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.
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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 InstituteLondon
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.
Sony Nashville CEO Randy Goodman with Oakley Holmes,
an Auburn University graduate and member of the school’s Auburn Music Industry Network who is now the label’s digital marketing and artist development coordinator.
Sony Nashville
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, 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 MusicBoston
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 MusicValencia, 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 SchoolCroydon, 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, NorthridgeLos 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 UniversityWinter 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 UniversityHempstead, 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.
Jasmine Young is director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University.
Justin Knight
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 ArtsLiverpool, 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.
Jon Platt, chairman/CEO of Sony Music Publishing, is among the top executives who have met with students at the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University.
Nadav Kander
Los Angeles College of MusicPasadena, 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 UniversityWest 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.
From left: Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Darlene Love, Dion, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne onstage at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music Honors in April at the Pollack Theatre at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J.
Danny Clinch
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.
From left, Larry Miller, clinical professor and director of the music business program at NYU Steinhardt, with RIAA chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier; Judy Tint, music attorney and clinical associate professor at the school; and NMPA president/CEO David Israelite. Glazier and Israelite also teach in the Steinhardt program.
Courtesy of NYU Steinhardt
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.
Music attorney John Branca has endowed the newly launched John Branca Institute for Music at Occidental College in Los Angeles.
John Lamparski/Getty Images
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, OneontaOneonta, 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.
Laufey and Bill Werde, director of the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University, at the launch of the school’s new music business master’s program. A Bandier alum, Laufey has endowed a $100,000 scholarship for the program.
Arnold Turner
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.
From left: CAA’s Rob Light, Black Music Action Coalition co-founder Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Biz 3’s Kathryn Frazier and Aqil Davidson attend BMAC’s pre-gala dinner in Los Angeles. Frazier teaches at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
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 UniversityWayne, 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.
The students who began their undergraduate education this fall at any of Billboard’s top music business schools are the first since the class of 2019 who can actually expect to spend four years on campus and in classrooms.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in March 2020 and learning moved online, every student studying the music business, or any other field, took on a double major — in resilience.
“The resilience and positivity that our graduating students have shown over the last three years has been an inspiration,” said Sean McNamara, president/CEO of the Liverpool (England) Institute for the Performing Arts — the school that Paul McCartney co-founded in 1996 — as he presided over LIPA’s graduation in 2022, the school’s first inperson commencement since 2019. “I believe these qualities will see them successfully embark upon the next stage of their careers.”
Those attending any of Billboard’s top music business schools will be solidly positioned to pursue careers in an increasingly complex music industry. The schools listed are selected through executive recommendations, alumni information provided by honorees from our multiple power lists, information requested from each school and a decade of reporting on these programs.
We continue to prioritize more affordable public colleges and universities while also aiming for broad geographic diversity. Beyond the music capitals of New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and Miami, students can find worthwhile curricula in Philadelphia, Memphis and New Orleans, as well as Syracuse, N.Y.; Kennesaw, Ga.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Cleveland, Miss. This list includes the Valencia, Spain, campus of Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music, the United Kingdom’s famed BRIT School outside London, LIPA and the BIMM Institute, the largest provider of contemporary music education in Europe.
Two noteworthy historically Black universities and colleges, public Tennessee State University in Nashville and private Howard University in Washington, D.C., also merit inclusion this year.
Billboard presents this list of schools alphabetically and declines to rank institutions in what would often be an apples-to-oranges comparison. (The past year has seen widespread criticism of college ranking practices.) For students seeking quantitative measurements — from admission percentages to tuition and fees to graduation rates — those data points are available through impartial sources such as College Navigator, a resource of the Institute of Education Sciences, a division of the U.S. Department of Education.
By any measure, however, the colleges and universities here offer impressive opportunities for students seeking an edge in music-industry careers — running campus record labels, devising business plans, volunteering at top festivals, traveling to major music industry events and meeting with leading artists and executives.
The faculty and administrators at any of these schools would echo the remarks of McNamara as their students complete their studies and move to reshape the music business: “We are immensely proud of them and extremely excited to watch them progress toward the next chapter in their lives.”
Abbey Road InstituteLondon
Established as a music production school in 2015 by Abbey Road Studios and the owner of the famed location, Universal Music, the flagship program is now located inside London’s Angel Studios, the site of recording sessions for acts including Adele, The Cure and Sam Smith. The institute also has sister programs across Europe and in the United States, Australia and South Africa. It offers a one-year intensive program, designed in collaboration with the music industry, that dives deep into music production, sound engineering and the music business.
