DIPLOMA IN SOUND AND MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

MODULE HANDBOOK
March – June 2010 – Semester 4

MUSIC BUSINESS & LAW | DSM2243

Prepared by
ILI FARHANA MOHAMED
Lecturer
Sound & Music Design Academy

1
MODULE DETAILS AND CONTACTS
NOTE* Please READ & RETAIN this Module Handbook for reference throughout the semester.

Diploma in Sound & Music Technology

MUSIC BUSINESS & LAW | DSM2243

Credit Hours
Successful completion of the module earns you 3 credits

Module Duration
14 weeks
42 class hours

Pre Requisite Module

None

Facilitator
Miss Ili Farhana Mohamed
Sound & Music Design Academy
Inovasi 1-1, Jalan Teknokrat 1/1
63000 Cyberjaya
Tel.: +603 8317 8678
Email: cik.ili.mohamed@gmail.com
http://2243.posterous.com

Class Guide and Courtesy

As courtesy to both facilitators and students, please refrain
from using your mobile phone or set it to silent mode when
class is in session.

Absence from class requires a legitimate medical certificate or

consent letter from parent or guardian.

80% of attendance is required in order to pass this module.

All students are required to be punctual for classes.

There is a 10-minute grace period, for after which students will
be marked as late and after 20-minutes, students will be
marked as absent.

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The lecturer will be available for any questions or assistance at
the staff faculty located at the Plaza, on the 3 rd floor.

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MODULE OBJECTIVES AND
LEARNING OUTCOMES

Module Overview
This course is designed demonstrate the music business & law, this module will
explain to the students how to secure awareness about the music industry and the
business in it.

Module Objectives
In this course, student will be:

 Guided in identifying the fundamentals of music business, copyrights and

publishing.
 Trained to assess the professionals/compartments in the music industry.
 Exposed to the importance of music lawyers, Artist & Repertoire, Songwriters,
Music Publishing, Copyright, Major Label record deals, Financial Analysis’s and
Independent Labels.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, student will be able to:

 Apply theories in terms of music management, promotion and music

production.
 Analyze how the music industry works and the difference between an
independent label and a major label.
 Demonstrate how a record label works.

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MODULE REFERENCES

Resources

Recommended Reading Books

1. Bradford, C., 2006,Music Publishing Outloud; In Association with YAMAHA (1st

edition), Omnibus Press

2. Rudsenske, J. S., 2005, Star an Independent RECORD LABEL, Schrimer Trade

Book, USA.

3. Gordon, S., 2005, The Future of the Music Business, Backbeat Books, USA.

4. Baskerville, D., 2006, Music Business handbook and career guide, Sage
Publications

Additional Reading Materials

Books:

1. Wixen , R. D., 2005, The Plain and Simple Guide to Music Publishing, Hall
Leonard, USA.

2. Shuker, R., 2007, Understanding Popular Music, Paperback (1st edition),

Routledge

3. Josquin des Pres & Landsman, M., 2004, Creative Careers in Music ;
Paperback (2 edition), Allworth Press.

4. Harrison, A 2008, Music The Business- The Essential Guide to the Law and
the Deals, Virgin Books, London.

5. Knopper, S 2009, Appetite for Self-Destruction- The Spectacular Crash of

the Record Industry in the Digital Age, Simon & Schuster, London.

6. Krasilovsky, MW, Shemel, M, Gross, JM & Feinstein, J 2007, This Business

of Music- The Definitive Guide to the Business and Legal Issues of the Music
Industry, Billboard Books, New York

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List of Required Materials

Stationery items such as specific pencil, ruler, paper etc. or Digital Storage such as DV
tapes, CDRs, DVDs etc

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MODULE ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

The Brief
The projects assigned for the students are designed to test each students’
understanding of the syllabus. These assignments would give an advantage in gaining
knowledge and prepare students for the related field of job scope prior to the student
graduation. It is compulsory for the student to take each practical/assignment/project
seriously so as to gain the necessary knowledge for their own benefits.

Length
Printed Report
Minimum of 1500 words and not more than 2000 words
(not including title, index and references)

Duration of Assignment (effective from briefing date)

11 Weeks

Assignment Deadline
Week 15 (9 June 2010)

Learning hours
1. Theory Learning Hours

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MODULE ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
Assignment 1 – Music Business & Law – Research Essay (Individual Assignment)
Please submit the necessary assignment for assessment:

 Total Marks - 26%

 Description
Research Essay (1500-2000 words) on one of the following titles:

1. Pick a music label that you like and elaborate on how this label works,
what it’s doing right and wrong and how these moves have helped to
keep it afloat or kill it (depending on your choice)
2. You are a budding musician and entrepreneur wanting to set up your
own label. Explain the steps you have to go through.
3. 360 degrees contract- boon or bane? Elaborate. You can use examples,
or any form of comparison to help prove your point.

 Duration – Eleven (11) weeks

 End Date – Research Proposal Week 9 (28 April 2010)***

Research Essay Week 15 (9 June 2010)

***Research Proposal deadline (300 words describing your hypothesis and the
supporting theories + Bibliography*** (reference your theories) )

***see POLICIES below.

 Submission

The submission deadline is during office hours of the dates stated, for late
submissions it will be a penalty of 5 marks reduction daily.

 Submission Format -

o Print Out on A4 paper.

o Digital on MS Word.

 Presentation -
 Use Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, font size 12
 Each page must be numbered.
 Clearly presented so it has an easy reading flow.
 Stay close to the title subject without giving a lot of emphasis to
irrelevant material.
 Appropriately written bibliography.
 Use of double space.
 Must include Cover Page *

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MODULE ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

Assignment 2 – 15 (fifteen) minutes Power Point Presentation of the chosen

research essay’s title.

 Total Marks – 26%

 Description
Present your findings from the Research Essay.

 Duration - Eleven (11) weeks

 Execution & End Date – Week 15 (9 June 2010)

 Submission

The submission deadline is during office hours of the dates stated, for late
submissions it will be a penalty of 5 marks reduction daily.

 Submission Format -

o Presentation.
o Slides used in presentation must be printed out on A4 to form a booklet.
o Digital Submission of Power Point slides & MS-Word Notes.

 Presentation -
 Neat
 Clearly presented so it has an easy to understand flow.
 Stay close to the title subject without giving a lot of emphasis to
irrelevant material.
 Involvement of audience.

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MODULE ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
Assessment 3 – Music Business & Law – Final Examination (Objective / Subjective
Paper)
Please be punctual and follow the module requirements:
 Total Marks - 24%
 Description
o Introduction to the Music Business
o Music Products in Commerce
o Business Leadership and Ethics
o Principles of Business Management
o Internship in Music Business/Management
o Business Startups
o Taxation in the Music Business
o Legal Aspects of the Music Industry
o Music Intermediaries: Agents, Managers, and Attorneys
o Advanced Legal Issues and Contract Negotiation
o Current Issues in the Music Industry
o Promotion

 Examination Week- Week 16

 Duration – 90 minutes
 Submission Format -
o Answer Paper (Objective / Subjective)
o Student Information
 Name, Batch, Student ID, Contact number, Lecturer, Module
Name and Code

Assessment 4 – Music Business & Law - Quiz 1 (Objective / Subjective Paper)

Please be punctual and follow the module requirements:
 Total Marks - 7%
 Description

o Introduction to the Music Business

o Music Products in Commerce
o Business Leadership and Ethics
o Principles of Business Management

 Examination Day – Week 5

 Duration – 30 minutes
 Submission Format -
o Answer Paper (Objective / Subjective)
o Student Information

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  Name, Batch, Student ID, Contact, Lecturer, Module Name and
Code

Assessment 5 – Music Business & Law - Quiz 2 (Objective / Subjective Paper)

Please be punctual and follow the module requirements:
 Total Marks - 7%
 Description

o Business Startups
o Taxation in the Music Business
o Legal Aspects of the Music Industry
o Music Intermediaries: Agents, Managers, and Attorneys

 Examination Day – Week 11

 Duration – 30 minutes
 Submission Format -
o Answer Paper (Objective / Subjective)
o Student Information
 Name, Batch, Student ID, Contact, Lecturer, Module Name and
Code

Students are to strictly follow module requirements for Quiz / Examination for these
assessments.

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MODULE REQUIREMENTS

Materials Needed
Stationeries, A Universal Bus Pen Drive or External Hard Drive, Word Processor,
Compact Disc – Writable (CD-R), creativity, ideas and interest.

