Commercial Music

Commercial music addresses the business of music as much as its artistry, preparing graduates for careers in the professional music industry rather than primarily in performance or academic music. It covers music production, recording technology, music business management, artist development, music marketing, distribution, and the legal and financial frameworks through which music is created and monetised in the commercial sphere. It is a discipline for people who love music and want to build careers in it, whether behind the mixing desk, in a record label, managing artists, or in the many other roles through which the music industry operates.

At the University of the West of Scotland, this four-year full-time programme develops your music production and business skills for the commercial music industry. You will study music technology, audio production, composition, songwriting, music business, marketing, and the digital platforms and streaming services that now dominate how music reaches its audiences. Practical production work runs throughout the programme, giving you real experience of creating, producing, and distributing music, and developing the portfolio that demonstrates your professional capability to future employers and collaborators.

Graduates from commercial music programmes work in recording studios, music publishing, record labels, artist management, concert promotion, music supervision for film and television, music journalism, and digital music distribution. Many develop portfolio careers that combine several of these activities or establish themselves as independent producers, artists, or music entrepreneurs. Further study at postgraduate level in music production, music business, or music technology is available for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.