Course: The core program offered by all of the institute’s campuses worldwide is the advanced diploma in music production and sound engineering.
American UniversityWashington, D.C.
Created in 2013 under the guidance of SoundExchange co-founder John Simson, the business and entertainment program at American University is housed in the Kogod School of Business and is already making a name for itself in the industry. The university is the alma mater of, among others, Rich Kepler, day-to-day manager of The Killers, and CAA agent Zack Borson. Given the school’s location, it’s an easy stop for industry professionals visiting the nation’s capital as well as local executives. Recent guests include Michael Huppe, president/CEO of SoundExchange, and Audrey Fix Schaeffer, head of communications for concert promotion and production company I.M.P.
Course: Representing Talent: Agents, Managers & Lawyers, taught alternately by Simson and former Sony vp of marketing Stacy Merida, informs students about all participants on an artist’s team. The class also assists in managing regional recording artists.
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, Ohio
This past year, Baldwin Wallace welcomed the largest-ever class of incoming students to its music industry program housed on its campus just 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland. The university, which in 2021 was invited to become an educational affiliate of the Grammy Museum, offers individualized instruction combined with hands-on experiences supported by Cleveland’s musical ecosystem, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Internship partners range from Live Nation properties to small indie venues. In spring 2023, students had the opportunity to enroll in tour management, a special topics course taught by Lamba Productions president Hadden Hippsley, who has helped produce festivals including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Governors Ball, while some students served as volunteers at Bonnaroo in June.
Event: Stephanie Yeager — tour accountant for Foo Fighters, Phish, Bon Iver, Neil Young and Blake Shelton — recently visited the tour management class to provide insight into the financial components of a successful tour.
Belmont University — Curb College of Entertainment and Music BusinessNashville
Located less than a half-mile from Nashville’s Music Row, Belmont’s Curb College offers unique access to networking opportunities with industry professionals as well as affiliated programs in areas including audio engineering and songwriting. Courses such as Inside a Booking Agency (taught in association with CAA) and The Artist’s Team (which features industry guests representing each of the main roles on a recording artist’s team) are complemented by hands-on opportunities such as summer term Bonnaroo U. A partnership with the Songwriters Hall of Fame yielded a new SHOF scholarship, and Belmont songwriting majors Lauryn Marie Hedges and Zander Jett were named the inaugural recipients in May. Hit-maker Desmond Child presented a master class on songwriting and navigating the industry, the first of many in a series.
Event: In April, Belmont hosted Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw for an intimate Q&A about touring, marketing and getting his start in the business.
Berklee College of MusicBoston
Berklee offers two degrees for students pursuing careers in the industry: a bachelor of music in music business/management and a bachelor of arts in music industry leadership and innovation, which debuted in 2022. The school continues to attract top-level industry guests. Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, spoke in March on a keynote panel as part of its annual Career Jam that also featured former Beats by Dre president Luke Wood and Main Street Advisors founder and CEO Paul Wachter. Berklee also has an expansive alums network, which includes Live Nation senior vp of touring Jared Braverman and Netflix music data and insights manager Anahita Bahri.
Course: BPMI Live is a one-year program focused on the festival business. Students hone their skills in talent scouting, artist development, and concert promotion and production; the capstone includes opportunities to participate at Lollapalooza and Governors Ball, where they work as production and tour managers for artists.
Berklee College of MusicValencia, Spain
The sister campus to Boston’s Berklee College of Music offers a one-year master’s degree in global entertainment and music business attended by students from more than 20 countries who can concentrate in live entertainment, entrepreneurship and the record industry. The program optimizes its location, bringing all students to the Future of Music Forum in Barcelona and to the Great Escape in Brighton, England, a conference and festival showcasing 500 emerging artists from around the globe. In addition, it annually welcomes high-level industry professionals. This year’s honorary doctorate recipient, Yvette Noel-Schure, known for her work with Beyoncé, Prince, John Legend and Chloe x Halle, was recognized at the 2023 commencement ceremony in July, and recent guests include Ithaca Holdings/SB Projects founder Scooter Braun and manager Sophia Chang, who has worked with acts ranging from Paul Simon to Wu-Tang Clan.
Course: Emerging Technologies and New Creative Frontiers prepares students to both understand and capitalize on technological change, from artificial intelligence to virtual reality.
Berklee College of Music in Spain presented an honorary degree to veteran music publicist Yvette Noel-Schure, known for her work with Beyoncé and others.
