One-year programme in Music Business Management

Music Business Management at Kristiania University College is a vocational programme in Oslo for students who want to work in the music industry. The teaching is in English, and the programme looks at both the Nordic and the international side of the business. One detail stands out: the class runs a real record company together.

What you study

The first year introduces the main parts of the industry. You cover record companies, music publishing and copyright, artist management and artist development, music business agreements, marketing, PR and promotion, and live touring and live events. The legal side includes recording contracts, publishing agreements and management deals.

In the second year you choose a specialisation: record labels, management, marketing, PR and content production, or live and events. The second year also works through entrepreneurship for the music business, including A&R, planning and collaborative entrepreneurship, creative demographics, and campaign planning and economics. Later modules cover digital marketing and social media strategy, applied event planning for the creative industries, and a final project.

How the programme is organised

Students run the school's professional record company, 16 Roses Recordings. Depending on your specialisation, you work in one of its four departments. The class develops the company's profile and guidelines, signs artists, plans launch activities and promotes the artists they choose to work with. An overarching theme called Applied Working Practice runs alongside the modules, with academic staff supervising.

Experienced professionals from the music industry act as mentors and guide students in their fields. The programme is full time, and each academic year is split into two semesters.

Who it suits

This suits someone who wants to work with music rather than only perform it. You should be willing to take responsibility for a real project, since the record company is run by the students. Choosing a specialisation means you should have some idea of which part of the industry interests you, whether that is labels, management, marketing or live events.

Admission, language and next steps

The admission requirement is the Higher Education Entrance Qualification or the equivalent. Teaching is in English, which the programme says prepares you for an international industry. Kristiania is a private institution and sets its own tuition fees; students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at state institutions, but that rule does not apply to private institutions, so check the programme page for what you would pay. The page also notes that current or former students of Kristiania's one-year Music Business programme can contact the Admissions Department about starting directly in the second year. Check the programme page for application deadlines and how to apply.

Kristiania University College sets the entry requirements and the application route for this programme, so follow the steps on its programme page. Deadlines are set by each institution for each programme, so confirm yours. Entry requirements and language tests are also set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, study permits and housing.