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  • Music Business Administration (two-year)/Music Business Management (three-year)

Music Business Administration (two-year)/Music Business Management (three-year)

Promotional image for this program.
Credential
Ontario College Diploma/Advanced Diploma
Location
Oshawa
School
School of Media, Art & Design (MAD)
Length
Four semesters/Six semesters
OCAS Code
MBAD
Next Intake
September 2020   +VIEW ALL INTAKES
Apply Now
  • Overview
  • Program Details
  • Admission Requirements
  • Courses
  • Costs
  • Career Options
  • Field Placement
  • Transfer
  • Apply Now

Program Overview

The Music Business Administration/Management programs prepare students to enter any field of the music industry equipped with a solid foundation of relevant knowledge and business practices, and plenty of hands-on experience. Students learn to manage revenue streams, book tours, draft and negotiate contracts, manage artists and venues, plan and execute events, design websites, market and promote artists and merchandise, build a network, and much more. Graduates enter the industry ready and eager to become astute music industry executives, well-informed musicians/songwriters, or both!

Field Placement
Field Placement
Hands-on Experience
Hands-on Experience
Scholarship
Scholarship

Admission Requirements

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
  • Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)

View All Requirements

Intakes and Availability

Date Domestic Availability International Availability
September 2020OpenOpen

Tuition

Year one domestic: $2,722 (CDN)
Year one international: $13,322 (CDN)

View Full Costs

Semester 1 Courses

  • Music Business Practicum I (CENT 1300)
  • Communication Essentials (COMM 1334)
  • Music Industry Overview I (ENT 1301)
  • Event Planning And Management (EVNT 1300)
  • Music History & Appreciation (MUSC 1300)
  • Networking & Personal Selling (NTWK 1301)
  • Live Sound (PROD 1302)

View All Courses

Career Options

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

  • Artist booking agencies
  • Artist and tour management companies
  • Major and independent record labels
  • Marketing and promotions companies
  • Music licensing companies
  • Music publishing companies
  • Event production companies
  • Music production (live and recorded) companies
  • Venue management
  • Merchandising companies
  • Freelance

View all Career Options

Program Details

This unique business-based program provides plenty of experiential learning opportunities and in-depth knowledge of all areas of the music business, preparing you for a wide variety of music industry careers spanning:

  • Major and independent record labels in roles including marketing, publicity, promotion, merchandising and sales, artists and repertoire, and brand partnerships
  • Live music including tour management and booking, concert promotion and production, and venue management
  • Music publishing and administration including positions in copyright collection societies, industry trade organizations, copyright administration, music licensing, and music supervision
  • Artist management (e.g. managing a musician or band, or managing one’s own musical career)
  • Digital music management including streaming services, social networks and online music retail
  • Event production including planning or managing live music events, conferences, workshops, networking events, and more
  • Performing/recording artist, or songwriter
  • Music production including live and recording services

You will develop skills in management, marketing, promotion, and small business operations, while learning and practicing the essentials of copyright law and music publishing, event production, live sound reinforcement, and media and business communications. Challenging careers are available for skilled administrators and managers, as well as aspiring musicians and songwriters, who can market and manage entertainment events and revenues; maximize social media; manage tours; work directly with performers as booking agents or managers; prepare promotional materials; plan and organize itineraries; and negotiate, interpret and enforce contracts.

Music Business Practicum

The Music Business Practicum (MBP) course is unique; here, your textbook is life itself and you are the author. You will have a job and it will be your homework.

This course, which you take for four semesters, provides you with hands-on, practical, networking and business experience similar to what you will encounter in the music industry. MBP offers you the chance to learn by doing. In the process you will learn plenty of useful and important things about the industry and yourself.

In MBP first and second-year students work together and with the community to operate our own music industry. There are several enterprises to which you can apply in order to become a valued team member and get a great learning experience. These include record labels, artist management companies, the campus radio station, a recording studio, a music magazine, a merchandising company, an event production company, a publicity and promotion company, photography and video production, and more.

In order to pass each MBP course, you are required to:

  • accumulate a minimum of 30 hours of approved, authentic work experience, AND
  • successfully complete the required written assignments.

You will continually gain real-world experience for your resumé, which will greatly improve your job prospects. Employers want people with experience and MBP gives you a great opportunity to get exactly that.

Mike Shulga Memorial Award

The Mike Shulga Memorial Award is granted annually to a student in the third year (Semester 5) of the Music Business Management advanced diploma program. Applicants must submit proof of relevant work promoting independent live music. Ideas include performance and venue contracts, artists’ affidavits, evidence of promotion (e.g. social media, posters, ads) venue and promoter contact info, etc.  Mike "Star" Shulga was an active force in the Oshawa music scene for more than 40 years. He had a passion for rock n' roll and vinyl, and promoted local artists through his own label and live shows. Community members and friends of Mike are providing this scholarship as a tribute to him, a consummate music fan.

