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Our world is powered by digital media and the music industry knows the power of great content that turns artists into brands and listeners into fans. This course shows you how using digital social technology to promote, showcase, brand and market the artists and music you love, can become your career. By learning about the development of digital content creation, social marketing and promotion, we’ll take you on a journey to build brands, create content and bring the industry to life by working closely with Relentless Records (Sony) and our connections with industry. At NHAM, we teach you through real-world projects, and on the course you’ll get the chance to work with Sony marketing professionals, artists and your peers, to build a portfolio that will support you into the world of work.

Marketing the ArtistDuring this module, you’ll have a chance to understand how professionals create marketing campaigns and then bring this to life with your own project. You will gain an understanding of how to launch a campaign to promote an artist and will integrate, analyse and assimilate marketing theory, data and consumer trends, market segmentation, and devise a content-driven campaign from idea to impact.Content Planning and ProductionGreat digital marketing and content is a highly practical skill. This module teaches you how to do it: plan content (timelines, releases, milestones) and then create it in line with audience expectations; exploring the right social media platforms and their unique characteristics.Markets, Customers and DataGreat marketing ideas and campaigns are evidenced by a wealth of customer data. We’ll introduce you to the digital tools used to identify, segment and market to customers, understand the data and analytics you need to track engagement, conversion, demographics and sales readiness. You’ll learn how to turn all that data into amazing content that really gets results. Watch data change the way you work and make you and your clients money.Building Brands and InfluenceBuilding a brand is about more than great design, it’s about understanding every part of the visual and social communication process. Brands are about what people feel and can provoke an instant response. Here, you’ll learn how great brands work but also, how to build your own.Creating CampaignsThis module puts theory into practice, from devising a campaign, its timeline, producing content, and launching it, to assessing the impact of that campaign. You’ll start by learning about highly successful campaigns from global brands, so that you can see how it’s done, before taking the reins and doing this yourself.Digital and Social CultureUnderstanding the history and context of marketing and the psychology of influence will give you an excellent grounding to begin the programme. You’ll explore the development of marketing and digital communication, understanding how it has been impacted by culture, commerce and politics.

The Cert HE in Commercial Songwriting offers you the opportunity to study the art of writing and producing your own music whilst situated at the heart of the music industry and with the opportunity to experience professional contexts directly. You will be taught by working industry-experts and informed by a range of dynamic music business experiences at labels, in studios and working with music executives and artists. The curriculum covers a full range of current industry issues and themes that give you a broad contextual understanding of the modern music industry, using the industry-standard software to create and build your portfolio of music and the business skills to develop your career. Beginning with an introduction to the cultural contexts from which songwriters emerged, you will then have the opportunity to develop your own songwriting craft through studying the styles and structures of other artists, key musical components and compositional techniques and using industry standard production software to make your songs industry-ready.Just as the course is a blend of music industry knowledge, alongside the development of professional A&R and Songwriting skills, you will also be taught by both academics and specialist industry practitioners directly at the heart of the industry. Notting Hill Academy of Music seeks to give you an immersive music industry experience and get your music exposure in the right circles. All your lecturers are working industry professionals and will teach the specialist subject relevant to their own career. Your assignments have been developed to reflect the real world of creating music and working within the industry, ensuring that you develop the skills you’ll need to succeed in the professional world. Central to the ethos of this course, is the aim to get you ready for industry by giving you access to it from the start.Depending on your progression choices after Level 4, as a graduate, you will be able to enter a range of music industry professions equipped with the industry knowledge, academic and industry skills that companies require. Notting Hill Academy of Music alumni have gone on to work as artists, songwriters and producers, in A&R, record labels, copyright, streaming services and talent/creative management.

