← Back to MI ONLINE Short Courses


MIONLINE SHORT COURSE

Starting Your Own Music Business

Enroll Now

i COURSE OVERVIEW

Starting Date
April 20, 2026
Tuition
$575
Level
Beginner
Duration
4 weeks
This 4-week course is designed to assist independent entrepreneurs in the “how to” of forming, developing and operating a music business. Focus will be for any business related to starting a career as a performing artist, songwriter, forming your own recording- production company or developing a management, publicity or other specialty entertainment business. Detailed business items include, applying for a DBA, EIN and sales permits, forming business entity choices, business planning, protecting your music and plus completing required business forms for taxes.

i YOU’LL LEARN TO

- Identify start up forms for a new music business.
- Determine business entity choices.
- Navigate resources to help grow their business.
- Create budgets & form a simple business plan.
- Evaluate sources to protect their music creations.
- Organize accounts for easy reporting.

i LESSON GUIDE

In this first class, we do an introduction & review of course syllabus. We review different entertainment businesses to help identify your business entity choice including sole proprietorship, partnerships and the LLC. Also, we cover the importance of domain names, business networking and forming your business website. PLUS we take a deep dive in evaluating your skills. Book: Starting Your Own Business Step-by-Step Guide Finance Knights Publications (2025).

  • Introduction to the course and syllabus review.
  • Overview of entertainment business types: sole proprietorships, partnerships, and LLCs.
  • Importance of domain names, business networking, and creating a website.
  • Evaluating personal skills for business success.
  • Reference: Starting Your Own Business Step-by-Step Guide (Finance Knights, 2025).

i INSTRUCTOR

CHRIS FLETCHER

CHRIS FLETCHER

Starting in Philadelphia and the moving to Los Angeles, Chris Fletcher began her independent touring & promotion company, Coast to Coast Music, in 1989. While working full time at a small record company, Fletcher helped secure 20 endorsements,...
View Profile

Ready to get started?

Enroll Now

TURN YOUR PASSION FOR MUSIC INTO A CAREER

Enter your info below for program options, scholarships, and next steps, or call us at 800-255-7529

Lead Gen 2019 - Horizontal with Program

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By submitting this form, I authorize Musicians Institute (MI) to make or allow the placement of calls, emails, and texts to me at the phone number that I have provided, including through the use of automated technology, or a prerecorded or artificial voice. I understand that I am not required to provide my phone number as a condition of purchasing any property, goods, or services. I agree to the terms of MI’s Privacy Policy. MI will not sell or rent your information to third parties, and you may unsubscribe at any time.