Tato Baeza
BIMM University — BIMM Music InstituteLondon
Given full university status by Britain’s Department for Education in July 2022, the newly named BIMM University now includes the BIMM Music Institute as well as schools for the performing arts, film and TV. The BIMM Music Institute, with seven locations in London and other cities across the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany, draws on a 40-year history of educating its students with high-end facilities, industry experience, knowledgeable lecturers and music business connections. Courses include music business; music marketing, media and communications; and event management to train those aiming for industry careers.
Alums: Ella Mai, Fontaines D.C. and James Bay are among the graduates of the school.
The BRIT SchoolCroydon, England
The BRIT School, a tuition-free institution that educates students ages 14 to 19 for careers in performance and creative arts and related industries, was 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 school has specialists teaching courses in live sound, production, recording, music tech and the music business — while also offering a comprehensive nonvocational curriculum. Not surprising given its history, the school has exceptional connections within the British music industry for career opportunities post-graduation. Students have participated in sessions with industry figures from Disney composer Alan Menken to YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen.
Alums: Artists including Adele, Jessie J, Loyle Carner, RAYE, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Katie Melua have attended The BRIT School.
Artists including Adele (pictured), Jessie J, Loyle Carner, RAYE, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Katie Melua have attended The BRIT School in England.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
California Institute of the Arts — The Herb Alpert School of MusicSanta Clarita, Calif.
CalArts students at the Herb Alpert School of Music immerse themselves in the business of music, but the school also ensures that every student — even those who plan to pursue nonperforming roles — lean into some type of music creation. Among its alums: Composer Raven Chacon and composer/sound artist Ellen Reid are both Pulitzer Prize winners; Greg Kurstin, a producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has won nine Grammys and worked with artists including Adele, P!nk, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar. On the business side, courses such as AI Sonic Explorations, The Art of the Mix and The Art of Recording keep students ahead of the curve regarding evolving technology and work-flow models.
Faculty: Laurel Halo, a composer, producer, live musician and DJ, joined the faculty in fall 2022.
California State University, NorthridgeLos Angeles
While copyright law, publishing and licensing concepts, and the intricacies of recording and publishing contracts are key areas of focus in the classroom at CSUN, the school’s music industry studies program also delves into entrepreneurship and experiential learning. Aside from regularly hosting industry panels, the program — which counts singer-songwriter Andy Grammer as an alumnus — is home to Vove, a student-run record label where participants select, record, promote and manage an “artist of the year.” Thanks to its L.A. location, the school also boasts a robust internship program where all students must earn four credits working in a sector of the music business, from publishing to labels to live events. In addition to its undergraduate program, CSUN offers a master’s in music industry administration, with class schedules designed for fully employed students and midcareer professionals.
Event: The university recently presented a panel and networking discussion of songwriting with Jud Friedman, an Academy Award- and Grammy-nominated songwriter (Whitney Houston’s “Run to You” from The Bodyguard); Bonnie McKee, who co-wrote hits for Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson; and Joe Poindexter, vp of digital at Pulse Music.
Delta State University — Entertainment Industry StudiesCleveland, Miss.
Located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Delta State’s entertainment industry studies program offers small class sizes and hands-on opportunities including its entertainment industry entrepreneurship and record-label practicum: Fighting Okra Records, where attendees work at the student-run imprint. The school annually draws industry speakers, including recent guests Boo Mitchell, Grammy-winning producer and owner of Royal Studios in Memphis, and Jim Sonefeld, drummer, author and songwriter (Hootie & The Blowfish).
Alums: Erin Moorman, marketing coordinator at Syntax Creative, and Libby Switzer, executive assistant at Creative Strategic Management, both in Nashville.
Drexel University — Westphal College of Media Arts and DesignPhiladelphia
Students at Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design begin taking music business-specific classes when they start the program freshman year. That allows them to engage in the school’s unique course offerings, including Women in Music Industry and Fan Engagement: One Direction, which uses the former boy band as a focal point to examine the past, present and future of fan engagement. As part of the curriculum, students spend six months working in the industry; this year’s class interned at companies such as Netflix, Goldenvoice, Universal Music Group, Republic Records, WME, Live Nation and AEG.
Alums: Universal Music Group senior director of artist and label services Deb Keller and The Orchard vp of international label management Marissa Putney.
Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Fla.