SONGWRITINGThis module encourages you to reflect on your own songwriting and its development by giving you a professional grounding in the key elements of songwriting. Working independently, with others and also with a brief, as you might with a label, you will explore the way in which you can be inspired and influenced by techniques and musical elements from a range of different genres. Your study of styles and genres will also support this development. Being a writer /producer/artist isn’t just about making your own music, it’s about using your skills and creativity to bring your work to life and to influence others too. It’s also an excellent way to diversify your income and grow your audience!In this module you’ll develop your DAW skills, but also your project planning, collaboration, influence, communication and leadership skills. You will learn to adjust your creative vision to support the creative vision of those you are working with too, and showcase your skills in making the work of another songwriter or artist industry-ready and commercially viable. An indicative programme of lectures might include:Songwriter/artist and Songwriting/producer.Song structure and arrangement.Melody, riff and hook.Harmonic structure, bassline and cohesion.The DAW and production techniques for songwriters: creating, editing and layering tracks.The DAW and production techniques for EDM/beat-based songwriting.Song structures and arranging 1.Song structures and arranging 2.Mix techniques: Creative EQ/Dynamics and FX.Creating and exporting the final mix.Remixing techniques (extended and creative edits, versioning, introducing samples).Manipulating parts and stems and collaborating with others.NAVIGATING THE MUSIC INDUSTRYFrom sheet music to streaming. How did the music industry landscape you see today emerge and what is the history of the songwriters/producers and artists you admire? This module will give you the knowledge and understanding of the modern music industry by helping you understand its past and also the evolution of its current structure. This will help contextualise your learning and also understand your place within the industry as a creator, artist, songwriter and entrepreneur. It will also get you to think about the various ways in which your knowledge of these key areas of the music business will intersect with your career.An indicative lecture programme for this module will include:The early music industry: the roots of A&R, and the history of songwriting.The Digital Revolution: Napster, iTunes, Spotify and the rise of the DAW and DIY artist.Music publishing – The majors and Disrupters.The Record Label – the Majors & Indies, label services and DIY.The Live industry.Discovery & Development – getting signed and career opportunities.The Role of the Manager & Agent.Going social: Direct to Fan & Fan to Fan. Sustaining your own career.Marketing and Promotion.The future of the industry: trends, data and analysisBUILDING YOUR PORTFOLIOStudied alongside Songwriting, this module requires you to develop your songwriting portfolio and experience more widely. In this module, you’ll be concentrating on deliberately building your repertoire of songwriting skills independently as well as collaboratively.In this module you’ll develop your DAW skills, but also your project planning, collaboration, influence, communication and leadership skills. You will learn to adjust your creative vision to support the creative vision of those you are working with too, and showcase your skills in making the work of another songwriter or artist industry-ready and commercially viable. An indicative programme of lectures might include:Starting a project: inspiration and planning.Song structure and arrangement.Topline and melody building.Writing to a track.Writing to a brief.Lyrics and rhyme.Harmony and chord progressions 1.Harmony and chord progressions 2.Analysing genres 1.Analysing genres 2.Songwriting for bands/ensembles 1.Songwriting for bands/ensembles 2.PRODUCING THE SONGYou may know the songwriting and production and techniques to write and create a track, but releasing a final creative work needs the effort and vision of the producer. An understanding of song structure and the way in which the musical and technical elements of the track can combine will elevate your track beyond the bedroom songwriter’s efforts. If you want to monetise your skills, you need to understand how to take your tracks from sound files, to release.This module will introduce you to a range of techniques that bring together the musical (composition and arrangement) techniques you studied in previous modules, with the technical audio techniques (dynamics, EQ and FX in the final mix and mastering) that can help you ensure your creative vision is realised in the studio. The role of the songwriter/producer/artist/collaborator is to see the whole project from a range of perspectives, including the commercial.The role of the artist/songwriter/producer.Refining song structure and arrangement.Defining styles: Making Disco/Techno/House/Trance.Defining styles: Making Hip Hop/Rap.Defining styles: Making UK Urban Beats.Defining styles: Making commercial R&B, Pop.Writing for the screen (film, TV, advertising).The overall sound – matching technique to genre.Your music’s journey, from studio to release.Pitching to the professionals, positioning yourself and your career.Commercial contexts and diversifying your skills.WRITING TO A BRIEFBeing a successful songwriter in today’s music industry can also involve responding to a brief given to you by a publisher, music supervisor, ad agency, production house or even directly from a brand or film director.In this module you’ll develop your DAW skills, but also your project planning, collaboration, influence, communication and leadership skills. You will learn to adjust your creative vision to support the creative vision of those you are working with too by writing to a range of briefs, and showcase your skills in making the work of another songwriter or artist industry-ready and commercially viable.An indicative programme of lectures might include:1. Understanding the brief2. Creative constraints, working within parameters3. Writing for sync4. Writing for artists – ghostwriting, toplining, collaborating5. DAW skills6. Remixing, reinterpreting and reworking material7. Writing commercial and branded content8. Creative collaboration and communication skills9. Creative challenge – writing workshop10. Creative challenge – writing workshop11. Demo to delivery – presenting your work12. Ethics and ownershipLyrical CultureThe history of Popular Music is rich and multicultural. Popular music is increasingly bound in the technology that creates it, with songwriters and artists able to use technology to create, distribute, promote and sell their own music and brand. An understanding of the genre’s diverse history will help give you a deeper understanding not only of the origins of the music you want to create, but the techniques and classic sounds that evolved and now characterise it.We’ll be focussing on those aspects of creative and critical theory that are intertwined with the industry and songwriting such as subculture, style and genre and the history of music technology. We’ll also explore trends and taste from a consumer perspective and look at the global industry.An indicative lecture programme relating to this module will comprise:1. A brief history of Pop from Tin Pan Alley to AI.2. Cultures and subcultures.3. Lyrical cultures – how lyrics are created, shaped and reflect society and identity4. Commercialism and Commerce5. Studying the consumer, audiences, the history of trends and defining taste6. Creative digital perspectives7. The digital creator: machine and producer as artist8. Integrating critical perspectives creatively9. Sounds from history: the origins of what we hear now10. Equity and diversity in music.11. The global music industry, different territories, genres and perspectives.

