The Music Industry Is about so Much More than Having Talent
For a music business degree high quality classes are the most important thing. Music business is something of interest for both budding musicians and budding entrepreneurs. Musicians in particular are becoming interested in it, however, as they find that it seems almost impossible to earn any money through gigging alone.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with gigging, because being a musician is all about creating art, not about selling art. However, everybody also has to earn a living if they are to survive, and most people would also like to see some growth in their career. Essentially, what a degree in music business enables them to do is create art, doing the thing that they love, while at the same time being able to earn a living as well.
If you are a musician, you probably have a number of idols who seem to be truly love what they do, while at the same time being hugely productive and earning a living. We are not necessarily talking about the million dollar earners like Jay-Z here, because that takes a huge amount of luck as well. Rather, we’re talking about those people who don’t have to gig just once a month and earn just enough to cover their expenses; those people who don’t have to have a day job as well as playing music. Those are the people who have taken the time to learn about the business of music in general.
When you enroll in a good quality music business program, you will learn things that talent alone, and gigging alone could never do. You will learn about the technical, theoretical, cultural, historical, geographical, and business side of music. You will start to understand what music does to people, and why certain people like certain styles but not others. You can learn how to understand your demographics, and gear your performing towards those people. Not just that, however, you will learn about the essential elements of the business itself, such as professionalism, training, and royalties. And, most important of all, you will have the opportunity to network. Who you know in the music business is incredibly important, and these contacts, including producers, managers, and audio engineers, may just determine the future of your personal career.
In most cases, music business degrees were created to help people get into the world of mainstream music. Today, however, there is an increasingly good understanding of the fact that music is actually a business. With new digital technology, new ways of creating and marketing music, new ways of advertising, new styles to be developed, new ways of spotting talent, and more, it is no surprise that these programs have developed to incorporate all of these complex new elements. With a music business degree, you have an opportunity to really stand out from the crowd and become the best you can be. You may even find that gigging isn’t what you want to do at all anymore, preferring to work behind the scenes on the actual business side.