• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • For
    staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study
    • Courses and subjects
    • Find a course
    • A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Academic departments
    • Visiting the university
    • Explore online
    • Online events
    • Virtual tours
    • Chat to our students and staff
    • Open days
    • Applicant days
    • Order a prospectus
    • Ask a question
    • Studying here
    • Clearing 2021
    • Accommodation and locations
    • Applying
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Transferring from another university
    • The Student Contract
    • International students
    • Fees and finance
    • Advice and help
    • Advice for students
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for schools and teachers
    • Managing your application
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
  • Research and enterprise
    • Research and enterprise
    • Research and enterprise organisation
    • Brighton Futures – our themes
    • Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence (COREs)
    • Research and Enterprise Groups (REGs)
    • Our research database
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Research and enterprise news
    • Research and enterprise public events
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Three blank vinyl records in three blocks of colour: red, yellow and blue

Music Business and Media BA(Hons)

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Fees
  • Location
  • Stay in
    touch
  • Related

Intro

This exciting new course, based in a city with a thriving music scene, gives you a thorough grounding in the music business and media. You'll have the opportunity to develop a range of skills and experiences, preparing you for a career in these fast-growing, rapidly changing and closely connected industries.

The teaching team comprises research-active lecturers and industry-experienced staff. Visiting professionals from the media and music industries play an influential part in the delivery of the course material.

All modules take an applied approach where theory and practice are combined. The degree can be tailored to your specific interests, and you can experiment with different subjects and practices. 

Brighton is a leading UK centre for the creative industries and less than an hour from London by train. Both cities offer excellent opportunities when it comes to your four-week second year placement and the 10-week final-year live project. 

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code W392

Full-time 3 years

Join an online event

Apply now with UCAS

If you're interested in exploring the social, cultural, political and industrial aspects of popular music - from the birth of jazz in New Orleans to #blacklivesmatter - then this is the course for you. 

Iestyn George, Senior Lecturer

Course content

How this course is delivered

We've made some changes to the way our courses are taught to keep everyone safe, connected and involved in university life.

At the moment, students have a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that provides lots of opportunities to interact and engage with lecturers and other students.

Find out what these changes mean for this course

Why study with us? 

  • You will graduate ready to take on a wide variety of roles across the music industry, from PR to A&R.
  • The subject matter is a fascinating and ever-evolving mix – you will examine how the music and media industries intersect, investigating the social, cultural, economic, political and technological changes associated with their development.
  • Our dedicated placements team organise excellent work placements and you’ll work on live industry projects.
  • A variety of modules mean you can choose a path through your degree that suits your interests and expertise.
  • Brighton is a fast-growing creative media hub and home to a thriving music scene.
  • The course team are experts in their field who are passionate about sharing their knowledge with a new generation of media and music professionals.
Crowd at a rock concert with the act on stage in front of them

 

Year 1

In your first year you will study methods of understanding and theorising the media and music industries. You will also examine the social, cultural, economic, political and technological changes associated with their development.

Modules

Core modules

  • Critical Approaches to Media 1

    This module will introduce you to a range of critical academic approaches to media. It tackles the most cutting-edge topics in media studies and introduces canonical approaches used in their analysis. An introduction to these approaches will enable you to understand the workings of media audiences, industries and texts. The module will focus on media experiences that are relevant to your everyday life, ensuring that as well as academic development, the module will give you the tools to analyse your own engagement with, and consumption of, the media.

  • Critical Approaches to Media 2

    This module introduces key media studies theories and concepts and applies them to the analysis of real-world issues. You will develop skills and techniques to critique media representations, showing the importance of media analysis in everyday life. By analysing media technologies, you will engage with the most innovative media content, forms and practices of the day. By questioning mediation, the module will bring to life the role of media in society and enable you to critique the media in terms of culture, politics, innovation and environment.

  • Popular Music: Histories and Contexts

    The module introduces the cultural contexts of popular music genres, styles, issues and debates – enabling you to place popular music within key historical developments. You'll explore the key formal debates of popular music studies and how they relate to popular music studies research.

