4.4
stars
423 ratings

Leah Waldo

14,763 already enrolled

Offered By

Berklee College of Music

About this Course

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This course shares practical tips and strategies to help you take your first step into launching your career as a musical artist. We’ll cover everything from developing your unique identity as an artist and how to lead a band all the way to planning and recording your first independent record with the help of crowdfunding. 
The course curriculum is modeled from the real-world experience of Leah Waldo (also known as the emerging country artist, Elisa Smith) and features interviews with industry executives, artists, producers, and engineers — all designed to help you navigate the music industry.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Students should either be an independent music artist themselves or be working as a manager and/or producer with an indie artist.

Approx. 10 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

What you will learn

Describe and discuss your identity, vision, and intention and identify strategies to balance the management of the band and the creation of the music
Develop your musical brand, build and leverage a network of industry professionals, and discuss the benefits of partnering with other brands
Develop a vision for a recording project and engage in a professional conversation with producers
Plan, design, and launch a crowdfunding campaign

Skills you will gain

Music business
Marketing
Crowdfunding
Social Media
Networking

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Students should either be an independent music artist themselves or be working as a manager and/or producer with an indie artist.

Approx. 10 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.4/5 (72 Ratings)

Leah Waldo

Offered by

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(1,899 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome!

Welcome to Building Your Career in Music: Developing a Brand and Funding Your Music! Before you begin the course, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 2 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

2 hours to complete

Your Foundation

In this lesson, we will begin to lay the foundation for who you are as an artist and a leader. We'll discuss the importance of having a strong sense of your identity, vision, and intention and we'll also how leverage your natural skills as a musician, like intuition and collaboration, to work for you as an entrepreneur. Finally, we'll discuss how to become a better band leader.

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 39 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Your Brand

Now that you have a strong foundation (your IVI), we'll discuss building your brand and your fanbase. We'll go over tips for building a presence on social media and how to connect to your fans and potential business partners on a personal level by learning how to network effectively. Finally, we'll discuss the trend of artist-brand partnerships and why a brand partnership might be a smart move for independent artists.

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 31 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Your Record

In this lesson, we'll focus on planning your recording project, whether it's a full length album or an EP. We'll discuss the role of the producer and the very special relationship that exists between producers and musicians. We'll also discuss how to cast a vision for your project by choosing the right songs, feel, and instrumentation. Finally, we'll learn how to set up a simple recording budget so you can keep track how much your project will cost.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 46 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Your Money

The majority of this lesson will focus on planning, launching, and managing a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding is a great way to gain support for your music, but running a campaign requires careful planning and preparation. We'll also share a some tips on how to turn your band into a sustainable business.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 31 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

1 hour to complete

Your Career

Congratulations! You've made it through the course content and now it's time to put what you've learned into practice for your final project.

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.4

95 reviews

5 stars
65.56%
4 stars
20.75%
3 stars
7.78%
2 stars
2.12%
1 star
3.77%

TOP REVIEWS FROM BUILDING YOUR CAREER IN MUSIC: DEVELOPING A BRAND AND FUNDING YOUR MUSIC

by AGMay 28, 2018

Excelent course, great topics, I´ve learned a lot about the business and about myself as musician

by AMJul 16, 2020

This course is really helpful for those who want to build a career in music or want to build a band and managing them. Great Class, simple concepts, and connecting it all to your dream.

by DCJul 26, 2018

This is a good course. I really appreciated used her personal experience as a living case study to teach and demonstrate the material.

by RSJul 16, 2021

Very detailed, straight forward, well timed and comprehensive course.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
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The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Building Your Career in Music: Developing A Brand and Funding Your Music