BA (Hons) Music Marketing, Media and Communication

The first Creative Industries module will introduce you to the strategies and tools to set you on the right path toward pursuing a successful career. Whether focused on a particular career goal or considering several future possibilities, you will broaden your knowledge of the opportunities available to you as a future creative industry professional.

Summary

Persuading your audience is an essential component of digital content creation and music marketing, media, and communication. To be successful in these fields, it is crucial to understand your target audience and what motivates them. By creating content that appeals to their interests, needs, and desires, you can persuade them to engage with your brand, products, or services. Effective persuasion techniques include storytelling, emotional appeals, social proof, and credibility building. Developing strong verbal persuasion skills can help you succeed in the competitive world of music marketing and content creation. It is essential for success when negotiating deals, crafting compelling messages, and building a personal brand and being able to persuade others with your words is crucial in building and maintaining relationships with clients, collaborators, and fans. It is also important for negotiating deals with sponsors and other industry professionals, creating compelling messages that resonate with the target audience, and building a personal brand that sets you apart in the industry.

Module Aims

During this module you will develop your ability to construct a compelling, informed argument. You will have the opportunity to practice communicating verbally, responding to ongoing feedback, and work collaboratively. Additionally, this module will help you develop the following graduate attributes:

• Employability
• Self-Awareness
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Creativity, Collaboration and Connectedness
• Global Awareness

Summary

Effectively planning communications is essential in music marketing and content creation as it enables you to create content that resonates with your target audience. Audience analysis is a crucial aspect of this process, as it allows you to identify your audience's demographics, psychographics, and behaviours, and develop communication strategies that are relevant and effective. By understanding your audience, you can tailor your messaging and content to their interests and needs, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

Developing the skill of pitching relevant multi-modal content is also critical in this process, as it allows you to communicate your ideas and content effectively to your target audience. Effective pitching involves developing persuasive arguments, engaging with opposing viewpoints, and effectively communicating your ideas.

Module Aims

During this module you will identify target audiences and plan, propose and pitch relevant multi-modal content. Through an exploration of communication theories and frameworks, you will gain an understanding of how to effectively communicate with defined target audience in marketing, media, and communication contexts. This module will cover audience analysis, segmentation, and targeting, as well as various types of communication and platform analysis. By the end of this module, you will have the ability to develop effective communication strategies that resonate with target audiences.

Additionally, this module will help you develop the following graduate attributes:

• Entrepreneurialism
• Professionality
• Intellectual Curiosity

Summary

Developing practical content creation skills is essential in music marketing and content creation, as it enables you to create engaging and compelling content that resonates with your target audience. Photography, image editing, audio recording, sound editing, and graphic design are key tools that can be deployed to create high-quality content. By developing proficiency in these tools, music marketers and content creators can create professional-grade content that resonates with their target audience.

Module Aims

This module will help you develop technical skills appropriate for content creation across a range of platforms. Additionally, this module will help you develop the following graduate attributes:

• Employability
• Creativity

In this module, you will further develop your investigative skills, exploring relevant underlying concepts and principles and interpreting these within the context of your area of study. You will explore the nature of creativity, the wider context of the industry and practice reflective techniques.

You will also evaluate sources and consider issues such as potential biases and cultural diversity. This evaluation will contribute to developing an enhanced awareness of your creative identity and greater insight into the topics that inspire and motivate you. In addition, you will improve your understanding of how your area of interest intersects with the wider creative industry.

Using academic enquiry, you will develop a reflective journal to evaluate your strengths and areas for self-development in relation to your studies, careers and personal aspirations. This investigative work will help establish a connection between the skills you have identified concerning specific careers and areas of the industry, enhancing your understanding of what is required to be a successful professional practitioner.

Summary

Developing skills of investigation, such as gathering and analysing information, is highly valuable when embarking on a career in music marketing and content creation, as it enables professionals to produce high-quality content that informs whilst engaging with their target audience. By developing these skills, media and music marketing professionals can create compelling stories that resonate with their audience. However, it is also important to consider appropriate legal and ethical considerations when conducting investigations. This includes ensuring accuracy, protecting sources, and avoiding libel, invasion of privacy, and other legal liabilities. By understanding and adhering to these considerations, media and music marketing professionals can conduct investigative journalism that is both effective and ethical.