The Cert HE in Creative Music Business offers you the opportunity to apply your academic study of business to your own business ideas, entrepreneurial ambitions or creative talents, taught by professionals directly from the music industry at the heart of industry at Sony Music. This programme takes you through the process of bringing a business idea to life, from ideation (inventing and innovation new business ideas) to launch, where you’ll take your idea to a professional audience. You will be taught through weekly workshops that are aimed at developing your ideas within a framework of the core business skills you need, from product design, to organizational and business structures and finally going to market by working industry-experts and informed by a range of dynamic music business experiences at labels, with professional masterclasses to inspire you along the way. You can also make this programme bespoke to your particular interests, developmental needs and business ideas through every practical formative and summative assignment, by directing your lecturers and tutors to focus their feedback on the elements of your work you’d like to develop further.Just as the programme is a blend of music industry knowledge, alongside the development of professional business skills, you will be taught by both academics and specialist industry practitioners directly at the heart of the industry. Notting Hill Academy of Music seeks to give you an immersive music industry experience and get your creative business ideas exposure in the right circles. All your lecturers are working industry professionals and will teach the specialist subject relevant to their own career. Your assignments have been developed to reflect the real world of working within the industry, ensuring that you develop the skills you’ll need to succeed in the professional world. Central to the ethos of this programme is the aim to get you ready for industry by giving you access to it from the start. This programme also gives you access to learning and professionals at Sony, to ensure a real-world context to your learning and the chance to build a professional portfolio of work through this connection.Depending on your progression choices after Level 4, as a graduate, you will be able to enter a range of music industry professions, equipped with the industry knowledge, academic and industry skills that companies require. Notting Hill Academy of Music alumni have gone on to start their own labels, manage artists and also work for major record labels.

