Billboard’s 2025 Top Music Business Schools

“I hope you feel so proud, and I’m sure you might feel a little scared, too,” said Maggie Rogers as she gave a wisdom-­filled commencement address in May at Radio City Music Hall to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts class of 2025 — the school from which Rogers graduated in 2016.

“A lot of speakers might tell you that they remember how you feel,” Rogers added. “But I was sitting where you were sitting just nine years ago, so when I tell you that, I promise that I mean it.”

Nine years ago, Rogers also appeared in Billboard for the first time, on the opening page of the 2016 Top Music Business Schools list. She was shown in a photograph with Pharrell Williams, whose astounded reaction to her self-released track “Alaska” went viral on YouTube and ignited her career straight out of the Tisch School’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

For more than a decade, Billboard has been spotlighting schools that are educating the next generation of music industry leaders, as well as the artists and producers who recognize the importance of the business skills that these schools teach.

Billboard chooses its top music business schools based on industry recommendations, alum information provided by honorees from our multiple power lists, years of reporting on educational options and information requested from the schools themselves. We invite selected schools to tell us what makes their program unique, to boast about accomplished alums and to describe specific courses, events and speakers. (This year, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts claims the coolest campus visit, as LIPA founder Paul McCartney hosted Bruce Springsteen, who took part in an hourlong Q&A session with students in June.)

The schools here are not ranked; they are listed ­alphabetically. “Rankings have created an unhealthy obsession with selectivity,” former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a 2023 speech. Despite moves to downsize the U.S. Department of Education, that federal agency still hosts a free, online college scorecard that provides quantitative information to complement the qualitative profiles on our list, including specific data on college costs, graduation rates, employment and student debt.

Acknowledging college costs and debt, Billboard has opted to emphasize more affordable public colleges and universities, which now make up one-third of this list. We also continue to recognize historically Black colleges and universities such as Howard University and Tennessee State University and to add schools from outside the music industry’s capitals, such as the newly included University of Georgia in Athens.

What Rogers said she would have told her younger self upon graduating nine years ago certainly also applies to those now searching for schools to start their music careers — on or off the stage.

“I’d remind her that two artistic careers will never be the same and that numbers do not matter — what matters is how you make people feel,” Rogers said. “I’d tell her that the people you do this with — and how you define what it means to live a beautiful life — matter more than anything. The world is waiting for you and all of the beautiful things you will create.”

Abbey Road Institute
London

The Abbey Road Institute offers its students an intensive music production and sound engineering diploma, which, as closely as possible, replicates the experience of working in the music and audio industry. The school prepares graduates to build their careers as professionals in music and pro audio. Its core program is the Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering, which includes an in-depth music business module that covers management, A&R, marketing, synch, licensing and much more. The new Dolby Atmos Mixing for Music course is taught by Grammy Award-winning engineer James Auwarter. More than 90% of graduates are in music- and audio-related work within six months of graduation. The institute now has affiliated programs worldwide and is on track to open campuses in Mumbai, India, and Los Angeles.

Alum: Producer-engineer-mixer Gil Portal at RAK Studios, whose credits include work with Disclosure, Coldplay, Shaznay Lewis, J Balvin, Usher and DJ Khaled.

American University
Washington, D.C.

Housed within American University’s Kogod School of Business, the Business and Entertainment Program offers a core business background while students specialize in the entertainment industry with classes primarily taught by industry veterans. Kogod added a focus on artificial intelligence to every class this year, and many speakers at the fourth annual Artist Rights Symposium — including SAG-AFTRA general counsel Jeff Bennett — addressed topics surrounding AI and name, image and likeness rights. Each year, students head to New York and Los Angeles to visit business management firms, agencies and other entertainment companies. On campus, recent speakers include Lionsgate chairman/chief creative officer Kevin Beggs, Academy Award winner David Dinerstein and Kogod alums working at Live Nation, United Entertainment Group Worldwide, CAA and the three major music groups. Recent graduate placements include eight students hired at business management firm FBMM and 12 students hired at major agencies.

Faculty: New program director Linda Bloss-Baum also teaches a class where students attend SXSW and the National Independent Venue Association conference and help promote a showcase.

Auburn University
Auburn, Ala.

Auburn’s Department of Music established a music business minor in 2023, and the late-2024 completion of a state-of-the-art recording studio located within the Music Studies complex is the latest enhancement to the Music Studies Program, which offers courses taught by instructors with real-world experience. Students are introduced to all aspects of the music business, from labels and publishers to touring and concert promotion, with an emphasis on a global/entrepreneurial perspective. Speakers including Universal Music Publishing Nashville CEO Troy Tomlinson and former Warner Music Nashville A&R executive vp Scott Hendricks keep the conversation fresh. While the Music Business Program is relatively new, Auburn University grads include Apple CEO Tim Cook and executives working at companies such as WME, Sony, The Trenches Collective, Sun Records and Sweet Talk Publicity.

Course: Record Company Procedures gives students the experience of working for a record company by forming a label, working with an artist from a designated artist pool and creating a marketing, sales and media plan all while staying within a designated budget.

Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, Ohio

Located just 15 minutes from Downtown Cleveland, Baldwin Wallace offers a bachelor of arts in music industry and, in 2021, was invited to become an educational affiliate of the Grammy Museum. Last fall, music industry students had the opportunity to attend the Disney+ live production of the induction ceremony at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; in the spring, they traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with staff from NPR’s Tiny Desk, Live Nation and the RIAA. On campus, students this year were visited by NPR senior podcast operations specialist Darius Cook and Music Asset Management founder and CEO Mary Jo Mennella, and students also benefit from internship experiences with local partners including Blossom Music Center and Beachland Ballroom & Tavern.

