A course that teaches you how the music business works.

NAVIGATING THE MUSIC BUSINESS - ONLINE

MEET YOUR PROFESSOR

Philip Payne began his career in the music industry in 2010, immediately after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. Payne joined the Austin-based concert promotion and management company ScoreMore to co-manage Tory Lanez from 2011-2020.

Philip played multiple roles in Lanez’s career with past responsibilities including tour manager, DJ, music director, and A&R. In total, Philip worked across 12 of Lanez’s project releases, including five of his studio albums, each of which premiered as top-five album debuts on the Billboard Hot 200 charts. He also helped garner 25+ RIAA gold and platinum-certified records and two Grammy nominations. 

He has since started his own company, Plan A, a consulting firm that specializes in supporting and collaborating with emerging artists and managers.

In this online course, you’ll receive Philip’s real-world instruction that will help you develop the foundational knowledge and skill sets you will need to have a successful career in the industry. 

We know what it’s like to dream of working in music, but question if you’re doing things the right way.

So, we created a course that teaches you enough to be dangerous about:

THE ROLES AROUND AN ARTIST

We’ll give you an in-depth overview of the roles that exist around an artist. You’ll learn the skills, responsibilities, compensation, and ideal hiring timing of: 

  • Artist managers

  • A&Rs

  • Creative directors

  • Attorneys

  • Booking agents

  • Publicists

MARKETING FOR THE MODERN ERA

We’ll cover the following topics so that you or the artist you work with can create a plan that will help you stand out in an oversaturated market:  

  • Principles of great storytelling 

  • Elements to include in a rollout plan

  • Strategies for building a digital presence that actually get results 

  • Using Instagram & TikTok to roll out singles 

  • Data points to track to help you scale

MUSIC PUBLISHING PRINCIPLES

We’ll cover the fundamental principles of publishing, the backbone of the music industry. By the end of this lesson, you will understand:

  • The job of a publisher 

  • The differences between a co-pub and admin deal 

  • How to make the most out of a publishing deal

  • How to self-publish and the entities to sign up for 

  • What to look for in publishing companies 


LEGAL ASPECTS AND BASIC DEAL STRUCTURES

We'll walk you through the most crucial aspect of every business by addressing topics such as:

  • When is an agreement necessary?

  • Important clauses and terms to watch out for in management deals, publishing deals, and label/distribution deals. 

  • Attributes of a good attorney 

  • Effective negotiation tactics 

CONCERT AND FESTIVAL PROMOTION

We’ll go through the following concepts so that you can walk away with a complete understanding of:

  • The coordination between a concert promoter, booking agent, tour manager, and manager 

  • Best practices for booking more shows as an artist

  • Steps to help you produce more shows as a concert promoter 

  • Positive signs to look for in your team and warning signs to be aware of

WANT MORE INFO? 

If you are interested in speaking with someone to learn more about the course, please fill out the form below.

FAQs

  • This course is over 3 hours in total.

  • For those who purchase the full course (all five lessons in one purchase), you will have two sessions with our Student Success team. They will serve as your accountability partner and will be there to guide you through what you’re learning.

  • Each lesson is available for purchase individually!