I’m a highschool junior and about a year ago I decided I wanted to go to college for music business. I’ve seen a lot of people ask my same question but none of them have my same future job goal, I want to know if a music industry degree is useless for a “desk” job at a music company, nothing very fancy like producer or A&R, ideally I’d like a job in business analytics (A less code and math based and more industry based, analytics position) so I thought a music industry degree would be useful for that as most of the positions I see require a degree in some sort of business field past entry level. Also, I’ve seen a few people online go through this very field with this very degree. Based on all that, what is your opinion on how useless a music business degree would be in my position?
Why not contact top schools - like Belmont and MTSU plus NYU and whomever else and find career outcomes. Also check industry professionals on LinkedIn and look at their educational credentials.
I imagine a math, stats or analytics degree with related internship could work but do some research and see what you learn.
The people I know who worked in the music industry did not have a degree specific to music business – they were able to work their way in with a general business degree (ex. accounting degree, MBA).
I guess my main question is: is a music business degree so specific and is the industry so hard to break into, that I’ll be unemployed after college?
I don’t know anyone who got a music business degree. I would do some research - for example contact career services or the departments at schools with programs you are considering and understand their post-graduation career outcomes.
No matter what you major in, you can benefit from internships. Or even volunteering, or a part-time job or a summer job (internship is best, hopefully paid at least in later college).
Also check out Northeastern for their music industry and their coop program which gives job experience during college.
Music at Northeastern
Music with Concentration in Music Industry, BS - Northeastern CAMD
Are you a musician? You can also major in performance and minor in music business/industry or actually even major in anything and do internships. Or you can major in business, or arts administration.
For undergrad I am in favor of the broader degrees to keep options open, but some kids know exactly what they want.
There are very few degrees that I would describe as “useless” (there are some though). So I’d ask a different question- which is why do you need to major in music business? Why not finance, accounting, i.e. a business discipline which gives you strong functional skills which you would then deploy to your chosen industry, i.e. music?
The CFO’s of global retailers don’t typically major in “apparel business”. They move up the ladder in an industry that interests them, using the skills they’ve developed in finance and strategy and M&A.
You may find out that entering the music business out of banking, consumer products, etc. gets you on a faster trajectory… an entry level finance role in banking where you are working with music companies AND other entertainment companies (media conglomerates which may have movie studios, a music division, theme parks, etc.) is likely a better entry point to the music industry than starting out in the music business.
That’s a really nice way to look at it, thanks! I would say that I don’t need to major in music business, probably, but I love the curriculum for music business. You get business classes and music classes but you also have classes like copyright law and artist management. I feel that having such an in-depth knowledge of the industry would help me as a business analyst. Like for example, in the NYU curriculum for music business, one of the projects you do is start your own management company and partner with the music dept. to have them as your artists.
Based on that, what is you opinion?
I feel like I know exactly what I want but I don’t want to graduate and then be underemployed for the rest of my life. I have a music internship now and northeastern is on my list for that exact reason.
Do you think a music business degree would be a bad decision for not wanting to be underemployed or not employed at all?
If you had no worries at all about future employment, what would you study in college?
Music business for sure. I’m a huge fan of music and at my current internship I really enjoy my tasks that have to do with music. I also have a huge interest in business. That’d be the dream.
Not an expert on music business, but have you also thought about majoring in business and then take electives on copyright law and artist management? That might widen your options the most.
Great then you path is clear. Lots of programs to look at, and make sure they are affordable. It’s great that you love your current internship.
No matter what you end up doing for school, make sure to continue those experiences outside of school (internship, job, volunteering). You will have a resume that will help with job applications.
@AustenNut take a look at this Music with Concentration in Music Industry, BS - Northeastern CAMD 
It somehow never occurred to me that every class I like could be an elective, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks
You’re only a Junior, so you’d likely change soon. I’ve changed career goals 5 times between junior year and now the end of my senior year. So in my professional opinion, get a business or analytics degree, maybe see about music electives or look into minors (or a double major in music!) and definitely do some internships. A straight up business degree opens more doors than music business you know?
Looks like a really interesting program at Northeastern! Is Northeastern’s music business program pretty unique, or are there others that are similar?
I imagine you mean the internships, in that case, all northeastern degrees have that. They call them co-ops though, and you take them instead of classes some semesters.
I was actually thinking about the spread of courses across the music business degree; Northeastern does have the co-ops, but some other schools like U. of Cincinnati and Drexel also do.
I’m sorry, I just now realize 1. You weren’t talking to me and 2. It was a different topic than I thought.