Full Sail offers several nonperforming degree programs in areas including music business, audio production, recording arts and the live industry-centric program show production. The school also regularly hosts events where students can learn from first-hand experience of those in the industry. Its recent speaker roster includes Mike McGrath, tour manager for Jason Aldean, and Randall Foster, vp of business development at Symphonic Distribution, and it hosts executives — and potential employers — from companies including Microsoft Game Studios, Fever, Samsung, Disney and Carnival Cruise Line.
Alumnus: Music business program graduate Michael Cariglio is a vp of marketing at Republic Records.
Hofstra UniversityHempstead, N.Y.
The number of students enrolled inthe music business program at Hofstra has nearly tripled since the curriculum launched in 2017. The school has created a new bachelor of science in music business and also offers a music business major (for nonperformers) that leads to a bachelor of arts. Hofstra welcomes over 50 guest speakers on campus every year and offers internship opportunities year-round in New York (30 miles west of campus). A state-of-the art MIDI computer lab was completed in January, and a recording studio including a control room, live room, isolation booth and recording console is due to open at the end of the year.
Faculty: Kenyatta Beasley, a professor of music business who began teaching earlier this year, is a trumpeter, composer and music producer who has worked with Tru-Sound New York, Interscope/G-Unit Records, Helen Han Creative and Art vs. Transit Production.
Howard UniversityWashington, D.C.
The Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University, funded by a $4.9 million gift in 2021, offers a one-year fellowship program that provides fellows with coaching, specialized curriculum, mentorship and experience working with partner organizations. The Howard University School of Business takes the approach that the key to addressing the underrepresentation of Black executives and professionals in music and entertainment is intense coaching and immersion programs, and the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center frequently hosts industry executives for fireside chats, master classes and other programming. Recently, Combs Global president Tarik Brooks presented a “master mogul” panel discussion, and DJ Drama, a co-owner of Generation Now (home to Lil Uzi Vert, Killuminati and Jack Harlow), had a session with students.
Course: Among the university’s noteworthy offerings is the class The History of the American Music Industry: What Isn’t Black Music?
Indiana University — Jacobs School of MusicBloomington, Ind.
At IU’s Jacobs School, emerging professionals have the opportunity to establish a career path that pairs their interest in the music industry with a large set of career options. Among multiple paths of study, undergraduate students can earn a music-oriented entrepreneurship certificate that includes foundational courses at the university’s Kelley School of Business. The music school also hosts a strong roster of guest speakers. Austin Wintory, an award-winning composer for film and video games, recently visited the campus to talk with students in an event hosted by the Music in Games student organization and the office of entrepreneurship and career development.
Event: Indiana native John Mellencamp spoke about his life and career in March at the university’s Franklin Hall during a symposium discussing the social and cultural impact of his music. University president Pamela Whitten subsequently announced that Mellencamp would be donating archived collections of his work to IU.
John Mellencamp (left) answered questions from music writer Anthony DeCurtis during a symposium about his life and career at Indiana University in March.
Michael Claycamp/Indiana Daily Student
Kennesaw State University — Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business ProgramKennesaw, Ga.
Integrated within the university’s Coles College of Business, the Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program teaches the business side of the industry while providing practical experiences, on-the-job training and exploration of career opportunities. The program offers an annual study abroad trip to London, including an all-day visit with international executives at Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. It recently formed a partnership with the book and online platform Music Business Toolbox and its creator, Bryan Calhoun, that provides tools, templates, forms and guidance to help students manage their music careers. The program recently established a partnership with the Dolby Institute, an educational division of the audiovisual technology company.
Artist in residence: David Ryan Harris, John Mayer’s guitarist and a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, is Kennesaw’s latest artist in residence as of fall 2023.
Liverpool Institute for the Performing ArtsLiverpool, England
Within LIPA’s curriculum on management for the creative industries and performing arts, students take the music industry management pathway train alongside performers, technicians, designers and filmmakers in the school’s facilities. In their final year, students participate in a three-month internship that reflects their career goals with companies such as Warner Music, Live Nation and Sentric Music Publishing. LIPA was co-founded in 1996 by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty, who retired as LIPA principal/CEO in 2021, succeeded by Sean McNamara.
Speaker: Robert Plant participated in a Q&A with students in November 2022.
Los Angeles College of MusicPasadena, Calif.
