No worries! You might well know the answer, too! Do other music business programs go into similar breadth and depth as NEU’s?
I have a lot of friends in the entertainment business, and a close family member who is a major figure in comedy. Those I know in the music and entertainment business fall into two camps: those who have no specific training (often not even a college degree) and others who have degrees in accounting, business analytics, marketing, and law. Music business, recording engineering, etc. are extremely popular majors with a lot more graduates than available jobs. There probably aren’t a handful of top recording engineers in Nashville who have college degrees, for example.
Regardless of education, most in the music business start in an entry level position such as tour or artist support and work their way up through the ranks. It’s demanding work and the attrition rate is high. It’s a brutal, competitive business with a lot of distractions, lots of politics, and opaque family connections. I met a nice young man a few years ago who ran a small music label in Nashville. He had a degree from Princeton. It turned out that his father was an entertainment lawyer and a former member of one of my favorite rock bands in the 1970’s. He had all the right stuff, and there are a lot like him out there. One of my friends is a well-known songwriter and owns a music publishing company. He has a finance degree from an SEC school.
I’d recommend a business degree from as good a school as you can get into, perhaps one that has a connection to the entertainment industry. At the top levels, the promoters, agents, and labels hire the smartest people they can get. Business is business, so to speak, and there is a real need for talented professionals among all the madness. Academic pedigree matters.
Having rambled on for much too long, I guess my point is follow your dream, but have a backup plan.
2 Likes
As far as I know (just by NEU’s course catalog and website) it seem pretty standard compared to a few I’ve looked into such as NYU, Syracuse, and USC but they do seem special in their sort of “computer science-y” courses like web design. They also are the only uni I’ve seen with a festival specific course, though I imagine it would be a very hands-on class and not a classroom style learning environment i.e. holding festivals.
1 Like
Thanks for the in-depth response, very good advice. I will try to get in as T20 of a school as I can (being an academic try-hard). Thanks 
1 Like
I’m assuming you’ve seen this list, but if not: Top Music Business Schools: 2022 List – Billboard
I read through a few other lists, and Drexel seemed to make the list pretty regularly. If you like the co-ops of Northeastern, then Drexel is certainly worth a look, too, particularly since chances of admission are greater there than at NEU.
Quite a few that are similar. The coop at Northeastern is a distinguishing factor there, but as you implied, there may be others, and most no doubt have some sort of practicum/internship involved.
1 Like
Yes I have seen the list, Drexel is also on my list. Drexel seems pretty involved and it has a nice location, definitely a viable choice. Though I need some more schools, I only have 7 listed and there really aren’t any others I’m seeing, do you know any schools that don’t include the Billboard list, NYU, NEU, Drexel, UMiami, Belmont, SUNYs, USC, Berklee, or any in the south?
Some specialized majors have the following issues:
- Their target profession or industry accepts those with other majors and may not give much advantage to the specialized majors.
- Their target profession or industry may be more competitive to get hired into, or there are other limitations (locations available, small number of employers, etc.) that can make jobs and careers poor fits for many people.
- Other professions or industries see those specialized majors as a signal that the applicant is not really interested in them.
You may want to check whether and how much the above apply to the music business major and the target profession or industry. If they do, then you may want to consider a more general major that is adjacent (e.g. general business or a typical business major like accounting, finance, etc.) while adding electives that would be included in the specialized major. That way, you can pursue the dream, but have more backup options in case the dream does not pan out.
4 Likes
Look at Columbia College Chicago. I don’t know your financial situation. You don’t need any more schools. How many did you envision applying to? Choose carefully and you only need 6 or 7. You have a good list.
While I agree with the post by @ucbalumnus for many students, you seem to have a focused interest and I also think that with this degree, you will be able to work in other areas as well as music, if you do the right internships.
The fact that you are now doing an internship related to music business explains your focus. I would caution however that there may be other types of internships that might make you similarly happy and change your mind!
I know a musician at Berklee who changed to music business and loved it. I say, go for it, unless you have broader academic or musical interests.
1 Like
You’ve got some really good advice, I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks
I would recommend you look for very strong business schools and/or programs in Business Analytics + ease of taking classes you find interesting as electives (which you’d cluster on your resume as a minor or a concentration) bc at some universities it’s harder to register for classes if you’re not in the major (but Honors College students often get Priority Registration) + access to co-ops (like Northeastern or Cincinnati) or internships in the Music industry (esp. connections w/cities that have a thriving music industry).
Getting a job after college will rest on your ability to leverage both a solid degree with solid grades&courses and internships.
