If you're a high school student who sees your music talent as more than just performance—who's already brainstorming business ideas, side hustles, or thinking about owning your future—this path might be for you.
For today's musicians, the stage isn't the only place where success happens. More and more students are pairing a Music major with a second major in Entrepreneurship — and it's changing the game.
Whether you dream of launching a music app, managing artists, producing your own albums, or building a record label from the ground up, this double major helps you create opportunities, not just wait for them. More and more students are pairing a Music major with a second major in Entrepreneurship — and it's changing the game.
Career Paths at the Music + Business Crossroads
1. Music Producer
Blend creative direction with business know-how to manage sessions, budgets, releases, and team collaboration.
2. Artist Manager
Help artists navigate contracts, bookings, social media, and strategic growth — while protecting their brand and vision.
3. Music Entrepreneur
Start your own label, music tech company, merchandise line, or live music venue. You'll combine vision with strategy.
4. Music Marketing Specialist
Leverage digital tools and entrepreneurial insights to promote music, design campaigns, and grow fan bases.
5. Music Education Innovator
Turn your passion for teaching into a scalable business — from online academies to private lesson platforms.
6. Licensing and Placement Consultant
Navigate music licensing, sync deals, and usage rights for film, TV, video games, and social media ads.
7. Music Startup Founder
Launch apps, platforms, or services that solve real problems in music distribution, discovery, or collaboration.
8. Event Producer or Festival Director
Design and manage live experiences that connect communities through sound, story, and brand partnerships.
What Schools Make This Pairing Possible?
Combining music with entrepreneurship is often easier than you think — especially when the music major is a BA instead of a BM.
University of North Texas (UNT):
Allows BA in Music + BA in Entrepreneurship. BM students can only double within other BM fields or pursue a dual degree.
Florida State University (FSU):
Students must be in the BA in Music program to double major with entrepreneurship or business.
University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC):
BA in Music + BA in Business/Entrepreneurship is allowed. BM students are restricted to music-only double majors.
University of the Pacific:
BA in Music students can double major in business or entrepreneurship outside the conservatory. BM students are limited to conservatory pairings.
Rice University:
Rice's flexible structure allows pairing a BM in Music with a BA in Entrepreneurship or Business under its cross-degree double major model.
Take Note
- Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship: Pairing music with entrepreneurship equips students to create their own opportunities—launching ventures, managing careers, and shaping their futures with intention and independence.
- Diverse Career Possibilities: This double major opens doors to unique roles like music producer, startup founder, licensing consultant, or festival director—merging artistic vision with strategic leadership.
- Flexible Academic Paths at Select Schools: Schools like Rice, UNT, and FSU make it feasible for BA in Music students to double major in entrepreneurship or business—though restrictions often apply for BM students.
What to Prepare For
You'll take classes in finance, leadership, marketing, and innovation alongside music theory and performance
Internships and side projects can double as course credit or capstone work
You may pitch real business ideas in competitions or showcases
Final Note: Build the Career You Want
Pairing music with entrepreneurship gives you control over your future. You don't have to wait to be discovered. You can create, launch, and lead from day one.
Whether you want to tour the world, build a fanbase from your bedroom studio, or revolutionize the music industry with your own platform, entrepreneurship gives you the toolkit to make it happen. It empowers you to think like a leader, act like a founder, and perform with purpose.
And the best part? You're not limited to one path. You can mix performance with production, artistry with analytics, and creativity with commerce. In today's industry, the most successful musicians are often the most business-savvy, and this double major gives you the power to be both.
But why not just major in Music Business or Music Entrepreneurship from the start? Here's the difference:
A music business degree often focuses on the industry itself—management, publishing, contracts. It prepares you for roles within the music industry. But when you major in Performance, Composition, or Music Education, and add a major in Entrepreneurship or Business Administration, you're building two core identities: artist and strategist. You're developing your craft while learning how to build something bigger with it. This double major gives you the freedom to define success on your own terms—whether that's founding your own company, booking your own tours, or creating new ways for people to experience music.
Whatever direction you take, pairing music with entrepreneurship means you'll graduate not just with talent—but with a plan.
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ARTICLE GLOSSARY
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