LACM’s music business program — which offers a 12-quarter bachelor of music degree and a six-quarter associate of arts degree — is committed to offering students hands-on experience and networking opportunities. On average, a student will meet and interact with more than 100 guest speakers and master class guests per year from all facets of the music industry, and the program also features field trips to companies such as Spotify, Hipgnosis, Universal and Disney. Recent industry guest speakers include Billboard’s Keith Caulfield, managing director of charts and data operations, and publishing reporter Kristin Robinson.
Faculty: Music business department head Erin Workman’s experience in artist development includes working with Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale.
Los Angeles Film School — The Los Angeles Recording SchoolLos Angeles
Located in the heart of Hollywood, the Los Angeles Recording School (a division of the Los Angeles Film School) is equipped with professional recording studios that let students train in a real-world work environment. The school offers an array of degrees across its music and entertainment business programs, which let students gain analytical and practical skills both in the classroom and in the field. New for 2023 is an 18-month online competition program that allows those with an associate degree to earn their bachelor of science in entertainment business. The school also boasts an active speaker roster. Recently, SunPop managing partner Will Tenney spoke with students from the entertainment business program during an on-campus event.
Alumnus: As president of Record Plant Studios, Jeff Barnes oversees business operations and booking and has worked with Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Ariana Grande, among other artists.
Loyola University — School of Music and Theatre ProfessionsNew Orleans
New Orleans is among the world’s most vibrant music cities, and Loyola University’s music industry studies program, within the School of Music and Theatre Professions, helps students build careers around their passions. Students learn from professors who are active in the industry and can create their own professional projects alongside creative peers. Loyola’s two Hilton-endowed professorships fund student travel and participation in various music industry conferences such as NAMM, Americana and Mondo — with future plans for South by Southwest and Music Biz. The program this year launched songwriter and music business camps where students worked directly alongside Grammy-winning rapper-producer D’Mile and Pulse Music Group’s Ricki Rich. The school also partners with the city so students can help produce the annual Freret Street Festival, which has drawn over 20,000 attendees a day.
Course: Record Label Operations brings a working music-label entity to campus. With a professorship-funded budget of $5,000, students in the course form a team to function as a label, recruiting and developing a young artist for commercial release.
Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, Tenn.
Located less than an hour from the site of the Bonnaroo festival, where students regularly gain hands-on experience, MTSU offers an expanded focus beyond music recording into areas including live-event production, broadcast and streaming, and immersive audio for music, film and gaming. As such, courses in venue management, mixing techniques in immersive audio, and concert promotion and touring are popular with students. The school also hosts a revolving mix of industry speakers. Mixing engineer Andrew Scheps and recording engineer George Massenburg are among recent visitors to campus.
Event: This summer, MTSU students produced over 30 segments for Hulu’s Bonnaroo Music Festival channel, which streamed the event.
Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, N.J.
Monmouth’s music industry program combines coursework from the university’s business school with its music and music business curriculum, a hybrid model that prepares students for a range of opportunities in the arts industry. Home of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, the school incorporates hands-on activities like its student-run record label, Blue Hawk Records, and leverages partnerships with major music organizations, tech companies, agencies and a state-of-the-art recording complex in Asbury Park. Last year, the new Monmouth Artists for Diversity & Inclusion released an album on Blue Hawk, and the organization’s founding members were awarded a joint senatorial and gubernatorial proclamation from the State of New Jersey for contributions to society.
Alumnus: Joe Bognanno is director of music publishing licensing and partnerships at TikTok/ByteDance.
Musicians InstituteHollywood
Anderson .Paak was once a drum student and a drum teacher’s assistant at Musicians Institute, whose Hollywood location puts it at the nexus of the entertainment world. The school’s music business program offers detailed specialization in every area of the industry through a frequently updated curriculum taught by professionals. Courses cover the gamut from law and contracts to music publishing and licensing to artist and tour management, A&R and record labels, distribution, promotion and marketing. Musicians Institute is also continually honing industry partnerships that serve as a direct line into the workforce through internships.
Event: During a recent online social media workshop, BRXND vp of artist management and digital strategy Dan Tsurif discussed the importance of social media marketing and explained how platforms can aid developing artists and brands.
New York University — Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human DevelopmentNew York
The ongoing addition of courses like advanced topics in recorded music and music publishing, co-taught in person by RIAA chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier and National Music Publishers’ Association president/CEO David Israelite, is just one way NYU Steinhardt ensures students are learning from the leaders at the cutting edge of the music business. For the course Village Records, students work with independent artists on career development areas including live performance, sound recording, product management, publicity, management and fan engagement. The Steinhardt program also allows students to take classes at NYU’s Stern School of Business and offers options for them to complete studies on its campus in Nashville (through a program designed in partnership with Universal Music Group) or at any of 12 global campus sites including Los Angeles, London, Paris and Shanghai.
