Locations

London, Liverpool, Leeds

UCAS code

CEMB

Start date

15th September 2025

Course length

1 Year

COURSE OVERVIEW

ICMP’s Music Business and Entrepreneurship is the UK’s first music business Cert HE to give equal weighting to the idea of ‘entrepreneurship’. This groundbreaking one-year programme provides you with a practical solid understanding of the concepts of enterprise and innovation, all solely within the context of the contemporary music business. You’ll spend an exciting year working on real-world music industry projects which foster and encourage your entrepreneurial spirit and natural creativity.

The Cert HE Music Business and Entrepreneurship course is perfect for those wanting to establish a good grounding for a multi-skilled, entrepreneurial portfolio career within the music and wider creative industries, and will provide you with the essential tools, experience and opportunities to launch your own music industry career. 

You’ll learn a broad selection of business, management and creative skills in small, personal learning groups, and will be taught by established music business executives and educators whose aim is to help you boost the commercial and creative potential of the artist–business relationship. Collaboration is highly encouraged at ICMP, and will see you promoting musicians from the college’s talent pool – both fellow Cert HE students and those studying a degree. You’ll be given the opportunity to promote them as creative artists as part of your own course content.

Your learning will span the breadth of the music business, through hands-on sessions with esteemed music industry guest visitors and attendance at networking events.

The design of this unique and innovative programme has been informed in consultation with a range of international music organisations, including Warner/Chappell Music, Island Records, PRS for Music, Live Nation, CAA, BMG Rights, Music Week, Spotify, Music Managers Forum, Brace Yourself PR and many more.

At the end of your year of learning, you’ll have developed the skills you need to launch a successful and sustainable portfolio career in the music industry. If you choose to continue your studies, successful completion of this course offers a direct link to the BA (Hons) Music Business and Entrepreneurship at ICMP, allowing you to move straight into the second year of the degree. Whether you decide upon further study or an immediate music business career, you’ll graduate with experience working both independently and as part of a team, and will have the ability to exercise initiative, identify problems, implement effective solutions, and meet strict targets and deadlines. You’ll already have critically assessed new business opportunities, managed music projects and used technology in a music business environment, meaning you’ll be ready to hit the ground running, wherever your next steps take you.

Fees & Funding

Taking a Music Business course at ICMP makes financial sense too, with the fees for ICMP undergraduate courses the same as those at many traditional universities - making studying at ICMP great value as well as great fun.

Course Fees: UK Students

Student Finance: Please visit our Fees page for information on accessing to Student Loans. UK students eligible for Loans are able to borrow the full course fee.

Course Fees | Programme Specification | Programme Handbook

Click to view the full terms and conditions of applying to study at ICMP.

ICMP Music School Logo

Successful completion of the CertHE Music Business and Entrepreneurship course leads to the award of Certificate of Higher Education by The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.*

* Please note: ICMP Liverpool and Leeds courses are currently subject to validation.

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Key facts

  • Gain a solid understanding of how the music business works and learn to be your own boss.
  • Spend a year immersed in real-world music industry projects, collaborating with musicians from ICMP’s rich student talent pool.
  • Develop your entrepreneurship, innovation, management, business and creative skills to maximise the potential of the artist–business relationship.
  • Connect with music business professionals to build an impressive music industry network.
  • Explore course content designed by the UK’s top music industry individuals and businesses.
  • Study entrepreneurship in London or Liverpool – two international music hubs with endless opportunities to develop your innovations.
  • Attend networking events and music conferences with unrivalled access to respected music industry guests and visitors.
  • Learn in small groups in world-class industry-standard facilities, with an enviable number of class-contact teaching hours.
  • Apply Now

UCAS CODES

Course Ambassador
seven_webster_joins_icmp_2021_0_0

Seven Webster

Music industry pioneer Seven Webster is the ambassador for this course.

 

His management company has launched the careers of numerous top 40 artists and DJs over the last 30 years, including superstar DJs Sasha, John Digweed and Carl Cox and multi-million selling Dido and rock band Skindred.

 

While running his Management company, Seven has also acted as a freelance consultant for number of high profile artists and businesses that have included the likes of EMI Records , Drive Thru Records , Avex Records , Robbie Williams , New Found Glory , DZ Deathrayz , Trade Queensland , Arts Queensland & Thompson Holidays .