Module Aims

This module will help you develop the necessary skills to research and write a piece of long form journalism considering appropriate legal and ethical considerations.

Summary

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, an effective and creative marketing campaign can make any brand stand out from the crowd and achieve its goals. Whether it is the discovery of a new artist, buying tickets for an event or festival, or the everyday products and services we consume, marketing continues to influence us across every part of our lives. Developing a personal brand enables individuals to effectively communicate their unique value and differentiate themselves from competitors.

Module Aims

In this module, you will explore contemporary music and events brands, their audiences, branding, and communications. You will learn about emerging trends and technologies in social media, and how human psychology impacts our decision making. Whether you want to work in a marketing role directly, run your own events or manage an artist; marketing will undoubtedly play a crucial role in your future career success.

Summary

Successfully communicating with an audience is an essential component of any career in music media and content creation.
In the UK, content creation is a crucial aspect of the music industry and the wider economy, providing jobs and contributing
significantly to the country's cultural heritage.

One unique aspect of effective communication is storytelling, a trait that is inherent in human nature. Storytelling has been
used for centuries to entertain, educate, and inspire people, and is essential in creating engaging content. By understanding
the art of storytelling, you will learn how to connect with your audience on a deeper level and create content that is
memorable, impactful, and emotionally resonant.

Module Aims

This module will help you further develop the skills needed to create relevant multimodal content for a defined audience
using a range of appropriate technical skills. This module will also help you develop the following graduate attributes:

• Creative, Collaborative and Connected
• Intellectually Curious
• Intellectually Curious
• Employable and Entrepreneurial
• Resilient and Adaptable

Summary

This module will build on the skills you developed in your first year. In The Creative Industries and You module, you utilised concepts and principles to explore the nature of creativity, developing a short and longer-term plan for your personal and professional practice.

In this module you will carry out an individual investigation, utilising secondary research to investigate the lineage of your creative practice. You will directly apply ideas to your own discipline and development, selecting an area of investigation relevant to your own practice, and communicating your argument in writing or via a narrated slide presentation. The concepts you explore in this module, including your positionality and identity, are themes you will encounter frequently as a creative professional.

Module Aims

By examining existing case studies and undertaking a research case study you will further develop secondary research skills and contextualise your professional identity. The research methods and study skills you develop throughout this module will prepare you for next year’s Final Project, in which you will self-direct a significant piece of academic, creative and/or professional practice. Additionally, this module will help you develop the following graduate attributes:

• Global Awareness
• Self-awareness
• Intellectual curiosity
• Professionalism

“Everybody’s a Critic. And That’s How It Should Be” – A.O. Scott, New York Times

Today, pretty much everyone is a writer – a texter, a blogger, an emailer, a Tweeter... Ironically, given the digital character of our age, the time-honoured business of conjuring up the mots justes (‘the right words’) has never been more crucial. Written communication skills are constantly evolving – and adapting prose styles to a dizzying range of platforms, outlets and audiences is a crucial part of the modern communication professional’s skill set.

In this module, you will address contemporary issues head-on through your ingenuity as creative industry writers, whether as journalists, critics, podcasters, broadcasters, media influencers, editors or producers. Class sessions include analysis of, and practical workshops in, writing for editorial, subediting, narrative/storytelling, promotional text, social media and digital content creation.

You will engage with practical and creative skills, reflection and critical reading and apply them to a range of innovative writing practices and techniques covering a spectrum of genres, cultures and identities. The module also considers a variety of key texts about creative and critical writing practice and asks you to connect your own original and imaginative work to social, cultural and creative industry-relevant theories and contexts.

“Content is king” – Bill Gates

In this developing digital world, businesses of all types and sizes around the world continue to prioritise social media and online promotion at the heart of their marketing strategy. Digital literacy is increasingly seen as a must-have skill by potential employers. This module will give you the key practical skills in a variety of social media and digital communication platforms.

From Facebook to Instagram, from Social Influencers to Search Engine Optimisation, you will explore how to maximise the effectiveness of these digital strategies, using data analytics to enhance and evolve creative content-driven campaigns. Contemporary issues and trends in the digital world will underpin the module, as well as discussions on ethical concerns.