In The News

  • MBM students network and perform at Indie Week’s Student Sessions event
  • A year of accomplishment for student musician Cale Crowe
  • DC celebrates student’s hit single with take on Carpool Karaoke
  • DC grad Sarah Mark hits the Top 40 with song ‘Tun Up’
  • DC grads offer post-grad insight at Alumni in the Pit during Career Week
  • DC alumni share their post-graduation success and inspire students about life after college
  • MBM students successfully organize Reel Music Festival
  • MBM grad Lauren Toyota stars at MuchMusic
  • Internship leads to job at Universal Music for MBM grad
  • MBM students present first songwriter's workshop
  • MBM grad honoured by CMRRA

Admission Requirements

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
  • Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)

Courses

Semester 1

  • Music Business Practicum I (CENT 1300)
  • Communication Essentials (COMM 1334)
  • Music Industry Overview I (ENT 1301)
  • Event Planning And Management (EVNT 1300)
  • Music History & Appreciation (MUSC 1300)
  • Networking & Personal Selling (NTWK 1301)
  • Live Sound (PROD 1302)

Semester 2

  • Music Business Practicum II (CENT 2300)
  • Music Industry Overview II (ENT 1302)
  • General Education Elective (GNED 0000)
  • Graphic Design Essentials (IMGE 2305)
  • Copyright Law (LAW 2212)
  • Music Business Documentation I (MBDO 2301)
  • Introduction To Marketing (MKTG 1301)
  • Event Workshop I (WKSP 3303)

Semester 3

  • Music Business Practicum III (CENT 3300)
  • General Education Elective (GNED 0000)
  • Music Industry Math (MATH 4310)
  • Music Business Documentation II (MBDO 3301)
  • Media Industries And Video Production (MDVP 3300)
  • Music Marketing (MKTG 2310)
  • Music Publishing (PUBL 1301)

Semester 4

  • Accounting (ACCT 1307)
  • Music Business Practicum IV (CENT 4300)
  • General Education Elective (GNED 0000)
  • Contract Law (LAW 2357)
  • Tour Management (MGMT 1319)
  • Promotions & Publicity (PPUB 1000)
  • Event Workshop II (WKSP 4303)

Semester 5

  • Web Design For Music Business Management (COMP 2308)
  • Digital Business (EBUS 1210)
  • Personal Finance (FINC 5300)
  • Field Placement I (FWK 3310)
  • Independent Research Project I (INDP 5301)
  • Artist Management (MGMT 1321)
  • Field Placement Reporting (WKSP 4311)

Semester 6

  • Entrepreneurship (ENTR 4302)
  • Field Placement II (FWK 4404)
  • Independent Research Project II (INDP 6301)
  • Venue Management & Concert Promotion (MGMT 1334)
  • Merchandising, Retail And Distribution (MRCH 1301)
  • Field Placement Reporting II (WKSP 4312)

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change.

Costs

YEAR ONE FEES Domestic International
Tuition $2,722 $13,322
Compulsory Ancillary

$1,337

$1,812
Program Incidental $0 $0
Total Fees: $4,059 $15,134

Please note: fees are based on the 2019-2020 academic year and do not include textbooks. For more information please see Other fees to consider.

Career Options

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

  • Artist booking agencies
  • Artist and tour management companies
  • Major and independent record labels
  • Marketing and promotions companies
  • Music licensing companies
  • Music publishing companies
  • Event production companies
  • Music production (live and recorded) companies
  • Venue management
  • Merchandising companies
  • Freelance

FIELD PLACEMENT AND GRADUATE EMPLOYERS INCLUDE:

  • Universal Music Canada
  • Canadian Music Week (CMW)
  • Dine Alone Records
  • Re:Sound Music Licensing Company
  • Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA)
  • Cadence Music Group
  • Live Nation Canada
  • Cloud Empire
  • Unison Benevolent Fund
  • Coalition Muisc
  • Chris Smith Management
  • Supergroup Sonic Branding
  • Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA)
  • North By Northeast (NXNE)
  • Paradigm Talent Agency
  • Sony Music Canada
  • Warner Music Canada

Field Placement

One of the key strengths of the Music Business Management program is the field placement component, which offers students the opportunity to apply their new academic knowledge in a supervised workplace setting. For both semesters of the third year, students work for an industry organization two days a week for a total of 210 hours per semester. This is an excellent opportunity for students to apply what they have learned in the program, gain the basic skills necessary to compete for entry-level positions in a highly specialized field, and to make all-important industry contacts.

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Diploma Graduates

  • Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) bridge – University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) – Educational Studies and Digital Technology – UOIT
  • Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations - Athabasca University
  • Bachelor of Management (three-year, four-year, four-year with major) - Athabasca University
  • Bachelor of Business Administration – Management - Davenport University
  • BBA/MBA – Strategic Management - Davenport University

Advanced Diploma Graduates

  • Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) bridge – University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) – Educational Studies and Digital Technology – UOIT
  • Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations - Athabasca University
  • Bachelor of Management (three-year, four-year) - Athabasca University
  • Bachelor of Business Administration – Management - Davenport University
  • BBA/MBA – Strategic Management - Davenport University

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

Music Business Administration (two-year)/Music Business Management (three-year) in the news

MBM students network and perform at Indie Week’s Student Sessions event
DC celebrates student’s hit single with take on Carpool Karaoke
DC grad Sarah Mark hits the Top 40 with song 'Tun Up'
 View more News

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