Music Business and Production - BA (Hons)

A&R executives within the Music Industry are responsible for finding and helping to develop new talent in association with artist management. Assessment of the viability of potential new signings along with an evaluation of their target market are some of the skills that are used in the decision-making process. This practice based module focusses on the principles of finding and developing new artists and creative talent including producers and songwriters, and analysing management techniques for launching and maintaining the careers of the artists they represent.

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Students will be required to devise a short, original composition for a live performer with technology. A series of lectures will introduce students to various compositional models, contemporary compositional theories will be explored in relation to key works and scholarly texts and workshops will develop the students' technical skills. Work-in-progress will be performed during the module, and students will be encouraged to engage in peer evaluation and criticism. A final performance of all works will take place towards the end of the module.

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Contracts are one of the most important elements of the Music Industry and impact directly on the success or failure of an artist's career. Students will learn the key negotiation elements of artist management, recording, publishing, touring and merchandising contracts and the different ways in which stakeholders approach the negotiations of these contracts. The various rights organisations and their operating models, both nationally and internationally are also examined along with the collection of copyright and performance royalties, their generation and importance within the framework of the industry.

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The module investigates music for media in both theory and practice. The focus will be on music used in moving image media, including an exploration of musical languages and compositional techniques commonly deployed in relation to moving images. Students also study film music history, gaining insight into critical approaches that have informed the practice.

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Students will be taught the essential skills required for writing magazine, newspaper and online journalistic articles within a musical context. This can include reviews, artist biographies and celebrity culture features. They will be introduced to the disciplines of public relations including online and social media strategies. This is essential for launching, developing and maintaining artist careers. Press and media publicity campaigns will be explored and students will evaluate the effectiveness of PR within the marketing mix.

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Marketing requires analysis, processing of data and careful cost-effective targeting and consumer expectations. This module investigates the segmentation, targeting, and positioning concept to effectively and efficiently devise marketing programmes. Different facets of marketing are analysed including business to business, product driven business to consumer and market funnelling. The language of marketing is introduced and used to create viable marketing strategies in real world scenarios. Students will be required to write a marketing plan in support of the launch of a brand, product or artist.

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This module provides a scholarly perspective on the development of twentieth-century and recent musical genres. Different musical styles will be compared and analysed, and their wider contexts will be considered. The cultural, social and commercial development of genres will also be examined.

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The module takes a holistic approach to the theory and practice of community music. Students engage with the creation and facilitation of music-based experiences for groups and individuals in a variety of settings within the local community. The core aim is to provide a foundational training for budding or potential educators, therapists, facilitators and researchers. A variety of topics form the subject matter of the course, which is interdisciplinary in scope. The curriculum includes an introduction to the history, development and literature of music and community studies using selected key publications in community music, ethnomusicology, music education, and music, health and wellbeing/therapeutic music studies. Given the high number of publications in these fields the core texts will be chosen for their ability to provide (i) connections and synthesis and/or (ii) disciplinary distinction, especially when highlighting methodological differences. As noted the aim is to provide a relatively unified and holistic introduction to community music in theory and practice.

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A highly practical module which will introduce you to the complex formal conventions surrounding professional score presentation, instrumentation and orchestration, harmonising and reharmonising melodies, creating introductions, basslines or countermelodies, layering and textures. You have the opportunity to work across a wide range of styles and will also explore timbre in the context of original arrangements. Following a series of given briefs, you will work towards the production of a portfolio which will contain orchestration, arrangement and harmonisation assignments.

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In this module, students will be exposed to a variety of song-writing techniques and will develop and nurture the wide-ranging skill set necessary to succeed in the current music industry. Students will learn to carry out basic harmonic analyses of existing songs and apply theoretical approaches to produce original work, investigate different ways to structure songs, explore creative methods to write and develop lyrics, and learn how to enhance basic song templates with melodic accompaniments (e.g. strings, brass etc.).

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The module explores advanced audio design techniques and critical listening skills demonstrated and applied in specific music contexts. Students will develop the ability to discern and analyse sound characteristics, record and sculpt sonic events to create original sound design, and produce advanced creative work that explores the rich potential offered by sound processing and arranging techniques. Students will look into works of significant composers in the field, and will be taught through a series of interactive seminars, studying both the aesthetics and the technology of audio-based composition and sound design.

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Spatial sound is a powerful tool for immersion and is fast becoming a must-have knowledge for many different media and technologies including cinema, theatre, sound installations, exhibitions, live performance and game sound. This module will explore spatial sound, multi-loudspeaker and surround sound formats, including an outline of the developments of spatial sound music and the work of significant composers in this field. Students will study both the aesthetics and technology of multichannel music, including live diffusion techniques, large sound distribution systems and multichannel sound installations. Students will be led to produce creative work that explores the rich potential offered by sound spatialisation techniques, which will culminate in a live performance with the Music and Audio Arts Sound Theatre (MAAST) system.