Speaker: David Gray, executive vp of U.S. A&R and head of global creative for Universal Music Publishing Group, is an executive in residence and engages with students at least three times each semester.
New York University — Tisch School of the Arts, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded MusicNew York
A holistic understanding of business, performance, production, writing, history and emerging media is the goal of the Clive Davis Institute, which counts Maggie Rogers among its notable graduates. Students work with resident artists, such as singer-songwriter Dawn Richard and singer Jamila Woods, and executives in residence. Columbia Records A&R executive Katie Vinten served in the latter role this past year and also led a summer accelerator program. Other recent speakers included Atlantic Records president of A&R Pete Ganbargs, Hipgnosis Songs Fund founder and CEO Merck Mercuriadis and Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte. In partnership with Billboard, the institute offers an online music industry essentials course. In 2022, Barry Manilow and school officials joined Davis at the opening of the Clive Davis Gallery at NYU. The institute is also expanding geographically, recently launching a study abroad program in Berlin.
Event: Pop Conference 2023, held in April at the institute, hosted guests including Timbaland, NPR music critic Ann Powers and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Sony Music Entertainment chief creative officer Clive Davis, who endowed New York University’s Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music, attended the 2022 opening of a permanent gallery focusing on his career at the school’s campus in his native Brooklyn.
Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
Northeastern University — College of Arts, Media and DesignBoston
Northeastern’s bachelor of science in music with a concentration in music industry encourages students to become entrepreneurial thought leaders and change agents across the music business. Aside from classes focused on topics including actionable analytics in the music industry and artist management, the school is home to Good Dog Licensing, a student-run music synch company through which students receive hands-on experience and offers four- or six-month co-op experiential learning opportunities. New this year is a university chapter of the nearly four-decade-old nonprofit Women in Music, dedicated to fostering equality in the music industry through the support and advancement of women.
Event: In honor of World Mental Health Day in October 2022, the Women in Music Boston chapter presented Mental Health Awareness for Artists and Their Allies, a panel to guide musicians with resources and information about emotional well-being.
Occidental CollegeLos Angeles
Occidental’s music business courses are embedded within its liberal arts curriculum, and many of the students in music department classes major or double-major in other disciplines such as economics, math, politics, chemistry, philosophy and physics. The school’s location gives students access to a capital of the music industry, providing immersive education through internships and other opportunities. In 2022, Occidental formalized its relationship with Warner Music Group (whose former CEO Steve Cooper is an alumnus) and has since hosted events with WMG executives for students from all majors who are interested in a career in music business.
Event: Warner Chappell Production Music vp/head of legal and business affairs Steve Touchton met with students in March to share his 25 years of experience, field questions and offer advice on entering the business side of the music industry.
Oklahoma State University — The Greenwood School of MusicStillwater, Okla.
OSU’s bachelor of science in music industry, established in 2017, remains the fastest-growing music program at the school. Recent developments include the Greenwood School of Music’s new facilities, which opened in 2021, and a collaboration this year with Kicker, a Stillwater-headquartered audio manufacturer with which students partnered on the research and design of a potential new product. The student-run music company Poke U comprises a record label, music publisher, concert promotion and musical products divisions, and the school has a robust speaker and alums network. Once again, the New York Philharmonic residency returned to the university’s McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, adjacent to the campus, with the opportunity for students to work with the business staff of the orchestra.
Event: Alumnus Garth Brooks in April delivered two concerts at OSU: a scholarship benefit show and a free performance exclusively for OSU students.
Rhodes College — Mike Curb Institute for MusicMemphis
Rhodes College and the Curb Institute benefit from their location in the artistically vibrant city of Memphis, as Curb students tap experiential opportunities in the city. In 2022, the institute launched the Curb Community Fellows program, which provides funding for students to work directly with local professionals and organizations such as Goner Records, the Overton Park Shell, the Memphis Music Initiative and the STAX Museum of American Soul Music. On campus, they can engage with Dredge, a student-produced zine and social media platform focused on the Memphis arts scene, and Beyond Beale, a student-produced podcast that explores underresearched aspects of the city’s music history. The first two seasons received honorable mention recognition by the NPR Student Podcast Challenge.
Courses: In fall 2024, Rhodes will offer two new certificates in music industry studies — content production and arts entrepreneurship — that complement the college’s core liberal arts mission.
