Billboard’s 2024 Top Music Business Schools

This has been a season of milestones at the colleges and universities preparing young people for careers in the music business.

At New York University (NYU), the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music marked its 20th anniversary in April — on the very day one of its most successful alums, Maggie Rogers, announced her first arena tour.

Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Recording Industry granted its first degree 50 years ago and has since graduated 7,500 “industry-ready alumni,” declares the school’s anniversary announcement. “MTSU is truly a unique place where students are nurtured, inspired and challenged,” says Beverly Keel, dean of the university’s College of Media and Entertainment.

Other schools are writing new chapters in the story of music business education, often with the support of industry benefactors.

Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business is planning a major expansion on Nashville’s Music Row with a significant donation from the Mike Curb Family Foundation. Occidental College has launched the John Branca Institute for Music with a gift from the renowned music attorney, who is an alum of the liberal arts college in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood. At Syracuse University in New York, the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries — endowed by music publishing veteran Martin Bandier — is adding a master’s program.

At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have come under attack, Howard University in Washington, D.C., has pushed back — with a program endowed by Warner Music Group and the Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund. At one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, Howard’s program offers students a unique certification: Social Justice in the Music Industry for Leaders.

Billboard chooses its top music business schools based on industry recommendations, alumni information provided by honorees from our multiple power lists, information requested from each school and nearly a decade of reporting on these programs. While online education programs have proliferated, our choices are campus-based and bestow bachelor’s or associate degrees.

The schools here are not ranked; they are listed alphabetically. “Rankings have created an unhealthy obsession with selectivity,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a 2023 speech. He noted the U.S. Department of Education “hosts a free online tool called the College Scorecard to help students and families make more informed decisions. The scorecard provides data on college costs, graduation rates, employment, student debt and more.”

Recognizing the significant financial challenge of higher education, Billboard has prioritized the selection of more affordable public colleges and universities. And this list is geographically diverse. Beyond music industry capitals, tomorrow’s executives study at Auburn University in Alabama, Baldwin Wallace University outside Cleveland, Delta State University in Mississippi and the State University of New York in Oneonta, N.Y.

At the 20th-anniversary party for the program he endowed at NYU, Clive Davis, chief creative officer for Sony Music Entertainment, may well have been speaking for all who enroll in the schools profiled here when he said, “What is my fond hope for the future? I hope students continue to find success and really emerge as the leaders in the 21st-century music business.”

Abbey Road Institute
London

In the decade since it was established as a music production school by Abbey Road Studios and the studio’s owner, Universal Music Group, the institute has created affiliated programs across Europe and in the United States, Australia and South Africa. The institute’s specialist music production program provides hands-on practical training in all areas of music production, engineering and music-making. Its courses are designed in collaboration with the industry to offer a fast-paced and intensive education that reflects the realities of the business. Its alums have earned multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Award nominations. According to the school, over 90% of the graduates of the program in London secure industry-related jobs within six months of graduation.

Event: Among the numerous engineers and producers who have been guest speakers at the institute is Phill Brown, a veteran of sessions with Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Traffic, Cat Stevens and Bob Marley.

American University (Business & Entertainment Program)
Washington, D.C.

Housed in American University’s Kogod School of Business, this business and entertainment program offers core classes in marketing, accounting and finance alongside specialized courses taught by entertainment industry veterans. Students of Linda Bloss-Baum, formerly of Warner Music Group and currently at SoundExchange, attend South by Southwest each March, and this year, they helped promote a National Independent Venue Association showcase. The program recently welcomed adjunct professor David Hughes, former chief technology officer at RIAA, and has now incorporated artificial intelligence into all of its classes. Beyond benefiting from the school’s location in the nation’s capital, students can join annual trips to Los Angeles, Nashville and New York, where stops have included CAA, Sony Music Entertainment, WME and UTA.

Courses: The business and entertainment program is launching two new classes: one that explores issues regarding name, image and likeness rights in the age of AI and Entertainment Accounting, which will be taught by industry veteran Steven Ambers, formerly vp of corporate development at SOCAN.

Auburn University (Music Studies Program)
Auburn, Ala.

One of the state’s flagship public universities, Auburn is constructing a 4,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art recording studio situated within the music studies complex at Goodwin Hall on the campus. That building also houses two performing spaces. Auburn’s music department has become the second-fastest-growing department within its College of Liberal Arts. Following the introduction in recent years of majors in commercial music and composition and technology, the university last year created a new music business minor. Students in the program have interned at companies including Sony Music, Universal Music Group and CAA and worked backstage on tour with James Taylor. Sony Nashville CEO Randy Goodman was a recent speaker at the Music Business Association, a student organization.
Alums Derek Crownover, a partner at Loeb & Loeb; Jennifer Bohler of Alliance Artist and Media Relations; and saxophonist Khari Allen Lee, who is a professor of practice at the university.

Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, Ohio

Located 15 miles from downtown Cleveland, the city that proudly calls itself the birthplace of rock’n’roll, Baldwin Wallace has helped prepare students for successful careers in the business for more than three decades, offering a bachelor of arts in music industry. Named as an educational affiliate of the Grammy Museum in 2021, the school is the alma mater of Music Asset Management founder and CEO Mary Jo Mennella and Live Nation Midwest region vp of regional marketing Katie Rose and a frequent stop for industry executives including recent speaker Rick Fagan, tour manager for Disturbed. Students also benefit from a large roster of internship partners ranging from Blossom Music Center to Beachland Ballroom & Tavern to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Event: In spring 2024, students in the Music Industry II course traveled to New York to meet with industry professionals from BMI, The Bowery Presents, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall and Carl Fischer Music.

Belmont University (Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business)
Nashville

In April, Belmont University received a $58 million gift from the foundation of music executive and philanthropist Mike Curb for the expansion of its program that bears his name. The largest gift in the school’s history will support the renovation of existing buildings and construction of a state-of-the-art facility on Nashville’s Music Row. Offering bachelor’s degrees in music business and business administration, Belmont provides students direct access to Nashville’s thriving music scene as well as “Belmont USA” semesters in Los Angeles, New York or Atlanta. Organizations like the Showcase Series let students work with vendors to produce six arena shows throughout the year. Notable classes include Intro to the Creator Economy — taught by Andrew Graham, CAA’s head of digital corporate advisory and partnerships, and CAA agent Chris Wittine — which melds social, video and monetization.

Event: In April, the inaugural Belmont at the Opry convened songwriters and performers including alums Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Ashley Gorley and Hillary Lindsey.

Berklee College of Music
Boston

Alongside its long-standing bachelor of music business program that focuses on management, marketing and entrepreneurship, Berklee now offers a bachelor of arts program in music industry leadership and innovation, designed for nonmusicians with an interest in music, business and technology. Both offer ample guest speakers, industry partnerships, on-campus events and networking opportunities. In partnership with SALXCO/XO Records, students in the Trends and Special Topics course prepare a customized branding and social media campaign for a recording artist. The Berklee Popular Music Institute’s flagship BPMI live program offers a yearlong experience in which students scout, develop and tour with emerging artists. The school’s music business summer program, open to students ages 15 to 19, is a five-day experience designed to teach aspiring artists, managers and entrepreneurs how to launch a successful career in the music industry.

Event: This year, the Music Business/Management department hosted its 30th annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture Series, featuring TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson.

Berklee College of Music
Valencia, Spain

Students who want a global view of the industry join with peers from more than 20 countries for Berklee’s one-year master of arts in global entertainment and music business program in Valencia. The program offers three concentrations — live entertainment, entrepreneurship and record industry — and students also work on real-life projects including the on-campus record label Disrupción Records, with the Rototom Music Festival or with companies including Chartmetric, Warner Music Group, Warm and Audiense. Courses include Emerging Technologies and New Creative Frontiers, which covers tech from AI to metaverse communities, and Music Publishing and Music Supervision. The Berklee Global Career Summit, held annually in January, is a four-day boot camp focused on professional development and career paths through keynotes, panels, workshops and mentoring sessions.

Alums: EMPIRE marketing director Alán Hensley, TikTok agency solutions lead Aman Wadhwa and Warner Chappell Music A&R manager Andres Arenas.

BIMM University (BIMM Music Institute)
London

BIMM Music Institute is a division of BIMM University, a group of colleges given full university status by Britain’s Department for Education in 2022. The university offers courses in music, film, performing arts and gaming at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. It has a 40-year history of offering students a hands-on education in state-of-the-art facilities and a wide network of industry connections. BIMM Music Institute now operates in London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham, England, as well as Dublin and Berlin. It offers bachelor’s degrees in the music business; music marketing, media and communications; and event management.

Events: Speakers have included Glastonbury Festival co-founder Michael Eavis, Chic’s Nile Rodgers, members of the band IDLES (who are also alums) and British rapper Stormzy.

The BRIT School
Croydon, England

Co-founded in 1991 by the British government and the British Record Industry Trust (the charitable division of U.K. labels trade group BPI, which presents the BRIT Awards), The BRIT School offers a tuition-free education for students ages 14 to 19 for careers in performance and creative arts and related industries. It has specialist teachers in live sound, production, recording, music technology and business. The school has two working venues on-site and also houses the Sir George Martin Recording Studio, plus audiovisual hubs with professional standard equipment and the YouTube Music Studio for live broadcast and radio. Speakers have included Sony Music Entertainment U.K. chairman Jason Iley and Billy Bragg, who came to celebrate 40 years since the release of his Life’s a Riot album and discuss his career with the students.

