Master in Music Business Management
Lead the Future of Music Enterprise
The Master in Music Business Management is a comprehensive 9-month program (720 h) designed to develop the next generation of leaders in the music industry. This private master’s degree combines strategic management, legal expertise, digital innovation, and practical experience to prepare you for executive roles in concert venues, record labels, artist management firms, music festivals, streaming platforms, and cultural institutions worldwide.
Flexible Learning: Barcelona or Anywhere in the World
Study on your terms with our hybrid modality format. Attend in-class sessions in Barcelona or join virtually via live streaming from anywhere in the world—the learning experience is identical. Every student receives the same rigorous instruction, personalized mentorship, and professional development opportunities, regardless of location.
Program Structure
This master’s degree is organized into three intensive trimesters, each building upon the previous to create a complete educational journey from strategic planning to professional practice:
1 Trimester: Music Events Ideating, Planning and Marketing
- Strategic Marketing for Music Business: Master advanced market research methodologies tailored to diverse music audiences. Conduct sophisticated customer segmentation and competitor analysis across music genres and markets. Develop strategic objectives using data-driven insights and establish measurable goals for music organizations, artists, and events.
- Music Events Planning & Production: Learn to conceptualize and execute music events from intimate club shows to large-scale festival productions. Master venue selection and management, safety and security protocols, professional event planning tools, comprehensive budgeting techniques, and strategic ticketing and pricing models that balance accessibility with financial sustainability.
- Digital Marketing & Social Media Strategy: Build powerful digital presences for music brands, artists, and events. Establish and optimize social media profiles across platforms, design targeted online advertising campaigns, and implement digital public relations strategies that connect artists with contemporary audiences across all genres.
2 Trimester: Music/Artist Management
- Performers’ Rights & Legal Framework: Navigate the complex legal landscape of the music industry with a focus on copyright law, performing rights organizations, intellectual property protection, and contract negotiation. Understand the legal considerations for musicians, producers, songwriters, and performing organizations across all music sectors.
- Music Publishing, Recording & Distribution: Explore traditional and digital music publishing models, recording industry practices, and distribution strategies, including streaming platforms and digital aggregators. Analyze relationships with major labels, independent labels, and producing companies within the contemporary music ecosystem.
- Managing the Artist: Develop expertise in artist-manager contractual relationships, talent identification and development, competition preparation and participation strategies, artist safety and wellbeing, and performance management in both traditional concert venues and innovative non-traditional environments.
- Contemporary Challenges in Music Business: Address critical issues shaping the industry, including inequality and discrimination based on age, gender, and other factors; career development strategies for emerging, mid-career, and established artists; and the transformative impact of digital technology, generative AI, and evolving distribution models on the music industry.
3 Trimester: Professional Internship & Final Project
- Internship (240 h): Apply your knowledge in real-world settings through a professional internship with record labels, artist management agencies, concert venues, music festivals, streaming platforms, publishing companies, or cultural institutions. Internships can be completed anywhere in the world, providing flexibility and international career opportunities.
- Final Individual Project: Synthesize your academic learning and professional experience by creating a comprehensive plan and budget for a music event. Choose from:
- Music concert (any genre: pop, rock, electronic, jazz, classical, etc.)
- Musical theatre production
- Music performance in non-traditional environments
- Outdoor music festival
Present your complete event plan demonstrating strategic planning, financial management, marketing strategy, and operational execution capabilities.
Who Should Enroll
This master’s program is ideal for:
- Recent graduates from music production, music business, or performing arts programs seeking advanced management credentials
- Musicians transitioning from performance to business leadership roles
- Music industry professionals pursuing master’s level qualifications
- Arts and entertainment administrators seeking specialized music business expertise
- International students and professionals aged 20-35are committed to advancing music culture
- Career changers with a music passion are ready to professionalize their expertise
Why Choose This Master’s Program?
- Comprehensive Music Industry Coverage: From independent artists to major labels, from live events to streaming platforms—acquire expertise across the entire music business ecosystem.
- Complete Flexibility: No compromise on academic rigor. Virtual students receive identical instruction, faculty access, and career support as in-class participants.
- Strategic & Practical Balance: Combine advanced business theory with hands-on skills through case studies, industry projects, and a mandatory professional internship.
- Real-World Experience: The 240-hour internship provides hands-on experience and professional networking opportunities essential for career launch or advancement.
- Contemporary Relevance: Address current industry challenges, including technology disruption, diversity and inclusion, streaming economics, and evolving audience engagement in the digital age.
- International Perspective: Study alongside peers from diverse cultural backgrounds and gain insights into global music markets, genres, and business practices.
