New degree course aims to find budding music moguls like the legendary late Tony Wilson
24.05.2022 - 19:53
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester is set to be the home for Britain's first ever degree course designed to find the next music mogul like the city's legendary late Tony Wilson. Ostereo, a Manchester record company, is launching the first ever BA in Music Business that’s specifically aimed at the next generation of would-be pop moguls wanting to work in the £21 billion industry.
The course will deal with A&R, distribution and music copyrights, which have been important for generations of acts from The Beatles to The Spice Girls but also incorporate the comparatively new world of Spotify, YouTube and TikTok, securing royalties, using playlists and promoting music on social media.
These are 'skills gaps' lacking in other music business degrees but are vital to finding the next Ed Sheeran or other major star, said Howard Murphy, found of Ostereo. He said: "Too many young people still think the business side of the music industry is about champagne, flowers and after-show parties.
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"Many business programmes offer very little education when it comes the back-end of our business. We want to offer learners a more rounded understanding of today’s industry. This means an emphasis on streaming, data, social media promotion and other trends that power our trade."
Applications for the BA Hons course has just opened for the 2023 academic year. The course will be based at a dedicated site in Manchester and include features such as working with real artists on a music release campaign, promoting it and collecting resulting royalties.
Students will also get the chance to do work experience with a range of music industry organisations including the BPI (British