BUSINESS DESIGN (Term One)You will have arrived at NHAM full of business ideas, perhaps you already have a business idea of your own. This module starts you on your journey, at the heart of industry working closely with Sony Music professionals to design a viable business, product or service.Business Design will help you see how to bring your ideas to life and scope them out as the start of your very own business and entrepreneurial journey.You’ll take part in workshops with outstanding music industry professionals that will allow you to design and build a concept for your own business, as well as, most crucially, debating and interrogating your own and others’ ideas. The aim here is to ensure that you gain a broad portfolio of skills and tools to allow you to continue to refine and design business ideas, products and services for the future. An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:1. Development of the Music IndustryMusic industry history – how did we get here?Structure of the music industry – then and nowCurrent creative industry trends, critical perspectives, digitisation & AI.2. Ideating (inventing and innovating new products and services)Debating your big idea for a business, product or service in today’s industryFrom idea to MVP (minimum viable proposition)Product and service design: value propositions, understanding customer segments, market size and opportunity size, business model canvas, lean canvas and agile approaches.3. Designing and refining a business ideaApply some of the techniques above relevant to your business. Product or service idea. How will you scope this and what evidence will you use to underpin your idea and most importantly, convince others of its viability?This module aims to:Introduce you to the history, landscape, critical and cultural theories relevant to the music and creative industries.Support you to ideate, design and refine your own business, product or service idea.Develop fundamental business skills through the use of practical tools and frameworks relevant to the development of contemporary business ideas, products and services.Develop skills of critical analysis, constructive debate and feedback on business concepts and ideas.BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS (Term Two)Having designed, scoped and refined your business/product/service in Business Design, in this module you will begin to practically build it. Every business needs an organisational structure, financial model, products/services and a strategy. This module will teach you the fundamental skills of building a business structure and strategy so that you’re moving into the next phase of your business development, ready to launch to market in your final module.An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:1. Develop and Build your product/serviceProduct Design and value propositionsProduct Management PrinciplesPiloting, testing, product market fit and pricing2. Choosing a structure for your businessDifferent types of company structuresRegistering and setting up your company3. Business OperationsOrganisational design and structureVision, mission and valuesCompany roadmapBuilding a team4. Funding and financialsFunding your ideaUnderstanding budgetingKey company financial statements5. Writing your strategyWrite and structure a business strategy document with impactThis module aims to:Develop products or services relevant to your business idea, ready for market.Introduce the fundamentals of business structures, incorporation and registration.Produce early financial planning statements for your business.Structure your organization, understanding the resources you need.Develop a 3-year strategy for your business.LAUNCHPAD (Term Three)By now, your business, product or service should have been designed, built and have the foundations that can make it viable and successful in the market. CMB403 is about taking your business to market and launching it to a professional audience for feedback. Who knows, your business might just take off, it’s happened before to students from NHAM!To launch a successful business you need to understand your customer, the market and get your message out there. You also need to attract investment and supporters, so the ability to professionally present, launch and market your company is the final stage in seeing your business idea come to life.An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:1. Understanding your customerCustomer personasSegmenting the marketReaching your customer2. Marketing, PR and Sales strategyYour marketing strategyCommunications and Public RelationsBuilding a sales pipelineSales vs retentionSales and marketing plans3. Seeking investment and pitching your businessWhy should somebody invest in you and your business? This is your chance to persuade them. You will be developing skills of: Business communications, pitching your financials to investors, actively seeking peer feedback from professionals, lecturers and your cohort in order to refine, develop and rehearse your pitch to make this the best it can be.4. Planning a launchPlan and deliver your business idea professionally in a final pitch at Sony.