Course: Music Licensing and Placement, taught by music supervisor Joe O’Riordan, delves into practical elements of song placement for film, TV and commercials. O’Riordan has placed songs for projects such as MTV’s Ridiculousness and Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules.

Belmont University (Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business)
Nashville

Belmont’s Curb College this year is opening a 17,000-square-foot facility on Music Row to house songwriting rooms, listening spaces, live-sound classrooms and student lounges. The college offers internships, unique projects and A-list guest speakers. Case in point: Ed Sheeran spoke to a songwriting class in the spring, sharing new songs, critiquing student work and participating in a Q&A. And Kelsea Ballerini dropped in with producer Alysa Vanderheym, A&R lead Kelly Bolton and the songwriters she collaborated with on her album Patterns. Curb’s program is enhanced by semester-long trips to New York and L.A. and leads to a bachelor of business administration. Alums include Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Ashley Gorley and Hillary Lindsey, and John Zarling, co-founder of Results Global, whose clients include Dolly Parton, Megadeth and Trisha Yearwood.

Course: Through a partnership with Dolly Parton; her management company, CTK Enterprises; and the team behind Dolly: A True Original Musical, Belmont this spring launched Dolly U, comprising four courses including Dolly Parton: Icon & Influence, which featured lectures and interviews with members of Parton’s team and even a surprise conversation with Lainey Wilson.

Berklee College of Music
Boston

Berklee offers two options for students interested in careers in the music business: its long-standing bachelor of music in music business, where students focus on the management, marketing or entrepreneurial aspects of the industry while simultaneously perfecting their musical craft, and a bachelor of arts program in music industry leadership and innovation, designed for aspiring business professionals in the creative industries who have an interest in music, technology and innovation. Both programs offer guest speakers, industry partnerships and events, including the inaugural TEDxBerklee Boston featuring a TEDx Talk by CD Baby president Molly Neuman, which took place last fall. The Berklee Popular Music Institute’s flagship program, BPMI Live, offers a yearlong experience in which students scout, develop and tour with emerging artists at the industry’s largest music festivals. This spring, students traveled to the United Kingdom with the band Park National.

Event: During “A Day With Lucius,” the Grammy-nominated band, whose members are Berklee alums, met with students to share stories, insights and advice.

Berklee College of Music (Valencia Campus)
Valencia, Spain

The master of arts in global entertainment and music business offered by Berklee College of Music on its campus in Valencia, Spain, helps graduate-level students gain a competitive advantage in the music industry. It offers networking and experiential learning opportunities and an elective-based curriculum that empowers students to curate their own learning experience. All courses are grounded in the realities of the music industry, encouraging students to design solutions for current business challenges. The program has welcomed more than 50 high-level industry guest speakers, such as Yvette Noel-Schure, founder of Schure Media Group and publicist for Beyoncé, and Marie-Anne Robert, head of Sony Music France. The annual Berklee Global Career Summit focuses on professional development and career paths through a series of keynotes, panels, workshops and mentoring sessions that provide practical knowledge to support professional development, mainly in the areas of business, film scoring, production and songwriting.

Course: Active music supervisors mentor students in the Publishing and Music Supervision course, in collaboration with the Spanish Speaking Music Supervision Association. Students work alongside 14 experts who guide mentees through projects and industry practices.

BIMM University (BIMM Music Institute)
London

The goal of the BIMM Music Institute is to immerse students in the heart of the music industry from day one of their education. The school’s curriculum for nonperforming professionals includes experience in areas like artist management, marketing, event promotion, A&R and music publishing, working directly on projects alongside industry experts. The institute has the unique advantage of affiliated campuses in cities with vibrant music scenes, including Manchester, England; Dublin; and Berlin. It also offers students a strong network of tutors, visiting professionals and alums who help graduates build their careers. The institute hosted the SXSW London Roadshow Tour, presenting numerous speakers at three locations in June. Alums include Iona Rodger, a graduate of BIMM Manchester, who gained an internship at Sony Music and subsequently a position doing creative marketing for indie label Music for Nations.

Speakers: Miles Leonard of Parlophone and Warner Music, James Threlfall of BBC Music Introducing, Emma Hardie of Aardman Studios and Alyx Holcombe of BBC Radio 1.

The BRIT School
Croydon, England

The British Record Industry Trust (the charitable division of U.K. labels trade group BPI that presents the BRIT Awards) partnered with the British government in 1991 to create The BRIT School to offer a tuition-free education for students ages 14 to 19 for careers in performance and creative arts and related industries. Nearly 35 years later, the school thrives with a music and arts specialist vocational curriculum taught by industry professionals skilled in live sound, production, recording, music tech and business. The school has unparalleled connections within the music industry to offer students work experience. It has two venues on-site, including The Obie Theater (recognized with the PRS Music Heritage Award in 2022), and houses the Sir George Martin Recording Studio and the YouTube Music Studio for live TV broadcast and radio. BRIT School alums include Adele, RAYE and Lola Young.

Speakers: Billy Bragg, Ezra Collective and Kate Nash are among those who have offered their perspectives on the music industry.

California Institute of the Arts (Herb Alpert School of Music)
Valencia, Calif.

At CalArts’ Herb Alpert School of Music, all students — even those who intend to pursue nonperforming roles after graduation — engage in creating, producing or otherwise developing music. Laurel Halo, a composer, producer, live musician and DJ, recently joined the school’s faculty. Weekly one-on-one lessons in production and studio-based composition in the school’s recording and mixing studios are led by L.A.-area producers, such as Jake Viator at Stones Throw Studios and Sami Parez at Wiggle World Studios. Those producers often connect students with internships and job opportunities at studios, labels and venues. Courses tailored for nonperforming students include The Art of the Mix, which focuses on efficient workflow and effective decision-making in an era of self-production, and Interface Design, which details how to use sensors for human computer interface in creative projects.

