Music Business

Music business is a discipline that sits at the intersection of the creative arts and commerce, concerned with the economic, legal, and managerial structures that underpin the music industry. From record labels and publishing to live events, streaming, artist management, and sync licensing, the business of music is complex, rapidly changing, and genuinely creative in its own right. Understanding how it works requires both an appreciation of music as art and a grasp of the commercial, legal, and digital realities that shape how music is made, distributed, and monetised.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this programme is studied part-time and draws on a combination of in-person, digital, and industry-partner learning environments, reflecting the contemporary reality of professional music industry work, which increasingly spans remote collaboration, digital platforms, and direct industry relationships. You will study the structures of the music industry, music marketing and promotion, intellectual property and music law, event management, artist development, and the digital transformation of music distribution, building both theoretical understanding and practical professional skills.

Graduates of music business programmes pursue careers in artist management, music publishing, record labels, sync agencies, music marketing, event promotion, music journalism, and streaming platforms. The combination of music knowledge and business acumen is valued across the creative economy more broadly, and graduates also move into roles in entertainment law, media management, and cultural policy. The Highlands and Islands location offers a distinctive context for understanding regional music cultures and the grassroots end of the industry alongside its commercial dimensions.