Outline

Overview

Music Business Skills is designed to prepare graduating students for the non-musical aspects of their forthcoming career. The unit is designed as an overview of the many different facets of the music industry, including setting up a small music business (including taxation overview and responsibilities), funding sources and alternatives, tour planning and budgeting, producing and designing promotional tools, dealing with record companies/music publishing, and other essential techniques and requirements of running a successful music business in today's competitive arts environment.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Jazz
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Theak, david.theak@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Jeremy Rose, jeremy.rose@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Steve Barry, steve.barry@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Electronic Press Kit candidate will design and deliver and electronic press kit	35%	Week 08 Due date: 05 Oct 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 11 Oct 2021	1,500 words plus a press photo
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major Project Candidates must research and plan a large project	65%	Week 13 Due date: 17 Nov 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 22 Nov 2021	2,500 words plus budgets
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Electronic Press Kit EPK

This will include the following materials:

Long Biography (500 words)
Short Biography (200 words)
Press Release detailing an upcoming hypothetical album release tour or award (one page)
Visuals: Press Photo Video and live video links (if available)
Links to recordings social media links (if any) websites
Contact database relevant to your field with separate tabs for:
Media: Online reviewers bloggers Online magazines journals traditional media (newspaper) radio
List of targeted festivals and contact for submission
List of targeted venues
List of available prizes awards and grants available to you
Showcase events
Influencers and champions of your work

Content, style and functionality will be assessed. The goal of this is not just for the purpose of this assignment but for your future use!

Major Project

Candidates must research and plan and a project of size for a grant application or business plan pitch to a bank for a loan. The requested income for the project must be between $10-25k (nb, this is not the total budget, just the funds required to get it started). The project must be discussed with lecturer in week 9. Suggested projects include:

A 6 - 8 Australian tour for an ensemble of which they are either currently a member of planning to form or a hypothetical group.
An online video concert series
Setting up a recording studio/production house
An album recording/music video and release plan

Items you must provide

Timeline and schedule
Itinerary
Logistics
Accommodation
Rehearsals
Venue selection
A balanced budget - Income and Expenses
Promotional strategy.
Real life figures bust be researched and quoted for.

NB MAJOR PROJECT SUMMARIES MUST BE APPROVED BY THE LECTURER/TUTOR.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for performance work in this unit of study:

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Comprehensive and outstanding technical control and musical integrity in relation to developmental expectations. Musical individuality consistently projected to create a persuasive personal representation of the work. Performance flair indicative of soloist standard. A mark of 95 or above indicates extraordinary technical virtuosity and musical artistry.
Distinction	75 - 84	Excellent technical, musical and stylistic achievement. Consistently coherent and expressive performance. Some personal interpretation of the work suggesting soloist potential.
Credit	65 - 74	Confident technique with evidence of solid musicality and some stylistic achievement. Occasional lapses indicative of unresolved technical, artistic and/or stylistic issues. Projects potential for further development.
Pass	50 - 64	Satisfactory level of preparation and musical engagement. Some inconsistencies in musicianship, style and/or technique. Musical imagination and overall performance sense developing though some insecurity in this area.
Fail	0 - 49	Unsatisfactory technical achievement and/or unsatisfactory level of musical and artistic engagement. Limitations may be of such a scale and consistency as to call into question the student’s future direction in the programme.

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.
Distinction	75 - 84	Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.
Credit	65 - 74	Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.
Pass	50 - 64	Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.
Fail	0 - 49	Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late submission will normally be penalised by a deduction of marks according to the official policy (§11 of the Faculty Resolutions). In exceptional circumstances, dates may be negotiable; please discuss this with the Unit Coordinator in advance. Students who have genuine grounds for the late submission of an assignment or for missing one altogether should fill out an Application for Special Consideration.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Lecture: Introduction to Music Business Tutorial: Overview and discussion of career models and pathways	Online class (2 hr)
Week 02	Lecture: Researching & Establishing a Music Business Tutorial: Working out what your business will be, setting up a business ABN	Online class (2 hr)
Week 03	Lecture: Careers in Music Week 1 Tutorial: Creating a tax invoice and generating income from multiple sources	Online class (2 hr)
Week 04	Lecture: Careers in Music Week 2 - Production, Instrument making and repairing, broadcasting, Music business, Retailing and wholesaling, Teaching, Writing and research, Arts Administration, Music therapy + Contracts Tutorial: Case study of contracts – festival appearances, publishing, record deal	Online class (2 hr)
Week 05	Guest Lecturer: How to do your tax return - accounting with guest Peter Nelson Tutorial: Q & A with Peter Nelson and working through a tax return	Online class (2 hr)
Week 06	Lecture: How to look good - Digital marketing and social media with Julia Gregg Tutorial: Creating marketing content and analysis	Online class (2 hr)
Week 07	Public relations: How to present yourself to media and writing a press release Tutorial: Writing a press release, analysis of case studies	Online class (2 hr)
Week 08	Lecture: Project Planning 1 - Booking a Tour Tutorial: How to research for a project - booking a tour, recording and releasing an album. Discuss your project proposal with lecturer for approval. Example tour itineraries and schedules.	Online class (2 hr)
Week 09	Lecture: Project Planning 2 - Releasing and presenting your music, Festivals and Record Labels Tutorial: How to research for a project - festivals, labels. Case studies of programming, and budgets.	Online class (2 hr)
Week 10	Guest Lecturer: Performance and Composer Royalties - Spotlight on APRA AMCOS with guest Cameron Lam from APRA Tutorial: Sign up to APRA AMCOS and Q&A with Cameron	Online class (2 hr)
Week 11	Guest Lecturer: Funding Sources and Grant Writing with Martel Ollerenshaw Tutorial: Prepare a grant application	Online class (2 hr)
Week 12	Guest Lecturer: A Portfolio Career in perspective with Screen Composer Caitlin Yeo Tutorial: Next steps and reflection	Online class (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned. The Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. set up and run a music business as a legal entity
LO2. view personal artistic practise as a business
LO3. develop short, medium, and long term strategies for growing a music business
LO4. demonstrate a general understanding of the value of self-promotion, and a general knowledge of techniques required to promote a music business
LO5. demonstrate an awareness of key funding sources, and have a basic ability to access these sources in a competitive and professional manner
LO6. plan a small performance tour including logistics, budgeting, and promotion
LO7. investigate ways of diversifying a performance income.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Assessment criteria has been adjusted to include alternative assessment for non-performers. Also Guest lecturers will be briefed on previous lecture content so as to avoid duplication of information.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

JAZZ3631: Music Business Skills

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links