Billboard Ranks Top Music Business Programs for 2026

In the age of AI, who needs a college education?

An AI agent’s deft reply: “AI makes information cheap; it doesn’t replace judgment, deep expertise, mentorship, networks or credentials required in [many] fields. The real question is: What path best builds the skills, credibility and opportunities your goals require?”

For many targeting careers in the music business, their path will lead them to one of Billboard ’s Top Music Schools.

For more than a decade, Billboard has been spotlighting schools that are educating the next generation of music industry leaders, as well as the artists and producers who recognize the importance of the business skills these schools teach.

Billboard selects its top music business schools based on industry recommendations, alumni information provided by honorees from our multiple power lists, years of reporting on educational options and on information requested from the schools themselves. We invite selected schools to tell us what makes their program unique, to boast about accomplished alumni and to describe specific courses, events and speakers.

Not surprisingly, students increasingly will be offered courses like Artificial Intelligence in the Entertainment Industry: Benefits, Risks and the Future, offered at American University in Washington, D.C., which explores the ways AI is transforming music creation, distribution and rights management.

Billboard does not rank the schools here; they are listed alphabetically, and areas of expertise range from performance to production to management. The U.S. Department of Education hosts a free online College Scorecard that provides quantitative information to complement the qualitative profiles here, including specific data on college costs, graduation rates, employment and student debt. Students also should review the Federal Student Aid Financial Responsibility Composite Scores, compiled by the Department of Education, to confirm the financial stability of schools they are considering.

In July 2025, the passage of major tax and spending legislation imposed new limits on some types of federal student loans. And college debt can significantly affect student options after graduation. So here, Billboard has included more affordable public colleges and universities. We also continue to recognize historically Black colleges and universities like Howard University and Tennessee State University and continue to add schools from outside music industry capitals, like debut honorees University of Hartford in Connecticut, University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Memphis.

There is no doubt that students planning careers in the music business — or any field — face more uncertainty than ever in the age of AI. At the commencement address of Middle Tennessee State University in June, Big Machine Label Group founder/CEO Scott Borchetta, a major supporter of the music business school that now bears his name, drew boos from graduates when he spoke of AI’s importance.

But Borchetta pushed back on their reaction. “Platforms and systems come and go,” he said. “What is still the most valuable commodity is great content, great storytelling. AI is not going to change that.”

Abbey Road Institute London

Established in 2015 by the London studio immortalized by The Beatles, Abbey Road Institute offers a variety of curriculum tracks for students seeking music industry careers. The Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering recently launched the Dolby Atmos Mixing for Music short course and Song Production Master Class, which welcomes producers and engineers to take a deep dive on their approach to production. Students are primarily based at Angel Studios in London and regularly run recording workshops at Abbey Road Studios. Students working toward an Audio Post Production Diploma attend a Foley Recording workshop at Sound Disposition in North London and a master class in the Mix Stage at Abbey Road, while those in the Dolby Atmos course attend a master class at Dolby HQ in Soho, London. The institute has affiliated programs in Paris; Amsterdam; Berlin; Frankfurt, Germany; Johannesburg; and Miami.

American University (Business and Entertainment Program) Washington, D.C.

American University’s Business and Entertainment Program, housed in the Kogod School of Business, offers a unique perspective about the legal and business intersections in the music industry. It provides students a front-row seat to the legislative and regulatory agencies behind copyright law and their roles in the ever-­changing technological landscape. The program expanded this year to include Sports and Entertainment as a popular specialization for students who wish to focus on ways that those two industries meet the demands of fans and consumers. A popular course is Artificial Intelligence in the Entertainment Industry: Benefits, Risks and the Future, which explores how AI is transforming music creation, distribution and rights management.

Auburn University Auburn, Ala.

Along with relevant coursework and industry-led master classes, Auburn’s music business program features a faculty-sponsored, student-run record label that released four professionally produced student projects created through the Clayton Recording Arts Honors program. Required courses prepare students for careers across the music industry and are taught by experienced faculty with professional backgrounds. Graduates of the program have secured positions at companies including WME, Sony and THE·TEAM. BMG Nashville senior vp/head of creative Chris Oglesby recently spoke as part of the Master Class series, which all music business minors, commercial music majors and comp tech majors are invited to attend.

Baldwin Wallace University Berea, Ohio

Located just 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland, Baldwin Wallace University has prepared students for successful careers in the music business for over 30 years. Music industry majors receive specialized instruction from industry professionals and their classroom experiences are supplemented by internships steeped in Cleveland’s vibrant musical economy. Internship partners include Blossom Music Center, the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. This spring, music industry students took a networking trip to New York, where they visited Amazon Music, Concord, Independent Artist Group, Live Nation and Universal Attractions Agency.

