Music Industry Research Methodology

Northeastern University

Semesters taught: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016

Course description

This course introduces students to a number of research methodologies and analytical approaches used in music industry studies and the music industry itself. As an interdisciplinary area, music industry methods draw from disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, and business. Success as a scholar of or professional in the music industry frequently depends upon one’s ability to collect, interpret, and analyze data from a variety of sources and perspectives. What constitutes music industry research? What are the practical, theoretical, and ethical issues we must consider when undertaking and reporting research? How might research results and their analyses impact and inform managerial decisions?

Throughout the semester, you will learn and practice several different methods, both qualitative and quantitative. You will understand research design—framing your objective, reviewing existing literature, choosing methods, conducting research, and analyzing and reporting data—and implement it in group and individual projects. You will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing data and analyses, both from academic and from industry sources. You will practice decision-making based on research results. The answers that data provide depend on the questions that we ask (and ask of them); thus, you will learn to assess research holistically and critically, identifying appropriate techniques based on managerial objectives (and vice versa).