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MBA in Music Business Degree Online Master's Program

Russ Kettle, who earned his degree in 2017, wearing an unbuttoned buttondown shirt and black T-shirt standing in front of a stone building.

Cost per credit $637

Total courses 10

Term length 10 weeks

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Program Overview Why get an online MBA with a concentration in music business?

The music industry is rapidly changing and depends on creative leaders – executives, artists, managers and entrepreneurs – who have a business mindset. The innovative Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in music business from Southern New Hampshire University, in partnership with Berklee College of Music, is the first of its kind in the U.S. You'll get the the foundational, interdisciplinary experience of a comprehensive MBA while developing a skill set specific to the music industry.

Skills you'll learn:

  • Application of business practices
  • Data analysis and interpretation
  • Adaptable strategy development
  • Processes improvement
  • Music business leadership
  • Finance and marketing strategies
Russ Kettle, who earned his degree from SNHU in 2017, sitting on a set of stone steps playing a black acoustic guitar.

Courses & Curriculum MBA courses that focus on the business side of music

The curriculum consists of 6 core courses online through SNHU and 4 online courses from the internationally respected Berklee College of Music. Each course will help you build the music-specific knowledge and skills you need to succeed in the industry. Your diploma will be from both SNHU and Berklee – giving you the name recognition of two major players in higher education.

As a bonus, you'll be able to "earn as you learn," meaning the coursework gives you the knowledge to help you earn industry-recognized certifications and badges throughout your program.

Degree Courses

Online Music Business Courses

While you'll learn traditional subjects like marketing, finance and ethics, they'll all be woven throughout your courses in music business, giving you a more efficient MBA experience.

Courses may include:

Course ID: BMB 515
This course provides an in depth look at the structure of the evolving music business and strategies for creating successful business models. It will guide students through the critical areas of the music industry, including publishing and licensing; marketing, promotion, and retail; proper utilization of free music; fan funding and other forms of creative revenue for musicians; and new business opportunities. By the end of this course, students will have a deep understanding of the pressing issues that all musicians, music industry entrepreneurs, managers, and other music business professionals face in the main segments of the music industry, and how to leverage opportunities that the new business provides. This course is offered through Berklee Online.
Course ID: BMB 630
In the Business of Music Marketing, you will gain a professional-level knowledge of cutting edge marketing techniques essential for any music-centric business. Starting with evergreen marketing best practices, you will learn specific approaches for building an engaged community, applying different forms of media for visibility, and utilizing professional marketing tools to plan, execute, and report back on results. Learn how to plan and support a product release, create and execute an integrated marketing campaign, and explore ways to create and run a successful music business. You will master marketing philosophy and gain critical knowledge and skills for both music product and marketing.
Course ID: BMB 655
In this course, students learn to apply critical tools of financial analysis to leverage talent, assess the potential of music enterprises, and drive new music businesses. The course explores nontraditional forms of music funding, such as venture capital and crowdfunding opportunities like Kickstarter. The course includes three components, roughly equally weighted in time spent per week: 1- financial calculations - music and business examples, 2- money, markets, and the music business, and 3- funding music. This course in offered through Berklee Online.
Course ID: BMB 670
Leadership, decision-making, and ethics represent vital foundations for business professionals in the music industry. The course examines the characteristics of notable leaders, leadership approaches, and music industry leadership scenarios. It explores ethics from a wide variety of industries to gain an understanding about why ethical choices are important, and analyzes current issues affecting the music industry, such as the treatment of artists, intellectual property rights, revenue sharing, and digital media and distribution. Students will apply specific decision-making approaches and ethical frameworks toward projects that mirror the real world. They will create a blueprint for sound decision-making, effective leadership, organizational planning, and ethical awareness that they can immediately apply toward advancing their careers. This course is offered through Berklee Online.
Course ID: MBA 580
High performance organizational leaders cultivate innovative thinking and processes and their application to developing successful business strategies. Students will analyze the attributes of innovative thinkers and cultures and how organizational structure and policy can promote or inhibit innovation. The course will explore the market and technology forces that drive the adoption of innovation and the tools and methods--such as risk analysis, economic analysis, statistics, and forecasting--to drive the analysis, selection, and implementation of innovative products and processes.
Course ID: MBA 645
Organizational leaders balance brand management and its relationship with impactful marketing strategies. Students will study the key brand elements of identity, trust, and building habit-forming brand experiences. By applying market research, target market identification, customer trends in the marketplace, and ethical considerations, students will develop a marketing strategy for an organization.

