Commercial Music
Bath Spa University
UCAS Code: W304 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Bath Spa University
UCAS Code: W304 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
A Level – grades BBB-BCC including a grade B in Music, Music Technology or a related subject.
Access to HE Diploma
Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher) together with evidence of a high level of experience in music, composing, music technology or music performance.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
A minimum of 32 points are required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) in a related subject, or evidence of experience in Music or Music technology.
T Level
Grade Merit is preferred in a relevant subject.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
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Attend an interview
Perform an audition
Present a portfolio
About this course
**A vocational Music course for songwriters, producers and session players who want to turn their passion into a career.**
- Develop your talent and flourish. We focus on original creativity.
- Build your Music career through personal development and industry engagement.
- Benefit from our experience. Our staff have music industry experience at a high level.
If you have a flair for original musical ideas, the Commercial Music course can take you on a creative journey to inspire and define a lifelong career.
This is a wide-ranging course that treats everyone as a creative individual. You can focus on writing original material alongside exploring identity, promotion and the wider music business and you can develop relevant skills such as music production, audio-visual and session playing.
The range of careers available to our graduates is very broad It includes signed artists, session players, record labels, management, live sector, publishing and digital marketing.
Modules
Your first year focuses on songwriting, performance and production. This raw material will define the launch and release cycles of your second year.
You’ll write songs and journalistic/promotional material, and learn how to produce and develop your material in the recording studio. Meanwhile, you’ll work towards live showcase events.
In year two, you’ll write, produce, and record your own original material. You’ll explore semiotics, marketing, cultural theory, photography and advertising, and develop an understanding of branding in a crowded marketplace.
You'll create an online presence through designing and editing your own promotional video, as well as other website and audio-visual content. Using this for promotion, you’ll set up your own national tour.
In your final year, you'll choose to specialise in production, songwriting or music business. Songwriting, performance and production all combine within our outward-facing Portfolio module which will showcase your skills on leaving University. You’ll also explore an aspect of music culture, leading to a final dissertation.
You’ll be given "seed funding" to work in a team to develop and actively pursue a "real-world" music-related business project. Many graduates continue successful business projects beyond graduation.
Assessment methods
There are no formal exams. You’ll be assessed through the production of your portfolio materials which will include songs, live performances, audio productions, promotional material, website design, photographic output, video staging, video editing, critical thinking, tour management, written dissertations, business plans, business diagnostics and presentations.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Bath Spa University
School of Music and Performing Arts
What students say
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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Music
Teaching and learning
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Music
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Music
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£19k
£22k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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