Alum: Greg Kurstin, a nine-time Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has worked with Adele, Beck, Sia, P!nk, Maren Morris, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters and Kendrick Lamar, among others.

California State University, Northridge
Northridge, Calif.

CSUN’s Music Industry Studies program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to prepare students for diverse roles in the music industry. Based in Los Angeles, the program, which connects students with the professional world through internships, guest speakers and experiential learning, has graduated ­executives including Regard Music ­founder and CEO Sean O’Malley and entertainment company PERME8 founder Joe Willis. Courses include Music Industry Fundamentals, a class that extends over two semesters to provide a foundational understanding of contracts, publishing, royalties and professional pathways, and Digital Strategies for the Working Musician, focused on branding, content strategy, digital revenue and social media tools for entrepreneurial musicians. A signature component of the program is the student-run, faculty-­advised label VoVe, where students manage artist development, marketing and live events. Rising L.A. acts including Sohpistolethemoon, Cayden Corbett and aziboh have worked with VoVe.

Event: For the WME Career Insights Panel, music agents Carly Huffman and Kidder Erdman joined CSUN faculty for a conversation.

Delta State University (Delta Music Institute)
Cleveland, Miss.

Students ready to embrace technology, creativity and business strategy will find their muse at the university’s Delta Music Institute program. Located in the famed region that gave birth to the blues, the institute provides a bachelor of science in entertainment industry studies along with experience in studio facilities that include a Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio Studio. Students also participate in real-world projects like live-event production and gain experience through partnerships with Grammy Museum Mississippi, GrammyU and lessons leading to an Avid Learning for Pro Tools Certification. This past year, Rick Sanjek, a former BMI and Atlantic Records executive and author of American Popular Music and Its Business in the Digital Age, came to campus, as did Paul Mathis, entertainment lawyer and legal counsel for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Spinners.

Class: Entertainment Product Marketing explores online tools, emerging technologies and data analytics for marketing recorded products. Students will examine music industry structure, design marketing campaigns and develop brand strategies with a focus on digital distribution, social media and integrated promotion across platforms.

Drexel University (Westphal College of Media Arts and Design)
Philadelphia

Students in Drexel’s Music Industry Program begin business-focused coursework in their first year and build real-world skills through Mad Dragon Music Group, a practicum simulating a full-service music company. A six-month co-op is built into the curriculum, and this past year, students executed an album rollout for Brooklyn-based folk artist Gemma Laurence in collaboration with the e-commerce company Mainfactor. Drexel’s proximity to New York enables students to visit the headquarters of prominent music industry companies and labels such as Warner Music and REPUBLIC Collective, where they gain insider access to leading executives and creatives. The program also hosts an active roster of speakers each year. Recent guests include Spotify’s Chissy Nkemere Cherian; Major Seven, a producer for Jay-Z; and Sony/ATV’s Omar Grant. Successful alums, like Catherine Cahill, president/CEO of Philadelphia’s Mann Center for the Performing Arts, are profiled in the student-run zine Double Platinum.

Courses: Artist Representation, taught by Recording Academy trustee Nikisha Bailey, and Streaming and Radio Promotion, led by WXPN Philadelphia’s John Vettese, offer insight into the evolving music landscape.

Full Sail University
Winter Park, Fla.

Students enrolled in Full Sail ­University’s bachelor of science music business program participate in a comprehensive curriculum that includes artist management, artist development, music copyright and publishing, music supervision, concert management, marketing, data analysis and distribution. For the course Concert Management and Touring, for example, students collaborate with peers in other classes such as Music Evaluation for A&R and Music Business Marketing to work on the planning, logistics, talent booking and marketing for a monthly networking event. Additionally, the Artist Development Initiative provides students with opportunities to gain experience by supporting working artists through real-world activities. The program offers frequent daylong workshops presented by business program faculty members in specific areas like AI, branding, social media strategy and live events. Executives from Udio, Revolt TV, SteeleSync, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Warner Chappell Music recently visited to speak with students.

Alum: Ziggy Chareton is senior vp/head of A&R for Island Records and co-manager of Shawn Mendes.

Hofstra University
Hempstead, N.Y.

Hofstra’s music business curriculum is an interdisciplinary program that includes courses in content creation, radio, TV and film and elective concentrations in marketing, general business, pre-law and music technology; courses for the latter take place in its new state-of-the-art recording studio. Most music business students participate in at least four internships during their time at Hofstra, and the school’s proximity to Manhattan, less than 30 miles to the west, provides abundant opportunities at companies including Primary Wave, Columbia Records, Warner Chappell Music, Spotify and BMI. On campus, the curriculum is constantly evolving. In the spring, former Atlantic Records president of A&R Pete Ganbarg taught A&R in the Music Industry, a course for which students assembled pitches for Ganbarg’s Pure Tone Records from artists they discovered online.

Speaker: During the spring semester, WME head of music brand partnerships Shari Lewin led the three-part master-class series Brand Partnerships in Music, which included a visit to the company’s New York office.

Howard University (The Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business)
Washington, D.C.

The Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University equips students with skills and experience for nonperforming careers in the music industry, with a focus on developing social justice leaders, industry trailblazers and global game-changers. Students have access to executives, resources and opportunities. During the last academic year, the program welcomed more than 50 executives and artists to campus, including Grammy winners Poo Bear and Ne-Yo. Executives including RIAA senior vp Tom Clees and The Kelly Clarkson Show talent booker Christopher McDonald lent their expertise. Partners such as Interscope Records, the NBA and Live Nation serve as career pipelines, and the center’s ICONFest 2025 featured a Sports and Entertainment Summit in partnership with Monumental Sports. The program also expanded its partnership with the government of Ghana for panel conversations and artist exchanges as part of Ghana Week in Washington, D.C., and the West Africa Music & Arts Festival in Accra, Ghana.

