Music

Our History

Music at the University of Westminster has a long, rich and vibrant history. Established over 30 years ago, the University’s course in Commercial Music was the first popular music degree in England. Characterised by a unique bringing together of creativity and industry insight, its legacy lives on in the study of popular music at Westminster today.

Our Courses

Westminster’s pioneering legacy is the forerunner to today’s BA Music Production, Performance and Business degree, which continues through to postgraduate level. Our highly respected MA Audio Production and MA Music Business Management courses integrate cutting-edge research and teaching that reflect the dynamic working environment of musicians and industry professionals.

Real-World Learning

All of our courses have authentic real-world learning at the heart of their curriculum. Westminster music students are involved in everything from live industry events to commercial music releases and marketing. Many of these projects are undertaken in conjunction with leading industry professionals.

Indeed, the courses in this subject area maintain connections with a host of industry partners and organisations including Dice, the Musicians Union, the British copyright collective, PRS for Music, and the UK’s music licencing company, PPL. Our students have worked with artists such as Dua Lipa, Jay-Z, Stormzy, Ghetts, Cat Burns, Lana Del Ray, Savages, Arlo Parks, Little Mix, JLS, and One Direction, to name a few. Rudimental are alumni of the University as are Nick Mason and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.

Our Graduates

Given our long history teaching popular music, it comes as no surprise that graduates from our courses permeate the music industry in the UK whether that is in front of or behind the microphone. Our graduates have gone on to work across the global music supply chain, securing roles at leading corporations such as YouTube Music, Apple Inc., Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music; with many of them taking up roles as performers, writers, composers, engineers, producers, promoters, and managers. Our alumni also thrive in the music technology sector, securing roles at leading corporations such as YouTube Music, Apple Inc., Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music. Many hold positions in artist management, A&R, business affairs, digital strategy, music publishing, rights management, marketing, PR, and audience engagement; working for global companies such as Tap Management, Modest Management, Since 93, Promised Land Music, Believe and Fuga.

Our Facilities

We have always been proud of our facilities at Westminster. Westminster’s Little Titchfield Street campus was once part of London’s swinging sixties as the likes of Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, The Animals, Cream, Fleetwood Mac and Manfred Mann all took the stage. Today we are based in Harrow, where students have access to studios, rehearsal spaces, recording studios, as well as the very latest in digital gear, alongside a large selection of vintage equipment. Our live venue space, Area 51, remains our jewel in the crown and is equipped with a better sound and lighting setup than most small venues in the country.

The Black Music Research Unit

The Westminster School of Arts is also home to the influential Black Music Research Unit (BMRU), a pioneering interdisciplinary research hub which investigates and celebrates the contributions of Black British performers, songwriters, musicians and industry professionals on the wider UK music industry. With funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), BMRU’s Bass Culture project examined the historical and continuing impact of Jamaican music forms like reggae, ska and dub on British music, society and identity. The project culminated in the celebrated Beyond the Bassline: 500 years of Black British Music exhibition held at the British Library in 2024.