Visit the online course catalog to view the full MBA - Music Business curriculum.

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Upcoming term starts: October 14, 2024 | January 06, 2024

Next term starts:
July 29, 2024

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Online Student Experience What’s it like going to SNHU?

Attending college online at SNHU can be a life-changing experience. In fact, 93.2% of online students would recommend SNHU according to a 2023 survey with 21,000+ respondents.

What to expect:

10-week terms

Learn around your schedule

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What does an online course look like?

You’ll take your courses within SNHU’s Brightspace platform. This is where you’ll find your:

  • Schedule of weekly assignments
  • Discussion boards
  • Grades
  • Instructor announcements
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You’ll fill out one form to verify your high school completion or GED. Then, if you’ve attended college before, you’ll submit a form for each school so we can request your transcripts for you. (Also for free!)

After reviewing your official evaluation, you can decide if SNHU is right for you! If you choose to enroll, just pick your start date and get ready for classes to begin.

Talk to an admission counselor: 888.327.SNHU | enroll@snhu.edu

Accreditations

SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which means we meet certain standards of academic quality, and have the tools and resources necessary for students to be successful. The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.

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Tuition Cost & Savings College can be more affordable than you think

As a nonprofit university, SNHU offers some of the lowest online tuition rates in the country. And when you work with our Financial Services team, we'll explore ways to help you save even more on your education – and customize a payment plan that works for you.

Online graduate programs

Student
Cost per credit
Cost per course
Cost for 30-credit degree*
Full- and part-time students
$637
$1,911
$19,110
Active-duty military and spouses | Full- and part-time students**
$470
$1,410
$14,100

*before previously earned credits are applied

Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

**Note: Students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional costs: Course materials vary by course.

Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

$1,274 $2,548 $3,822
Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

If 2 of your prior learning credits ($637/credit) are accepted toward your master’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $17,836

If 4 of your prior learning credits ($637/credit) are accepted toward your master’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $16,562

If 6 of your prior learning credits ($637/credit) are accepted toward your master’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $15,288

How we estimate your tuition cost:

We look at the cost per credit multiplied by the number of credits you need to earn for a MBA degree. Most master's degrees require 30 credits. SNHU allows you to transfer in up to 6 credits, requiring a minimum of 24 credits to be taken at SNHU. This is only a tuition estimator and doesn't account for other fees that may be associated with your program of choice.

Career Outlook What can I do with an MBA in music business?

The past few decades have seen tremendous changes in the way music is produced, distributed and promoted. Musicians and entrepreneurs must develop the skills and tech-savvy to not only create a polished product, but put it out into the world. As the music business has shifted, it has also ushered in exciting new career opportunities.

Occupations

The skills you learn in an MBA program  – especially those around leadership, innovation, strategy and measuring success – are all valuable and very applicable to the music industry in a variety of job settings, like:

Oversee rights, restrictions, exclusivities and payments related to commercial contracts with songwriters.

Manage various aspects of artist contracts, including copyrights, sales, marketing and event planning/promotion.

Build and/or sustain a label's brand through talent sourcing, content production/sales and marketing.

Work with media outlets, marketers and venues to help raise an artist’s profile and shape their image.

Manage all aspects of concert tours, from transportation and accommodations to merchandise and finances.

Conceive events, hire staff, choose venues, promote the event and plan logistics.

90%

Number of recruiters that planned to hire MBA graduates in 2023, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey.1

$125,000

Median annual starting salary offered to new employees with an MBA in 2023, according to the GMAC 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey.1

Understanding the numbers
When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors—like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

What SNHU students are saying

Ingrid Gerdes ’20
Ingrid Gerdes ’20

Being able to attend classes virtually was a key deciding factor for me when choosing an MBA program. It allowed me to continue my work while pursuing my degree.

