Start a Business: Your 10-Step Guide
January 7, 2025
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Learn the Basics of the Music Business Industry. Success begins with developing creativity and fundamentals in entrepreneurship, discussing copyright law and revenue streams, and understanding the roles and structure of the music business industry.
Instructors: John P. Kellogg, Esq.
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No prior knowledge of background is required to complete this specialization.
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Recommended experience
Beginner level
No prior knowledge of background is required to complete this specialization.
Discuss how the music business functions, including the various roles within the business, contract agreements, and how artists make money
Discuss the exclusive rights granted by copyright law and explain how to leverage those rights as a creator
Leverage skills used in musicianship to become a more effective entrepreneur
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This specialization will give you the knowledge, both theoretical and practical, to launch your career in the music business as an artist, manager, agent, and/or producer. You will begin with Music Business Foundations, which provides a broad overview of the music business, including a history of the industry as well as the various roles that exist and how they relate to one another. You will learn how record contracts are structured as well as a basic overview of copyright law. From there, you will complete Copyright Law in the Music Business, which gets to the heart of understanding copyright infringement. You will have the opportunity to unpack high-profile copyright law cases involving world-renowned artists, gaining a better understanding of how to leverage the law to their benefit. Next, you will complete How to Make Money with Your Music Copyrights, which will give you an in-depth breakdown of registering your copyright and collecting money from it. You will hear from professionals and lawyers who work to get artists paid and you will be able to identify ways to make money with your music that you may not have considered in the past. Finally, you will complete Creativity and Entrepreneurship, in which you’ll learn what it takes to be an effective entrepreneur in the music business, learning skills that are essential for thriving in an ever-changing industry.
Applied Learning Project
Learners will analyze and discuss a series of high-profile, real-world case studies from the music industry. Learners will also identify revenue streams available to them using their registered copyrights and practice skills that are essential to thriving in the music industry.
Analyze recording contract provisions
Assess the various rights that make up the copyright bundle of rights
Discuss the roles of the personal manager, business manager, road manager, agents, road crew, and attorneys
Examine the importance of having written agreements that outline the duties and obligations of various parties
Explain the six exclusive rights of copyright law
Describe the concept of Fair Use and know when it applies and when it doesn't
Describe the various aspects involved in a copyright lawsuit
Differentiate between the composition copyright and the sound recording copyright
If you want to learn how to make a living with your music, this is the course for you. How to Make Money with Your Music Copyrights will provide an overview of basic copyright principles and their relationship to music publishing as well as the primary revenue streams available to independent songwriters and artists.
Taught by the experienced entertainment attorney and record label executive turned Berklee instructor, Professor Tonya Butler J.D., LL.M., you will learn how to utilize the different copyrights available in the US copyright law for musical works in order to access the four primary revenue streams. You will start by learning the basics of US copyright law and the difference between a musical work and a sound recording. Then, you will learn about the four primary revenue streams and hear from industry professionals and their tips on achieving success in the music industry. Finally, you will learn how music artists can make money as the owners of their own sound recordings. By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of the different ways and the various organizations that can help you get paid for your music.
Discuss the importance of observation and the impact it has on your work as an entrepreneur
Discuss the importance of editing and be able to simply complex problems down to their core issues
Define what makes a strong brand and brainstorm ideas of how to establish your brand
Identify the various kinds of people you need to have in your network to help you succeed
Founded in 2002, Berklee Online is the premier innovator and largest provider of worldwide music education, offering more than 75,000 students from 144 countries the renowned curriculum of Berklee College of Music, at a fraction of the cost. Through Berklee Online’s award-winning online courses, certificates, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs, students receive expert music instruction and emerge with the skills to exceed the demands of the music industry.
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There are 4 courses in this specialization and each course is 4 weeks. In total, the specialization should take about 16 weeks to complete.
There is no background knowledge required to complete this specialization.
While a specific order is not required, we recommend completing the courses in the following order: Music Business Foundations, Navigating the Music Business, Copyright Law in the Music Business, and Creativity and Entrepreneurship.
No.
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Financial aid available,