Program Descriptions
- MBUS 1100: Introduction to the Music Business
- MBUS 3000: Fundamental Concepts in Business
- MBUS 4100: Music Business I
- MBUS 5100: Music Business II [Prerequisite: MBUS 4100]
MBUS 1100: Introduction to the Music Business
While not a requirement of the Music Business Certificate Program, MBUS 1100, Introduction to the Music Business, is open to all UGA students with an interest in Music Business.
Hours: 1
Semester Offered: Spring
Course Description
Introduction to the Music Business is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of the business practices related to the music industry. The course focuses on skills necessary for beginning and maintaining a professional career in the music industry. This course serves both the student who is wishing to increase their knowledge of the basic business practices of the music industry and the student who is considering further study of the music business. The course utilizes guest speakers from the music and entertainment industry with respect to career development. The course has a strong emphasis on practical applications of classroom knowledge to the music business environment.
Course Content Areas
- General Industrial Overview: A survey of the music industry, its various revenue generating sources, its principal actors, and its developmental history.
- Commercialization of Music: A study of the movement of the recorded and printed intellectual content into the market place.
- Music Company Operations: A study of the specifics of company organization and operations to facilitate the creation of content and the management of various revenue streams.
- Music Career Development: An overview of career development options, with emphasis on arising trends and developments and the skills associated with working effectively in the new environment.
MBUS 3000: Fundamental Concepts in Business
MBUS 3000, Fundamental Concepts in Business, is required for Music Majors and Majors other than Music or Business.
Hours: 3
Semester Offered: Spring
Course Description
Fundamental Concepts in Business is an introduction to the basic concepts in the fields of economics, finance, marketing, and management.
Course Content Areas
- Economics: A study of the role of prices in allocating resources by producers and consumers.
- Finance: A study of the time value of money, personal investment decisions, and firm financial decision making.
- Marketing: A study of markets, buyer behavior, marketing research, and promotional strategies.
- Management: A focus on the fundamentals of organizational structure, strategy, and competitive dynamics.
MBUS 4100: Music Business I
Hours: 3
Semester Offered: Fall
Course Description
Music Business I is a survey of the music industry. It includes the various prominent commercial and regulatory organizations, and its developmental history and future directions. Specific issues covered in MBUS 4100 include record and music company operations, income generation and distribution models, and publishing technologies and trends.
Course Content Areas
- General Industrial Overview: A survey of the music industry, its various revenue generating sources, its principal actors, and its developmental history.
- Creative Content: A study of the art and mechanics of content development both at the individual and the organizational level. How ideas become songs and how to songs progress to recordings.
- Commercialization of Music: A study of the movement of the recorded and printed intellectual content into the market place.
- Music Company Operations: A study of the specifics of company organization and operations to facilitate the creation of content and the management of various revenue streams.
- Industry Opportunities and Threats: A look forward at the arising opportunities and threats to industry profitability in the future.
- Music Career Development: An overview of career development options, with emphasis on arising trends and developments and the skills associated with working effectively in the new environment.
MBUS 5100: Music Business II [Prerequisite: MBUS 4100]
Hours: 3
Semester Offered: Spring
Course Description
Music Business II is an in depth study of topics of specific relevance to the music industry, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning and practical application of classroom knowledge to the music business environment.
Course Content Areas
- Production and Distribution: What has been the typical model of music production and how is technology changing that model? What implications does this have for copyright protection, for revenue management, and the overall vitality of the industry?
- Intellectual Property Issues: Who really owns the music and how are owners interests protected? What are the tradeoffs in open-sourcing of music to build market share and creating the belief that music is a free good? What is the state of the art in legal theory related to music copyrighting and use?
- Artist Management: A study of the various facets of artist management, including performance management and recording contracts, talent agencies, personal management and artist promotion.
- Entrepreneurship in the Music Business: A study of arising opportunities and the resources and skills required to pursue those opportunities.
- Experiential Project: A capstone project conducted off-site and in conjunction with organizations and individuals within the music business will be required. These projects may take the form of consultation projects, market studies, or content development, based upon the interests of the students and needs of marketplace.
Contact Information
University of Georgia
