George Said:

Can you get a business degree to be in the music industry? Or do you need a special "music business degree?"

We Answered:

Personally i think the music buisness degree is a waste of money, most colleges that offer them are smaller private schools that charge outrageous tuition fees.
However, those schools also have GREAT internship connections. If you live in NYC already, even before you start a degree, get your resume out to music labels and get hired for GRUNT work.

Raymond Said:

What can I do with a Music Business degree?

We Answered:

Actually, it's a unique, valuable, and very narrow niche. All the arts, like sports, have two aspects: performance and business. Programming and producing a season for a symphony or theater or ballet company is one thing; keeping it financially on its feet is another--the "BUSINESS of the arts." It's a delicate and highly-skilled balancing act--salaries, facilities management, maintenance, advertising, ticket management, publicity, part-time/full-time staff, volunteers, telemarketing, printing, cleaning and repairs, upgrading technical systems, lighting, sound, utilities, architectural design, project management, web design and management, FUND RAISING, community outreach, media liaison, and on and on and on. And it doesn't pay that well, there are few openings, and one tends to get caught in government and charitable budget crunches, what? And then they wonder why you run a deficit.

But make no mistake: this stuff is BIG Business. I live in the Norfolk, VA area, and the arts here are an economic engine that generates a BILLION dollars a year. With a "B." And the Legislatures seem to think all this is a "luxury."

Clearly, nobody can master all this right out of college, or even by the age of 40. Choose your courses carefully. Accounting is a must, but don't go beyond what you need. Some knowledge of advertising and practical marketing is essential. You must have the right personality and goal-orientation to handle prima-donna artists, producers, and rich people who don't know how to spend their money.

But practical experience is the real jewel. Attach yourself as an assistant in two or three of the specialties to a really super company director, and imitate a Black Hole--be the "sort of person on whom nothing is lost." Have your boss show you how every contract, every contractor, every negotiation, every ad campaign, actually works. Volunteer to sit in on EVERYTHING, just to learn.
Your boss will love it, if he has a brain in his head--he can actually get a cold and not worry that he'll come back to a smoking ruin because YOU are on the job. In fact, the learning process is much like a medical Residency, except that you will not earn six figures at the end of the tunnel.

But you MUST be absolutely suited for such work, by temperament and learning style. If you are not, it can literally kill you. Go to kiersey.com and take a version of the Myers-Briggs test. Get counseling. If you are wrong, consider becoming a talent agent--my brother has that gift, and the business degree will help. I am 66, and have actually done everything I named above, except fund-raising and working with volunteers, but it has taken a lifetime. My daughter, on the other hand, is a director of fund raising and volunteers at an NPR station, after 13 years as a nonprofit administrator (she actually RAN Easter Seals at age 31). Don't ignore genetics. And yes, as an adjunct professor I counseled a LOT of students. I am now dumb enough to start a business at my age, and it feels terrific--I have all the "battle-rattle" I need, and I'm gonna kill 'em if they get in my way. Write if you need encouragement or can take advice.

Herman Said:

Can i get a good career in music with a general business degree?

We Answered:

business degree with a concentration in music

Jeff Said:

If you want to major in music business can't you get a business degree? Or do you need special training?

We Answered:

I'm not an industry person, but I'm a marketing professor, and I've seen a number of our students take jobs in the music business with a simple business degree. An internship or two in the industry does help, though.

Phillip Said:

What kind of jobs can I get with a Music Business Degree? Please list job titles.?

We Answered:

Functional areas:
- Music copyright and publishing
- Contract law
- Artist management
- Merchandising, distribution, manufacturing
- Radio, television and internet promotion
- Touring & concert promotion

Phillip Said:

What is the main difference in a degree in music business and a degree in business?

We Answered:

Music is the difference