Ingrid Gerdes ’20

Frequently Asked Questions

From the advent of peer-to-peer file sharing, to the rise of popular streaming services and a growing interest in licensing for film, television and video games, music professionals must nimbly seek new avenues to put their music out into the world.

Students of the MBA in Music Business program at Southern New Hampshire University and Berklee Online are artists, producers, managers, promoters and more. Some are just getting their foot in the door, and others are music vets accessing the tools they need to remain relevant in a fast-changing industry.

Some of the most common career paths you can pursue with an MBA in Music Business are:

  • Artist & repertoire (A&R) manager: Represent musical artists by planning, organizing, directing and negotiating on their behalf.
  • Booking agent: Manage the many different aspects of event booking for musicians, including contract negotiation, marketing, event planning and more.
  • Publicist: Manage media relations and spin stories that help shape an artist's public image.
  • Tour manager: Nail down the logistics of putting an artist on tour, from transportation and accommodations to scheduling, merchandise and finances.
  • Music publisher: Review contractual agreements to help ensure artists are paid and their work is protected.
  • Promoter: Work with artists and venues to organize tours and special events.

While an MBA in music can help you set yourself apart in this competitive industry, it's important to note that MBA graduates are also some of the most sought after and employable in today's market. According to one survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council, about 90% of recruiters planned to hire MBAs in 2023.1

The music industry attracts people with passion, creativity and drive. Those who succeed in the music industry understand business.

Whether it’s managing finances, negotiating contracts, booking events or reviewing publishing agreements, it's not enough to have talent. You need the acumen to handle yourself on the business side of a music-related career. Even composers and performers can benefit from an MBA in Music Business.

The MBA is a great degree for anyone working in business, including the music business. An MBA gives you the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and abilities that will be useful to you, whether you're working for someone else or are self-employed.

There are unexpected places the online MBA in Music Business can take you, too. As a program that emphasizes the role of technology in distributing and selling music, many graduates are putting their own signature on the business.

"I had one student who was really interested in the algorithm of a popular streaming service," said Mike King, former vice president of enrollment management and marketing and CMO of Berklee Online. "He was a composer who created these ambient playlists that people would listen to as they'd fall asleep. Rain and waves and sounds like that."

The plan struck King, as it not only displayed exceptional understanding of the intersection between technology and music, but it also became a way for his student to make money.

"It was a really clever idea – and ended up becoming really profitable, too," King said.

In the end, the message is clear: Knowing how to market, manage and monetize a business is a crucial skill set for any music industry professional.

As with any business degree, you have options when it comes to pursuing a music business degree online, including specialized music business schools.

Southern New Hampshire University's online MBA in Music Business, offered in partnership with Berklee College of Music, is the first of its kind in the U.S. The program consists of 6 core courses online through SNHU and 4 courses through Berklee Online. (This does not include 2 foundation courses, which may be needed for students without knowledge in certain areas from their bachelor's degree.)

Because it’s an MBA, you’ll gain skills and knowledge you can apply across a diverse range of industries. Yet, with its focus on music, this program builds your expertise in the music industry.

Robert Benincasa, a graduate academic advisor for MBA music students, said, “Although our students have a variety of backgrounds, they are mostly on the creative side and want to use the knowledge gained to strengthen their business side.”

Carin Nuernberg, Berklee's vice president of academic strategy, notes that this online music degree combines “SNHU’s core strength in business and what Berklee does best in Berklee Online.”

The length it takes you to earn your MBA completely depends on your timeline of personal goals and a schedule in which you can be successful.

At Southern New Hampshire University, you have the opportunity to earn your music business degree in just over a year. If you're motivated to finish your MBA faster, this completion timeline can happen if you're able to enroll full time. At SNHU, this means 2 classes per 10-week term.

But that's not a schedule that works for everyone – and that's OK. If you have obligations with work, family or in your personal life, you can opt to enroll part time – at 1 class per 10-week term.

Our online courses are designed to work for you. So if you need to take terms off in between courses, just let your academic advisor know. With multiple term starts per year, you have the flexibility to create a schedule that fits your needs.

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Sources and Citations

1 Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey, on the internet, at https://www.gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/2023_gmac_corporaterecruiters_report.pdf [PDF] (viewed March 15, 2024)