Event: In partnership with Howard’s School of Business, the center launched a free summer institute program that hosted 40 high school students from across the country.

Kennesaw State University (The Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program)
Kennesaw, Ga.

Part of the Michael J. Coles College of Business, the Katz program — endowed by renowned entertainment attorney Joel A. Katz, who died in April — is a 24-credit certificate program and an 18-credit undergraduate minor where students can focus on areas such as audio production, artist, venue, live-event management and entertainment entrepreneurship. Courses are taught by entertainment industry executives, professional actors and recording artists. Two members of Zac Brown Band — guitarist Coy Bowles and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter John Driskell Hopkins — are current artists-in-residence. Off campus, the Music and Entertainment Business Program’s externship offering enables students to participate in three semester-long externships while in the program that have led to job placements at companies including Sony Music, Greenberg Traurig, Live Nation, Sixthman, Topeka, Red Light Management and Coca-Cola Studios.

Faculty: Bryan Calhoun, director of artist marketing and industry relations for Pandora Media and head of digital strategy for Blueprint Group/Maverick, serves as executive-in-residence. Calhoun has developed digital strategies for Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, T.I. and The Roots.

Liverpool Institute for ­Performing Arts
Liverpool, England

A dream fulfilled for Paul McCartney, who launched the school in 1996 with Mark Featherstone-Witty (who retired as principal/CEO in 2021 and was succeeded by Sean McNamara), LIPA offers students the opportunity to pursue a bachelor of arts degree and a master’s degree in music industry management. Those candidates train alongside musicians, dancers, engineers, producers, technicians, designers and filmmakers in LIPA’s world-class facilities. The school’s distinctive mix of performers and practitioners provides everything students need to create, produce and manage fully realized productions and projects. LIPA’s three-week, student-run music festival, 2ube Xtra, is held in the school’s flagship venue, the Paul McCartney Auditorium. In their final year, bachelor of arts students complete a three-month industry placement tailored to their career ambitions — placements that often lead directly to employment. Recent placements have included roles with Various Artists Management, Warner Music, Live Nation and Blackstar Amplification.

Event: While visiting LIPA in June, Bruce Springsteen was given a tour of the campus by McCartney and took part in an hourlong Q&A session with students.

Long Island University (The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment)
Brooklyn

Long Island University’s Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment continues to expand its facilities while still offering its Hope Scholarship, which covers full tuition for 25% of enrolled students from each incoming class. (It does not cover room and board and additional costs.) Most recently, the school unveiled a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos studio — one of the largest of its kind in New York — providing learning opportunities for students pursuing careers as producers, engineers, sound designers and more. The school also expanded its partnership with JPMorgan Chase to bolster its financial education curriculum in partnership with the Money Smart Financial Coaching Program. Empire president Tina Davis, RIAA president/COO Michele Ballantyne and HartBeat CEO Thai Randolph are among recent speakers, and off campus, students partake in a robust internship program that’s included placements at Universal Music Publishing Group, Interscope Records, iHeartMedia, Live Nation and SiriusXM.

Course: Music Entrepreneurship guides students through developing business proposals and includes the New Venture Pitch Off, which enables students to present their ideas to executives from companies including Universal Music Group and Live Nation.

Los Angeles College of Music
Los Angeles

LACM offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in performance, composition, music business and music production — and each degree program focuses on three essential elements: craft, business and technology. Across all areas of study, LACM believes students must be well trained in how the music industry functions and also must have core production skills to succeed. Many of the faculty members are active in the industry, working as music supervisors, entertainment attorneys, artist managers, touring players and more. Their input enables the curriculum to be consistently updated to keep pace with the demands of the music industry. Beyond coursework, students take part in numerous field trips to companies in the greater L.A. area. Recent company visits have included Spotify, Warner Music Group, East West Studio, Sony Music Publishing, Disney and Warner Chappell Music. Recent speakers on campus have included music journalist/author Katherine Turman and Nic Harcourt, former editor-at-large for music and culture at Los Angeles Times Magazine.

Course: Music Licensing & Song ­Placement Practicum is taught by new music business program faculty member Angela Sheik, a film/TV composer and former executive manager for the Guild of Music Supervisors.

Los Angeles Film School (The Los Angeles Recording School)
Los Angeles

Located in the heart of Hollywood and offering both an associate of science degree in audio production and music production and a bachelor of science in audio production, entertainment business, music production and media communications, The Los Angeles Recording School, a division of The Los Angeles Film School, prepares students for every stage of the production process. The music business program covers topics including marketing strategies, brand development, A&R and tour management. Augmenting the curriculum, a TechKit — a bundle of industry-standard software, equipment and tools designed to support remote learning — is given to each student. Students also benefit from access to entertainment professionals who regularly visit campus. In May, the Alumni Mentorship Event brought together current students and distinguished graduates. Earlier in the year, the Entertainment Business Department welcomed sound mixer Thomas Cruley, who offered insight into his work in film and music production.

Alum: Grammy-winning audio engineer Henrique Andrade worked on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, as well as Colombian songwriter Juanes’ debut album and Zayn Malik’s second full-length.

