WVU's Music Business and Industry coursework provides students with the up-to-date, relevant knowledge and skills needed to productively operate, lead, and successfully manage the dynamic changes in the music industry.
The program’s courses are divided into three academic modules: Music Industry Foundations; Music Commerce, Management and Operations; and Music Production Methods and Technology. The program concludes with a capstone course that allows students to focus on a music industry project of their choosing where they will identify a problem, create a project relevant to an evolving field in music management, and/or produce a working product that is executed in a systematic manner using interdisciplinary research and management tools.
MUSC 610: Foundations of Recording Industry
PR: MUSC 611. The course covers development of the recorded music industry system, methods, and operations from mid 1800s to the present, with emphasis on the development of independent and major record labels, commercial and creative practices, technological progress, and social, cultural, economic and legal influences. (3 hours)
MUSC 611: Music Industry Regulations
Advanced analysis of the current scope and content of music industry regulations and their impact on today's music industry commercial models and practices. Structure and methods of collective music rights administration and enforcement mechanisms. Regulatory responses to music digitalization and digital market place. (3 hours)
MUSC 612: Music Product Advancement
PR: MUSC 611. Practices, tools, and creative concepts of music product advancement in today’s music market place. Methods and organization of music product content, commercial communication, and distribution. Integrated music product advancement strategies and techniques. (3 hours)
MUSC 613: Music Performance Organization and Commerce
PR: MUSC 611. Advanced study of strategies, methods, and practices in the contemporary commercial music performance field. Regulations, organization and compliance procedures. Commercial production standards and processes. (3 hours)
MUSC 614: Advanced Recording Industry
PR: MUSC 611. Administration, regulations, and commercial strategies of today's recording industry. Recorded music product production planning, budgeting, organization, advancement, and sales in the digital and physical market place. (3 hours)
MUSC 615: Advanced Music Publishing
Main stream music publishing industry regulations, models, structures and organization. Current commercial practices, strategies, and procedures in music publishing. Catalog acquisition, administration and advancement methods and processes. (3 hours)
MUSC 617: Development of Music Technology
PR: MUSC 611. The course covers development of technological innovations and their influence on music industry production, reproduction, regulations, and commerce, from mid 19th century to present. (3 hours)
MUSC 619: Music in Multimedia
PR: MUSC 611. The course covers scope, development, creation, and production of music material for visual, interactive, and digital media applications, as well as regulations, licensing, and commerce of music in multimedia. (3 hours)
MUSC 620: International Music Industry
PR: MUSC 611. The course covers music industry systems, commerce, and regulations in major international music markets, as well as strategic options for entering and competing in foreign music markets, role of alliances with music industry partners from developing economies, and competing in emerging music markets. (3 hours)
MUSC 621: Artist Representation
PR: MUSC 611. The course covers practices, methods, and regulations of artist management in the music industry, including talent agencies, personal management, performance, publishing, and recording agreements, tours, and artist promotion. (3 hours)
MUSC 624: Live Music Production
PR: MUSC 611. This course is an overview of live music production theory and practice, including sound reinforcement concepts, practices, equipment, as well as standard professional live audio engineering and production techniques. (3 hours)
MUSC 626: Music Industry Project
PR: Taken after the completion of all the MA in Music Industry Program courses, or, by permission of the program director, during the last semester of the MA in Music Business and Industry studies, concurrently with other courses. Comprehensive final project utilizing acquired competencies in creative, technical, and operational elements of the commercial music industry's methods and practices. The course involves initiation, creation, and execution of an approved professional music industry project. This course is taken when all the other courses in the MA in Music industry sequence are completed. (3 hours)