Career Foundations
The on-ramp every working musician needs.
The case for Career Foundations
Every musician who tries to make a living from music hits the same wall in the first three years: pricing themselves wrong, signing contracts they shouldn't have signed, getting paid late or not at all, and having no plan beyond 'release a song and hope.' Career Foundations is the on-ramp.
Four courses across three formats. Whether you're 22 and post-conservatory or 42 and transitioning from a corporate job into your second career, the same fundamentals apply. We teach them like the working music attorneys, marketers, and managers who learned them the hard way teach them: directly, without padding, with the contracts redacted but the lessons intact.
Personas mapped to this sub-track
From our six core personas, the following see the most direct value from Career Foundations. Cross-references encouraged — most students do a mix of sub-tracks.
What you can take
All 4 courses run in the Fall 2027 term (Sep 6 – Dec 19, 2027). Drop-in Groups + Masterclass series begin in October 2027 and recur monthly thereafter.
| Format | Length | Course | Schedule | Capstone deliverable | Faculty type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio cohort | 16 wks | Your First Real Music Business Year | Tue + Thu evenings | Filed entity (LLC/sole prop) + 12-month release plan + 1 contract reviewed by faculty attorney | Music attorney |
| Studio cohort | 12 wks | Music Marketing for Working Musicians | Wed evenings | Brand audit + content calendar + first paid campaign with measured CPM/CPA | Working artist marketer / DSP marketing alum |
| Group | weekly | Career Foundations Drop-In | Thu + Sat | (drop in any week) | Rotating early-career faculty |
| Private 1:1 | 60 min | Office Hours: First-Career Coaching | by booking | (per session — career strategy, contract review, release planning) | Senior industry coach |
Inside "Your First Real Music Business Year (Studio cohort, 16 weeks)"
The flagship course of this sub-track, expanded so you can see the texture. Other courses follow a similar pattern: weekly live cohort sessions + applied workshop + paired 1:1 mentor sessions + specific deliverables building toward a capstone.
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | What 'in business' actually means — entity, bank account, accounting tool, contracts folder, calendar · Ship: entity choice + filing started |
| Week 2-3 | Pricing your services — what gigs/lessons/sessions actually pay, how to quote, when to walk away · Ship: priced offering sheet |
| Week 4-5 | Contracts 101 — performance, recording, publishing, work-for-hire, the 8 clauses you must understand · Ship: 1 contract reviewed by faculty attorney |
| Week 6-7 | Getting paid — invoicing, late-pay protocols, deposits, the conversation about money with friends · Ship: invoice template + payment terms |
| Week 8 | Mid-term review + 1:1 mentor session · Ship: progress audit |
| Week 9-10 | Marketing yourself online — what works on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube in 2027 (90-day refresh module) · Ship: 30-day content calendar |
| Week 11-12 | Email lists, your website, the things that survive when platforms change · Ship: site live + email list set up |
| Week 13-14 | PROs, MLC, distributor selection — getting your money flowing in · Ship: PRO + MLC registered |
| Week 15 | Your 12-month plan — releases, gigs, finance milestones · Ship: 12-month plan v1 |
| Week 16 | Capstone presentations — each student presents plan + reviewed contract to cohort + 2 industry mentors · Ship: capstone presentation + final 12-month plan |
What you take home — guaranteed
Refund mechanics for guarantees and standard cancellation rules are governed by our Refund & Cancellation Policy. Outcome guarantees on Studio Classes specifically are written into each course's enrollment confirmation; they are not blanket platform terms.
Who teaches Career Foundations
Music attorneys with 5+ years active practice; working artist marketers (preferably with DSP-side experience at Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music); career coaches who have actually built their own music business and can talk plainly about money.
Apply to teach in Career Foundations →
Sub-tracks that pair naturally with Career Foundations
Most students mix sub-tracks. These three pair particularly well with Career Foundations — same career stage, complementary skills, often taken in the same term.
Recording & Releasing
Sub-track D
The actual mechanics of self-release, taught by people who do it.
Read full plan →
Rights & Royalties
Sub-track E
The most expensive thing musicians don't understand.
Read full plan →
Studio & Teaching Business
Sub-track B
Building and scaling a private teaching studio.
Read full plan →
Want all three together? See the Pro Intensive flagship— a 24-week bundle of 3 Studio Classes from any sub-tracks plus 4 hours of paired industry mentorship plus a portfolio capstone.
FAQ
The full Music Business division
Most students do a mix. Hannah pairs Founder Track with Sync; Devon does Career Foundations + Bandleading + Sync; Priya goes deep on Studio Teaching alone. The full division has 34 courses across 8 sub-tracks.
Two ways to be part of this
Faculty applications are open now. Student registration opens June 1, 2027.
Questions? info@theglobalconservatory.com