Loyola University (School of Music & Theatre Professions)
New Orleans

The curriculum of the School of Music & Theatre Professions at Loyola University continues to evolve for students seeking careers in the music industry. Its new ­entrepreneurship hub, Wolfmoon Entertainment, provides opportunities for students to build businesses in music publishing and synch licensing, label operations, venue management, graphic design, music booking, digital radio streaming and more. This year, the Music Industry Program teamed with a private firm to purchase and revitalize New ­Orleans music venue Gasa Gasa, and students in the upper-level course Venue Management II will book, market, manage and produce artists and other projects at the venue. Among recent speakers, members of the band (and alums) The Revivalists joined a master class to share thoughts on the live-­performance business and trio The Nth Power performed and shared insights.

Faculty: Tavia Osbey, artist manager for acts including Tank & The Bangas and co-founder of Midcitizen Entertainment, is now helming the Music Management class. Sami Slovy, a live-event industry pro, developed the course Business of Live Entertainment.

Middle Tennessee State University (Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment)
Murfreesboro, Tenn.

In August, MTSU celebrated the new name of the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, recognizing the deep support of the program by the Big Machine Label Group founder and chairman/CEO. The college offers multiple degrees including a bachelor of science in recording industry/music business concentration — all with a strong focus on practical experience. The Recording Industry Department facilitates frequent opportunities for students to collaborate with others studying film, TV, game development, journalism, digital media and more. Students have produced live concert streams on Hulu for Bonnaroo, handled sound reinforcement for concerts and athletic events, and worked at the Grammys, SXSW, the Country Music Association Awards and Americana​Fest. More than 60 speakers visited the program during the 2024-25 academic year — including veteran record producer/mixing engineer Bob Clearmountain — and career fairs attracted 35 companies to campus each semester.

Course: Students taking the class Living in James Brown’s America: From Doo-Wop to Hip-Hop curated a museum exhibit about the life and legacy of Brown. The exhibit was awarded best temporary exhibit by the Tennessee Association of Museums.

Monmouth University
West Long Branch, N.J.

Monmouth University’s music industry program blends business and music coursework, offering an interdisciplinary foundation for a variety of careers in the field. Students gain experience as A&R representatives, managers, producers, promotional content creators and artists through Blue Hawk Records, the student-run label that releases a new compilation each semester and dovetails with the course Record Label Strategies. Students also curate and stage events for the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, which broke ground in 2024 on a 30,000-square-foot facility. They also benefit from frequent guest speakers including Atlantic Records senior director of digital marketing Erin Munezza and DreamWorks manager of music Matt Manna.

Event: On Sept. 6, the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music hosted a full-day symposium on the 50th anniversary of the release of Born To Run, featuring panels, presentations and interviews with members of Springsteen’s E Street Band, as well as performances by Springsteen of “Thunder Road” and “Born To Run.”

New York University (Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development)
New York

NYU’s Steinhardt School launched the Sony Audio Institute in March to foster interdisciplinary research and collaboration at the intersection of technology, music and business. The groundbreaking endeavor, led by NYU music business professor Larry Miller, gives students access to researchers who are inventing the future and business executives who will bring their discoveries to market. (Miller was named the 2024 music business educator of the year by the Music Business Association.) Combining a curriculum featuring courses in the business of recorded music, publishing, management and fan engagement, the institute provides students a competitive advantage by training them in all areas of a fast-­changing industry. Among the guest speakers this past year were Republic Records co-founders Monte and Avery Lipman, Sony Music Publishing chairman/CEO Jon Platt and UTA partner/co-head of global music Samantha Kirby Yoh.

Course: Corporate Finance & Valuation in the Music Industry, taught by new adjunct faculty member and Apollo Global managing director Paul Sipio, addresses the financialization of music that has attracted investment by private equity and other major funds.

New York University (Tisch School of the Arts, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music)
New York

The Clive Davis Institute combines music production, songwriting and liberal arts studies in a holistic curriculum that gives equal weight to creativity, business skills and professional development. Located on NYU’s Downtown Brooklyn campus, the institute offers a state-of-the-art facility containing six recording studios including Oscilloscope, the Beastie Boys’ studio that was donated and rebuilt on campus; live-music venue The Garage; and the Clive Davis Gallery. It draws faculty, adjunct professors and artists-in-­residence — including, recently, Joey Bada$$ — with deep experience. In the spring, executive-in-residence and former Atlantic Music Group CEO Julie Greenwald provided students with feedback in marketing and business classes and held office hours. Students create a Professional Development Portfolio, including business, marketing and funding strategies, which they present to industry professionals as part of their graduation requirements.

Course: Two-time Grammy-winning A&R executive Pete Ganbarg (Atlantic, Pure Tone Records) teaches the new course A&R: Past, Present and Future, where students learn the history of A&R and pitch artists for potential signing to Pure Tone.

Northeastern University (College of Arts, Music and Design)
Boston

Steeped in experiential learning, Northeastern’s music industry program serves students with an interest in all facets of the music industry, from label operations to publishing to emerging technologies. Through professional co-op placements, most music undergraduates complete at least one paid six-month co-operative education stint at a major industry company, and in February, the program launched Amplify NYC, a three-day networking experience that connected students with alums. Plans are in the works to expand next year to other cities including Nashville, Atlanta and Los Angeles. Also, in 2026, the program will host the Boston season of How To Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams, a podcast created by alum Emily White, partner at Collective Entertainment and founder of the #iVoted Festival. The student-run label Green Line Records was featured on NPR’s World Cafe and is the home of Good Dog Licensing, which allows students to act as music supervisors.

Alums: Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge and Drew Simmons, partner at Foundations Management, where he manages the careers of Noah Kahan and Chappell Roan.