  • Music, Technology and Everyday Life

    This module explores how people engage with popular music, by focusing specifically on how they engage with music technologies and popular music texts, for example, music, lyrics, performers, representations, in their everyday lives.

Options*

  • Video Production 1

    This module will equip you with the essential skills and practical experience required to create short-form non-fictional audio-visual content, suitable in form to contemporary web-based - as well as more traditional - delivery platforms and audiences. It covers all three stages of video production: pre-production research and planning, production and post-production, including editing. It will introduce the fundamentals of video and sound-recording techniques as well as give you the skills required for successfully engaging with contributors/participants.

  • Photographic Practice 1

    In this module you will explore the role and use of photography in visual media. You will engage with various aspects of the language and production of promotional and editorial photography. You will respond to set briefs and create your own website that includes an online portfolio as well as learn the core skills in which to consider, articulate and document reflections on your practice.

  • Producing and Consuming Social Media

    This module explores your critical understanding of consuming and producing social media in  personal and professional settings.

  • Business, Creative/Digital Industries and Innovation

    On this module you will develop a sense of commercial awareness, including key entrepreneurial skills and knowledge required to engage with innovation in the creative and digital industries. You will work as a part of a team to recognise trends and opportunities and then develop your ideas into a business plan. You will reflect on your ideas, considering issues around collaboration, innovation, sustainability and intellectual property.

  • Creative Industries and Promotional Cultures

    This module will introduce you to the creative and promotional industries such as advertising, public relations, marketing and branding. It offers a historical overview of and contemporary perspectives on their development and change. You will engage critically with questions surrounding the political economy of the cultural industries, new consumer practices and the politics of consumption, and will develop an understanding of a range of mainstream practices as well as critical interventions in the language and dynamics of promotional cultures.

  • Media and Popular Culture

    This module will introduce you to the concept of popular culture through the perspectives of media studies. You will critically engage with, explore and critique a range of popular cultural forms and practices. You will explore a range of current as well as historical examples of film, TV, music, and online popular culture through analysis of both the conditions of production - the entertainment industry - and audiences’ engagement with these texts.

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.


Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Year 2

In your second year you will focus on an industry placement as well as looking at research methods for live projects, which will equip you with the knowledge and skills to execute independent research.

Modules

  • Research Methods for Live Projects
  • Media Project Management
  • Popular Music Industries
  • Media Placement

Options*

  • Introduction to Creative Leadership
  • Video Production 2
  • Photographic Practice 2
  • Social Media Applications in Activism, Business and Life
  • Digital Fabrication Methods
  • Brands and Branding
  • Community Radio
  • Media and Public Relations
  • Journalism
  • Critical Perspectives on Media Work

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Placement 

During the second year of study you will complete a professional work placement in a media-related organisation. You will receive guidance to help you focus your search from a dedicated placement team who will support you with writing your CV and cover letter, making online applications, setting up a portfolio and managing your online presence.

Placements are usually around four weeks and are academically assessed. Your degree award will reflect your industry experience. In the third year you will undertake a live project during which you will research, plan, execute and evaluate a real-world music industries project in partnership with an external organisation.

Music venue crowd

Final year

You will work in creative partnership with music innovation labs and gain practical understanding of digital media marketing as well as conceptual knowledge of the celebrity economy. With the university’s support you will undertake a live project and go into industry and complete an independent research project.

Modules

  • Music Innovation: Design and Development
  • Live Project

Options*

  • Audiovisual Professional Practice
  • Celebrity Media
  • Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Culture
  • Digital Media Marketing and Innovation
  • Inclusive Media Practice

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Facilities 

  • Digital and analogue stills equipment, including DSLRs and a range of lenses plus an offsite darkroom
  • Video recording equipment, from Canon DSLRs to Blackmagic cameras, in a dedicated TV studio
  • Audio recording kit and facilities, including bookable sound/radio booths 
  • Dedicated video editing suites including Mac and PC computers with specialist software.
Music facilities at University of Brighton

Meet the team

Staff who teach on the course include:

Iestyn George, senior lecturer, is a journalist, who previously worked as an editor at NME, GQ and Golf Punk. He was marketing manager of the Manic Street Preachers between 1999 and 2003.