COURSE DETAILS

Modules

During this year-long course, you’ll be introduced to the full range of music business and entrepreneurship topics as you develop a solid base to build your future learning or music business career upon. You’ll explore the music industry landscape and structure while embracing its historical context. Everything you study will be from an entrepreneurial perspective, including music marketing and promotional strategies and artist management, and you’ll even develop an international live music tour book for a creative artist.

PRINCIPLES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MARKETING

You’ll be introduced to the principles of both marketing and entrepreneurship in this module, and explore how these can be implemented effectively across music. You’ll discover the characteristics of successful entrepreneurship, as well as techniques for recognising new business opportunities. You’ll also digest the techniques used by successful ventures using feasibility analysis and explore customer-driven marketing strategies and barriers to enterprise. Putting together a basic business plan and marketing strategy for a music business project, you’ll explore the concept of the artist as a brand, while you consider key areas including commerce versus credibility in music and brand partnerships.

  • Introduction to entrepreneurship
  • Recognising new business opportunities
  • Entrepreneurial personality types
  • Entrepreneurial barriers
  • The marketing mix’s 4Ps
  • Market research
  • Consumer behaviour
  • Customer-driven marketing strategies
  • How to write a business plan
  • Brand partnerships and branding

MUSIC INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

You’ll be introduced to the structure and functions of the contemporary music business in this module, exploring its three main areas –live music, recorded music and publishing. You’ll study the latest industry models, practices and processes to investigate how creatives and businesses interact, and analyse how each area of the industry connects. You’ll cover music copyright and the role of music collection societies, trade bodies and professional membership organisations, and will discuss the A&R process, music rights and royalties, music marketing, sales and distribution, the role of artist management and the various revenue streams in music.

  • Music copyright
  • The role of collection societies
  • Music publishing
  • The role of artist management
  • A&R
  • Music revenue streams
  • Music rights and royalties
  • Music marketing and promotion
  • Music sales and distribution

INTRODUCTION TO THE LIVE INDUSTRY

To be a successful music business entrepreneur, you first need to understand the business, economic and legal roles and relationships that support the live music industry. In this module, you’ll discuss how live music events and tours are planned and budgeted, covering the essentials of tour management, such as artist contracts, payment structures, hospitality and catering, and technical requirements. You’ll gain hands-on experience of tour planning by developing a tour book for a creative artist, mapping out the tour route and addressing international events issues, such as applying for work permits and dealing with income tax.

  • Introduction to music industry roles
  • Live tour planning
  • Tour management strategies
  • Live music event budgeting
  • The artist–agent relationship
  • Promoters and the media
  • Live event taxation
  • How to obtain work permits
  • Live event health and safety

THE MUSIC BUSINESS: A CONCISE HISTORY

You’ll research the major social, economic and cultural factors in the evolution of the contemporary music industry in this module. Following a popular music timetable from the post-1945 era to today, you’ll academically explore significant movements and genres which mapped the story of modern music. These include Tin Pan Alley and the early foundations of rock ‘n’ roll, The Beatles and the ‘British Invasion’ of the 1960s, punk and disco in the 1970s, and more recent genres including indie, EDM, rap, hip hop and grime.

  • Social, cultural and economic music factors
  • Popular music genres and styles
  • The jazz age
  • Early rock ‘n’ roll
  • The 1960s British Invasion
  • The advent of the ‘teenager’
  • Punk in the 1970s and 1980s
  • Drug culture
  • Reality TV
  • Hip hop, rap, R&B and grime

THE EVOLVING MUSIC LANDSCAPE

In this module, you’ll examine the digital revolution that has occurred in music, and its impact on performers, consumers and the global music industry as a whole. Across a series of case studies, you’ll explore the technological evolution of the music industry landscape, such as the decline of the traditional record label model and the future of the recording industry. You’ll also investigate new business models such as direct-to-fan and crowdfunding, and learn about ownership and streaming; sync, film, TV and gaming; the impact of digital on ticketing and the future of music publishing.

  • The evolution of the music industry
  • The future of music publishing
  • The decline of the record label model
  • Crowdfunding
  • Direct-to-fan business models
  • Streaming and ownership
  • Digital ticketing
  • Film, TV and gaming sync

PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES

Across this highly practical module, you’ll explore key promotional concepts in music marketing and digital distribution. Using your own real-world project as a case study, you’ll develop a low-budget promotional plan for a product launch campaign. You’ll use market analysis and research to substantiate your integrated promotional strategies, marketing techniques and branding and communication methods. You’ll explore DIY strategies, viral marketing, social media, press and PR, online presence building, blogging, streaming playlists, digital platforms, merchandise, the role of advertising agencies and learning to create your own low-budget music videos.