Occidental College (The John Branca Institute for Music)
Los Angeles

The past academic year brought the launch of the John Branca Institute for Music, endowed by alum and music attorney John Branca with a $5 million gift to the school. (The Mike Curb Foundation has gifted another $500,000 to the institute.) With David Kasunic, associate professor of music at Occidental, as its director, the institute is dedicated to bringing personnel, opportunities and knowledge of the music business to students. Other noteworthy alums include former Warner Music CEO Steve Cooper and AMR Music Rights partner Tamara Conniff. One of the institute’s principal partnerships is with the Harvard Negotiation Project, where students work directly with Harvard Business School professors on research projects involving music negotiations. This past year, the course Directed Research focused on Branca’s negotiations involving the Michael Jackson estate. Participating students presented their work in a spring public forum highlighting faculty and student research collaborations.

Speaker: To launch the partnership with the Harvard Negotiation Project, Harvard Business School founder and director James Sebenius gave a 90-minute workshop for students.

Oklahoma State University (Greenwood School of Music)
Stillwater, Okla.

Located in the town where alum Garth Brooks got his start, the Greenwood School of Music at OSU offers a bachelor of science in music industry that draws students interested in production, songwriting, publishing, live entertainment, entrepreneurship and musical products. Extracurricular activities include the student-run music company Poke U, and for the third time, students this past year organized and promoted their annual festival, Stillystock. The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, which adjoins the new Greenwood School facilities, has enabled the New York Philharmonic residency to take place in Stillwater, and this year the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed and worked with students. Music industry majors also have access to four studios. The program’s capstone is a required internship, which often becomes students’ first job after graduation, and music industry majors can start an MBA program their senior year.

Faculty: Engineer-producer Luke Tallon, whose engineering credits include TV shows Family Guy, Reservation Dogs and Tulsa King and the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon, recently joined the school.

Rhodes College (Mike Curb Institute for Music)
Memphis

Founded in 2006, the Mike Curb Institute draws upon the distinct musical traditions of Memphis and the South. More than 75 students each year attend the institute, which uses the strong liberal arts focus of Rhodes College as a foundation for music and entertainment-based education. Rhodes offers certificates in music industry studies in the areas of content production and arts entrepreneurship, and the institute offers experiential opportunities through the Curb Community Fellows Program, which provides funding for students to work with local professionals and organizations such as Goner Records, Royal Studios, the Memphis Music Initiative and the STAX Museum of American Soul Music. Other offerings include Dredge, a student-produced zine and social media platform that looks at the broader arts and industry scene in Memphis, and Audubon Sessions, a student-produced concert series.

Event: During the 2024-25 academic year, Grammy- and Emmy-winning percussionist-producer Shelia E. spoke about her life and career, performed with student musicians and participated in master classes with students.

Rowan University (College of Performing Arts)
Glassboro, N.J.

Rowan University’s music industry program is a launching pad for a career in the business backed by a network of accomplished alums, industry-leading faculty and business-related experiences beginning as early as the first semester. The bachelor of science degree program offers concentrations in both technology and business, and Rowan’s proximity to both New York and Philadelphia enables students to gain industry and event experience in top markets. In 2025, the music industry program debuted Red Oak Records, an independent, student-operated label complete with marketing, distribution and social media departments. An annual career fair attracts top industry employers to campus, and recent speakers include Kristal Oliver, songwriter for Mary J. Blige and Justin Timberlake, and Ali “AMAC” McGuire, hit-making mixing engineer/vocal producer.

Faculty: Steve Feinberg brings more than 20 years of experience as an artist manager and is best known for discovering and managing global acts including Good Charlotte and My Morning Jacket and consulting for Duran Duran.

State University of New York, Oneonta
Oneonta, N.Y.

All music industry majors at SUNY Oneonta must complete a curriculum that includes five core courses, a series of courses in the SUNY Oneonta School of Business and general education courses relevant to nonperforming roles in the music business. In addition to courses such as Music Industry Communications and Commerce and Consumerism in Popular Music, students participate in multiple extracurriculars including the Music Industry Club, which produces concerts and seminars and runs the label Red Dragon Records; the Songwriters Club; and campus radio station WONY. Students also have access to a suite of state-of-the-art studios for studying music production as well as studio operations, studio management and other technical, managerial and logistics skills. The program provides a continuing series of alum presentations on campus as well as Backpacks to Briefcases, a series of networking trips to Manhattan, where students meet with alums serving as top executives at music, media and entertainment firms.

Alum: Veteran business manager and Cal Financial Group founder Rit Venerus has provided SUNY Oneonta students with access to major acts including John Mayer and the Dave Matthews Band.

Syracuse University (The Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries)
Syracuse, N.Y.

The Bandier program, part of the Newhouse School of Public Communications, provides a close-knit community and industry-facing curriculum with all the benefits of a university setting. The weekly David M. Rezak Music Business Lecture series brings together top executives with students for networking, dinner and conversation. Guests this past year included alum and CAA managing director Rob Light and Partisan Records COO Zena White. Last December, a panel of five Bandier alums who work for Island Records discussed their roles in working with Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. In May, the program continued its tradition of taking students on emerging-market immersion trips. Program director Bill Werde led 13 students to explore the Latin music industry in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, including a meeting with Karol G’s management team in Medellín, Colombia. This year saw the launch of a Bandier alum advisory board, featuring industry executives who graduated from Syracuse and Bandier, including chair Jon Cohen, co-founder and CEO of The Fader/Cornerstone.

Course: The Bandier program recruited alum and mtheory senior vp of marketing Kaitlyn Moore to teach Social Media and Data for the Music Business.

