If you love music but are more interested in the business side — launching a record label, music publishing or managing artists — a music business degree could be your backstage pass to the industry.
With a music business degree, students learn about all the facets of the music industry and develop marketing, management and finance skills.
“The degree is beneficial for a wide range of students, from performers to entrepreneurs to members of industries involved in music or whose business models depend on music,” says Michael J. Sammis, the Patrick and Nussara Decker Music Business Chair, director of music business and professor of practice at Indiana University‘s Jacobs School of Music.
Here are four things to consider before pursuing a music business degree.
What Music Business Programs Offer
Some colleges have music business, music management or music industry programs at the undergraduate level, including Syracuse University in New York, Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts, New York University and the University of Southern California.
Schools also offer music business degrees at the associate degree or graduate levels. Many community colleges offer associate degrees in music business, like the associate in science in music business management at Miami Dade College in Florida. NYU offers a Master of Arts in music business.
“The goal for the music business degree is to create uniquely well-rounded graduates who are both artistic and analytical in their practice,” Sammis says.
[Read: What You Need to Know About Becoming a Music Major.]
Indiana University has introduced a new Bachelor of Science in music business degree, with its inaugural class beginning in the fall 2025 semester. The interdisciplinary, four-year degree is a partnership between IU’s Jacobs School of Music and Kelley School of Business.
“The music business program was created for students who are passionate about the business and breadth of music as a field — how it gets made and managed, who owns it and who it is for, how it is packaged and marketed, and how it achieves financial success,” Sammis says.
IU’s program consists of 27 to 30 credit hours of classes for the B.S. in music business degree, “providing the student with a broad understanding of music business operations, monetization, marketing, management and legal issues,” Sammis says.
How a Music Business Degree Differs From General Business and Music Degrees
A business music degree differs from traditional music and general business degrees.
“While a typical music degree emphasizes performance, theory or composition, and a business degree focuses on broad commercial principles, this program blends the two, grounding students in both the creative and commercial dimensions of the music industry,” says Steve Cole, senior clinical professor of music business at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.
The school offers a Bachelor of Arts in music business with two distinct tracks: a leadership and creative entrepreneurship track, and a sound arts and music production track. The degree offers an integrated and interdisciplinary experience, says Cole, who is also head of music industry studies and recording arts at the university.
Curriculum is drawn from coursework in music business, general management and leadership, and entrepreneurship, he says. “What truly sets this degree apart is its experiential nature, from working on real-world projects with industry professionals and organizations to leading roles in our student-run record label.”
Students in the program get hands-on experience and emerge as “agile, innovative professionals who are not only fluent in the language of music” but ready to succeed in the evolving music industry, Cole says.
[READ: Music Therapy Degrees: How to Become a Music Therapist]
What to Consider When Choosing a Program
When researching programs, students should consider internships, industry ties and whether the curriculum focuses on business, music production or entertainment law, experts say.
“Students should look for programs that are flexible and adaptable, allowing them to shape their education around their unique artistic and professional goals,” Cole says.
Look for programs that combine experiential learning with a heavy emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, so you can apply your knowledge in real-world creative and commercial environments, he says.
“Access to state-of-the-art facilities reflects a university’s commitment to investing in the future of students pursuing careers in the creative industries,” Cole says. “Equally important are small class sizes and a strong culture of mentorship.”
A strong alumni network is also important, experts say. Cole says many of his students find internships, jobs and professional networks through the school’s alumni working in the field.
Programs with faculty actively engaged in the music industry is also key, he adds, “bringing current expertise, professional networks, relevance and real-world insight directly into the classroom.”
Types of Careers Graduates Can Pursue
Music business grads often pursue careers in tour management, label operations, music marketing, digital distribution and A&R. A&R, which means artist and repertoire, is the part of a record label that handles talent discovery and artist signing, and provides guidance for their musical development and projects.
“Our graduates have secured positions at top-tier music companies such as management firms like Red Light, concert promoters like Live Nation, major record labels including Universal and Warner Music,” Cole says.
[READ: Is a Music Degree Worth It and Does It Prepare You for a Music Career?]
Graduates have also landed positions at social media platforms, digital service providers and interactive entertainment companies like Blizzard and also contribute to innovative music startups like Songfinch, Cole says.
Alex Heimerman, a 2019 music business grad of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, says he chose that program because “it aligned perfectly with both my passion for music and my curiosity about the business that supports and amplifies the art.”
Heimerman has since worked in multiple areas of the music industry, including artist management, partnerships and digital marketing. He has worked at Universal Music Group, Red Light Management music management company and The Trenches Collective, an artist incubator and digital promotion and music marketing agency.
Graduates can find job opportunities in recorded music, music publishing, production music, audio streaming, performing rights, live concerts, satellite and terrestrial radio, artist and venue management, and promotion, Sammis says.
“Music is a $40 billion global business,” he says. “Music is also a vital tributary to the broader $2 trillion global entertainment and media industry. This expands music business career possibilities.”
Some of those job opportunities are in music supervision or licensing for businesses like motion pictures, television, advertising, digital service providers such as TikTok, and video streaming platforms like YouTube, Sammis says.
“The?music business?is a vibrant, thriving network of creativity and commerce, which offers a range of potential career opportunities.”
More from U.S. News
A Complete Guide to the College Application Process
4 Tips to Complete College Applications on Time
7 Tips to Impress College Admissions Officers
Music Business Degrees: What to Know originally appeared on usnews.com