The Certificate in Higher Education, Level 4 in Beatmaking and Production offers you the opportunity to study the art of creating and producing music from the heart of the music industry.The programme is a blend of music industry knowledge and the development of professional Beatmaking and digital production skills. You will be taught by working industry experts and informed by a range of dynamic music business experiences at labels, in studios and with music executives and artists. The curriculum covers a full range of current industry issues and themes that give you a broad contextual understanding of the modern music industry. You will be using the industry-standard software to create and build your portfolio of music and you will gain the business skills to develop your career.Beginning with an introduction to the cultural contexts from which digital music creation emerged, you will then develop your music creation skills using industry-standard software to create your own music and to collaborate with and create music for others. Practically the course covers: melody, chords, song structure, sampling, recreating sounds, basslines, drum sound (patterns, programming, and arrangements), mixing beats, remixes, MIDI, sound design, sequencing, recording, production and mastering all from fully equipped Mac Laptop DAW set ups.You will be taught by both academics and specialist industry practitioners directly at the heart of the industry. All your lecturers are working industry professionals and will teach the specialist subject relevant to their own career. Your assignments have been developed to reflect the real world of creating music and working within the industry, ensuring that you develop the skills you’ll need to succeed in the professional world. Notting Hill Academy of Music will give you an immersive music industry experience and get your music exposure in the right circles. Central to the ethos of this programme is to get you ready for industry by giving you access to it from the start.