  • Integrated promotional campaign development
  • Market research and analysis
  • Brand development
  • Social media and content
  • How to write a press release
  • Viral marketing strategies
  • Designing logos
  • Creating low-budget music videos
  • Streaming playlists
  • The role of advertising and PR agencies

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

You will be taught at our campus in Kilburn and Queen's Park, utilising our live rooms, tech suites and in-house music studio facilities as well as classrooms and lecture rooms. You will have access to use these facilities outside of class time while you are a student at ICMP in order to rehearse and record your music. 

You will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small group tutorials, performance workshops, music technology workshops tutorials and one to one instrumental tuition. 

You will have access to the Student Services Department for support and advice concerning welfare, finance, personal development, safeguarding and more. You'll also have access to our Professional Development team ‘The Hub', who provide bespoke music industry careers advice and access to unique industry opportunities.

Teaching and Learning

On the Cert HE Music Business and Entrepreneurship  programme you will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small tutorial groups, workshops, hands-on technology laboratory tutorials, group work and student-led classes/presentations.

When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you'll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments.Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including our Learning Resource Centre, our many performance and practice rooms, and well-equipped tech suites.

Throughout your year of study, you'll be in timetabled teaching activities, such as lectures, seminars, practical classes and workshops, for typically 9-10 hours a week. You’ll also have personalised one-to-one tutorials scheduled throughout the year.

Assessment

Assessment activities will include, but not be limited to, student presentations, portfolios, individual and group projects, case studies, written examination papers, aural examinations, coursework, group problem solving, reflective journals, self and peer assessments.

The assessment breakdown of this programme is:

5% Written | 95% Coursework
 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants will typically have A levels, BTEC Diploma or Extended Diploma, International Baccalaureate equivalent to 48 UCAS points, or an ICMP Higher Diploma.

In addition, you should hold a GCSE Grade C or 4 or above in English and Maths, or suitable equivalent, such as Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Adult Literacy/Numeracy.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants who may have no formal qualifications but can demonstrate their suitability for study through appropriate skills and experience.

Please note: International students, who require a visa to study in the UK, are not eligible to study on this course. Instead we encourage you to apply for either our three-year BA(Hons) Music Business degree or our one-year Music Business Masters course.

All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

UCAS code CEMBUni code i25

HOW TO APPLY

 Please apply via the "APPLY NOW" link below.

At any time during the application process if you need help or further advice just contact our Admissions team who will be happy to assist you. 



By phone:
020 7328 0222

By email:
enquiries@icmp.ac.uk

or

APPLY NOW
Tutors

Ken ForemanMusic Business

Ken has made records for labels including Elektra Entertainments, East/West Warners, Chrysalis, Sony, Palm Pictures, RTI/S4, Toshiba/EMI, and Almo. There followed a number of years, managed by Pan-American Ad agency, Amber Music Ltd, composing music for commercials. His compositions featured in many US and European campaigns, including Adidas, Bass, Vauxhall, Tennants, Benetton, Foxes, Titleist, Bell Atlantic, and 7 Up.
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Sam JonesEvent Management

Music Business Teaching Fellow Sam Jones has a huge amount of industry experience as an event producer, producer and music educator. Over the years, Sam’s musical adventures have taken him through sub-Saharan Africa producing music for specialist records labels. As a producer, his achievements include winning the Songlines award for best record from Africa and Middle East 2021, and the Guardian's Album of the Month. His work has seen him employed as lead Production Manager for all high profile events with the London Boroughs of Culture. His achievements include producing the ‘London is Open’ inspired Africa Express show, managing a budget of more than £350,000.
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Yannis IliopoulosMusic Business

Yannis Iliopoulos has a solid experience in the music industry and music business education with a strong background in strategy, communication and music rights. He is the founder of The Sound Of Everything Records and its publishing arm Timespace Music Publishing, which have successfully built up a catalogue of more than 400 releases so far.
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Jamie JohnstonEvent Management

Starting in the Music Business working in live venue like the Roadmender and Soundhaus in Northampton. Jamie soon progressed into Tour Management with the likes of The Cooper Temple Clause among others and Stage Management at Festivals notably the Radio 1 stage at Reading and Leeds. Since 1999 Artist Management has been his primary focus after signing Medium 21 to Island Records and Chrysalis Music Publishing. He has spent the last 18 years working with major and independent companies such as Universal, EMI, BMG, Mute, Bella Union, Kobalt, PIAS, Erased Tapes, One Little Indian and more besides.
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