Summary

In the Defining Your Practice in Context module, you evaluated the lineage and traditions of your creative practice, investigating how it connects to artistic and industry practices. This module will require you to utilise your acquired knowledge to plan and create, collaboratively, a piece of work that links to your practice. Collaborating with others can help you develop new and innovative ideas and can also help you develop confidence as a creative practitioner whilst practising your communication, project management, reflection and feedback skills.

Module Aims

• To develop collaborative working practices.
• To plan and execute a creative project.
• To document your creative process including the nature of your collaboration.
• Seek and use developmental feedback.
• Evaluate the nature of teamwork, communication and collaboration.
• Appraise your professional values, ethics and goals.

Additionally, this module will help you develop the following graduate attributes:

• Employable and Entrepreneurial.
• Creative, Collaborative and Connected.
• Socially Responsible.
• Self-awareness.
• Professionalism.

“To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others” – Tony Robbins

The media and entertainment industries are dynamic and ever-changing, embracing established and emerging technologies, with diverse audiences around the world. Context, form, platform culture and identity all affect the way that messaging is received and interpreted. Our success in our working lives, in industry as individuals and as organisations is dependent on having a holistic and agile approach to engaging with varied audiences and platforms and our ability to adapt to make sure our message hits home.

Building on the Introduction to Digital Media & Communication module, Communication Techniques looks further into the theories and practices which the world uses to communicate. Through cyclic development, you will deepen your understanding of industry norms in communication theory, channels and practice. You will continue to underpin the development of practical skillsets with a strong understanding of the theories that inform practice.

The skills explored at Level 4 will be revisited and used to create more refined productions/publications; in particular, developing agility in the choice and use of different media to modulate a message. Further to this you will explore the concepts of identity and the psychology behind followings, allowing you to use a choice of medium and communication channel as a catalyst for growth.

In this module, you will undertake a significant project of your own choosing. It’s your chance to explore your passion within the industry and creative arts: experiment, take risks, strengthen your skills and create a product/cohesive portfolio of work that you are proud to showcase at the end of your degree.

This module will support you in consolidating the broad learning and development from the course so far, building a bridge into the industry, the workplace and future opportunities. You will be supported to self-direct your own learning through a series of lectures, seminars and 1:1 tutorials with expert supervisors.

Your stories, your audience, your content, your way…

In this module, you will find and apply a unique direction to your multimedia skills developed in L4 Introduction to Digital Media & Communications and L5 Communication Techniques. Through the development of these skills, you will identify a gap in the market for a project that to be developed throughout the duration of the module. This can take elements of video, photography, audio or web-based non-linear storytelling as appropriate for the audience you have identified. You will build teams for your project, and be members of other teams as required, to successfully complete projects to an industry standard.

On completion of the module, you will be able to manage whole projects from start to finish, working in teams with a deep understanding of telling stories by applying journalistic ideas to photography, video and audio at a professional level.

In this module, you will undertake a significant project of your own choosing. It’s your chance to explore your passion within the industry and creative arts: experiment, take risks, strengthen your skills and create a product/cohesive portfolio of work that you are proud to showcase at the end of your degree.

This module will support you in consolidating the broad learning and development from the course so far, building a bridge into the industry, the workplace and future opportunities. You will be supported to self-direct your own learning through a series of lectures, seminars and 1:1 tutorials with expert supervisors.

This module is the final step in your journey and will support you as you look to enter your chosen field as a creative professional. Drawing on evidence from throughout your time here. you will critically self-evaluate your personal learning journey and industry engagements to date. You will explore concepts and theories of personal and professional development to support, challenge and test your assumptions, to determine your readiness for work in the creative industries. You will have the opportunity to discuss this with your peers and learn from your collective experiences in both small degree path groups and large mixed discipline sessions.

With this position in mind, you will then be challenged to create and consolidate creative assets to give you the edge over the competition in your chosen field. Specialist workshops will be offered throughout the module, informed and delivered by our wide-reaching connections and specialist lecturers in the creative industries. This culminates in the creation of a portfolio which tells the story of your personal and professional journey so far, communicating your unique professional identity and future career plans in the creative industries.