The music industry and its key aspects: IESA's expertise applied to business

Background and teaching commitment

Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your work at IESA?

My name is Marion Delpech, and I have been working in the contemporary music sector for over ten years, both as an event producer and as a communications, marketing, and press officer, particularly for festivals.

I’ve been teaching at IESA for four years now, working with second-year Bachelor's students on professional development and with Master's students in a course dedicated to electronic music.

Why did you choose to participate in the Creative Tracks at Paris School of Business?

For several reasons. First, I believe it’s valuable to bring a different perspective on the professional world and business, one that stems from the fields of culture and music—especially since music is such a ubiquitous part of everyone’s life.

Also, from a personal standpoint, it’s an interesting challenge to engage with a different kind of audience—students who aren’t necessarily aiming to work in the music industry. You have to win them over by connecting the content to subjects they care about, such as economics and finance, which interest most of them.

Understanding the stakes of the music industry

Why is it important for business school students to understand the contemporary music industry?

It helps sharpen their curiosity and broaden their horizons. When I ask students about their career goals, their answers are often similar—which makes sense, as they’re in a business school.

But courses that break away from the standard curriculum allow them to explore industries that are not at odds with business—quite the opposite, since business is everywhere. Too often, culture (and even more so music) is seen as the opposite of commerce or business. Yet producing music or organizing events is, at its core, a form of commerce and a full-fledged industry.

Also—and I know I’m repeating myself—music is everywhere. Everyone listens to music at home, on public transport, at concerts, and so on. Understanding its mechanisms and challenges is a way to understand a part of society, especially from political and social perspectives.

What major changes has this sector undergone recently? What are the impacts on the business world, and what key challenges do music industry professionals face today?

The music industry is generally divided into two main sectors:

• Phonographic production – everything related to the production and distribution of music on physical media (CDs, vinyl records, etc.) or digital platforms (especially streaming services).
• Live performance – the distribution of music through live events, such as concerts, festivals, etc.

Phonographic production is constantly evolving, with digital platforms now vastly dominating physical formats. However, subscription pricing on streaming platforms highlights the precarious nature of artist compensation. Listening to unlimited music for less than 10 euros a month, as you can imagine, is hardly sustainable.

On the live performance side, the COVID pandemic had a severe impact on the industry. When I ask students whether they attend concerts or festivals, very few do. While professionals expected that young people would rush back to live events post-lockdown, many have adopted different habits—partly due to fear of crowds, but also because they were never really exposed to this culture in the first place.

Another challenge is the increasing price of tickets, driven by growing production costs—something that also discourages participation and must be taken into account.

Course content and active learning

Can you tell us more about the module you teach at Paris School of Business? What types of exercises or practical activities do you use?

The module is divided into several parts:

First, we cover the history of contemporary music, its technological developments, and its key movements. This provides a chance to review major genres like jazz, blues, rock, electronic, rap, etc., along with their iconic artists.

Then, students explore the social and political context of music through workshops and debates. Can everything be said through music? What about freedom of expression? Should politics be part of music? The goal is to raise awareness that music is deeply political—that every time we listen to a song, we’re making a choice and taking a stance.

As part of this, they work on current rap lyrics, decode the messages, and produce a podcast on the topic. Example themes include misogyny, self-assertion, social success, etc.

Students then dive into the music ecosystem, its stakeholders, and how the industry is structured. This helps them grasp the economic landscape and build a typical event budget (costs and revenues).

Finally, we address CSR topics and the prevention of discrimination, violence, and sexual harassment through the lens of contemporary music. These are highly relevant issues in the music industry—and in society at large—and I believe they’re essential for students to understand, both for their personal growth and professional future.

How can these insights into the music industry help them in their future careers?

Each part of the module is designed to be directly useful to them.

Understanding music’s political dimensions helps them think like citizens. Debating music teaches them to listen actively, develop opinions, and express them confidently. Creating a sample event budget prepares them for building any type of business plan. Understanding CSR helps them envision a more sustainable career path. Being aware of issues related to discrimination, violence, and harassment allows them to be vigilant and proactive in fighting these injustices. And so on.

Reflections and advice

What do you take away from this teaching experience with business school students?

Engaging and passionate conversations with future professionals—and I hope the experience has given them a new perspective on the world around them.

What advice would you give to students who want to work in or collaborate with the music industry?

Be determined and curious. Don’t hesitate to approach professionals, take part in as many projects as possible (especially collective ones with other young people at the start), and stay proactive.

It’s a fascinating industry whose ultimate goal is to bring joy to others—and that, to me, is a vital value in a world that can often feel far too gloomy.