Temple University (Klein College of Media and ­Communication)
Philadelphia

Klein College’s new home, the Caroline Kimmel Pavilion for Arts and Communication, will open in fall 2027, supported by a $27.5 million endowment from businessman and philanthropist Sidney Kimmel and his wife, Caroline, the largest single gift in Temple’s history. The pavilion will include a reconstruction of Philadelphia’s iconic Sigma Sound Studio 1. Klein’s interdisciplinary bachelor of arts in audio and live entertainment combines courses in the schools of communication, music, business and event management. Students can work for the student-run label, Bell Tower Music, and intern at companies including Concord, Red Light Management, Primary Wave, Universal and Live Nation. Those enrolled in the course Life and Work in Music City spent spring break in Nashville visiting Blackbird Studio, Sony Music, East Iris Studios, UMG’s 1824 and Neon Coast, arranged by Klein alum and jump.global CEO Nick Maiale. On campus, recent speakers included Sony Music Entertainment senior vp of commercial partnerships Jennifer Fowler.

Alums: Ruffhouse Records founders the “Butcher Brothers,” Joe and Phil ­Nicolo. Phil returned to teach Klein’s mixing classes.

Tennessee State University (Commercial Music Program)
Nashville

Its location in Nashville affords Tennessee State University’s Commercial Music Program access to numerous resources and opportunities in Music City. Guest speakers are abundant, mentors are eager to share and nurture students, and internship opportunities abound. Many of the program’s faculty members are active in the music industry, and past adjuncts have had full-time careers in the business and taught part time in the program. The size of classes — including the foundational course Music Business and Law, which covers intellectual property, copyright law, contracts and sources of revenue including publishing, touring, performing rights organizations and retail — tend to be small, allowing students to have more interaction with teachers. Guest speakers this past year included Sweetwater talent acquisition specialist Jordan Bridges and Betsy Lee, business manager at FBMM, the Nashville business management firm.

Event: In November 2024, TSU’s Commercial Music Program presented what is believed to be the first music industry career fair held at a historically Black college and university, with 30 companies from various areas of the industry participating.

Toronto Metropolitan ­University
Toronto

The professional music program at Toronto Metropolitan University is the first of its kind in Canada and designed for artists and nonperformers alike. The curriculum combines music fundamentals with business and production skills and hands-on experience. Students typically tally 240 internship hours, with access to top industry professionals and use of leading technologies, labs and resources. The learning environment encourages collaboration with creatives across multiple disciplines, preparing graduates to shape the next wave of innovation in the industry. Alums include singer, songwriter, dancer and choreographer Carina, who was nominated for a Juno Award in 2020 with her band GirlPow-R; Daphne, who was named winner of the Garage Band People’s Choice Award at the NXNE festival in June; and producer Selah Weekes, who has gained attention for his educational music production-related tutorials on YouTube.

Speakers: SALXCO CEO Lindsay Unwin, EMPIRE president Tina Davis and Juno Awards CEO Allan Reid.

University of California Los Angeles (The Herb Alpert School of Music)
Los Angeles

The opening of the Berry Gordy Music Industry Center during the 2024-25 academic year capped 10 years of growth for the Herb Alpert School of Music, which offers the only music industry bachelor of arts in California’s state university system. The center, funded by a $5 million gift from the Berry Gordy Truth and Justice Foundation, provides students with professional training and career mentoring, as well as sponsoring critical and historical research on the music industry worldwide. The school also has a liberal arts-oriented curriculum to give students a broad map of paths into the industry, with an explicit commitment to social justice. Classes specifically targeting aspiring music professionals include Finding Your Voice, Forensic Musicology, and Music and Data. Warner Music Group finance manager for deals analysis Michelle Moreno recently took the lectern for the Accounting for the Music Industry course.

Event: At the full-day Music Industry Career Fair in May, students connected with industry leaders from companies including Kobalt, APG, Universal Music Group, BMG, Boom Records, Too Lost, Sturdy, Primary Wave, SoundCloud and Live Nation.

University of Colorado, Denver (College of Arts & Media)
Denver

At the university known as CU Denver, students learn from faculty with career experience and strong connections within the industry. Whether their aspirations are to manage artists or establish a career in entertainment law, students will find the training, guidance and network to help them succeed. The music business degree is offered by the Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department, which is part of the university’s College of Arts & Media. That track enables students to study alongside music performance, recording arts and singer-songwriter students. Faculty arranges partnerships with local venues and companies such as AEG and Live Nation, and student organizations include a student chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association, the Music Industry Student Association, Grammy U and Denver Lynx Radio, CU Denver’s first student radio station.

Courses: Introduction to Music Cities and Advanced Music Cities dive into the development, enhancement and economics of music communities, using as templates the music communities in the city of Denver and other locations throughout the world.

University of Georgia (Terry College of Business)
Athens, Ga.

The University of Georgia’s music business program, contained within the Terry College of Business, is all about people and place. All faculty members have significant music business experience, including program director David Barbe, an engineer, producer, musician and writer who has worked with Sugar, Drive-By Truckers and Chase Park Transduction Studios. And Athens has an iconic indie scene with affiliated businesses providing hands-on opportunities for students. The program — which has graduated music industry executives including Lost Highway Records executive vp/co-head Robert Knotts, Warner Records senior director of A&R Brad Beausir and Roc Nation Publishing associate director Kelsey Reddick — hosts a regular series of industry gatherings called MBUS Talks. Singer-songwriter and 2020 alum Megan Moroney recently discussed negotiating her record and publishing deals and building her touring operation.

Course: Emerging Issues in Music Business tracks trends and technology. For its Microcosm of the Music Industry Project, students start businesses in management, booking, publishing and labels that interact with one another as they would in the business world.

