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Ministry-approved title: Music Business Administration (two-year)/Music Business Management (three-year)
The Music Business/Music Business 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!
Durham College (DC) offers pre-admission assessment testing to mature domestic applicants to meet admission requirements in English and/or math. Domestic applicants that are 19 years of age or older as of the start date of their program, and who do not have the required program credit(s) i.e., Grade 12 English and/or Grade 12 math are eligible to take an admissions assessment test.
Learn more about how to book Pre-Admission Assessment Testing here.
DC also offers Academic upgrading courses are FREE and designed to help you meet the admissions requirements for this program. Available to individuals 18+, these courses are offered on-campus at DC. Boost your qualifications with:
Learn more about Academic Upgrading and connect with our team to get started.
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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:
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.
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 providin this scholarship as a tribute to him, a consummate music fan.
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.
Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
In person
Students will come to campus to complete in-person learning requirements. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
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:
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, in and outside of the classroom.
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.
Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:
Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.
Looking for more pathway opportunities or to transfer to Durham College? Click here for more information.
NOTE: Students enrolling in this program are required to purchase their own laptop.
A Mac laptop is recommended. Please see the hardware requirements document for details.
DO NOT PURCHASE THIS SOFTWARE PRIOR TO STARTING THE PROGRAM.
Creative Cloud brings together everything you need to create your greatest work. One simple membership gives you and your classmates to the very latest versions of all the Adobe professional creative desktop applications like Photoshop®, Illustrator®, Premiere Pro® and more — plus new features and upgrades as soon as they're available. And that's just the beginning. With Creative Cloud™, everything you need to create intuitively and collaboratively is included.
Free downloadable software (please download and install prior to the start of classes. Caution: To avoid malware, only download from the actual developer or using the links below):
NOTE: These requirements were accurate at the time of posting and are subject to change. Please be aware that hardware and software versions are subject to change and will be updated as needed. For further information and FAQ click here.
App Store
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