Individual Project Assignment

 Hard Copy on A4 paper when applicable, as well as digital copy of word
document, power point.
 The highest quality should be attained at all times.
 The final format to be adhered to the requirement needed.
 Assignment are to be submitted on the dateline given and directly to the
lecturer

Quiz / Examination
 Student is expected to be in the classroom / examination hall 15 minutes before
the paper starts
 Stationeries and scientific calculator are self provided by student
 Student is refrained from any form of communication during examination hour
 Student is to be remained seated until the examination time is over
 Student must inform if should not be able to attend the examination at least 48
hours before examination dates with valid reason (in written, signed by
parents/guardians). Failure of attending an examination without valid reason
will result to disqualification of assessment and no percentage will be given

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LABELING
The manner of submission will represent and send a strong message to others about
yourself. For those who are serious about the industry, it is important that this should
be understood and this presentation plays an important role in people’s perceptions.
Please make sure that all submissions are accompanied with the proper labels
so as to identify the owner of the package. All this should include:
1. Name
2. Batch
3. Student ID
4. Date
5. Contact
6. Project
7. Lecturer
8. Format information
9. Other relevant details

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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Submission requirement for group / individual based assignment:

Hard Copy format Submission

 Printed on A4 paper
 Digital submission of word documents, power point presentations e.t.c. on CD’s,
DVD’s.

Digital Format Submission

 The required format should be selected so as to provide a ‘Plug & Play’ format
 The medium that is required, such as CD or DVD should be checked for error
after the burning sequence is completed.
 Label all material accordingly.

Media format

 All media format that is required are to be respected and any changes that
have to be made by the student should inform the lecturer and the reason
should be justified.

Presentations

 Power Point Presentations should be arrange and organize accordingly

 Any accompaniment of Audio and/or Video must be in working order
 All presentation should be done in a professional manner
 It is also recommended that the proper attire to be adhered to when
presentation is being done.
 Label all material accordingly.

Journals
Each work should be attached with the corresponding written proposal or
journal specifying work progression and rationale write-up. These write-ups MUST
serve as your work’s ‘blueprint’ which maps the entire thought process that leads up to
the final work submission. Failure to submit these prints would result in forfeit of
marks.

Final presentation submission on CD-R (Compiling of all submissions in Digital Form

(CD or DVD))

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1. Please compile all your work and burn it on a CD
2. Please label all of your folders accordingly on the CD
3. Submission MUST be by your own hand to your lecturer and no one else.
4. Ensure that you receive a receipt from the lecturer when submitting your work.
5. Also, ensure that you have completed and submit your Archive (CIRA) form to
your lecturer at the end of the semester.

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GRADING SCHEME (New)
Mark Grade GPA Grade description
range &CGPA
Unreserved praise. A rare performance. Highest
possible level in quality, originality, progress,
80 – 100 A 4.00 application and attitude. Scholarship material.
Worked beyond expectations.

Worked to high standards and expectations with

competence but with perhaps a slight lack of
75 – 79 A 3.67 imagination, technical ability or application.
Superior, consistent, does demonstrate some
professional capability

Excellent but not brilliant, perhaps not consistent.

Demonstrated personal involvement and
70 – 74 B+ 3.33 commitment. Does have originality and application.

Shows promise of ability to attain higher levels. Has

intelligence and is conscientious. Has no difficulty
65 - 69 B 3.00 with the given work.

Have some momentum and the ability to develop.

Wide range of ability and experience but perhaps
60 - 64 B- 2.65 lacking in development or originality. More than
average.

Have talent and some ability to make use of it. Can

understand concepts and develops them.
55 - 59 C+ 2.33 Sometimes show flashes of insight but lacking a real
spark.

Average ability but not extended in any direction.

Understands. Slightly better than average. Could
50 - 54 C 2.00 have more self – motivation.

Have some ability and some application. Average. A

45 - 49 C- 1.67 little uninspired. Has some difficulty.

Either does not understand or has little ability to

demonstrate that understanding. Does have
40 – 44 D 1.00 application or does demonstrate talent.
Reservations about future performance.
Failed, does not understand the concept of the
0 – 39 F 0.00 project or handed in an utterly inadequate effort.