Alums: Adele, RAYE, Amy Winehouse and Loyle Carner.

California Institute of the Arts (The Herb Alpert School of Music)
Santa Clarita, Calif.

Every student at CalArts’ Herb Alpert School of Music engages in some aspect of creating music, even those who intend to pursue nonperforming roles. The school, which is rooted in experimentation and diverse approaches to arts and culture, believes this depth of exploration equips students to be more informed about their work after graduation. On campus, students benefit from teachers and mentors with a breadth of knowledge and passions. Simon Reynolds, a faculty member in the Experimental Pop program and author of Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, among other titles, teaches the new Writing About Music course that examines critical writing about popular music. Laurel Halo — a composer, producer, live musician and DJ — joined the faculty in fall 2022.

Course: AI Sonic Explorations features hands-on workshops exploring the critical, speculative and practical ways of applying AI to working with sound and musical composition.

California State University, Northridge
Los Angeles

Cal State Northridge offers classes including copyright law, recording contract formation and negotiation, and marketing, as well as a two-semester course that covers copyright, publishing, licensing and music industry contracts. To ensure students have the skills they need for careers in the industry, the school also emphasizes experiential education, from its student-run record label to its robust internship requirement and deep connections with Los Angeles-based industry professionals, who often visit the campus for panel discussions, guest lectures and mentoring. A recent screening of the documentary Immediate Family, about the hit-making L.A. studio musicians Leland Sklar, Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel, was followed by a Q&A with director Denny Tedesco, who also directed the documentary The Wrecking Crew.

Alums: Mike Elizondo, Grammy-winning songwriter, producer and instrumentalist; artist Andy Grammer; and Andy Summers, guitarist for The Police.

Delta State University (Delta Music Institute)
Cleveland, Miss.

Graduates of Delta State’s Delta Music Institute who earn a bachelor of science degree in entertainment industry studies enter the music business with a range of skills in entrepreneurship and audio engineering technology. The program’s small size enables more personal instruction and one-to-one connections, and students benefit from the institute’s breadth of industry partnerships. It’s an education partner of the Grammy Museum Mississippi, an Avid Learning partner offering Pro Tools certification, a Dolby Institute academic partner and a Grammy U affiliate. It frequently hosts music industry experts, including recent guests Robert Ellis Orrall, founder of Infinity Cat Records; Charles Newman, co-founder of Mother West Records; and Matt-Ross Spang, recording engineer and studio owner.

Alums: Ike Illoegbu, owner of Brooklyn-based i2 Mastering Studios, and Zack Woodard, program coordinator at Grammy Museum Mississippi.

Drexel University (Westphal College of Media Arts and Design)
Philadelphia

Program-specific classes begin freshman year at Drexel’s Westphal College, where students take on courses ranging from 50 Years of Hip Hop to Women in the Music Industry to classes focused on marketing and promotion, entrepreneurship, media promotion, live music and more. The quick immersion provides a foundation for the school’s co-op program, through which all students spend six months working in the field. The program also publishes a zine featuring student-conducted interviews with Drexel alums working in the music industry, sponsors a collegiate chapter of Women in Music and houses FLUX, a student-run organization that produces live-music events on campus.

Event: A group of Drexel students visited the Universal Music Group offices in New York and heard from executives including Jordan Moran, director of audience growth and marketing at Universal Music Enterprises, and Sarah Tully, manager of commercial strategy and partnerships at Island Records.

Full Sail University
Winter Park, Fla.

Artists including Elvis Costello and Aoife O’Donovan and executives such as Sony Music Latin vp of A&R Alejandro Jiménez and MOXIE Nashville founder Vannesia Darby have recently spoken at Full Sail, whose music business program hosts frequent full-day workshops on industry-related topics like branding, AI, social media, live events and career paths. Many times, these sessions also include guests representing a diverse range of industry disciplines. The recent Hip Hop Music Industry Panel brought Goodie Mob’s T-Mo, GYMINI and Vinny Idol to the school. Students gain hands-on experience through the program’s Artist Development initiative, where they assist working artists in areas including social media support, marketing content creation, music video development and promotion.

Course: In Music Supervision, students learn how to serve as a creative liaison between the music industry and the visual-media industries, including film, TV, gaming and advertising.

Hofstra University
Hempstead, N.Y.

