industry and its various revenue streams, including touring, publishing, and music streaming
- Promote and effectively market either your own music or the music of other artists using contemporary tools and communication technologies
- Understand how music business finance operates and how to use an entrepreneurial mindset to further your career and the career of those who you represent
- Protect yourself, your art, and your business ventures by thorough knowledge of how copyright law and other legal aspects of the music industry work
- Recognize legal issues related to copyright, licensing, fair use and various contract types
- Explore various fields within the music business such as publicly, music supervision, touring, artist management, and more
- Apply leadership models that result in fruitful relationships, ethical decision-making, and a robust music industry network that wants to work with you
- Scale your music projects to international audiences by understanding how to network and run a business abroad
- Synthesize research techniques that create informed music campaigns and drive results
Curriculum
(120 Credits)
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Concentrate Courses (45 Credits)
Complete the following (30 credits):
- OMBUS-110Music Business 101
- OMBUS-126Music Marketing 101
- OMBUS-240Music Business Trends and Strategies
- OMBUS-250Touring 101
- OMBUS-360Music Business Leadership and Ethics
- OMBUS-381Music Business Law for Artists
- OMBUS-391Creative Entrepreneurship
- OMBUS-475Music Business Finance
- OMBUS-496Music Licensing
- OMBUS-498 Music Business Capstone
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Complete five of the following (15 credits):
- OMBUS-220Music Venue Management
- OMBUS-235Artist Management
- OMBUS-270Music Publishing 101
- OMBUS-320International Music Marketing: Developing Your Music Career Abroad
- OMBUS-385Copyright Law
- OMBUS-495Music Supervision 1
- OMBUS-497Music Supervision 2
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Elective Courses (33 Credits)
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Complete any 11 courses, except Liberal Arts courses coded with OLART, OLSOC, OLMSC, or OAFST in a given student's area of interest and professional development. (33 credits)
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Liberal Arts Courses (42 Credits) +
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Complete one Composition/Writing (OLART) course from the following (3 credits):
- OLART-111 College Writing or OLART-201 Creative Writing: Literature Studies for Musicians or OLART-215 Creative Writing: Poetry or OLART-216 Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice
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Complete one History (OLART) course from the following (3 credits):
- OLART-170 Rock History or OLART-220 History of Film Music or OLART-231 Art History of the Western European Tradition or OLART-233 Music History of the Western World 1: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque or OLART-234 Music History of the Western World 2: Classical, Romantic, and Modern
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Complete any four additional Arts/Humanities (OLART, OMPRD, OCDAN, OCTHR, OAFST) courses from the following (12 credits):
- OLART-100 Developing Your Artistry
- OMPRD-110 Music Video Production
- OAFST-110 Black Creative Expression: An Introduction to Africana Studies
- OLART-111 College Writing
- OLART-160 Digital Cinematography Fundamentals
- OLART-170 Rock History
- OLART-201 Creative Writing: Literature Studies for Musicians
- OLART-205 Game Design Principles
- OLART-215 Creative Writing: Poetry
- OLART-216 Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice
- OLART-220 History of Film Music
- OLART-231 Art History of the Western European Tradition
- OLART-233 Music History of the Western World 1: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque
- OLART-234 Music History of the Western World 2: Classical, Romantic, and Modern
- OLART-400 Career and Job Success in the Music Industry
- OMPRD-250 Music Video Editing with Final Cut Pro
- OMPRD-251 Creative Video Editing with Adobe Premiere
- OCDAN-103 Iconic Dance and Urban Movement
- OCTHR-103 Script Analysis for Theater
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Complete four Social Sciences (OLSOC) courses from the following (12 credits):
- OLSOC-100 Wellness for Artists: Music, Movement, and Mindfulness
- OLSOC-150 The Language of Film and TV
- OLSOC-180 Project Management for Musicians
- OLSOC-200 Business Communications
- OLSOC-210 Music, Self, and Society
- OLSOC-226 New Media Economics: Music, Mobile, Gaming, and Online Markets
- OLSOC-307 Music Cognition
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Complete four Math and Physical/Natural Sciences (OLMSC, OMPRD) courses from the following (12 credits):
- OLMSC-101Music Production 101
- OLMSC-130Applied Mathematics for Musicians
- OLMSC-150Computer Programming Fundamentals
- OLMSC-215Acoustics
- OLMSC-250Music and Neuroscience
- OLMSC-260Sampling and Audio Production
- OMPRD-210Audio Fundamentals for Recording
How should I set up my schedule, based on the above requirements?
Check out this handy planning guide to help you understand which courses you should take during which semester.
View Sample ScheduleHow to Apply
• Get a decision within 1 week
• $75 application fee waived until Nov 12
- Fill out the online application (15 minutes)
- Create a 500-750 word essay, or a 3-5 minute video essay
- Attach your official transcripts
- Ask for two letters of recommendation
Read full undergraduate admissions requirement details here.
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Online undergraduate degree tuition vs. campus tuition
Affordable Tuition
Online undergraduate degree tuition is $62,150 for 120 credits (includes associated fees). To get started, this degree program includes a non-refundable $75 application fee.
Read full tuition and associated program fee details for this, and all other undergraduate programs here.
Available Financial Aid
Ready to Return to Berklee or Transfer in Credits from Another Institution to Complete Your Degree?
Students transferring in from an accredited institution can carry over up to 60 credits, and students with previous Berklee experience may be able to transfer even more.
Learn about our different transfer options: