The Best Music Business Degree Programs

Berklee College of Music's Master of Arts degree in Global Entertainment and Music Business prepares industry professionals to lead today's global music industry.

Students develop expertise in the essential skills, concepts, and methodologies of global business models. Additionally, the program enhances analytical and leadership abilities, along with improving students' written, oral, and musical communication skills.

With three concentration options -- Entrepreneurship, Live, and Record, Berklee allows students to tailor their degree to their personal and professional goals and interests. Regardless of their chosen concentration, all students complete a culminating experience project and a practicum course.

Berklee College of Music students can complete the 33-credit program in three semesters of study. They also can choose to complete an optional internship the fall after graduation.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Music Business, offered jointly by Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Berklee College of Music, equips students with a tailored business degree that perfectly suits the industry's evolving needs.

With new technologies, distribution methods, and economic realities shaping the music industry, it takes innovative entrepreneurs to navigate the changes and seize opportunities. The MBA program empowers creative leaders to stay ahead of the curve by teaching music business best practices that will remain relevant in the future.

With a curriculum revised in 2021, the SNHU music business degree program consists of only 10 classes.

The MBA in Music Business program, available online, integrates four courses from the renowned Berklee College of Music. Complemented by core business courses from SNHU, students benefit from a comprehensive MBA experience that spans multiple disciplines.

Upon completion, graduates receive a co-branded diploma from both SNHU and Berklee, which enhances the prestige of their academic qualifications.

The innovative, top-tier music business degree can be completed within a year for full-time students.

The program is ideal for executives, artists, managers, record label personnel, and music entrepreneurs who want to enhance their expertise.

With multiple start dates, no need for GRE/GMAT scores and the convenience of online coursework with flexible deadlines, students can earn their degree on their terms.

Furthermore, the coursework provides students with the skills and knowledge to obtain industry-recognized certifications and badges while simultaneously advancing their education.

The SNHU program holds accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Designed to prepare future leaders in the industry, the Master of Science in Music Industry program provides students with a comprehensive education tailored to their individual needs.

The Thornton School curriculum includes topics such as copyright, concerts, artist management, and marketing data analysis. The program also encourages experiential learning with a one-semester internship.

To earn the Music Industry degree, students must complete at least 35 semester units, including 32 at the University of Southern California (USC).

All students also must complete a capstone project -- a two-semester immersion into a student-led music campaign.

Southern California Thornton School of Music enables students to tailor their degree program to their personal and professional goals with four emphasis options:

• Business of Live Promotion/Touring
• Music Supervision and Visual Media
• Performance
• Entrepreneurship

USC requires students to complete MBA requirements in five years or less.

Offered through the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University's Master of Arts in Music Business program integrates coursework from disciplines including business, finance and arts.

The program also enables students to acquire practical experience by collaborating with experts in the field.

Students can customize their degree by selecting electives in fields such as concert management, promotions, and strategic marketing.

NYU offers a fall start date and the flexibility to complete the degree on a full- or part-time basis.

Throughout the 42-credit academic program, students will discover how to utilize business and management theories to tackle issues with a strong artistic and aesthetic component. Additionally, they'll establish a groundwork in defining, assessing, and assessing the structure and operations of the industry.

NYU students also have access to extracurricular activities such as the University Program Board, WNYU radio station, and the Music Business Student Ambassador Board.

To further tailor their degree, students can complete an optional concentration in Music Technology, which helps develop an understanding of the interrelations between music businesses and consumer technologies, audio for games and other interactive applications, sound design in the digital music space, and emerging platforms for the generation and exploitation of music.

Belmont University's Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business stands out for its location, state-of-the-art facilities, and accomplished faculty members. The Music Business Program is the most extensive department at Belmont University.

The Music Business (MBU) program equips students with the knowledge and expertise to excel in industry professions, such as record label operations, music publishing, artist management, publicity, and booking. MBU students complete the B.B.A. curriculum, which is accredited by AACSB International, with a Music Business major and a concentration tailored to their specific interests.

The program blends conventional business courses (such as accounting, business law, finance, management, and economics) with specialized music business courses (such as publishing, copyright law, artist management, public relations, and marketing).

Students tailor their degree by completing a concentration.

Emphasis areas include:

• Music Business.
• Legal Studies.
• Legal Studies (3+3). This emphasis allows students to earn a B.B.A and a Juris Doctor degree in six years from Belmont University.
• Music Production.
• International Music Business. 
• Live Event Management.
• Tour Operations.

The Drexel Westphal Music Industry program exposes students to the full industry field with coursework in business, law, technology, theory and music performance rather than focusing on one subject.

Drexel grants access to eight industry-grade professional recording studios, audio archives, award-winning faculty members, and two computer music labs.

Drexel consistently ranks as one of the top music business schools in the country, according to Billboard Magazine.

Majors select a concentration — Recording and Music Production (RAMP) or Music Business — but students are encouraged to take courses in both areas, learning both the business and creative sides of the industry.

Those who pursue the RAMP concentration take advanced courses in recording, mixing, mastering, and arranging, and have the option to take advanced electives in Scoring for Motion Pictures, Video Game Music & Audio, and Electronic Music Production.

The Music Business concentration has courses in Artist Representation, Music Industry E-Commerce, and spend three terms with Mad Dragon Music Group, an immersive entrepreneurial experience. Music Business electives include Music Merchandising, Touring and Booking, and Media Promotion.

The Music Business concentration offers an accelerated BS/MBA in partnership with Drexel’s LeBow College of Business.

Drexel teaches real-world experience through two summer co-ops working for employers, including Atlantic Records and Live Nation.

187 credits are required to earn their bachelor's degree.

Syracuse University's multidisciplinary music program encompasses the media, marketing, and entrepreneurship side of the music business, backed up by a strong foundation in the liberal arts.

The Bandier Program's comprehensive curriculum consists of 125 credits. It is based in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and complemented by courses from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, The College of Visual and Performing Arts, and The College of Arts and Sciences. Upon completion, graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Recording and Entertainment Industries.

Students develop skills to analyze current trends in the music industry, gain familiarity with professional music organizations, and acquire the ability to develop solutions to industry problems.

Students gain hands-on skills by attending conferences and completing three required internships.

Newhouse learners learn from and network with industry executives during the weekly Soyars Lecture Series and receive ongoing mentorship and support.

Designed for those with a passion for music and business, the Frost School of Music's Master of Arts in Music Industry degree draws learners from all over the nation with a community of like-minded individuals and renowned faculty.

The 30-credit-hour degree emphasizes coursework, extra-curricular activities, and internships.

The interdisciplinary approach allows learners to delve into variety of industry topics, including record companies, touring, copyright, music publishing, entertainment contracts, music licensing, and music marketing.

Frost learners also can take graduate courses outside their degree as electives, such as courses in Live Entertainment Management and courses from the Herbert Business School or School of Communication.

Frost also offers a joint degree Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Arts in Music Industry.

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) ensures a high-quality business education through its MBA degree programs, including the Recording Industry Program and a specialization in Music Business.

The program focuses on complex business analyses, functional areas of business and the impact of current events on the global business environment.

The 42-semester-hour curriculum includes courses in finance, accounting, economics, marketing, and data analytics, as well as a capstone course.

The Concentration includes four courses:

• Entertainment Branding
• Legal Rights of the Creative Individual
• The Music Industry: Revenues, Rights and Professions
• Music Entrepreneurship and Strategic Planning for the Arts

With MTSU's Flex MBA program students have the flexibility to complete their degree online, on campus or a combination of both. Core courses follow an accelerated timeline with seven-week classes.

Learners can take classes at their own pace or in a 12-month Accelerated Cohort program.

MTSU holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

MTSU also allows transferring up to six credit hours of approved graduate coursework from another AACSB-accredited institution.

The University of North Texas' College of Music and G. Brint Ryan College of Business have collaborated on an innovative MBA program in Music Business.

The degree offers a comprehensive business administration curriculum combined with hands-on music classes focused on entrepreneurship and contemporary business tools for musicians to learn music business knowledge.

Leveraging the success of the Music Business & Entrepreneurship degree, rated as one of the Top Music Business Schools by Billboard for four consecutive years, the MBA program covers essential topics such as management, marketing, finance, and media, with a direct application to the music industry.

The school welcomes learners with diverse musical backgrounds, ranging from classical and jazz to commercial music.

With a total of 36 credits, including three Supporting Courses, such as Beginning Digital Audio Production for Music Entrepreneurs, Artist Management and Touring, and Business of Music in Media, the MBA in Music Business equips graduates with a well-rounded skillset.

Additionally, the university hosts an annual Music Entrepreneurship Competition, which grants $20,000 in cash prizes.

The Music & Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) program at CU Denver adopts a forward-facing and inclusive approach to music education to equip students with the necessary skills for the contemporary music world.

Housed in the College of Arts & Media, the program offers several degrees in four undergraduate areas of study, including music business. Designed to help students establish their own niche in the music industry, the music program features a specialized curriculum taught by experienced faculty who are industry leaders.

The music business degree focuses on the business aspect of the industry, preparing students for the constantly evolving field by covering topics such as finance, law, publishing, production, and management.

The curriculum also delves into present growth and emerging trends, incorporating coursework in business, musicianship, audio engineering, and music industry practice.

CU Denver offers two tracks in music business: the Non-Audition Track and the Audition Track. The former is designed for learners seeking careers behind the scenes in the music industry and includes fewer performance classes, allowing for more elective courses.

The Audition Track is ideal for learners who want to pursue both music business and performance classes in their studies, offering them the flexibility to make better business decisions and more career opportunities. Audition track students must pass an audition and choose one of the same instruments as those offered in the music performance degree.