Enrollment in Hofstra’s music business program increased by more than 300% from 2017 to 2023, and its offerings have expanded accordingly. A new series of six-week courses — taught by executives including Atlantic Records senior vp of international marketing Danielle Geiger and Thirty Tigers vp of A&R Lee Dannay — focuses on four different topics per semester. Students in the Promotion in the Music Industry course create a marketing plan for an artist and present it to a jury of industry professionals. Students also participate in internships at Live Nation, ASCAP, SoundCloud and Wasserman, to name a few, and benefit from more than 50 speakers who visit campus annually, such as recent guest Rich Holtzman, AEG Presents senior vp of marketing and artist development.

Event: In March, Hofstra hosted a Mental Health in the Music Industry panel featuring Geiger, Sound Mind Live executive director Chris Bullard and Rock Star Advocate founder Suz Paulinski.

Howard University (Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business)
Washington, D.C.

Unique in its curriculum designed to foster innovation, positive change and social justice, Howard’s music business program offers industry support, mentorship, career development opportunities and global reach. It was endowed in 2021 with a $4.9 million gift from Warner Music Group and the Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund and provides students with wide access to industry professionals and resources. Students graduate with a Chartmetric Data Analytics certification and the first-ever Social Justice in the Music Industry for Leaders certification. The program has hosted over 55 executive and artist speakers this past year. Its reach extends to Ghana, where a partnership with the local government facilitates artist exchanges and industry mixers. Partners including CAA, Wasserman, RIAA and The Tom Joyner Foundation offer internships and job placement opportunities.

Event: The program’s director, Jasmine Young, received the 2024 Howard Forward Award and the Changemaker Award for cultivating positive and effective change schoolwide. She also spoke at the inaugural West Africa Music & Arts Festival in Accra, Ghana.

Kennesaw State University (Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment ­Business Program)
Kennesaw, Ga.

Endowed by — and taking its name from — leading entertainment lawyer Katz, the program at Kennesaw State offers a 24-credit certificate program and an 18-credit undergraduate minor for those seeking careers in the entertainment business. Experiential offerings abound. For more than a decade, Katz MEBUS students have worked with Sixthman to create marketing plans for the company’s music festivals and aid its work with Norwegian Cruises. A partnership with Dolby enables students to train in the latest technologies, and the program’s annual trip to London features meetings with executives at Sony Music Entertainment, Abbey Road Studios, Universal Music Group, Dolby, Royal Albert Hall and others. Each year, MEBUS students also develop digital marketing strategies inside the Sony Entertainment boardroom to help launch emerging artists.

Faculty: Bryan Calhoun — head of digital strategy for Blueprint Group/Maverick who has developed digital initiatives for Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, T.I. and The Roots — is serving as executive-in-residence at the program.

Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts
Liverpool, England

Co-founded in 1996 by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty (who retired as principal/CEO in 2021 and was succeeded by Sean McNamara), LIPA’s student body comprises musicians, dancers, engineers, producers, technicians, designers and filmmakers, all honing their talents in world-class facilities. Those planning nonperforming careers can follow a music industry management track taught by faculty with experience in performing, producing, managing and record-label ownership. The curriculum begins in its first year by teaching essential management skills before students begin specializing. In their second year, they can work on a three-week, student-run music festival, 2ube Extra, staged in The Paul McCartney Auditorium. Their third year brings a three-month placement at leading companies including Warner Music and Live Nation, which often leads to full-time employment.

Event: In May, Björn Ulvaeus — composer, songwriter, musician, producer and founding member of ABBA — visited LIPA for a Q&A with students.

Long Island University (Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment)
Brooklyn

Launched in fall 2021, the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at LIU will graduate its first full class in spring 2025. Students in each of its three music majors take foundational business courses, and the curriculum is available to those studying in the applied music or music, technology, entrepreneurship and production majors. It has already become a magnet for leading creatives, legal experts, A&R executives and digital and brand experts, and speakers at the school have included Megan Thee Stallion, Fat Joe, Rapsody, Sony Music Publishing CEO Jon Platt, Roc Nation vice chairman Jay Brown and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez. The school has also hosted the EmpowHERment Summit to amplify the role of women across the music industry and partnered with MetaMoon Festival to host an inaugural summit focused on Asian representation in live music and touring.

Course: The school partners with JPMorgan Chase on the Game-­Changing Finance course that teaches aspiring executives how to understand contract terms, spend thoughtfully, save responsibly and borrow wisely to navigate their financial futures.

Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, Calif.

Los Angeles College of Music launched a master’s program in March 2023, which augments its 12-quarter bachelor of music degree and six-quarter associate of arts degree. Committed to offering students hands-on experience and networking opportunities, the school hosts over 120 industry guests, panelists and master-class speakers each academic year. In addition, the LACM program hosts quarterly field trips to companies including Warner Chappell, Spotify and Disney, where students meet with industry executives and grow their networks, and the school partners with Grammy U, Ableton and audio company AIAIAI. Its student-run, faculty-advised 370 Music Group comprises 370 Artists, which provides artist marketing, development and distribution services in partnership with distributor Vydia, and 370 Songs, which curates original student material for synch and licensing opportunities.

