Where you can study
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Specialise in Music Industry for your Bachelor of Commercial Music at Massey
In the Music Industry major, you’ll learn how to market and support musicians, developing the skills and networks to become an essential behind-the-scenes music industry professional.
Study artist development and management, and how record labels and distribution networks work, including modern platforms like Spotify and social media. Get experience project-managing live music for concerts, tours and festivals.
Engage critically with the music industry, considering the philosophy, politics and economics of commercial music. Explore new business models that challenge traditional industry conventions.
Work with students from across Massey’s commercial music degree to work on gigs, tours, music videos and online promotion.
Further study
Extend your study with postgraduate research in the Bachelor of Commercial Music (Honours) or a Master of Commercial Music.
A Bachelor of Commercial Music in Music Industry is a good fit if you:
- love music but don’t want to be in the spotlight
- want hands-on experience in the commercial music industry
- want to graduate with a portfolio of projects including music distribution, live events and music media.
Planning information
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
More information: ‘Creative Arts qualification guides’.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses you can enrol in
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Core courses for the Bachelor of Commercial Music
As well as the specialisation courses listed below, this qualification has core courses that you will need to complete.
Bachelor of Commercial Music core courses
Music Industry courses
Compulsory courses
Course code: 133167 Music Entrepreneurship 1 15 credits
In this course students are introduced to the various aspects of the music industry from a New Zealand perspective. Students gain a basic understanding of how to develop and manage music industry projects in a range of settings.
View full course detailsCourse code: 133168 Music Artist Development 15 credits
In this course students will be introduced to the concept of artist development from the perspective of management, record labels and music publishers, including their role in discovering, aligning and project-managing artists. Students will also examine these concepts in relation to content and asset creation, digital music distribution, considering issues of quality and product development practices and strategy in New Zealand and internationally.
View full course detailsCourse code: 133260 Music Audience Development 15 credits
In this course students will be introduced to the concept of audience development from the perspective of promotion companies, record labels and music management. Students will examine the music industry in relation to its audience by exploring the marketing and promoting of artists, music brands and other music related content. The course will also examine these concepts as applied to traditional media, digital music marketing and analytics, considering issues of quality and amplification strategies in New Zealand and internationally.
View full course detailsCourse code: 133267 Music Entrepreneurship 2 15 credits
Students explore how to commercialise products and services in the music industries. Students will be taken through the processes involved in bringing these products and services to market, such as identifying a target audience, promotions, pricing and release strategies.
View full course detailsCourse code: 133360 Music Business Development 15 credits
In this course students will explore a number of key concepts and debates concerning music copyright, publishing, metadata, business structure, cashflow and finance. Students will gain an applied understanding of music rights, ownership, exploitation and monetisation. The course explores a range of contemporary challenges currently facing the music industry in New Zealand and internationally, and examines new and emerging music industry models.
View full course detailsCourse code: 133365 Music Entrepreneurship 3 15 credits
In this course students engage with the music industries via supervised real-world projects.
View full course detailsCourse code: 133368 Music Industry Major Project 30 credits
In this course students realise an ambitious major project by means of self-directed study under academic supervision and professional mentorship appropriate to their music industry major specialism. Students are required to work individually and in teams in and across majors displaying high levels of organisation demonstrating the culmination of creative, technical, critical and professional skills gained throughout the degree.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for the Bachelor of Commercial Music, outside of university admission regulations.
We recommend you join us for a consultation if you’re applying for Music Industry major, to make sure it’s right for you.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Fees and scholarships
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme, including how much could be covered and your eligibility on the Fees Free website.
Fees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
Our Bachelor of Commercial Music graduates find jobs in the recording and publishing industries such as artist and repertoire (A&R), marketing or management, working at radio stations and establishing their own promotion companies. The live sector is also lucrative, and provides jobs in promotion, venue management and a range of other support roles.
International students
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
Related study options
Bachelor of Commercial Music (Honours) – BCommMus(Hons)
Refine your specialist music skills with postgraduate study in Commercial Music. Singer, DJ, lighting tech, or tour manager—whatever your jam, we’ll help you get further.
Master of Commercial Music – MCommMus
Pursue commercial music research pathways, supported through connections and partnerships with industry and the sector. Our Master of Commercial Music spans music production and recording, performance, song writing and composition for games and screen-based media, publishing, promotion and management, music technology, sound design, experimental practices, and much more.
Music Practice – Bachelor of Commercial Music
Study musicianship and performance in the popular genre of your choice — whether you’re a singer, DJ, or in a band. Music Practice will give you the skills and confidence to take risks and make it in the music industry.
Music Technology – Bachelor of Commercial Music
Explore and extend how music is created, produced and heard. In Music Technology, you’ll work at the intersection of music, creativity and technology.
Mātauranga Toi Māori – Bachelor of Commercial Music
Study creative arts and help shape a future where te ao Māori is at the forefront of Aotearoa creative industries. A first for Aotearoa tertiary education, the Mātauranga Toi Māori major engages te ao Māori in any of our creative disciplines in Commercial Music – Music Practice, Music Technology or Music Industry.
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz