Business of
Music
Industry Experts
Featuring NYU Tisch faculty.
Program Overview
Real-World Examples
Study real-world music business scenarios, from streaming-era royalties, catalog acquisitions, and sync licensing to artist‑centric vs. pro‑rata debates, management and label deal structures, and the economics of touring, ticketing, and merch, with case-based lessons drawn from current artists, catalogs, and live events.
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Gain practical understanding through case studies like Taylor Swift’s masters dispute and re‑recording strategy, HYBE and BTS’s global entertainment ecosystem, Olivia Rodrigo’s strategic team and deal choices, Bad Bunny’s cultural branding, and Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” touring pivot.
Build Industry Expertise
Learn from leading academic and industry professionals with on‑demand video lessons anchored by Lauren Davis and Marc Plotkin, and build real‑world skills through self‑paced projects on sync pitches, artist revenue maps, deal analysis, release campaigns, and long‑term artist business planning.
Set Yourself Apart
Earn a Certificate of Completion in Business of Music from the world-renowned New York University Tisch School of the Arts and Yellowbrick, and show that you can explain how money is generated and retained in music, understand rights and contracts, and apply course frameworks to real music industry decisions.
Business of Music will help you develop knowledge and skills in areas including:
- Streaming economics and artist revenue
- How artists get paid per stream
- Performance and mechanical royalties
- Pro‑rata vs. artist‑centric payout models
- Sync licensing as revenue and strategy
- Global music markets and emerging territories
- Distribution paths: majors, indies, and DIY
- Release strategy and getting music to market
- Admin‑only vs. creative publishing
- Management agreements and artist protections
- Co‑writing splits and session logistics
- Catalog acquisitions and songwriter valuation
- Recording deal structures and trade‑offs
- Core roles on an artist’s professional team
- Artist branding and audience definition
- Release campaigns and platform strategy
- Direct‑to‑fan tools, merch, and memberships
- Touring economics from clubs to festivals
- Guarantees, percentages, and ticketing basics
- Live performance as a long‑term career pillar
- Key terms in publishing and co‑publishing deals
- Fan growth across social and streaming platforms
Curriculum
The program includes five online course modules and related skill‑building activities. Each module is broken into several shorter lessons and project‑based learning assignments designed to help you apply key concepts to real artists, catalogs, and campaigns. Students earn a non‑credit certificate of completion from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Streaming, Revenue & the Global Music Business
Explore how streaming reshaped the recorded music industry and changed the way money moves through today's music ecosystem. This module examines how streaming royalties are calculated, why the pro-rata vs. artist-centric debate matters, how performance and mechanical royalties work, and how sync licensing and global market expansion shape modern music careers.
You will learn how to:
Understand how artists get paid across streaming, royalties, and other revenue sources.
Compare pro-rata and artist-centric models and why that debate matters.
Explore sync licensing and the global forces reshaping the music business.
Distribution, Publishing & Catalog Acquisitions
Learn how music gets to market and how the deals behind it are structured across distribution, publishing, and catalog ownership. This module explores label vs. DIY release strategies, publishing deal structures, co-writing splits, and the growing role of catalog acquisitions in the business of songwriting.
You will learn how to:
Compare distribution strategies from major labels to independent and DIY paths.
Understand the differences between publishing models and deal structures.
Evaluate co-writing, catalog, and release decisions that shape how music is published and monetized.
Management, Representation & Building Your Team
Behind every successful artist is a team navigating contracts, relationships, and competing interests. This module breaks down key team roles, management agreements, and recording deal structures so you can better evaluate the partnerships and decisions that shape an artist's career.
You will learn how to:
Identify the key members of an artist's professional team.
Understand the basics of recording deals and management agreements.
Evaluate the trade-offs of different representation and deal options.
Music Marketing, Branding & Fan Growth
In today's music industry, an artist's brand is as important as their music. This module explores artist-fan relationships, platform strategy, release campaigns, audience data, and monetization beyond recorded music through direct-to-fan platforms, brand partnerships, and superfan tools.
You will learn how to:
Build a clearer understanding of artist branding and audience strategy.
Explore how release campaigns work across major platforms.
Evaluate fan growth and monetization opportunities beyond streaming.
Live Touring, Merch & Long-Term Revenue
Go inside the economics of live performance, from first gigs to festival headline slots. This module examines touring, ticketing, dynamic pricing, live entertainment infrastructure, and merchandise as a critical revenue stream, while connecting live performance to long-term artist business strategy.
You will learn how to:
Understand how live performance generates revenue and supports artist development.
Explore the business dynamics behind touring, ticketing, and merch.
Connect live strategy to long-term artist growth and sustainability.
Set Yourself Apart
Earn a Certificate of Completion in Business of Music from the world-renowned New York University Tisch School of the Arts and Yellowbrick, and show that you can explain how money is generated and retained in music, understand rights and contracts, and apply course frameworks to real music industry decisions.
Choose How You Pay
Learn how today’s music industry really works, featuring NYU Tisch faculty.
One-Time Payment
4 Monthly Payments
12 Monthly Payments
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Frequently Asked Questions
Tuition is $1,499 when paid in full. Two payment plans are also available at checkout: 4 monthly payments of $399 or 12 monthly payments of $139.