Event: A partnership with DISCO — an industry resource for file storage, sharing and presentations — enables students to have their music heard by music supervisors, publishers and more.

Los Angeles Film School (The Los Angeles Recording School)
Los Angeles

Students explore the entire record-making journey at The Los Angeles Recording School, a division of Los Angeles Film School, which is located in the heart of Hollywood and equipped with professional recording studios for a real-world work environment. The school offers an array of degrees, including an associate of science in audio production and music production and a bachelor of science in audio production, entertainment business, music production and media communications. It also hosts an active speaker roster: Universal Music Group vp of sound and picture Roey Hershkovitz spoke with students in June. All students receive a TechKit that includes a MacBook loaded with software including Avid Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, an Auralia/Musition bundle and a MIDI keyboard.

Alums: Hannah Lux Davis, an award-­winning music video director known for her work with Ariana Grande, Halsey, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj and Kacey Musgraves.

Loyola University (College of Music and Media)
New Orleans

The New Orleans music scene is the backdrop for Loyola’s industry studies program, housed in its College of Music and Media. In 2024, the university sponsored one of the largest stages at New Orleans’ French Quarter Festival, which hired students as interns at more than 25 stages during the four-day event. The program offers an extensive curriculum, including the Record Label Operations course, and ample opportunities for experiential learning across the country and abroad. Students travel to industry conferences such as NAMM, Americana Fest, South by Southwest and Music Biz. This past summer, a new two-week, three-credit course brought students to London for classroom instruction at Regents University and field trips to U.K. entertainment companies.

Course: Digital Strategies is a new course that delves into the use of predictive modeling through trending data in the industry and teaches students how to access the technological tools of tomorrow and use them to build creative careers.

Middle Tennessee State University (College of Media and Entertainment)
Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of ­MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, which, as part of the school’s College of Media and Entertainment, operates alongside complementary disciplines including film, animation, TV, live-event broadcast, photography and digital media. The department offers undergraduate degrees focused on music business, audio production and commercial songwriting, two graduate degrees and an interdisciplinary degree. The school’s proximity to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival enables students to produce over 30 hours of concert livestreams from the fest on Hulu. Last year, students worked at the Grammy Awards, the Country Music Association Awards and South by Southwest, among other events, and provided live sound, video and lighting for Khalid’s on-campus performance. Experiences in audio production, music business and commercial songwriting are part of a robust internship program.

Event: Kerry Gordy, the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, visited the campus to speak about Motown’s impact, working in fields including copyright recapture and finding a distinct career path.

Monmouth University
West Long Branch, N.J.

The home of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, Monmouth’s industry program combines coursework from the university’s business school with its music and music business curriculum in an interdisciplinary model that prepares students for a range of opportunities. Students work curating exhibits, in merchandising and in behind-the-scenes roles at the Archives, while the campus record label, Blue Hawk Records, enables them to take on roles as A&R representatives, managers, producers and artists. One of four collegiate chapter affiliates of Women in Music, the program also partners with major music organizations, tech companies, agencies and a state-of-the-art recording complex in nearby Asbury Park, N.J.

Event: In April, Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp, Mavis Staples and Dion DiMucci were honored at the second American Music Honors Awards, produced at Monmouth by the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. All honorees were present, as were Springsteen and Darlene Love. A film of the event will be shown on campus Nov. 1.

New York University (Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development)
New York

Led by Larry Miller, who was honored as the music business educator of the year by the Music Business Association, the music business curriculum at NYU Steinhardt offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that are integrated with the university’s Stern School of Business. Courses are taught by ­faculty and leading industry practitioners including RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier and National Music Publishers’ Association CEO David Israelite, and recent guest speakers include songwriter-producer Benny Blanco and Shira Perlmutter, director of the U.S. Copyright Office. Students take classes on the business of recorded music, music publishing, live performance, management, publicity and fan engagement at the main campus in New York and satellite sites in Nashville, Los Angeles, Paris, Prague and Shanghai. Starting in 2025, NYU will offer a ­bachelor of science degree in music business, with the first year of study being held in London. Artist and producer Joe Henry is this year’s NYU-Americana Music Foundation artist-in-residence Nov. 11 to 13. Latin Grammy winner Ella Bric will visit in the spring.

Course: Howie Singer and Bill Rosenblatt, co-authors of the book Key Changes: The Ten Times Technology Transformed the Music Industry, teach Data Analysis in the Music Industry.

