Module 1: The Music Value Chain

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Overview

Map the music industry value chain, master publishing versus master rights, and learn to navigate streaming platforms and label deals.

Learning Objectives

The music industry is fundamentally an intellectual property business dressed up as an entertainment business. And most musicians enter it understanding only the entertainment side.

You cannot operate effectively inside a system you do not understand. Every release, every collaboration, and every contract signature sits inside a complex, highly commercialized global ecosystem. This module establishes the foundational map of the music industry.

Designed and narrated by veteran producer, publisher, and label executive Mpho Pholo (37mph), this module walks you through how a song travels from a creative idea to a commercial revenue stream. You will explore the critical legal distinction between composition and recording rights, decode how the "geographic streaming penalty" affects independent African artists, and identify the core gatekeepers who control access to global music audiences.

Learning Units / Sessions

Default Instance

MUSIC: Introduction

MUSIC: Lesson 1: The Music Value Chain: What It Is and Who Captures Value

MUSIC: Lesson 2: Master Rights vs Publishing Rights: The Gap That Costs the Most

MUSIC: Lesson 3: How Streaming Actually Pays: The Geographic Streaming Penalty

MUSIC: Lesson 4: Who Controls the Industry: Labels, Platforms, and Power.

Quiz 1: The Music Value Chain_V1

Target Audience

eLearning