State University of New York, OneontaOneonta, N.Y.
The music industry program at SUNY Oneonta is designed to appeal to aspiring executives, as well as students interested in technical fields like audio production or who are entrepreneurial musicians. In addition to the core courses, music industry students are required to complete a sequence of courses in the SUNY Oneonta School of Business, an array of general education courses and at least one course from a slate of electives such as concert production, through which students conceive, plan and manage a series of live concert events on campus and in the Oneonta community. Off-campus learning and networking experiences include a faculty-led trip to the annual NAMM trade show in Los Angeles.
Events: John Mayer recently engaged with music industry program students through a video conference; another event connected students with members of the Dave Matthews Band. (Mayer and Matthews are both clients of business manager and Cal Financial Group founder Rit Venerus, an Oneonta alumnus.)
Syracuse University — Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment IndustriesSyracuse, N.Y.This year marked the return of the Bandier Program’s international immersion trip, with a dozen students traveling in May to meet with more than 40 executives at music companies in Singapore; Jakarta, Indonesia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Bangkok. On campus, students choose from an ever-evolving variety of courses and also tackle entertainment industry exploration, the program’s capstone, for which seniors must build a functioning and profitable real-world business. The previous academic year also saw rapid growth in the readership of Full Rate No Cap, a free weekly email of industry analysis that program director (and former Billboard editorial director) Bill Werde crafts for students to read; the email underpins a weekly, programwide student-led discussion about industry trends and headlines. Subscribers number in the thousands and include top executives at virtually every major music company around the globe.
Event: The weekly Wednesday-night speaker series this past academic year scheduled over 25 guest lectures from industry pros including Warner Music Group chief digital officer/executive vp of business development Oana Ruxandra and Apple Music creative director/radio host Zane Lowe.
Temple University — Klein College of Media and CommunicationPhiladelphia
Temple University’s Klein College offers an interdisciplinary bachelor of arts in audio and live entertainment that also includes courses in the music and business schools. The college’s mission is to empower and prepare the media creators of tomorrow to be ethical, analytical and creative leaders. The faculty has a wealth of industry experience, and courses are often complemented by presentations by industry creatives and executives including Grammy and Academy Award winner Questlove and American Association of Independent Music CEO Richard Burgess. (Philly native Questlove received the college’s 2022 Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award.) A student-run record label interfaces with student radio, TV and other ventures in a collegewide media ecosystem, and a study abroad program offers opportunities in top global music markets such as Tokyo and London.
Alumnus: Multiple Grammy-winning producer Noah Goldstein, founder of Ark Publishing, has worked with artists including Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Rihanna and Paul McCartney.
Questlove received the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award from Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication in 2022.
Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images
Tennessee State UniversityNashville
One of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, TSU is located in the heart of Nashville and offers a commercial music program as a concentration within the school’s music department. Perks include small class sizes, targeted courses such as music business and law, access to a variety of internships and mentor programs, and ample guest speakers who have recently included producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and BMI executive director, creative Shannon Sanders, a TSU alumna. Harry Fox Agency client solutions coordinator Dashawn Howard and Grammy-nominated producer Dwane “Keywane” Wier are among other alums.
Event: In May, the music business accelerator program, which offers Black college students in Tennessee career resources to help them break into the industry, held an event at TSU in partnership with Amazon Music, Nashville Music Equality, the RIAA and Wasserman Music.
University of California, Los Angeles — Herb Alpert School of MusicLos Angeles
Spurred by the success of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s music history and industry degree program and its music industry minor, the school this fall introduced a major in music industry. The new program, which complements the performance, composition, musicology and music education programs already offered, provides students with a high level of liberal arts integration to ensure they master the skills needed for a successful creative industry career. Classes immerse students in a range of subjects from data science for the music industry to music and activism, and internship and employment opportunities abound as those enrolled in the program benefit from the school’s relationships with an array of music companies. A major gift from former Warner Bros. Records chairman Mo Ostin, who died in 2022, funded construction of the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center.
Speaker: Amy Davidman, founder of and agent at TBA Agency, recently spoke with students on campus.
University of Colorado DenverDenver
The university offers two course tracks for students interested in pursuing a career in the music industry: one for performing students and another to provide the chops to work as managers, publishers, music supervisors and/or marketers. Students in the lattermost progression take courses examining music supervision and synch licensing, music publishing, music marketing, law and the music industry, artist management and more. Additionally this year, the Mechanical Licensing Collective appointed faculty member Dan Hodges as one of its educator ambassadors to advise students on the importance of registering music with the MLC to collect interactive streaming royalties.