Navigating The Music IndustryFrom sheet music to streaming. How did the music industry landscape you see today emerge and what is the history of the songwriters/producers and artists you admire? This module will give you the knowledge and understanding of the modern music industry by helping you understand its past and also the evolution of its current structure. This will help contextualise your learning and also understand your place within the industry as a creator, artist, songwriter and entrepreneur. It will also get you to think about the various ways in which your knowledge of these key areas of the music business will intersect with your career.An indicative programme will comprise:1. The early music industry: the roots of A&R, and the history of songwriting.2. The Digital Revolution: Napster, iTunes, Spotify and the rise of the DAW and DIY artists.3. Music publishing – The majors and Disrupters4. The Record Label – the Majors & Indies, label services and DIY5. The Live industry.6. Discovery & Development – getting signed and career opportunities7. The Role of the Manager & Agent.8. Going social: Direct to Fan & Fan to Fan. Sustaining your own career.9. Marketing and Promotion.10. The future of the industry: trends, data and analysis.BEAT CULTUREThe history and evolution of popular music is rich, multicultural and comparatively new. Bound in the technology that creates it, music is a complex interplay between the artist, writer, instrument, technology, and producer. As new genres are brought to the forefront of popular music so are the technologies that inform them. Many are the result of the artist either using, or collaborating with those who do, new technology – often in ways it was not necessarily designed for. From early synthesisers and turntablism in the late 70s, samplers, sequencers, drums machines and MIDI in the 80s, to the rise EDM, Hip Hop and related genres from the 80s onwards, this module will help you understand how the music you hear today has been developed how it continues to evolve and be influenced by global trends. The module will focus on subcultures, style and genre, the history of music technology and also explore global dance music sounds and styles. An indicative lecture programme relating to this module will comprise:A brief history of the evolution of contemporary popular music.A brief history of technological innovationCultures and subcultureThe study of styles and genresDomestic and International music trendsCommercialism and alternative formsThe digital creator: machine as composerThe Producer/DJ as creative composerIntegrating critical perspectivesEquality and diversity in the music industriesTHE DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATIONThe digital audio workstation, in industry terms, is a relatively new technology, created in the late 1970s by a company called Soundstream with their Digital Editing System and coming into mainstream professional music industry use from around the mid-1990s when Digidesign’s Pro Tools and Steinberg’s Cubase were released. In their early incarnation, they were developed to digitally emulate what could be done in the studio, but as the technology and its use grew, artists, producers, labels and songwriters began to realise the creative possibilities of digital audio workstations. The market for plug-ins, and audio synthesis tools grew and the sounds that could be created increased. Unlike the traditional recording studio or a musical instrument, the DAW is portable, and the developments in broadband and cloud-based technologies means storing and sharing files is almost instant, and very easy. The DAW is an instrument, a studio and a producer on your laptop.A game changer for all musicians and producers alike, the DAW has allowed musicians and engineers of all abilities to develop the software and its possibilities not only technically but also creatively. Industry-standard music can be created using just your laptop and in this module, we’re going to do exactly that. In this first practical module, you will focus on simply familiarising yourself with Logic Pro to create a range of different sounds as examples to illustrate the audio production and compositional beat-making principles that are presented. These techniques and skills will be developed further in Term 2, when you will start practically using the Digital Audio Workstation in more technical and creative detail. An indicative lecture programme for this module will include:The history of the DAW.Key technical features: DAW as an analogue studio.Core functions of the traditional studio.Key creative features: DAW as instrument.Set-up and signal flow.Creating projects and tracks.Basic functionality in the DAW, getting started.Adding recordings and other sound files to the mix.Sound design and synthesis functionality in a DAWIntroduction to plug-ins and VSTsIntroduction to signal processing and FX.Exporting, sharing and collaborating.BUILD THE BEATThis module is intended to give you a grounding in the essential terminology, principles, skills and techniques in using Logic Pro that will allow you to start building tracks using professional DAW skills from the ground up. In this module, you will develop the initial production principles and your understanding of the DAW functionality from BMP412 into more practical skills and music creation. This module is also studied alongside BMP414: Record/Mix/Master, allowing you to put music creation and composition together with audio production techniques.The DAW can be used as an instrument, to construct and layer different beats, basslines and melodies. In building the beat, you’ll understand how to create and manipulate each of these musical layers. Alongside these technical skills, we’ll explore and deconstruct some seminal hit songs (from the past as well as the present) to show you how professionals have used the DAW creatively and musically before to define generations and push the boundaries of creative technology. An indicative lecture programme might include:Deconstructing hit songs.Beats in-the-box.Manipulating regions: Cutting, looping, copying, reversing.MIDI basics.Building MIDI beats.Instruments and Sounds.Synth basics.Building synth beats (eg Drum Synth, Ultrabeat).Making beats, basslines and backing tracks.Integrating samples.Signal flow and set-up to record into the box.Putting it all together.RECORD MIX MASTERStudied alongside BMP413, Record/Mix/Master will get you thinking about how to apply music production skills to the tracks you create for yourself and others. In BMP413 you are creating your own music, in this module, you’ll be applying your skills to projects that have been created by others, and/or in collaboration with others. Being a producer/artist isn’t just about making your own music, it’s about using your skills and creativity to influence others too. It’s also an excellent way to diversify your income and grow your audience! In this module you’ll develop your DAW skills further, but also your project planning, collaboration, influence, communication and leadership skills. You will learn to adjust your creative vision to support the creative vision of those you are working with too, and showcase your skills in making the work of another songwriter or artist industry-ready and commercially viable. An indicative programme of lectures might include:Starting a project: inspiration and planning.Signal flow and recording (MIDI and Audio).Creating and editing multiple tracks.hoosing instruments and layering tracks.Structure and balance.Mix techniques.Arranging and automating the track.Creative EQ/Dynamics and FX.Creating and exporting the final mix.Introduction to mastering.Remixing techniques (extended and creative edits, versioning, introducing samples)Manipulating parts and stems and collaborating with others.PRODUCING THE SONGYou may know the audio production and engineering techniques to create, record, mix and master a track, but releasing a final creative work needs the effort and vision of the producer. An understanding of song structure and the way in which the musical and technical elements of the track can combine will elevate your track beyond the home producer’s efforts. If you want to monetise your skills, you need to understand how to take your tracks from sound files, to release. This module will introduce you to a range that brings together the musical (composition and arrangement) with the technical audio techniques (dynamics, EQ and FX in the final mix and mastering) you studied in BMP414. The role of the producer/artist/collaborator is to see the whole project from a range of perspectives, including the commercial.The role of the producer/artist.Song structure and arrangement.Melody, riff and hook.Harmonic structure, bassline and cohesion.Defining styles: Making Disco/Techno/House/Trance.Defining styles: Making Hip Hop, Sampling, Turntablism & Rap.Defining styles: Making UK Urban Beats.Defining styles: Making commercial R&B, Pop.The overall sound – matching technique to genre.Your music’s journey, from studio to release.Pitching to the professionals, positioning yourself and your career.Commercial contexts and diversifying your skills.

