Music Enterprise Certificate

The Music Enterprise Certificate is a program enhancement option for undergraduate and graduate students designed to provide foundational understanding and experiences in establishing, managing, promoting, and otherwise successfully operating business enterprises in the music industry. The intent of the certificate is not to provide comprehensive training in all non-performance aspects of the music business, but rather, to allow students to explore how to combine their own musical interests and priorities with the tools and concepts necessary to function creatively in the music industry of today, while also preparing to be adaptable for the changing landscape of music production and consumption in the future.

Non-music major students may pursue the Music Enterprise Certificate without need for permission.  Please direct any questions to the director for the program, Brandon Draper.

The Music Enterprise Certificate requires a minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework completed within 1 year, distributed into the categories listed below. 

Contact Information

• Director of Music Enterprise Certificate: Brandon Draper, draperb@ku.edu 
• Director of Student Services: Rita Riley, rriley@ku.edu or 785-864-2954
• Graduate Student Academic Services: musicgrad@ku.edu or 785-864-1952.

A list of all course offerings can be found on the Schedule of Classes.

Topics, Products and Projects Research

• live music groups
• recording
• touring
• copyright
• publishing
• performance/interactive
• education
• outreach programs/schools
• merchandising
• subscriptions
• business models and focus on entrepreneurship
• market assessment
• costs/salaries/budgeting
• contracts
• accounting and taxes
• personal assessment/skills inventory
• business planning
• all genres from classical to punk rock

Recent Guests Include

• Luis Guerra - composer, arranger, producer (Revisionist History, Freakonomics) Los Angeles, CA
• Nathan Meckel - writer, producer, publisher (Stereophonic Films) Nashville, TN
• Aaron Draper - percussionist (Eminem, Adele, Justin Bieber)
• Oz McGuire - Ingrooves, Universal Music Group Los Angeles, CA
• Jade Brown - legal council (Mammoth Productions) Lawrence, KS
• Nick Semrad - pianist, artist, producer (Cory Henry, Donny McCaslin)
• Don Simon - attorney, label executive (Lost Cowgirl Records) Kansas City MO
• Anthony Saunders - composer, producer (Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson)
• Clair Marlo - writer, publisher, producer - Universal Music Group (over 3000 active sync licenses in film and tv) - Los Angeles