5 Online Music Courses That Could Fortify Your Career

Boston’s renowned school for sonic geeks Berklee College of Music launches its winter session Monday, and it’s schooling students online to help them stay ahead of the music biz’s future curve.

“Our five-course artist management certificate program is designed to empower musicians and business folks with the information they’ll need to effect change themselves, without using the traditional music industry gatekeepers,” explained Mike King, associate director of marketing at Berklee College of Music and one-time executive at Rykodisc and Rounder Records. “It’s no secret that the traditional industry has been shaken to its core.”

With the loss of chains like Tower and Circuit City, as well as the severe downsizing of Borders, Virgin, TransWorld and more, the major labels have little ammo left in what King called its “shotgun marketing approach” that once accounted for nearly 45 percent of music sales. As a result, artists have had to directly connect to their fan bases to fortify sales and tours like rarely before.

Berklee has adjusted as well, by crafting its online certificate program, since the internet is where all the action is in the new music biz. King breaks down its course-load below.

Course: The Future of Music and the Music Business
Syllabus: “This course examines how the internet, the introduction of digital music and personal computer CD recording capability have resulted in a perfect storm that has effected enormous change on the industry,” said King. “Through discussions, interactive exercises and interviews with music insiders, this course will explore new ways of creating, promoting and distributing music, and will evaluate how new trends might affect your future plans.
Payoff: “With a firm understanding of the major forces in music of today and tomorrow, you’ll be well prepared to tackle the more detail-oriented courses that follow.”

Course: Music Marketing 101
Syllabus: “You’ll be taught affordable promotional tactics that can be implemented for $5,000 or less, demonstrating that music marketing does not need to break the bank,” King said. “Additionally, you’ll gain an understanding of how to effectively use tools such as press kits, artist photos, bios and social networking to further your cause.”
Payoff: “At the end of the course, you’ll have a firm knowledge base of how to attract new fans and garner the attention of various forms of media.”

Course: Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution and Retail
Syllabus: “This course takes your marketing efforts to the next level,” said King, “and examines more-advanced marketing opportunities for musicians with a slightly larger budget. You’ll learn how to navigate through the increasingly complicated world of music marketing by understanding the details of the major music marketing segments: branding, physical and digital retail and distribution, touring, radio and press. The integrated approach that you’ll learn in this course will allow you to identify the PR outlets that matter, understand the options available to promote yourself through radio, the intricacies of online distribution and how to leverage the opportunities that the digital music community now offers to music marketers.”
Payoff: “Upon completion of this course, you’ll have created an active marketing plan tailored to the unique strengths and budget of your band.”

Course: Concert Touring
Syllabus: “You’ll learn that touring continues to be the major source of income for bands large and small, from developing artists playing small clubs to big-name bands like The Rolling Stones,” King said. “The essential components of organizing a successful tour will be examined, as well as the best ways to effectively merchandise and promote your tour.”
Payoff: “You’ll see how all of the technical aspects of a tour , from sound and lights to stage plots and settling up, play a role in that tour’s success.”

Course: Artist Management
Syllabus: “To round out the certificate program,” said King, “this course explores the role and importance of the artist manager — what they do and how they impact the career of an artist or band. Among the range of topics discussed are leadership strategies, money management, motivational techniques, career planning and what to do when things go wrong.”
Payoff: “By the end of the course, you’ll not only understand the important contractual and financial information you need to know, but will also be able to implement key methods for success and create innovative strategic plans for your artists.”

Do you buy it? Have any suggestions for the curriculum? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image courtesy Berklee College of Music

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