MA Music Management

Applicants will be considered for admission if they have achieved an educational level equivalent to an honours degree in a relevant subject such as music, music production, music technology, sound arts, arts/music management, business studies, or a closely related subject. We do not exclude candidates who have graduated from other less strongly aligned disciplines, however, and the personal statement may be used to express your suitability for the course. 

This educational level may be demonstrated by:

• Honours degree;
• Possession of equivalent qualifications;
• Prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required;
• Or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

• Related academic or work experience
• The quality of the personal statement
• A strong academic or other professional reference
• OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit, but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

For fees and funding information, please see website 

Graduates from this course could expect to go into roles such as:

• Artist/talent manager
• Artist relations and development
• Artist agent
• Promoter
• Live events manager
• Licensing manager

With the increasingly freelance nature of employment in the creative industries, this course will also offer you the guidance and confidence to become a freelance professional.

More widely, Careers and Employability at UAL will support you in your journey to becoming an innovator in the creative and cultural sectors through a programme of events, seminars, workshops, online resources and funding opportunities.

• Unit 1 – Music Industry Practices (40 credits) - This unit investigates the structures, principles and practices of an evolving industry. This unit will cover the history of the music industry, its present and potential futures, drawing particular attention to the need for an inclusive and diverse industry with sustainable practices.
• Unit 2 - The Multiple Roles of The Artist Manager (20 credits) - The unit will address the multiple roles of the artist manager, and how they have evolved with the industry. It will investigate the business role including management structures, commission and other deals, contracts and the ways in which the manager and artist interact in developing their career. It will also explore the expectations of artists and the limitations of the manager, in terms of emotional and critical support. 
• Unit 3 – Artist Development Strategies (40 credits) - This unit puts artist development at the fore of management and discusses the varied approaches to the role. The unit begins with the question ‘Is the music industry focused primarily on the artist or the song in the modern era’. This is a key area of discussion, and one that arguably the long-term future of the business is dictated by. From pop stars to sound designers, the unit will look at structures for developing the artist, and ensuring that their name is to the fore of any work done to develop the profile of their music.
• Unit 4 - Collaborative Project (20 credits) - In this unit, you will identify, form, and develop collaborative working relationships with a range of potential partners, either within the University or externally. You’ll design and deliver a cross-disciplinary project to a bespoke brief, replicating the kinds of collaborative work that music management typically involves. 
• Unit 5 - Masters Project (60 credits) - This unit will provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate the development of your own theoretical and practical work relating to music management. With full support from tutors, you will take on an artist in a management capacity. You will plan and manage the artist’s career, agreeing a business structure and fixing boundaries for their role. You will build a development plan for an initial 3 years, focusing on developing the artist as a brand alongside any product or event that they may undertake to release. In doing so, you shall synthesise the practical, reflective, and conceptual development in your work throughout the course.