New York University (Tisch School of the Arts, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music)
New York

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts marked its 20th anniversary this year educating students pursuing music business careers alongside musical creatives. Seeking to prepare students to lead across a range of industry fields, the institute recently added marketing and management executive Naima Cochrane — who has worked for Bad Boy, Arista Records, Columbia and Epic Records — to its faculty. Pure Tone Records founder Pete Ganbarg and Big Beat Records GM Gina Tucci were among executives who met with students at the school’s Atlantic Records Songwriting Camp and Warner Chappell Music songwriting rooms in Warner Music Group’s New York headquarters. The weeklong camp featured collaborative writing sessions by CDI alums and students and daily guest lectures, discussions and Q&As with WMG executives.

Alum: Maggie Rogers, a Grammy-­nominated artist and founder of Debay Sounds, graduated with degrees in music production and English.

Northeastern University (College of Arts, Media and Design)
Boston

In recent months, Drew Simmons, Noah Kahan’s manager and Northeastern alum; Andrea Espinoza, assistant tour manager for Olivia Rodrigo; and Sam Alpert, senior vp of marketing at Wasserman Music, all came to campus to talk with students on track to receive their bachelor of science in music with concentration in music industry. The program is designed for those interested in every facet of the industry, with a focus on entrepreneurial thought leadership and ethical change. On campus, the school offers a breadth of classes ranging from Actionable Analytics in the Music Industry to Copyright in the Creative Industries to Making a Festival. Off campus, it provides students with a host of experiential learning opportunities.

Event: The university’s cooperative education program offers the opportunity to make valuable industry connections, broaden perspectives and acquire skills and knowledge outside the comfort zone of the classroom.

Occidental College (The John Branca Institute for Music)
Los Angeles

At Occidental, the John Branca Institute for Music launched in July — endowed with a $5 million gift from the alum and leading music attorney whose clients have included the estate of Michael Jackson and some 30 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The Mike Curb Foundation has gifted another $500,000 to the institute. Devoted to the study of the industry and popular music, the institute features formal cooperation with other educational entities including Los Angeles City College and Harvard University and music companies such as Warner Music Group (whose former CEO, Stephen Cooper, is an alum). The college also has recruited a tenure-track assistant professor of Popular Music and Music Production: musician, multimedia artist and scholar Ramona Gonzalez. Occidental’s music program will remain anchored in the school’s liberal arts focus, ensuring students develop critical thinking skills.

Course: A class titled Copyright, Originality, and Theft in American Popular Music examines how ideas about musical copyright, originality, authenticity and appropriation have evolved over the history of the American popular music industry.

Oklahoma State University (The Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music)
Stillwater, Okla.

Hit songwriter, producer and former Arista Records Nashville president Tim Dubois is an OSU graduate (and this year was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame). The school’s bachelor of science in music industry program was established in 2017, and in 2021, the Greenwood School of Music opened facilities adjacent to the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, which provides learning and cultural experiences for music majors. A $50 million programming endowment has enabled a New York Philharmonic residency to take place in Stillwater. Students have access to four studios, including the multimillion-­dollar Dick & Malinda Berry Fischer Recording Studio, as well as the student-run music company Poke U. They can also start an MBA program their senior year in conjunction with the Spears School of Business and earn their master’s degree with only one additional postgrad year.

Faculty: Music engineer-producer Luke Tallon (Killers of the Flower Moon) recently joined the faculty.

Rhodes College (Mike Curb Institute for Music)
Memphis

Endowed by the Mike Curb Family Foundation in 2006, the Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College offers a music- and entertainment-based education that enables graduates to learn not only how to work in the industry, but how to think broadly about the world. Rhodes offers two certificates in music industry studies — one in content production and one in arts entrepreneurship. Classes are continually evolving, like the new course Songwriting in Memphis, in which students examine songwriting from multiple perspectives. The program is also home to student-produced zine Dredge and student-produced podcast Beyond Beale. The Curb Community Fellows Program provides funding for students to work directly with local professionals and organizations such as Goner Records, Royal Studios and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

Event: In partnership with the college’s endowed Springfield Music Lecture Series, the Curb Institute hosted Grammy-winning songwriter Jason Isbell for a conversation in February.

Rowan University (College of Performing Arts)
Glassboro, N.J.

Rowan University’s music industry program, housed in its College of Performing Arts, offers a dynamic curriculum and a flexible bachelor of science degree with concentrations in technology (production/recording studio) and business (marketing/management) so students can tailor their studies to their specific interests. Each concentration includes credits from the College of Business. In addition to its annual career fair, which attracts top industry employers such as Live Nation, Rowan maintains strong partnerships with area community colleges, ensuring transfer students find an accessible pathway to their careers. Among its alums: SiriusXM host Erin Constantine, Sony Music Entertainment senior label analyst Ricardo Oropeza and Universal Music Group assistant manager of e-commerce Gabriella Bruckner.