Partnership: The Nashville Songwriter Association International this past year launched a chapter at the university.
University of Miami — Frost School of MusicMiami
Under director Serona Elton, whom the Music Business Association recently named the first music business educator of the year, Frost’s music industry program is expanding. It recently launched a bachelor of arts in music industry major for nonperformers, an addition to its well-established bachelor of music in music industry and master of arts in music industry. Along with its diversity of courses and proximity to the Latin offices of many major music companies, 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 concert halls and music industry student association.
Course: Students in recorded-music operations learn about A&R, production, distribution, marketing/promotion, licensing and royalties and use Chartmetric to analyze the consumption of their favorite artists’ tracks.
In May, Serona Elton (right), director of the music industry program at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, received the Music Business Association’s first music educator of the year award, presented by president Portia Sabin.
Laura E. Partain
University of North Texas — College of MusicDenton, Texas
Options abound at UNT’s College of Music, located on the northern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the country’s largest public-university music program. It offers degrees from bachelor to doctoral levels and is home to the world’s first jazz studies degree program, now in its 75th year. The school is continually adding 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 curriculum leading to a master’s 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 met with students.
University of Rochester — Eastman School of MusicRochester, N.Y.
It’s all about flexibility at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School. Students can earn a double degree, a minor concentration or just take courses related to their interests. Among the options, Eastman offers a master of arts in music leadership and a commercial music industry experience through the Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media, where students have opportunities to work with the Rochester Institute of Technology’s film, animation and video game development schools. The Electroacoustic Music Studios at Eastman introduces students to electronic music technologies. And student-run ensembles provide commercial and music leadership skills, including the Empire Film and Media Ensemble, a live-to-film ensemble, and OSSIA, the school’s student-run new music ensemble.
Alumnus: Eastman’s Beal Institute was named after its founder, alumnus Jeff Beal, a five-time Emmy-winning composer of film and TV scores. Beal is a frequent guest speaker and students have traveled to Los Angeles to work with him for an immersive experience.
University of Southern California — Iovine and Young AcademyLos Angeles
USC’s Iovine and Young Academy innovators forum hosts leaders in diverse disciplines, industries and the arts to present and discuss problems facing society and to critique real-world projects. Recent guests have included TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie. That’s just one way the interdisciplinary-focused academy provides a framework for students interested in the music industry to study topics from reimagining virtual concert events to building a new artificial intelligence-driven music platform. Endowed by industry entrepreneurs Jimmy Iovine and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, the academy offers a bachelor of science in arts, technology and the business of innovation and a master of science in integrated design, business and technology.
Event: For the Masters of Scale podcast in June, Iovine spoke with Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry and former senior vp of Apple, about success, motivation and education.
University of Southern California — Thornton School of MusicLos Angeles
Close ties with the L.A. music community are core to the DNA at USC Thornton, which offers both an undergraduate and 18-month master’s program in the music industry. Students benefit from an abundance of networking, internship and job opportunities across areas such as touring, marketing, branding, business and law, and the school provides a classroom guest list that recently included Ali Harnell, global president/chief strategy officer of Live Nation Women. Collaboration and camaraderie are also emphasized among students who will one day join an alums network that includes DreamWorks Animation senior vp of TV music Alex Nickson and Warner Records senior vp of creative sync licensing Julia Betley.
Events: Thornton’s producers forum has hosted speakers including Merck Mercuriadis, founder and CEO of Hipgnosis Songs Fund, and Lee Zeidman, president of Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and L.A. Live.
William Paterson UniversityWayne, N.J.
William Paterson University’s music and entertainment industries program focuses on today’s industry from an independent artist and label perspective. Courses, including the popular Backstage: The Business of Touring, focus on three key pillars of music income: live, recording and publishing. The program has hosted visiting resident experts including Kate Hyman, former vp of A&R for BMG, and Mark Robinson, senior vp of music strategy, business and legal affairs at Paramount. And while internships are a core tenet, students also benefit from industry professionals who come to campus, including Vydia co-president Jenna Gaudio in a recent visit.
Alums: Theresa Abou-Daoud, production assistant with Tyler, The Creator, and Nathaniel Meyerowitz, associate manager of experience at Wasserman, are among recent graduates of the program.
This story originally appeared in the Oct. 7, 2023, issue of Billboard.
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