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It is now a requirement that businesses, including start-ups prepare a business plan to reassure stakeholders that it is worthwhile investing their time and money in the business. Banks now need reassurance that the management behind the business has researched their market and have a clear plan for development. This module takes the student through the process of preparing and producing a comprehensive business plan including market research, cash flow and profit and loss projections. The student is encouraged to utilise robust research practices and to engage with strategic critical thinking. The business plan, including a SWOT analysis, forms the basis of a presentation which the student can use should they wish to approach investors or banks going forward.

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Music plays an important role in our daily lives and is woven into the fabric of society. We listen to music in a variety of contexts and via different media. The omnipresence of music raises several questions: why do we listen to, play and create music and how does it affect our lives, identity and political views? What is the relation between the society we live in and the role, meaning and value of music within that society? How is music influenced by and how does it influence social norms, the political economy, media industries and technological developments? The module concentrates on post WWII popular music live and mediated through its study in context (of a time and place) and as a multimedia/intertextual phenomenon (involving sound, image and the written word). Students will engage with the ways in which culture and ideology, politics and economy, and notions of race, gender and class continue to shape and influence the production and reception of popular music culture.

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There is a general perception that if successful, an artist can generate a substantial amount of income for all the related stakeholders within the Music Industry. This module provides an in-depth approach to managing income streams, the various percentage splits, maximising income and the responsibilities of the associated stakeholders. Students will study financial management and good business practice along with the associated ethical ramifications.

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In this module, students bring the expert knowledge they accumulated during their studies in one final project, which takes the form of an individual study in one practical area relating to music or music technology. The project can be (but is not restricted to) a large-scale composition, a songwriting project, sound design and foley, audio-visual work, sound installation, audio programming, sound spatialisation, or performance. Students will choose an area of study in conjunction with a tutor, who will oversee the development of their project. Expertise gained through the undergraduate course will be enhanced and strengthened in this final work.

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The purpose of this module is to provide opportunity for self-directed group exploration in the creation of a collaboratively developed interdisciplinary practical research project, such as performance projects, audio-visual work and multi-media projects. Although each student will have to negotiate an individual and personal Learning Contract with a supervising tutor, the focus of this module remains interdisciplinary and collaborative. This will be achieved through a system of lectures, workshops, mentoring, negotiation and tutor supervision. Projects are undertaken and evaluated with tutor guidance.

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The module presents an opportunity to undertake research on a specific topic in music studies/music technology working largely alone, and to present in a structured form the results of that research. The research may be of an empirical or library based nature, or a combination of each. It will provide students with an opportunity to profit from pursuing studies outside of taught courses; to develop the student's interest in areas of and approaches to music studies, which may not be covered in taught courses if agreed by their tutor. Therein lies the opportunity to be assessed on the basis of skills different from those required for a traditional examination. This is also an opportunity to demonstrate organisational and planning skills together with initiative.

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Since the 1960s, electronic instruments have featured more and more in live performance. This module balances the history of live electronics with contemporary practical instruction. It charts the history of live electronics, through fixed media playback, electronic signal generation and processing, and interactive audio systems for composition and performance, addressing the breadth of live electronics across sound projection, enhancement of acoustic instruments, through hybrid acoustic/electronic instruments, to include a wide range of performance practices. Lectures will cover history and case studies, while workshops and lab sessions will cover practical issues of hardware and software design and performance practice. Students will encounter a vast range of electronics from DIY to high end digital systems, and this module will prepare them for these encounters.

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The module takes a holistic approach to the study of music, arts and health. Firstly, it interprets health research broadly involving health sciences, psychology, wellbeing studies, therapeutic studies, environmental studies and sustainability. Music students will therefore work at the intersection of both the medical and environmental humanities. Secondly, it invites the involvement of dance or drama in its curriculum and project work. The module is concerned with people, place and planet and celebrates the contribution and impact that the arts as a whole make to society. As a wide range of research has shown, the arts help keep us well, aid our recovery and support longer lives better lived. The arts can help meet major challenges facing health and social care: ageing, long-term conditions, loneliness and mental health. The arts can help save money in the health service and social care. Artists and artisans have also engaged with issues of environmental degradation, regeneration and resilience (the health of the planet) and with the use of natural and sustainable natural resources.

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The module explores advanced audio design techniques and critical listening skills demonstrated and applied in specific music contexts. Students will develop the ability to discern and analyse sound characteristics, record and sculpt sonic events to create original sound design, and produce advanced creative work that explores the rich potential offered by sound processing and arranging techniques. Students will look into works of significant composers in the field, and will be taught through a series of interactive seminars, studying both the aesthetics and the technology of audio-based composition and sound design.

Find out more about CMAT6180

Spatial sound is a powerful tool for immersion and is fast becoming a must-have knowledge for many different media and technologies including cinema, theatre, sound installations, exhibitions, live performance and game sound. This module will explore spatial sound, multi-loudspeaker and surround sound formats, including an outline of the developments of spatial sound music and the work of significant composers in this field. Students will study both the aesthetics and technology of multichannel music, including live diffusion techniques, large sound distribution systems and multichannel sound installations. Students will be led to produce creative work that explores the rich potential offered by sound spatialisation techniques, which will culminate in a live performance with the Music and Audio Arts Sound Theatre (MAAST) system.

Find out more about CMAT6190