Launch Your Career in the Music Business. Success Begins with Creativity & Fundamentals in Entrepreneurship, Law, and Music Business Structure

4.8

stars

1,341 ratings

John P. Kellogg, Esq. +3 more instructors

Top Instructor

14,434 already enrolled

Offered By

Music Business SpecializationBerklee

What you will learn

How to navigate the music business as an independent artist, including how to network, leverage social media, and launch a crowdfunding campaign
Discuss how the music business functions, including the various roles within the business, contract agreements, and how artists make money
Discuss the exclusive rights granted by copyright law and explain how to leverage those rights as a creator
Leverage skills used in musicianship to become a more effective entrepreneur

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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This specialization will give you the knowledge, both theoretical and practical, to launch your career in the music business as an artist, manager, agent, and/or producer. You will begin with Music Business Foundations, which provides a broad overview of the music business, including a history of the industry as well as the various roles that exist and how they relate to one another. You will learn how record contracts are structured as well as a basic overview of copyright law. From there, you will complete Navigating the Music Business, designed for both musical artists and those who wish to work with artists. This course will help you identify the unique elements of artist identity and provide you with the practical business know-how you’ll need to build a fanbase and successfully run a crowdfunding campaign. Next, you will complete Copyright Law in the Music Business, which gets to the heart of compensation and revenue in the music business. You will have the opportunity to unpack high-profile copyright law cases involving world-renowned artists, gaining a better understanding of how to leverage the law to their benefit. Finally, you will complete Creativity and Entrepreneurship, in which you’ll learn what it takes to be an effective entrepreneur in the music business, learning skills that are essential for thriving in an ever-changing industry.

Applied Learning Project

Learners will develop a comprehensive plan for their music career, including a vision statement, website, and an optional crowdfunded campaign. Learners will also analyze and discuss a series of high-profile, real-world case studies from the music industry.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 5 months to complete

Suggested pace of 2 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 5 months to complete

Suggested pace of 2 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Music Business Foundations

4.9

stars

2,464 ratings

This course has been developed to provide students with the latest instruction on the best way for creators, consumers, and facilitators to navigate the resurgence of one of the world’s most exciting industries: the music business. Three things are clear about today’s music industry: The consumption of music is expanding at the greatest rate in history and from the most portals ever imagined, the cost of producing music is decreasing, and the number of artists creating and seeking to expose their work and develop careers through the Internet has increased dramatically. Whether you’re a music creator, consumer, or facilitator of this process, you’ll want to understand the history, underpinnings, and basics of the music business. Course author John Kellogg—administrator, educator, entertainment lawyer, performer, and radio and television personality—offers students the opportunity to learn the fundamental principles of the developing new music business, for now and into the future.

Course2

Course 2

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

4.4

stars

438 ratings

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.

Course3

Course 3

Copyright Law in the Music Business

4.8

stars

611 ratings

In this course taught by E. Michael Harrington, students will learn the basis for copyright including what is and is not covered by copyright law. This course will help clarify what rights artists have as creators as well as what the public is free to take from their work. Students will also learn what to do if someone copies their work and what to do if they are accused of copying someone else. Finally, the course will discuss how technology has changed copyright for the better (and worse) and how copyright laws may change in the coming years.

Course4

Course 4

Creativity And Entrepreneurship

4.7

stars

322 ratings

Creativity & Entrepreneurship will help you tap into your inner creativity and learn how to leverage it for career development or business innovation.

Presented by Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship founder Panos Panay, this course features interviews with world renown entrepreneurs, innovators, songwriters, producers, creative directors, educators, performers, visual artists and chefs as they discuss parallels between the creative and entrepreneurial journeys. The course approaches entrepreneurship as a creative process, a fundamental human instinct that we all possess and can unlock. Creativity & Entrepreneurship applies concepts from the creative and musical creation process, such as observing, prototyping, iterating and embracing failure, as a means of guiding you through the concept of thinking like a startup. You will develop the basic mindset, knowledge, and insights required to pursue an entrepreneurial career, whether as the steward of your own career or as the founder of a new business in any field. Creativity & Entrepreneurship is about the side of entrepreneurship you won’t learn at a business school but, instead, in the music studio. What you'll learn: How to approach your career or startup as if learning a musical instrument Why entrepreneurship, like creativity, is something we all possess How to apply “the musician mindset” as means to collaboration and creative problem solving Why songwriting is a perfect parallel to career and product development Why there’s more to entrepreneurship than business plans and spreadsheets much like there’s more to music than scales and lead sheets

Instructors

Offered by

Berklee

Established in 1945, Berklee is at the forefront of contemporary music education, bringing its award-winning curriculum to more than 3.5 million students around the world. Currently comprising Berklee College of Music, Berklee Online, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee NYC, Berklee Summer Programs, and more, Berklee is shaping the key players of tomorrow’s music industry. With innovative programs in performance, production, business, theater, dance, and more, students come away from their Berklee experience with a professional portfolio, practical job skills, and a strong sense of community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
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.
Can I take the course for free?
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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
There are 4 courses in this specialization and each course is 4 weeks. In total, the specialization should take about 16 weeks to complete.
What background knowledge is necessary?
There is no background knowledge required to complete this specialization.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
While a specific order is not required, we recommend completing the courses in the following order: Music Business Foundations, Navigating the Music Business, Copyright Law in the Music Business, and Creativity and Entrepreneurship.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
No.

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Music Business Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project