Podcast: listen to Iestyn talk about his work in journalism and marketing, why he believes media is the most important subject to study at university and the future of magazines.

Paula Hearsum, lecturer and researcher in media studies, with specialisms in popular music and journalism. Paula worked as a music journalist and continues to write for the wider press. She maintains a relationship between academia and media practice, developing innovative industry-relevant courses and national online educational resources. Her research has focused on the mediation of popular musicians' deaths as way to consider dominant social discourses and narratives.

Dr Eleftherios Zenerian, is a lecturer in media studies and course leader of the Music Business and Media BA(Hons). He studied political and social sciences at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (BA, M.Sc.) and the University of Sussex (M.Sc., Ph.D.). He has taught sociology, politics and media, and cultural studies in the University of Sussex and University of Portsmouth. His research interests encompass creative labour, popular music cultures, and social and cultural theory. He currently researches fan creativity and the materiality of popular music.

Professor Kelly Snook, music producer and technologist working at the intersection of the arts, science, and technology. Kelly formerly worked as a Lunar Program Scientist at NASA.

Dr Stephen Mallinder, singer and musician who was a founding member of Cabaret Voltaire.

Kelly Snook profile picture

Professor Kelly Snook

Careers

 

Prepare for your career 

Studying Music Business and Media will provide you with subject knowledge and expertise plus opportunities to put what you learn into practice with work-related experience. 

You will develop valuable transferable skills, including practical media skills, critical thinking and writing, independent research and analysis. The course will equip you with excellent presentation, written and oral communication skills.   

Option modules span areas such as branding, journalism, public relations and sustainability in digital culture enabling you to tailor your degree to your specific career ambitions.  

The course aims to develop versatile and creative music business innovators and leaders, and with graduates well-equipped to enter careers in the media and creative industries. The course will prepare you to engage critically across a range of key debates in the field of music and media studies.

The placement and your live project experience will help you and your CV stand out as you start your career.

Image of a live recording light outside a recording studio

Placement year

In your second year you will complete a four week placement in an external organisation.

The placement enables you to:

  • apply your learning to real life situations and challenges
  • make confident and informed decisions about the direction of your media career
  • get an insight in to how businesses and organisations  function
  • develop your existing skills and discover new ones
  • explore career options    
  • make professional contacts , create an effective CV and digital media presence
  • build confidence and organisational skills.

You will be supported before, during and after your placement by our dedicated placement team.

Graduate destinations 

This course is a new addition to our well-established programme of media-related degrees.

Graduates from Brighton media courses have gone into work in fields including marketing, PR, social media and production, and work for organisations including the BBC, Channel 4, Ricochet, Universal Pictures, EMI and Vogue.

Our students often secure full-time jobs with the organisations that provide their industry placements and live projects.

Further study 

This degree also opens up a range of postgraduate study options. At Brighton, for example, you could progress on to:

  • Digital Media Arts (MA) 
  • Digital Music and Sound Arts (MA)
  • Digital Media, Culture and Society (MA)
  • Photography (MA).

Our PGCE courses open up careers in teaching at primary and secondary level. You could also choose to complete your PhD at Brighton. See more about our research Centre for Digital Media Culture. 

Professional advice and support 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Emlployable

Brighton's digital economy 

Home to over 1,000 companies in the digital sector, Brighton is well established as one of the UK’s leading centres for creative media technology.

The university is the lead academic partner of the Digital Catapult Centre Brighton, which helps entrepreneurs and small businesses bring their digital services and products to market.

As a student you can find internships and a doorway to job opportunities across the city through Wired Sussex, a local membership organisation for companies and individuals working in the digital sector.

Every year Brighton plays host to the Great Escape, Europe's leading festival for new music. In three days in May 400+ bands perform at venues across the city. The festival is also accompanied by a convention attended by music industry delegates in search of the next Adele, Ed Sheeran or Stormzy. (Who all performed at the Great Escape as they started their careers).

