News

Three New Colleges & Universities Added to Music Biz Academic Partnership Program

Popakademie, Temple University, and University of Montana
bring total membership to 22 institutions

September 6, 2017 – The Music Business Association (Music Biz) celebrated a successful third year for its Academic Partnership Program, during which it added three new schools to bring its total enrollment to 22 institutions and 2,100 students and educators. This year’s additions include:

  • Popakademie – Mannheim, Germany
  • Temple University – Philadelphia, PA
  • University of Montana – Missoula, MT

The Program grants full Music Biz membership to all students and faculty members who are involved in music business, technology, or entertainment law programs at participating institutions. Benefits include discounts to the annual Music Biz convention in Nashville and the Entertainment & Technology Law Conference series as well as eligibility to apply for scholarships through the Music Biz Scholarship Foundation. Program students also receive free admission to the Common Ground Webinar Series, which last year exposed them to cutting-edge industry research and analysis from Music Biz data partner LOOP (Lots of Online People) and Nielsen as well as product demonstrations from companies such as Jammber, Music Reports, Songspace, and more. They also receive free access to Music Biz’s full collection of industry-standard style guides, white papers, and infographics, which cover everything from music licensing to proper metadata entry.

“As an Adjunct Professor at Monmouth University, I see the impact of music business education first-hand,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “It’s the younger generation who will be responsible for taking the music industry to new heights in the years to come, so it is imperative that we educate them on what to expect and help them develop adaptability skills so they can respond efficiently to new developments we may not see coming. The Academic Partnership Program provides teachers and students with abundant resources to aid them on that journey, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome Popakademie, my alma mater Temple University, and the University of Montana to the roster.”

The Music Biz Scholarship Foundation also awarded more than $47,000 to 25 students last year, including 21 from Academic Partnership Program schools such as Belmont University, the Berklee College of Music, Drexel University, Ferris State University, Full Sail University, New York University (NYU), the University of Georgia, the University of Miami, and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

More than 185 students from Academic Partnership Program schools made the trek to Nashville in May for Music Biz 2017, the Association’s best academic attendance in its history. A special series of Career Development Workshops provided valuable instruction on careers in music, resources for entrepreneurs, networking, job interviews, and other skills necessary to get a foot in the door of the music industry. In addition, the second annual Career Day drew 75 students from 25 universities to interview with representatives from 12 major music companies. So far, four students have landed full-time positions as a result of attending Career Day, including two with Warner Music Group, one with BMI, and one with Universal Music Group.

The Academic Partnership Program also includes the following schools that joined during its first two years:

  • American University – Washington, DC
  • The Bandier Program at Syracuse University – Syracuse, NY
  • Belmont University – Nashville, TN
  • Berklee College of Music – Boston, MA
  • Catawba College – Salisbury, NC
  • Collarts – South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design – Philadelphia, PA
  • Ferris State University – Big Rapids, MI
  • Full Sail University – Winter Park, FL
  • Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) – Nashville, TN
  • Monmouth University – West Long Branch, NJ
  • Nashville State Community College – Nashville, TN
  • New York University (NYU) – New York, NY
  • UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music – Los Angeles, CA
  • University of Georgia – Athens, GA
  • University of Memphis – Memphis, TN
  • University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL
  • University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) – San Antonio, TX
  • William Paterson University – Wayne, NJ

About the Music Business Association
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile, and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.

Music Biz Media Contact
Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications — laurie@jaybirdcom.com, 646.484.6764