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Grade GPA & CGPA Description
EXP - Exempted
PC 2.00 Pass Conceded
X 0.00 Outstanding Supplementary Assessment
PX 2.00 Pass (Supplementary Work Submitted)
P 0.00 Pass
Def 0.00 Deferred
PP 0.00 Pass Provisional
DNA 0.00 Did Not Attend
DNC 0.00 Did Not Complete

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIAS
Assessment 1 –Research Essay (Individual Assignment)
26%
 Research Proposal (5%)
 Research Content (10%)
 Research and Writing Structure (6%)
 References (5%)

Assessment 2 – Presentation (Individual Assignment)

26%

 Use of Power Point and Student’s Appearance (6%)

 Good Knowledge of the matter (8%)
 Clearly Presented the subject (8%)
 Involvement of Audience (4%)

Assessment 3 - Final Examination (Individual Assignment)

24%

 Introduction to the Music Business 2%

 Music Products in Commerce 2%
 Business Leadership and Ethics 2%
 Principles of Business Management 2%
 Internship in Music 2%
Business/Management
 Business Startups 2%
 Taxation in the Music Business 2%
 Legal Aspects of the Music Industry 2%
 Music Intermediaries: Agents, 2%
Managers and Attorneys
 Advanced Legal Issues and 2%
Contract Negotiation
 Current Issues in the Music 2%
Industry
 Promotion 2%

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Assessment 4 – Music Business & Law Quiz (Objective / Subjective Paper) 7%

 Introduction to the Music Business 1%

 Music Products in Commerce 2%
 Business Leadership and Ethics 1%
 Principles of Business Management 2%
 Internship in Music 1%
Business/Management

Assessment 5 – Music Business & Law Quiz (Objective / Subjective Paper) 7%

 Business Startups 1%
 Taxation in the Music Business 2%
 Legal Aspects of the Music Industry 2%
 Music Intermediaries: Agents, 2%
Managers and Attorneys

________________________________________________________________

Attendance 5%

Participation 5%

Total Accumulated Percentage 100%

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POLICIES

Late Assignments / Extensions

Work that is submitted after the time it is due for assessment will be penalized.

Extensions can only be granted if a student can show adequate progress towards
completion of the assessment and there are extenuating circumstances preventing
them from delivering the assessment on the due date.

In the case of a request of an extension due to medical circumstances, students must

produce an original medical certificate. The lecturer will only give extensions for a total
amount of time not exceeding the equivalent number of days the medical certificate
considered valid.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a breach of intellectual property; the act of using or copying someone
else’s idea or work and trying to present it as your own. It is taking and using someone
else’s work without proper attribution.

Intellectual Property involves:

 Another person’s idea, opinion, or theory
 Any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings—any pieces of information—that are not
common knowledge
 Quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words
 Paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written
words

Issues of intellectual property extend beyond the written word of course. Bear in mind
that the use of still images, moving images, audio or any other content which you have
not created yourself, and which you do not have the appropriate permission to use, is
an serious offence resulting in a FAIL grade for the subject.

Using Internet Sources

The World Wide Web has become a popular source of information for students’ papers,
and many questions have arisen about how to avoid plagiarizing these sources. In most
cases, the same rules apply as for a printed source: when you refer to ideas or quote
from a WWW site, you must cite that source.

If you want to use visual information from a WWW site, many of the same rules apply.
Copying visual information or graphics from a WWW site (or from a printed source) into
a paper is very similar to quoting information, and the source of the visual information
or graphic must be cited. These rules also apply to other uses of textual or visual

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information from WWW sites.

Referencing guide for students

Books / Electronic Books:
 Author Surname, Initial Year, Book Title, Publisher, State e.g. Werder, B 2007,
Interactive Structures, Mayfair Books, London
 If there are 2 authors or more e.g. Werder, B & Volz, M 2007, Interactive
Structures, Mayfair Books, London
 If the source is from electronic books (ebooks), take note of the date e.g.
Fodder,P 2007, Sound Design, Alpha, Michigan. Retrieved January 15, 2007,
from Limkokwing University Library Database

Internet Sources:
 If the source has an author e.g. Dawson,M 2001: 3D techniques and modeling,
http://www.threed.com/
 Sources without author e.g. 3D techniques and modeling,
http://www.threed.com/
 Images from the web e.g. Jana 3D Model [Image] 2002,
http://www.cgchannels.com/model/

Audio Visual Sources:
 If the source is a video recording or film e.g. Spiderman 3 2007, film, Warner
Brothers, Hollywood
 CDROM sources e.g Dr Brain thinking games 1998, CD-ROM, Knowledge
Adventure Inc., Torrance, California.

Harvard Referencing 2007. Retrieved on March 1st, 2010, from

http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/cite/harvard_dis/

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MODULE WEEKLY PLAN

Week Date Lectures Tutorials / Lab

1. Introduction to the Music Business

 A survey of the music industry,
where music and business intersect.
 Career possibilities in the music
industry.
 The development of business-
related
1-5 knowledge and skills.
1
MAR  Maintaining a professional music
career,
 The vocabulary and terminology of
the music
industry.
 The distinction between music and
business at the corporate level.

2.Music Products in Commerce

 Survey of the business mechanisms
found in the international
commerce of music products.
 Mechanical and economic
8-12 considerations involved in moving
2
MAR products through the stream of
commerce to the point of purchase,
marketing, product development.
 Distribution, sales, effective
advertising, promotion, and
product representation.

3 15-19
MAR 3.Business Leadership and Ethics
 Application of theories of
organizational behavior and
structure to managerial processes.
 The overriding influence of ethics
in decision-making.
 Developing skills in organizational
efficiency, managerial
effectiveness, adaptability, and

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 values clarification.

4.Principles of Business Management

 An overview of the activities
involved in managing a business,
including marketing, accounting,
finance, and the production of
4 22-26 goods and services.
MAR  The ability of the music business
executive to analyze, plan,
coordinate, and set objectives
 The presentation of business
theory and problem solving.

5.Internship in Music Quiz 1

Business/Management
 Evaluate samples of professional
work experience in an
29 environment related to the Music
5
MAR- 2 Business
APR  Guest speakers will be invited to
speak on this topic.

6.Business Startups
 The basic concepts, including
market research, submission of
business licensing applications,
regulatory filings, location,
organizational structure, financing,
6 5-9 APR employee issues, and many other
considerations
 The concepts and requirements
that must be considered and
implemented during the critical
planning stages of a business
startup.

7
12-16 7.Taxation in the Music Business
APR  A specialized study for musicians
of local, state, and federal tax

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 systems in Malaysia.
 Topics include personal, self-
employed, corporate, and
partnership taxation issues, with
emphasis on effective record
keeping, filing requirements,
taxable income determination,
and allowable deductions.


19-23
8 MID SEMESTER BREAK
APR

8.Legal Aspects of the Music Industry

 An overview of business and legal
issues of special concern to artists,
26-30 musicians and songwriters.
9
APR  Copyright law, recording and
music publishing agreements, and
relationships between artists and
other parties, including managers,
producers, and investors.

9.Music Intermediaries: Agents,

Managers, and Attorneys
 The role of the intermediary in
3-7
10 advising, representing, and
MAY
furthering the careers of artists.
 The establishment of mutually
beneficial working relationships.

10.Music Intermediaries: Agents, Quiz 2

Managers, and Attorneys (continue)
 The mechanics of talent booking
and contracting, union and
government regulations,
10-14
11 fee/commission structures,
MAY
contractual considerations, fiduciary
duties and budgeting.
 The development of a client base,
and finding success through honesty
and fair dealing.

12 17-21
MAY 11.Advanced Legal Issues and Contract

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 Negotiation
 Negotiating Skills Workshop.
 Students will negotiate various
agreements based on cases and
work to settle disputes arising
from the breaching and
termination of agreements.
 record deals between artists and
record companies, distribution
deals between independent and
record companies,
 administration deals, producers
and production deals,
 merchandising, trademark and
copyright
 group break-ups, and disputes
between artists and managers.
( Intensive preparation and class
participation by students is expected)

12. Current Issues in the Music Industry

 current issues in music, trends and
music business
24-28
13  Technology and Society
MAY
 The moving image or musical
cultures.
 Music Globalization

13.Promotion
 Creative Promotion
31  Music Publishing
14 MAY- 4  Music in the International
JUN Marketplace

7-11
15 Presentation and Essay Submission
JUN

16 14-18
JUN Final Exams

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