Discovering an artist is only the beginning. Understanding their music, recognising their audience and building a credible development strategy require creative judgement, research and commercial awareness. This course will explore how artists are identified, evaluated and supported across the contemporary music industry. It brings together A&R and talent discovery with artist development, audience insight, rights and commercial relationships. You’ll explore what makes an artist distinctive, how can listening, research and data inform decision-making, which partnerships and collaborations could support an artist’s ambitions, and how artist development strategies and plans are put in place. The curriculum connects critical enquiry with practical project development. It is intended for aspiring A&R and artist-development practitioners, emerging managers and independent artists interested in understanding the decisions behind music careers.

The Music IndustryExplore how the contemporary music industry operates, from recorded music and publishing to live performance and artist services. Examine the relationships between artists, managers, labels, publishers and other partners, and consider how rights, income and commercial priorities shape their work.A&R and Scouting TalentExplore how artists and repertoire are discovered and evaluated. Develop your approach to critical listening, research and communicating an artist’s potential, considering musical identity, cultural context and audience evidence. Examine the responsibilities of talent discovery, including bias, representation and the limits of predictions about success. Artist Development Consider how an artist’s creative ambitions inform the way in which labels or management develop their strategy. Explore artistic identity, repertoire, release planning and the roles of different collaborators to bring artist strategy to life. Audiences, Fans and Data Explore how artists connect with listeners and build relationships with audiences. Consider what streaming, social media and other audience information can reveal, and what it cannot. Develop an introduction to interpreting data critically, the way in which the music industry uses data to inform decision-making whilst also recognising its limitations and using evidence responsibly alongside creative judgement. Dealmaking and Contracts Explore the commercial agreements that shape artists’ working relationships. Examine introductory principles of rights, royalties, fees and contractual responsibilities, considering how different arrangements can affect an artist’s options. Develop your ability to identify questions, compare proposals and recognise when specialist advice is needed. A&R Project Bring together your learning through an integrated artist-development project. The module brings together repertoire selection and choices, audience research and commercial planning in an evidence-based proposal. WHERE COULD THIS LEAD?The course is intended to develop research, communication, project-planning and commercial skills relevant to artist development, music-business support and independent creative projects. A&R is a competitive field; the course does not guarantee an A&R role or employment. The qualification may also support an application for further study, subject to the receiving institution’s requirements. VALIDATION STATUSThis course is being developed and has not yet been validated by BIMM University. The information above describes the current proposal. The course title, modules, teaching, assessment and delivery arrangements may be revised through validation. Course availability depends on successful approval.Register your interest to receive updates as details are confirmed. Registering interest is not an application or an offer of a place.

From grassroots gigs and club nights to showcases and festivals, live music brings together creative ideas, audiences and business decisions. This proposed course explores how those elements connect and what it takes to develop an event that works.You’ll explore how events are designed, programmed, budgeted and promoted, alongside the practical considerations that shape their delivery. You’ll also examine why audiences choose one event over another, how promoters balance ambition with financial risk, and what makes an event accessible, inclusive and sustainable.The proposed curriculum combines an introduction to the music industry with specialist study of live events. Project-based learning is intended to help you connect research and theory with decisions about audiences, venues, line-ups, ticketing and promotion. The course is designed for aspiring promoters, event organisers and creative entrepreneurs, as well as those interested in the work behind live music.