Faculty: Michael McArthur, the program’s professor of practice, is vp of A&R at 300 Entertainment/Warner Music Group and was named to Billboard’s 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list.

State University of New York, Oneonta
Oneonta, N.Y.

All music industry majors at SUNY Oneonta complete a curriculum that features five core courses, including a seminar that explores contemporary issues in the music industry; a career preparation class focused on music, media and entertainment opportunities; and a course that examines legal issues in music, media and entertainment, with focuses on intellectual property law, contract law and ethics. Students also participate in activities, including The Music Industry Club — which produces concerts, seminars and presentations and runs record label Red Dragon Records — and campus radio station WONY (90.9) Oneonta. The school offers a regular series of alumni presentations, and a Backpacks to Briefcases series of networking field trips to New York to meet with alums working at music, media and entertainment firms.

Event: Last year, alum Jenn Federici, a leader in tour management, marketing and live events logistics and compliance who has held positions at Goldstar Management, Momentum Worldwide and Interscope Records, returned to campus to speak to the music industry concert production class.

Syracuse University (Bandier Program for Recording and ­Entertainment Industries)
Syracuse, N.Y.

Enrollment in the Bandier undergraduate program is capped at 30 students annually, ensuring individualized attention to those developing the professional and human skills required to succeed in the music business. The curriculum enables students to study for a semester in Los Angeles or New York, as well as one semester abroad; the program also takes an annual trip to emerging music industry markets. Previous trips have included visits to Beijing, Singapore and Seoul. The program — endowed by music publishing executive Martin Bandier — is launching a graduate program, which will begin accepting students in summer 2025. It’s also creating an advisory board of industry experts — all Bandier or Syracuse graduates.

Course: Students in the Business of Live Music & Experiential Brand Activations course work with local promoter Eric Binion of After Dark Presents to present a show, from booking talent and branding to social media and promotion to sales and settlement.

Temple University (Klein College of Media and Communication)
Philadelphia

Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication offers an interdisciplinary bachelor of arts in audio and live entertainment. The program combines courses in the communication, music, business and event management schools. Class topics range from artist management and event operations to publishing, hip-hop media and culture, and more. At the university’s campus in the heart of Philadelphia, groundbreaking is planned for a new Klein College ­building that will house a reconstruction of the iconic Sigma Sound Studio 1, where Philly soul acts like The O’Jays once cut hits. The student-run label Bell Tower Music works with student radio, TV and other ventures, and the school’s deep industry relationships have fostered internships and jobs at Interscope Records, Kobalt, Primary Wave, Red Light Management, SoundExchange, Warner Music and more.

Event: Grammy- and Academy Award-nominated songwriter Stephan Moccio, who has collaborated with The Weeknd, Miley Cyrus and Céline Dion, recently came to campus to talk with students.

Tennessee State University (Commercial Music Program)
Nashville

TSU is both a public university and one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities; for those seeking music business careers, it distinguishes itself with its location in the heart of Nashville. It also boasts faculty who come from and remain active in the industry. TSU’s program is up to speed on current industry trends and best practices. Its small faculty-to-student ratio also enhances the learning experience, as do frequent site visits, guest speakers — Sweetwater senior director of recruitment Jordan Applegate recently visited campus — industry-related events and internships. Sydney Verge, operations coordinator at the Recording Academy, is an alum.

Course: Students enrolled in Music Business and Law study intellectual property, contracts and various sources of revenue flow including publishing, touring, performing rights organizations and merchandising.

University of California Los Angeles (Herb Alpert School of Music)
Los Angeles

The new music industry bachelor of arts program builds on the success of the Herb Alpert School of Music’s popular undergraduate minor. According to statistics compiled by the university, more than one-quarter of the nation’s music industry job postings are in California, making UCLA ideally located for those pursuing a music business career. The music industry major is also designed to attract and support incoming transfer students from California community colleges, which creates affordability and access. Students benefit from the program’s immersion in the L.A. music industry and from a continually expanding roster of guest speakers — including Nabil Ayers, president of Beggars Group and host of the Identified podcast, and Tiffany Red, Grammy-winning songwriter and founder of The 100 Percenters — and adjunct professors.

Faculty: Kathryn Frazier, founder of public relations firm Biz 3, whose clients include The Weeknd, J. Cole, Lil Baby and Lauryn Hill, recently joined the faculty and teaches the course Finding Your Voice.

