Your Pathway to
the Music Industry

Our Music Industry Programs will help you understand the practice of music as a profession while connecting you with prominent players within the vibrant Los Angeles music scene. Participate in student-run zines, concerts, and even a record label, and take part in events featuring prominent industry speakers. Take classes taught by top faculty and industry professionals and make use of our school’s professional-grade recording and music creation studios.

Options include:
  • Music Industry BA: Our new degree provides a leadership focused path to creative, executive, and entrepreneurial careers in the music industry.
  • Music History and Industry BA: This hybrid degree program features a holistic approach to understanding music and the music industry. (Note: this degree is no longer accepting applications.)
  • Music Industry Minor: This popular program prepares you for employment in the music industry by highlighting key topics including marketing, sales, recording production and more. This program is open to all UCLA students.
They’re Changing the Music Industry (and Invite You to Listen)
When describing students and their work, it’s easy to fall back on words like “aspiring,” “hopeful” or even “amateur.” There’s the impression that they won’t be prepared to make a significant contribution until sometime in the future. That it won’t happen until after they receive a degree and secure a job that kicks off their
How Spotify Knows What You Want Next
When the Wall Street Journal wants to understand how Spotify’s algorithm works, they turn to Thomas Hodgson, assistant professor of musicology and music industry at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
New UCLA Musicology Professor Fights for Algorithmic Justice in the Music Industry
Everybody knows the game is rigged. Streaming services like Spotify and YouTube now dominate music distribution worldwide, often leaving aspiring musicians unable to make their voices heard in the din. Tom Hodgson, who will join The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as assistant professor of musicology in January 2023, angles to fix that. Hodgson
National Endowment for The Arts Chair to address UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music graduates
Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, the 13th chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will deliver the keynote address at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music 2022 commencement celebration, which will be held in Dixon Court North on Friday, June 10 at 4 p.m. PT.
Ceremony Held for Outdoor Courtyard Dedicated as Anti-Discrimination Haven
The Herb Alpert School of Music has designated an outdoor space between the Music Library at the Schoenberg Musical Building and the recording center in the Ostin Music Center as a haven from discrimination and marginalization.
UCLA Library awards grants to eight music school projects
Funds to support commissions, performances, recordings, residencies and research for contemporary music

Explore Other Degrees

Conducting
Graduate study and training in choral, orchestral, or wind conducting
Ethnomusicology
The study of global musical traditions through performance training, research, and field work
Global Jazz Studies
Jazz performance and musicianship courses are paired with African American Studies
Music Composition
Mentorship in the creation and realization of music for concerts, opera, and visual media
Music Education
Preparation for music educators leading to a B.A. and teaching credential in just four years
Music History & Industry
Combining Musicology and the Music Industry minor for practical hands-on training with the study of music within the context of different societies, cultures, and theories
Music Industry
Industry professionals and UCLA faculty prepare students for music-related careers
Musicology
The scholarly study of the histories, cultures, and critical interpretations of music and music-making
Music Performance
Study and training towards professional performance careers in Western classical music