Professional Music (Business)

The degree course for music lovers with a head for business.

This course has been created for anyone with a keen interest in the business of music, looking to develop a sustainable career in today’s fast-paced music industry.

It’s been specifically designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge you’ll need to navigate your own path through the industry and realise your professional ambition and personal goals. The course has been designed to fit around your life, and you can use your own music projects and activity as a focus for your degree work.

To be a professional in today’s modern music industry takes tenacity, resilience and the determination to keep going. It’s also about developing your network of contacts, shifting the focus from ‘who you know’ to ‘who knows you’. And growing the required self-confidence is integral to the WaterBear student experience. You’ll be able to access a wide range of content, resources and tuition to suit your individual needs. All online content from our full range of courses is accessible to everyone, so you can tailor your own learning journey.

At WaterBear, we believe in smaller class sizes and the value of personal 1-1 mentoring. We also believe you should have the freedom to explore what’s possible and continually push boundaries. All students on our 3-yr degree courses learn in small groups in environments designed to fuel creative thinking and output.

Students at WaterBear also get free, bookable access to professional rehearsal and recording studios, so you won’t need to worry about where to practice and record yourself or the bands you’re working with.

This course is taught by WaterBear in Brighton, and awarded by Falmouth University

The degree is built on three fundamental elements – your music industry, your career and your projects. It deals with what really matters in music and the industry. It will expand your options and push you to continually think creatively. You’ll focus on music industry past and present, case-studies, market analysis, management techniques, branding, innovation, industry trends and project management – all whilst continually reviewing progress towards your personal goals. And you’ll learn all you need to know from our team of top-level industry tutors and mentors about the realities of being a professional operator in today’s music industry.

Who's it for?
This course has been specifically designed for anyone with an interest in the following areas:
Band / artist management
Tour management
Events management
Digital marketing and PR
Branding
Music journalism
Social media
Content creation

Every individual at WaterBear has their own story to tell and their own path to follow. We provide a supportive, safe environment for you to experiment and create. You'll also develop a tailored career plan to support your personal goals and ambitions.

Year One Modules:

Business Start Ups
Navigating the Music Industry
Your Business Projects
Your Strategy

Year Two Modules:

Your Brand
Your Events
Digital Marketing and Social Media
Innovation in the Music Industry

Year Three Modules

Your Professional Development
Specialist Report
Professional Project Portfolio

As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. Any students affected will be informed of any changes made directly.