The annual Brighton Digital Festival  brings together the city’s arts and digital cultures and communities. The festival welcomes around 47,000 visitors and features more than 150 events.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBC–CCC (112–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. You will be considered if your predicted grades fall within this range.

International Baccalaureate
26 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above.

Foundation degree/HND
May enable you to start the course in year 2 or year 3.

Foundation diploma
Pass. A foundation diploma is not a requirement for entry – it is just one of the qualifications that we accept for admission to the course.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,748 GBP

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies, although we have tried to keep this to a minimum. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Media are listed here.

  • There will be opportunities to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but you can budget approximately £30–£700 for these. The nature of the costs vary from provisions for a packed-lunch to flight and accommodation costs for international field trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
  • Typically, practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects. These costs are normally associated with specialist equipment and materials for making work and for the public presentation of work.
  • Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning. Students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment, these may include cameras, or computers and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with our academic and technical staff. This expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £200 for printing and publishing. Photography courses may incur higher costs (£500–£2,000) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
  • Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £150 for stationery.
  • Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of your final project you will need to budget between £20–£2,500. 

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships, as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2021–22.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus. Subjects taught here include architecture, business, computing, construction, engineering, geography, product design, law and pharmacy.

On campus you will find professional-standard facilities including a flight simulator, trading room, design and digital media suites and specialist research laboratories, alongside the library, student centre, a nursery, fitness facilities and Students’ Union. There are excellent public transport links.

The Big Build
A major transformation of our Moulsecoomb campus began in summer 2018. By the time the Big Build is complete, there’ll be new halls of residence, academic building, and Students’ Union and fitness facilities – all created with sustainability, inclusivity and community in mind.

As the development grows it will provide many exciting learning opportunities for our students, ranging from live projects, placements and internships with the companies involved to guest lectures and site visits. Find out more...

The Big Build

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Varley Park and Moulsecoomb Place halls. All halls are self catered, but if you prefer you can add in a food and drink plan.
    • Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
    • Moulsecoomb Place halls are all self-catered and are located right on campus.

Want to live independently or in a university-managed house? We can help – find out more about unihomes and unilets or private renting.

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Halls

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Park

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Students eating at the Hub

Students eating at the Hub

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

Stay in touch

Join an online event

Ask a question about this course

Statistics

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website. Discover Uni will be launching a widget this month that will show top line stats for this course. Once live, the widget will appear below. 

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They are updated following course changes, and give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course.

Programme specification

Related 17 courses

  • English Language and Media BA(Hons)

    English Language and Media BA(Hons)

  • Media Studies BA(Hons)

    Media Studies BA(Hons)

  • Animation BA(Hons)

    Animation BA(Hons)

  • Design for Digital Media BA(Hons)

    Design for Digital Media BA(Hons)

  • Digital Music and Sound Arts BA(Hons)

    Digital Music and Sound Arts BA(Hons)

  • Fashion Accessories with Business Studies BA(Hons)

    Fashion Accessories with Business Studies BA(Hons)

  • Fashion Communication with Business Studies BA(Hons)

    Fashion Communication with Business Studies BA(Hons)

  • Moving Image BA(Hons)

    Moving Image BA(Hons)

  • Sport Journalism BA(Hons)

    Sport Journalism BA(Hons)

  • Film BA(Hons)

    Film BA(Hons)

  • Media and Environmental Communication BA(Hons)

    Media and Environmental Communication BA(Hons)

  • Media, Industry and Innovation BA(Hons)

    Media, Industry and Innovation BA(Hons)

  • Media Production BA(Hons)

    Media Production BA(Hons)

  • Media and English Literature BA(Hons)

    Media and English Literature BA(Hons)

  • Film and Screen Studies BA(Hons)

    Film and Screen Studies BA(Hons)

  • Digital Games Development BSc(Hons)

    Digital Games Development BSc(Hons)

  • Games Art and Design BA(Hons)

    Games Art and Design BA(Hons)

‹ ›

Find out more about this subject area

Search again

Find your course
Back to top
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Order a prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • Online shop
  • COVID-19

Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents