Module description
The Music industry--that is the set of creative activities and economic organisations that generate and distribute music--plays a prominent role in the cultures and economies of the world. The increasing amount of time we spend listening to or performing music has a considerable effect on our everyday life and our identities. The digital revolution has changed the face of the music industry and raised a myriad of questions about the role of the players within it.
This module is intended for students who would like to broaden their knowledge of the legal environment of the music business today. Music students may pursue a career in the music industry, whether that is in the role of creating, performing, publishing, distributing or the collective management of music. Since music students are likely to be self-employed at some point in the future, they need to be aware of their position in respect of the laws, which regulate their opportunities and responsibilities. The module offers an introduction to the legal framework underpinning "music". With the advent of the digital age and new tools for the independent production and circulation of music, the music profession demands a greater involvement in the business of music than ever before. Copyright law is at the centre of these activities,framing contracts and the relations between musicians, their collaborators and employers. For the most part, the module will focus on UK law, but European law will occasionally be considered for comparative purposes.
In order to put the digital era into historical context, the module will discuss and explore the evolution of musical copyright from the first copyright act, the Statute of Anne. Created to regulate the market of book publishing, this act forms the cornerstone for the circulation of music as a written commodity. Three hundred years later, compositions are still at the centre of all musical transactions, but sound recordings and performances play an important part too. Constantly adapting to technological developments, copyrightlaw has been built around a few core principles that are given more or less centrality in different jurisdictions or at different points in time.
Assessment details
3000 word essay [60%]
Exam [40%]
Educational aims & objectives
As a commodity, 'music' has undergone revolutionary technological changes in the last few decades, with societies consuming more music and other media products than ever before but paying less and less for it.The product that musicians bring to the market place is subject to unprecedented exploitation. This course intends to provide music students with an introduction to the legal issues concerning 'music' in the marketplace, from its creation and the rights that govern this, to the distribution, exploitation and collective management of that work, on its way to the end consumer. The course aims not only to base 'music' in its legal context, but also provide it with a practical context. There is a clear overlap between the future work of lawyers and musicians safeguarding creativity against unauthorised exploitation with understanding of the policy arguments centred around law and creativity.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate intellectual, transferable and practical skills appropriate to a Level 5 module and in particular will demonstrate:
- An awareness of the legal context of musical professionals today, its key players and their roles
- introductory knowledge of the fields of copyright law and contract law, their history, terminology, application and problems
- understanding of the problems and opportunities caused by digital technology to the music industry
- some understanding of contractual and risk issues involved in practical musical activities today
- comprehension of the basic structure of recording and publishing agreements