University of Colorado Denver (College of Arts & Media)
Denver

CU Denver, as the public university is known, prepares students for success in the music business and to move the industry forward, both locally and globally. Students in the Music Cities class last year engaged online with industry leaders in international markets including Australia, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as with leading professionals in U.S. markets including Nashville, Los Angeles, Austin and Seattle. Many of the business faculty have substantial industry experience and use their relationships to open opportunities for jobs and internships. The College of Arts & Media is the home of one of the first student chapters of Nashville Songwriters Association International, further strengthening opportunities for networking.

Course: Music Business in the Digital Age studies current trends, practices and business models, with an eye on their implications for the future, covering topics including AI, data analysis, privacy and technology surrounding live-music ticketing.

University of Miami (Frost School of Music)
Miami

With a wide range of courses and proximity to the Latin offices of many major music companies, University of Miami’s Frost School offers a bachelor of arts in music industry for nonmusicians and a bachelor of music in music industry for performers. Its faculty are highly experienced industry professionals who are active in the field, and courses — including Music Publishing, where students learn about the A&R process and how publishing agreements are structured — continually evolve to keep pace with the industry. The program also offers a variety of student-run enterprises including ’Cane Records, Cat 5 Music and Frost Sounds, as well as a campus radio station, concert production organization, numerous Frost concert halls, the student Music Industry Association and an active Grammy U community.

Faculty: Olga Cardona, a 16-year veteran of Universal Music Publishing Group, brings with her three decades of experience in the Latin music business, with expertise in performing rights and publishing.

University of North Texas (College of Music)
Denton, Texas

UNT’s College of Music, located on the northern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, boasts the country’s largest public university music program. It offers degrees from the bachelor to doctoral levels and is home to the world’s first jazz studies degree program, now in its 77th year. The school continually adds faculty and courses to the curriculum, offered fully online or in a hybrid format, with options ranging from music leadership to performing arts management to touring. The school’s MBA in music business, launched just three years ago, supports student goals within music technology and entrepreneurship. In 2021, the Yamaha Institution of Excellence program included the UNT College of Music in its inaugural list of 10 distinguished colleges and universities recognizing extraordinary commitment to innovation in the study of music.

Event: Julian Peterson, associate director at Gearbox Software and a composer, audio programmer, sound designer and researcher, recently stopped by to talk with students.

University of Rochester (Eastman School of Music)
Rochester, N.Y.

Students at University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music benefit from the ability to combine a master of arts in music leadership with other disciplines including an MBA from the university’s Simon Business School. The curriculum emphasizes developing arts administration and leadership skills and requires ­real-world experiences through a capstone project. Eastman also offers commercial industry experience through the Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media — founded by alum and five-time Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal — where students compose and produce music, perform and conduct in studio orchestras and can collaborate on cross-disciplinary projects in tandem with the Rochester Institute of Technology’s film, animation and video game-­developing schools. Those interested in electronic/dance music currents can practice their craft in the school’s Electroacoustic Music Studios.

Event: Former Boston Symphony Orchestra CEO Mark Volpe offered workshops, presentations and individual advising with students last spring and was the 2023 commencement speaker.

University of Southern California (Thornton School of Music)
Los Angeles

For nonperformers who want to understand the complexities of the music business, USC Thornton offers an ­expansive curriculum, well-respected ­faculty — including new adjunct professors Jane Davidson, an entertainment law and litigation attorney, and Joe Poindexter, chief communications officer/executive vp of digital at Pulse Music Group — and close ties with the L.A. music community. Students can earn either a bachelor of science or master of science degree in music industry, and they benefit from an abundance of networking, internship and job opportunities, leveraging their relationships with fellow students, faculty and guest speakers. Among recent guests on campus: Nederlander senior vp of marketing Jamie Loeb; Marty Hom, a tour director/manager who has worked with Beyoncé and Olivia Rodrigo; and Virgin Music Group president Jacqueline Saturn.

Alum: Justin Lubliner developed a marketing and PR company while at USC Thornton that evolved into his artist development company, The Darkroom. His second signing was Billie Eilish.

William Paterson University
Wayne, N.J.

Internships are the backbone of the music and entertainment industries major and minor programs at William Paterson University. The school bolsters its forward-looking curriculum with workshops on topics including résumé-building and creating LinkedIn profiles, as well as professionalism seminars — all geared toward success in the real world. William Paterson’s alumni include Joelle Filippi, senior label analyst at Columbia Records; Shannon D’Amore, manager of booking at Prudential Center and White Eagle Hall; and Stephanie Grimes, senior manager of copyright at Downtown Music Publishing and, previously, at Songtrust. The program also hosts numerous industry insiders each year, including Symphonic Distribution chief creative officer Randall Foster, who recently stopped by to share wisdom.

Course: Students in the Entrepreneurship in the Music & Entertainment Industry class envision a new company — and then create a business plan for it.

This story appears in the Oct. 26, 2024, issue of Billboard.

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