University of Miami (Frost School of Music)
Miami

The Frost School of Music and the University of Miami shared a centennial celebration this year. What was then known as the Conservatory of Music was one of two schools comprising the new institution when the university was founded in 1925. Frost now offers undergraduate degrees for both musicians and nonperformers. In April, it hosted Shaping the Industry: Alumni Panel on Career Pathways in the Music Industry, which featured 29 speakers including Grammy U managing director Jessie Allen, Reservoir Media Management president/COO Rell Lafargue and Los Angeles Philharmonic COO Daniel Song. Frost’s faculty members are experienced industry professionals who are active in the field, and the school’s proximity to the Latin offices of many major music companies provides ample internship and post-graduate opportunities. Campus life is rich with student-run enterprises including ’Cane Records, Cat 5 Music, Frost Sounds, a campus radio station, a concert production organization, numerous concert halls, the student Music Industry Association and an active Grammy U community.

Event: A centennial concert in April brought performances by notable alums including Bruce Hornsby, Pat Metheny, Joshua ­Henry of Hamilton, Jon Secada and Ben Folds.

University of North Alabama
Florence, Ala.

During this fall semester, the Department of Entertainment Industry at the University of North Alabama marked 50 years of educating students for careers in the music and entertainment industries. Situated across the Tennessee River from the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and within a few hours’ drive of Nashville, Memphis and Atlanta, the department has deep relationships with recording studios, venues, publishers, labels, performing rights organizations, artist managers, tour managers, booking/talent agencies, producers and musicians. Those connections, coupled with a rich pool of alums — including The Red Clay Strays manager Cody Payne and producer-­director Ben Skipworth, a two-time recipient of the Academy of Country Music video of the year award — open doors to internship and job opportunities. Students learn directly from industry professionals and benefit from guest speakers including ACM-nominated musicians Sol Philcox Littlefield and Jimbo Hart, the former bassist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit.

Course: Multiple Grammy winner, label owner and alum John Paul White teaches music business and songwriting courses in the program, through which students gain knowledge from the perspective of sectors including labels, publishing, licensing, streaming and touring.

University of North Texas (College of Music)
Denton, Texas

The Music Business Program in the College of Music at the University of North Texas strategically integrates music and business, enabling students to successfully pursue careers in music retail, labels, music entrepreneurship or arts nonprofits. The university — whose alums include Hal Leonard Publishing CEO Larry Morton and Aspen Music Festival and School manager of personnel Nicole Mendyka — offers a music business track within both the bachelor of arts in commercial music and the music business minor. Other recent alums have gone on to work for Atrium Music, GroundUP Music and the Pittsburgh Symphony. The undergraduate and graduate music business programs are designed to allow undergraduate students to seamlessly progress to UNT’s MBA in music business degree, which offers a fully online, flexible format option allowing students to balance their studies with work or other commitments.

Speakers: Arnaecia Alridge, founder and CEO of A JAM Records and Methix and former publicist for Yolanda Adams, and artist Paul Wall, a Recording Academy/Grammys Texas Chapter leader serving as governor, chair of the education committee and a national rap/R&B membership committee member.

University of Rochester (Eastman School of Music)
Rochester, N.Y.

In September, the Eastman School of Music announced the largest gift in its 104-year history from two alums — Emmy­-winning composer Jeff Beals (House of Cards, Blackfish, Pollock) and his wife, acclaimed vocalist and artist champion Joan Beal — that will provide for a multimillion-dollar expansion of the Beal Institute for Film Composition and Contemporary Media. Students in the institute compose and produce music, perform and conduct in studio orchestras and collaborate on cross-disciplinary and multimedia projects. Emmy-winning composer Mark Watters continues to lead the institute, as well as North America’s first film-music festival and conference, Sountrax, which took place Oct. 16-18. (The event was a dream project of school founder George Eastman of the Eastman Kodak Co.) The Eastman School of Music offers a master’s of arts degree in music leadership, focused on arts administration, musical development and leadership development, which can be combined with an MBA from the university’s Simon Business School or an Eastman master’s of music performance.

Faculty: Eastman alum Dennis DeSantis, a composer, percussionist, sound designer, author and educator, recently joined the school in the new position of associate professor of music and technology.

University of Southern ­California (Thornton School of Music)
Los Angeles

The music industry program at USC Thornton prepares students through classroom study and insight from experienced faculty. Facets of the program include artist management, the recording industry, publishing, supervision, artist branding and marketing, law, concert promotion, festival management, DIY touring, industry ethics, venue management, music and mindfulness, and data analysis decision-making for artists. Students are mentored by professionals such as Kevin Lyman, founder of the Vans Warped Tour. Solange has been named the school’s first artist-in-residence. The annual Music Mentorship Program initiative connects music majors with leading industry professionals. In April, the school’s Industry Fair brought hiring executives from Universal Music Group, Live Nation, the Association of Independent Music Publishers and Too Lost and speakers including Reed Matthews, co-founder of American Dogwood (whose management clients include Shaboozey); Virgin Music Group North America president Jacqueline Saturn; and Republic Records co-founders Monte and Avery Lipman.

Faculty: Amy Blackman has served as global business manager for numerous Grammy-winning artists and producers for 18 years and from 2007 to 2011 was cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State.

William Paterson University
Wayne, N.J.

Students in the Music & Entertainment Industries Program at William Paterson University benefit from a robust balance between the classroom and the real world; they start applying for internships the summer after freshman year, with the advantage of a campus that is within commuting distance from Manhattan. Program director David Kirk Philp, an artist manager and tour manager, ensures the offerings are cutting-edge. Courses such as Entrepreneurship in the Music & Entertainment Industry — in which students write a business plan, research how AI can aid their work, learn marketing and understand the basics of insurance and accounting — help students learn how to think on their feet. The program emphasizes the live side of the industry and the importance of social media, from TikTok to Discord to text-message marketing.

Speaker: Joe Riccitelli, former co-­president of RCA Records and current principal at Golden Retriever Entertainment, was a featured speaker in the 2025 Music Management Seminar Series.

This story appears in the Oct. 25, 2025, issue of Billboard.