Belmont University (Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business) Nashville

Graduates of Curb College include songwriter-producer Gabe Simon (Noah Kahan, Koe Wetzel, Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa), Spirit Music Group CEO Frank Rogers and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Tape Room Music founder Ashley Gorley. The college within Belmont University pairs rigorous business training with six specialized study tracks. With the school’s main campus one block from Music Row and with recording studios on site, students work inside the industry beginning their first year. In addition to semester programs in New York and Los Angeles and nearly 30 international courses, the Belmont Showcase Series gives students full ownership of live production, planning and execution of six major concerts and four writers’ rounds annually. Curb College also partners with the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences for Belmont’s Center for Mental Health in Entertainment.

Berklee College of Music Boston

Berklee offers a bachelor of music in music business, where students focus on the primary drivers of the global music ecosystem including record companies, concerts and touring, music publishing and artist management. The Boston campus also offers a bachelor of arts program in music industry leadership and innovation, which is open to nonmusicians. The Berklee Popular Music Institute’s flagship program, BPMI Live, offers a yearlong experience in which students scout, develop and tour with emerging artists at the industry’s largest music festivals. This spring, students enrolled in the course brought Jazz Cuti to Oberkampf (France) and Leila Lamb to Southside (Germany) and Pinkpop (Netherlands).

Berklee College of Music (Valencia Campus) Valencia, Spain

Berklee Valencia’s master of arts in global entertainment and music business stands out through its hands-on approach, location and global perspective. The program explores key markets across Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa through guest speakers and industry engagement. Students work on real-world projects and customize their studies through electives aligned with their career goals. The course Technology Practicum offers a critical examination of emerging technologies such as AI, equipping students as future-ready music industry professionals while also engaging with ethical, legal, cultural and labor questions. Students also participate in the annual Berklee Global Career Summit, featuring keynotes, panels and mentoring from international experts.

BIMM University (BIMM Music Institute) London

The BIMM Music Institute combines specialized music-business teaching with direct industry access. Students work on live briefs, placements and major events, learning from active professionals across management, marketing, publishing, events and media, while a dedicated team connects them with employers and professional opportunities. Glastonbury Festival head of productions Emma Reynolds-Taylor recently delivered a master class on careers and operations in major event production, which directly led to one student securing a monthlong paid role in the Pyramid Stage production office, while 16 others supported teams working across stage and hospitality areas at the festival. Alumni include Chrysalis Records and Blue Raincoat Music senior vp of marketing James Meadows and Bex Redwood, who co-runs Republic of Music’s artist management division. The institute has affiliated campuses in Manchester, England; Dublin; and Berlin.

The BRIT School Croydon, England

The British Record Industry Trust (the charitable division of U.K. labels trade group BPI that presents the BRIT Awards) partnered with the British government in 1991 to create The BRIT School, which prepares students ages 14 and older for a range of industry careers both on- and offstage. Its deep industry integration ensures students take part in weekly master classes and learn from professionals across every area of the business. Spotify artists and music marketing manager Jonathan Chabala and Sony Music Entertainment senior director of brand partnerships Andre Carroll are among graduates of the school, where students gain practical experience through live projects, networking opportunities, showcases and a self-directed final major project. Through Universal Music Group’s Amplify U program, select students shadow professionals at UMG offices in partnership with U.K. music safety organization Music Guardians. Olivia Dean, the reigning best new artist Grammy winner, is one artist to have emerged from The BRIT School.

California State University, Northridge Northridge, Calif.

At CSUN’s music industry studies program, the student-run record label, VOVE Records, hosts an annual California tour in the spring, giving students real-world experience in booking, tour management and live production. Students also attend major industry gatherings, including The NAMM Show and SXSW, as well as label and studio visits, enabling them to build professional networks beyond the classroom. Located in the suburbs of Los Angeles, the program regularly brings Grammy-winning artists and senior executives to campus for intimate conversations with students. Recent guests include JBR Creative Group CEO Alison Ball, Grammy-winning producer Terrace Martin, jazz drummer Clayton Cameron and Grammy-winning mixing engineer Erik Madrid.

Delta State University (Entertainment Industry Studies Program) Cleveland, Miss.

Housed within the College of Business, the Delta Music Institute’s pr

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/pro/top-music-business-schools-2026-list/)._