What do Business Development Managers do?

A Business Development Manager in the music industry will be employed by a music company, artist, music ensemble or music organisation to be responsible for carrying out strategy to develop their business, their profile or their organisation in line with what they want to acheive. The role is very varied and depends on the nature of the business and what their specific needs are. A Business Development Manager will manage the team of people responsible for researching the existing market and emerging trends in the music industry, or in the particular area the company specialises in, such as classical music. They will use statistical data and analysis to make recommendations on where there is potential for growth or change and to advise on the strategy for growth. They may also analyse the position of the company or organisation and make recommendations on any changes they may need to make in the structure or activities of the company in order to acheive their objectives.

A Business Development Manager specialising in the music business will need a thourough understanding of the music industry, and in particular of any niche or specialist sectors of the industry, and of current and emerging trends. They will be expected to analyse the existing customer base or audience and current revenues from, for example, ticket sales, downloads or other music sales. They will then need to identify potential opportunities and advise on any action that may be required to maximise further potential.

As well as music industry knowledge Business Development Manager will need excellent numerical and statistical analysis skills, database and statistical analysis skills, a detailed and organised approach to work whilst retaining ability to see “the big picture” and an aptitude for planning and project management. As managers they will also need excellent staff management skills. They are a number of professional qualifications available, including the postgraduate Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

An example of business analysis and and its consequences is the deal Nokia made with Sony BMG in April 2008 to offer free 12-month access to the label's tracks in its "Comes with Music" service, adding to their previous deal with Universal. They now aim to get smaller music companies on board, challenging the dominant pay-per-track sales model for digital music. The new music offering from Nokia is different from other packages on the market as users can keep all the music they have downloaded during the 12 months. These new possibilities reflect the trend that a growing number of people are leaving their digital music players at home and using phones as their music devices.