- Academic Credentials: Graduate with an international master’s degree valued by employers worldwide across all sectors of the music industry.
- Career Support: Benefit from internship experience, industry connections, and professional development resources throughout your studies.
Shape the Future of Music Business
The music industry is experiencing unprecedented transformation driven by technology, changing consumption habits, and new revenue models. Successful organizations and artists need leaders who understand both the creative essence of music and the business acumen required to thrive in this dynamic landscape. This master’s program develops that essential combination of industry knowledge, strategic thinking, and practical expertise across all music genres and business sectors.
Ready to lead the music industry forward? Enroll today and transform your passion into professional mastery.
Program Details
Admissions
Qualifications
Career Paths
Faculty/Methodology
Internships
Evaluation
Study Plan
ONLINE ENROLLMENT FORM
To enroll in the Master’s Degree in Music Business Management, it is necessary:
1. Fill out the online application form
2. Submit the requested documents:
- Passport or ID scan
- Last degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) or CV with working experience
- English level certificate (TOEFL, FCE, CAE, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 75-80) If you haven’t got one, you’ll be asked to take an online English placement test
- Photo (passport size) for the student ID
- Curriculum Vitae
- Optional other relevant documents (such as Reference letters, Foreign language certificates, etc.)
Previous musical/theatre education or background is appreciated but is not an obligatory requirement. The program is open for everyone who wants to start their career in the Music Industry
On completing this Professional Program of Study, you will:
1. Be awarded the
- Private Master’s Degree in Music Business Management
2. Have attained an accredited qualification for managerial and supervisory levels, showing you possess competence in professional work activities.
3. Have attained a high-level qualification equated to the International studies framework as a Master’s Degree or Master Propio according to the Spanish National framework.
Graduates pursue leadership roles including:
- Artist managers and talent agents
- A&R (Artists & Repertoire) executives for labels
- Concert and festival programming directors
- Music venue and club general managers
- Marketing and digital strategy directors for music brands
- Music publishing executives
- Streaming platform content managers
- Independent music entrepreneurs and promoters
- Consultants for music organizations and artists
Our academic team consists of professionals in education, marketing, management, classical music, and related spheres. This 1 academic program provides students with the expertise and professionalism required to succeed in the exciting industry of Music management.
This area of study is open to all graduates; however, it may be particularly useful for graduates from classical and popular music studies, advertising, media and communications, business and technology, creative design, e-business, journalism, and marketing spheres.
The program blends the on-campus theory with the practical project.
After the theoretical trimester is finished, all students need to do an internship. Internship requirements are:
- 240 hours per academic year (with the possibility to do more hours)
- Internship tasks need to be in line with the study program
- An internship can be done anywhere in the world, in person or remotely
- HTL International school does not place students in the company, but will assist with finding an offer and signing an internship agreement
- Examinations
- Continuous evaluation
- Practical projects
- Internship
- Final capstone project
Master in MUSIC BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
STUDY PLAN: 720 Hours
Trimester 1. Music Events Ideating, Planning and Marketing
- Strategic Marketing: Market research, Customer and Competitors Analysis, Setting Goals and Objectives
- Music Events Planning: Event Concept, Venue Management, Safety and Security, Event Planning Tools, Budgeting, Ticketing and Pricing
- Digital Marketing and Social Media: Setting up Social Media Profiles, Online Advertising, and Digital Public Relations
- Step one in the project “Coming up with and pitching the idea of a Music event”
Trimester 2. Music/ Artist Management
- Performers’ Rights: Copyrights in the Music Industry, Performing Rights, Contracts
- Music Publishing, Recording and Distribution: Music publishing, Recording and distribution of music (online platforms included), Big labels and producing companies
- Managing the Artist: Contractual Relations, Artists-Manager, Choosing the Artist, Application and Participation in Competitions, Music Artist Safety and Security, Performance in a traditional environment and non-traditional environment
- Potential Challenges in Classical Music Business: Inequality and unfair discrimination (age, gender, etc), Career lifespan (young artists, in mid-career, with years of experience), Impact of technology (digital technology, generative AI, new ways of distribution)
Trimester 3. Internship + Final Project
- Internship: can be done anywhere, minimum 240 hours
- Based on the theoretical part and internship, you need to write and present the Final project “Creating the plan and budget for a Music Event”
The event can be: Classical music concert, Musical theatre play, Music performance in a non-traditional environment, or an Outdoor music festival.
During the program, students will be working on a group/individual project with the help and support of the tutor. The idea of an event will be created and analyzed by the group during the first trimester.
*One academic hour: 45 minutes
