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Music Industry

The Music Industry minor is designed to equip students with the fundamental, analytical, and creative knowledge/skills necessary for commercial practice in the music industry. The music industry is a vibrant, multi-billion dollar global industry, vast in scope and reach, offering a product that is deeply ingrained into the fabric of every country and culture around the world. As such, it offers extensive professional opportunities to those who are trained, knowledgeable, and versed in its systems, methods, and practices.

Utilizing the best of current online educational technology and methods, the Music Industry minor provides extensive academic training and acquisition of professional skills relevant to current cultural and commercial trends in the field.

The Music Industry online minor requires the following five courses:


MUSC 411 Intellectual Property Music Industry
Regulatory frameworks and copyright law application and implementation as related to music industry. Topics include: domestic and international perspective of music ownership issues, music industry contracts, licensing, and the commercializing of intellectual property in music industry.


MUSC 412 Music Product Development/Placement
Key music product development and placement principles structures, and practices using today's music commerce mechanisms, techniques and technologies, product advancement, consumer research, and distribution. Design, implementation, control, and evaluation of effective music product market advancement and positioning.

Prerequisites: MUSC 411


MUSC 413 Live Music Industry
Regulations, standards, strategies, and methods of live music event planning, advancement, and implementation. Topics include: talent and venue buying and deal structuring, budgeting, sponsorships, live sound production, music event contracts, licensing, publicity and placement, ticketing, and insurance.

Prerequisites: MUSC 411


MUSC 414 Recording Industry
Recording industry system development, markets, structures, commercial methods and strategies. Topics include: historical development of the recording industry; industry specific copyright regulations and commercial agreements; record company structures and models; recording production processes and technology; global music markets.

Prerequisites: MUSC 411


MUSC 415 Music Publishing
Development, commercial methods, scopes, and practices of the music publishing industry; copyrights acquisition, advancement, and protection. Topics include: history of the music publishing and related copyright regulations; royalties and licensing; performing rights; music publishing and television, film, commercials, musicals, video games, and other media; music publishing agreements; international music publishing.



To earn a minor in Music Industry, a student must earn a GPA of 2.0 or better in the courses required for the minor.

For additional information contact Darko Velichkovski at davelichkovski@mail.wvu.edu. To register for online courses, contact WVU Online at (800) 253-2762 or email WVUOnlineInquiry@mail.wvu.edu.

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