The following modules form the proposed course structure. Their titles, content, credit values and sequence remain subject to validation.The Music IndustryExplore the organisations, people and relationships that shape the contemporary music business. From labels and publishers to managers, agents, promoters and venues, you’ll examine how different parts of the industry connect, how income is generated, and how rights and commercial relationships influence decisions.Live Event Design and ManagementExplore how a live music idea becomes an operational event plan. This module brings together event planning, audience experience, programming, venue requirements, staffing and scheduling. You’ll consider budgets, ticket pricing and deal structures alongside licensing, safety and risk, developing an understanding of the creative thinking and decision-making behind an event.Audiences and PromotionWho is your event for, and what would persuade them to attend? Explore audience motivations, music communities and approaches to promotion, including social media, content, public relations and direct communication. Consider how ticketing, pricing and audience information can inform a campaign and help evaluate its impact.Festival Culture and CurationFestivals are cultural experiences as well as commercial enterprises. Examine how histories, communities, genres and audiences influence festival identities, and how programmers balance creative ambition, representation and budgets. Topics are expected to include line-up development, festival ownership and changing event formats.Sustainable and Inclusive PracticeConsider how live events can respond to environmental, social and economic challenges. Explore accessibility, representation, audience welfare and responsible use of resources, examining how inclusive and sustainable practice can become part of everyday event planning.Live Event ProjectBring together your learning through an integrated live event project. The proposed module connects creative planning with audience research, budgeting, promotion and evaluation, giving you a framework for explaining your decisions and reflecting on the results.WHERE COULD THIS LEAD?The course is intended to develop knowledge and transferable skills relevant to entry-level work in event promotion, venue programming, festival administration, ticketing, artist liaison and project coordination. It may also support the development of your own event ideas or an application for further study. Employment and admission to further study are not guaranteed.VALIDATION STATUSThis course is being developed and has not yet been validated by BIMM University. The information above describes the current proposal. The course title, modules, teaching, assessment and delivery arrangements may be revised through validation. Course availability depends on successful approval.Register your interest to receive updates as details are confirmed. Registering interest is not an application or an offer of a place.

Register on the website and one of the team will come back to you.

We currently run the following courses: Commercial Songwriting, Creative Music Business, Digital Marketing and Beatmaking and Production.

NHAM has a number of teaching spaces with different courses taught at different locations; you will be provided with a timetable at induction. Teaching locations include the Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JQ; scheduled sessions are also planned to take place at Sony Music and Tileyard, both in King’s Cross.

We are a first class education provider, therefore class sizes are deliberately small to deliver the best experience to our students.

The teaching staff are handpicked current music business/industry executives that will teach and mentor the students throughout their time at and beyond the Academy. For more info, go to the Lecturers tab.

All you will need is a laptop.

Numerous opportunities are available to our students through our partners and these courses are designed with two things in mind: employability and entrepreneurial spirit.

NHAM is not able to accept international studies at this time.

All courses are full time. Most of our courses require you to be on site 2 to three 3 days a week. Independent study, research and a natural curiosity about the industry are expected for each of these courses.

Level 4: You will require 2 A-levels at B grade, or equivalent Level 3 qualifications. Level 4 courses are equivalent to the first year of an honours degree and show that you are capable of studying successfully at university level. You can use a Level 4 to gain confidence to continue studying, change careers or progress your current career. However, in some situations your existing experience within the industry can qualify you for the course of your choosing.English requirementsStudents who have not been educated in English would usually be required to have an internationally recognised English language qualification such as IELTS or TOEFL before joining a course. The exact English requirements will depend on the university and course, but typically range from IELTS 5.5 to IELTS 7.5 (TOEFL 525-625).Students who have been educated in English are often able to submit high school English qualifications (eg. IGCSE or O-level) instead of IELTS or TOEFL. Most universities would require the equivalent to a grade C at GCSE level to satisfy these conditions.

The Academy has high standards and limited places. The applications process begins when a student attends an Experience Event, following this applicants will be asked to complete some written work and/or submit a set task during the application process.

Fees for all NHAM courses are *£10,050, LOANS ARE AVAILABLE WWW.SLC.CO.UK*This fee applies to the 2027 academic year only and may be subject to change.

Courses are fully funded for *eligible students via the Student Loans Company https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/student-loans-companyNHAM also welcomes students who wish to self fund their studiesFor further information contact the NHAM team at enquiries@nottinghillacademyofmusic.com

Come and meet the NHAM team and experience the Sony Teaching Environment. We hold regular Open Days every month. Find out all about the courses, our tutors, our industry connections and the student experience. Members of the Relentless Team will also be on hand to give you real industry advice and feedback on your music and your music business and marketing projects. You will also fill out a questionnaire to tell us about your career ambitions and where you want to be when you finish the course.