If you already have a job somewhere you find interesting, see whether they have college interns and what the process is to apply (often it’s in October for the following summer, so having a leg up so to speak would help you perhaps as early as freshman year if they know you) then go from there.
Before you add any college to your list, run the Net Price Calculator with your parents’ help. Check out the net price: is it affordable for your family? You should not get into debt beyond the federal loans (5.5K for freshman year) and definitely do NOT get your parents into debt if your goal is to work in the music industry.
I don’t actually understand the resistance on this thread to music business I think the curriculum for that or music industry looks really interesting. I know people who make a living in that area. My kid did internships in music admin. and although has a PhD in music, has a day job that supports them in music admin. I say go for it- again unless your interest change and/or you develop other interests.
I noticed that if my kids did a summer program or job during high school they would have a high interest in that for several months. Sometimes it persisted (going on 20 years!) and sometimes not. See how you feel in a few months.
I stil think it is a great direction and the vibe of, say, Miami Frost, Berklee or Columbia College Chicago is a whole lot different than, say, Babson or Bentley! You are around musicians and creativity.
1 Like
No resistance to the music business. But music is one small component of the entertainment industry, which is one small component of the media industry, and given streaming/convergence, is now one small component of the larger tech sector.
Getting a solid grounding in finance (for example) allows someone to work in music, media, film, streaming, digital entertainment. Not just music. Or- focus on music.
But in the pre-Spotify/Apple Days, if you had asked someone to map out the music industry it would look VERY different from the way it looks today. Tech disrupts. And if you want to be on the winning side, go broad, not narrow.
Ask anyone who had a job in marketing at the “record of the month” club which became the tape of the month club which became the CD of the month club which is now… nothing. The ash heap of corporate America.
5 Likes
I love your question bc it’s so age appropriate! Things are black and while. Great or useless. I hear ya.
Admittedly, the world is a lot more messy and gray. So you are getting a lot of answers that show you that. So I’ll give you my opinion:
Is it useless? No. A college degree is a college degree and should educate you and open doors for you…if you make some serious efforts in your studies and job search.
Is it necessary for a job in the music or entertainment field? No. You can get a business degree (or a history degree - my D’s friend) and have an outside interest in music/entertainment and work/worm/hustle your way into the field.
More important than the actual degree may be your EC interests and how you spend your time in college and during the summer. You may want to pick a college in city with a strong arts/entertainment environment and join clubs, volunteer and do internships related to your field of interest in music/entertainment. You can do that with a music industry degree or a business degree or a history degree. ANY college degree plus a background of volunteering/working/interning in an area of interest will defintely not be useless!
Good luck.
2 Likes
I think we are all saying the same thing, basically. There are many ways to achieve whatever it is you eventually want. Music business if fine and so are many other paths.
What you do outside the classroom may be the most important thing if your goals remain the same- which they may not!
3 Likes
Agree wholeheartedly with this. My family member has a large support team: attorneys, accountants (performers have to file taxes in every state/country they perform), licensing and brand managers, investment advisors, talent groups, tour promoters, managers, personal assistants, etc. It’s big business and it takes a village, so to speak.
There are so many ways you can plug into music. Being a personal assistant is one of the best ways to break into the field, but you must be willing to pick up dry cleaning, walk the dogs, as well as keeping a schedule for the artist.
You mentioned analytics and that’s fairly specialized part of the business that is competitive on a more generalist level, hence my recommendation for a top school business education.
2 Likes
I got my MBA in the music biz track at Belmont, and while I don’t work in the industry, I am still in touch with one of the foremost minds in the industry. I could reach out to him if you’d like. DM me if interested.
1 Like
howdy there! I noticed down the thread you have a lot of great advice coming to ya and some schools you are thinking about. I just wanted to pitch UCLA as a school because they finally established the music industry department as a major instead of just a minor now. I’ve gotten to see a lot of music industry majors are UCLA and they are some of the most creative, kindest, and brightest souls I’ve seen around. Also helps that it’s a school within a city with music industry stuff all around for internships and job opportunities. Just keep an eye on the school as it rolls out more info about the program if you are interested in it!
Haha! I recently started meetings with a college advisor, and we were just emailing about that today. I’ll definitely be checking out the program there. Thanks!
Maybe I missed it…but I didn’t see anything here about a college budget. I’m asking because while UCLA is an outstanding university, the school is about $75,000 a year for OOS students, and no need based aid is given to OOS students and precious little merit aid. Can your family afford these costs?
Or are you a CA resident?