MDIA 3306 - Business of Selling Music: Record Labels, Distribution, and Marketing

• Compare & contrast major record label & independent record label marketing philosophies while displaying an understanding of the use & development of the Internet for selling & distributing recorded product & evaluating new methods of marketing them.
• Critically examine decisions involved in starting a record label & recognize how the digital revolution has transformed both major & independent labels by developing a functional understanding of the history & roles within the recorded music industry.
• Define various traditional and emerging jobs to help students determine their best path into the industry; provide potential entrepreneurs with tools needed to create own music related business.
• Demonstrate an understanding of various promotional methods; understand the marketing strategies involved in a commercial release and how to build a pragmatic and strategic approach for using interactive and social media outlets.
• Grasp the framework of a recording contract by comparing and contrasting different revenue streams for sustainable artistic success, and demonstrating a fundamental understanding of product manufacturing and process for physical/digital distribution.
• Identify the pros and cons of signing with a major record label from both the artists and the labels perspective and understand the role of A&R and talent selection, and how it has shifted from record labels to record producers.
• Provide an understanding of recording industry business practices and the career opportunities available in the sale, distribution, and marketing of music.
• Provide recording industry scholars with practical information about the industry to support their areas of research.