Course overview
Co-developed by Keith Harris, the manager of Stevie Wonder and taught by lecturers who have delivered TED X talks and worked with all the biggest entities within the music industry such as MTV, Virgin (EMI), Mercury Records (Universal) and Sony Music. You’ll be taught everything you need to know to kick start a successful career within the industry and complete the course by organising a live event at a London venue. By studying this course you’ll open doors to a vast array of career opportunities and professions including A&R manager, artist manager, record label manager, venue promoter, branding manager, event programmer, music distributor, music publisher, booking agent, tour manager and many more!
Point Blank classes are small to ensure you receive ample 1-2-1 time with your lecturers. We pride ourselves on our student ecosystem of budding artists, managers, producers and singers, all operating in Shoreditch, a global hub of London music venues and bars.
Job outcomes
- A&R Manager
- Artist Manager
- Record Label Owner
- Venue Promoter
- Branding Manager
- Event Programmer
- Music Distributor
- Music Publisher
- Booking Agent
- Music Licensing
- Tour Manager
- Business Manager
What you'll learn
- Music Industry
- Marketing & Branding
- Music Entrepreneur
Study method
- In-class
- Blended
- Online
Locations
- England
- London
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Duration study load
- 1 class per week
- 9 months
What is my timetable?
Each module requires your attendance at one daytime class which will be 3 or 4 hours long depending on the module. Your timetable will be confirmed a week before the start of each term. If you have specific timetable requests, please contact us before booking and we will do our best to arrange your classes at times that suit you. In addition to classes, students are expected to schedule sufficient practice time each week. The studio facilities are open to you 7 days a week gaining you valuable studio time and reinforcing the skills learned in class. Students can also book regular 1-2-1 sessions with our lecturers outside of class time.
Testimonials
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Benny Scarrs, Point Blank graduate and artist manager for Dave (Mercury Prize Winner)Music Industry Certificate"What I went on to do – you couldn’t understand how beneficial it was for me to come and study with Point Blank and get the technical knowledge I needed first."
Alunmi
- Dave Rene
- Josh Dowler
- Gemma Cairney
Do I need to buy equipment to take the course?
We supply all the equipment you need for your class, and our facilities are open 7 days a week during term time for you to work on your assignments and projects (excluding scheduled breaks).
If you are interested in production or DJing and wish to buy equipment or software, remember that Point Blank students qualify for discounts from Apple Education, Ableton, Native Instruments, Pioneer DJ and other leading industry partners.
Subjects
This module aims to provide an overview of the music industry: what are the different components and how do they operate and interlink? You will develop an awareness of different revenue sources, analysing areas including record labels, publishing, independent artists, digital distribution, and the varied ways that money flows through the industry.
The importance and value of copyright will be explored, along with different music industry deals and agreements. The knowledge, skills, and understanding developed in this module will provide you with the foundation for a successful and sustainable career within the music industry.
- Introduction to the music industry
- Music copyrights
- Major and independent record labels
- Music publishers
- Music distribution and consumption
- Music streaming
- The independent artist route
- Artist management
- The live sector
- Contracts & agreements
- Negotiation skills
- Synchronisation
For anyone wanting to establish a career in the music industry, a knowledge of marketing and branding is essential. Branding is important for creating a memorable impression and distinguishing from others. You will explore various artists, businesses, and personal brands and analyse them to discover the various elements and approaches that make them successful, or unsuccessful. You will develop and apply practical skills to establish your own brand, ready for launch within the music industry. You will discover and experiment with different marketing theories, strategies, and tactics and examine how effectively these can be used within the music industry. You will have the opportunity to take previously introduced branding approaches and apply these towards artist branding within a marketing context. Outside of the music industry, these are valuable skills that can be applied across a range of careers.
This module is designed to enable you to develop your own brand and develop the knowledge and skills required to grow this brand within the music industry.
- Building and maintaining a brand
- Design and content tools
- Digital marketing
- Release marketing
- Marketing strategies and plans
- Publicity and radio
- Marketing on a budget
As you come towards the end of the programme, this module will provide an opportunity for you to synthesise many of the concepts developed across the course and put them into practice. Throughout this module, you will work on the development of a self-directed plan – this can be a release plan for your music, a marketing strategy, a business plan or a career plan, potentially linking with the Professional Portfolio modules. You will develop a range of soft and functional skills such as communication, teamwork, research, feedback, financial, planning and more.
The module should inspire you to develop innovative and entrepreneurial plans and should equip you with the tools and knowledge necessary to further develop professionally. It will prepare you for a working environment, allowing you to plan your next steps and present career opportunities.
- Critical Evaluation and Communication
- Carrying out Research
- Business Models & Opportunities
- Business Planning
- Professional Development
- Career Planning
- Artist Development
- Release Planning
- Pitch Decks
About Point Blank Music School
Point Blank's global network of schools is world-renowned for music education, and has now taught over 50,000 students how to make their mark in music. Our studios feature top industry-standard equipment including SSL mixing consoles, Ableton Push 2 controllers, Novation and Native Instruments keyboards, various outboard equipment, the latest Roland gear and Pioneer DJ devices, and a lot more.
If you want access to the best instructors, the best facilities, and the best connections out there, then join Point Blank’s global community now and step inside the music industry.
