On this page, you can find the Culminating Experience (CE) Projects for all graduate students from the Berklee College of Music master’s program Global Entertainment and Music Business (GEMB) from 2015 – present. Click on any title for more information and access to the full paper and other deliverables (if available).
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Business Plan for MILA: A Record Label and Consultancy for Latin American Artists in Spain
Paula Daniela Araque Forero
2025With this project, I want to develop a business plan for MILA, a hybrid music company that functions both as an independent record label and a consultancy, created to support Latin American artists expanding into the Spanish music market. MILA is designed to act as a cultural bridge, helping artists overcome the challenges of entering new territories where fan expectations, promotional strategies, and industry structures vary significantly. While Latin American artists may benefit from a shared language with Spain, cultural differences still shape how music is received. Fan behaviors, consumption habits, and industry practices differ, so a strategy that might work in one Latin American country might not succeed in Spain. MILA’s label arm will sign and develop a select roster of talented Latin artists with the goal of reaching the global stage. In parallel, MILA’s consultancy arm will work with independent Latin artists or indie labels aiming to expand into the Spanish market. Together, both sides of MILA aim to empower Latin artists to grow internationally in a way that’s strategic, localized, and rooted in cultural authenticity. We believe in helping talent cross borders without losing their essence, and in showing the world the full beauty of Latin creativity.
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A focus on the need for an export office in Nigeria
Ayotomiwa Bankole
2025My journey to this point of deduction and conclusion has been an interesting one. You have all these hopes and dreams about your country being great, properly run, and efficient, but as you grow, some realities change your perspective. Nigeria is an interesting country. We are a nation of over 235 million people, filled with diverse talents and ambitions. One of the biggest ones was parents making you be a lawyer, doctor, engineer or an architect, but few have the passion for music. We begin the journey from theory to playing our first instruments and we realize that music is spiritual and it can change people's moods and thought process, then we see there’s more to music than playing and singing. The NIMREO project is one of a long-term, always fine-tuning plan and I look forward to executing this project shortly. There have been ups and downs, pivoting and declaring the core values and pathway for the future. Artists have told them our needs, we know the business needs and how we can combine both to have a global representation of the culture and music.
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Business Plan and Customer Insight Report Sound Bridge Productions: Bridging Orchestras and Communities Through Sound
Isabella Brand Baugher
2025Sound Bridge Productions is a company designed to help orchestras expand into non-classical programming in a way that is cost friendly through scalable price packages. The business was created after observing the difficulties that orchestras have in retaining audiences as well as the barriers to entry that orchestras have in programming and producing non-classical shows. The customer insight report is based on interviews with music industry professionals such as orchestra programmers and producers, artistic directors, and musicians. Insights were gathered through two different prototype methods, namely a video prototype and a one-page executive summary. The feedback gained from these interviews validated the need for non-classical programming in orchestras, but brought up some concerns with the business and financial models of Sound Bridge, such as the high cost of arrangements, standing out as a small company, and creating a sustainable network of artists, arrangers, and orchestras. To address these challenges, Sound Bridge will implement pivots, such as adopting a “booking agent” model, creating different leasing structures for orchestras and artists, and further defining the package system. The next three phases of Sound Bridge are planned out based on the feedback from the interviews, and new potential testing in the market.
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Disrupción Records Sync Department
Sara Burpeau
2025This year, I lead the sync department for Disrupción Records. Our goals were to expand our library of student music and continue to build our network of music supervisors we pitch to. We had a very successful year especially because of the panel at Primavera Pro I was selected for.
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STU.PID
Sasapat Chamnongnit
2025This project presents a business plan for STU.PID, a branded livestreaming platform built to support emerging global artists by connecting them with Gen Z audiences, especially Third Culture Kids (TCKs) through casual and real-time content. The idea was to offer something different from traditional artist promotion by focusing on unscripted formats that show the creative process as it really is. Content included livestreamed interviews (STU.TALKS), collaborative music making (THE COOK-UP), and on the ground segments (STU.PID IN PUBLIC), all designed to bring artists and fans closer together. The platform emphasized strong visual identity and consistent content across Twitch and Instagram. While the audience response was encouraging, the original monetization plan using Twitch subscriptions did not prove effective. Feedback suggested that brand partnerships and artist campaigns may be a more sustainable path forward. The project clarified key strengths in creative direction, live content production, and digital strategy. It also demonstrated that there is long-term potential for STU.PID to grow either as its own platform or as a creative service for artists, labels, and partners in the music industry.
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Galerie Reverb: A Virtual Museum of Music Icons
Mali Dandridge
2025This project is a business plan and consumer insights report for Galerie Reverb: A Virtual Museum of Music Icons. Galerie Reverb was an idea for a virtual, Decentraland-based museum that leverages immersive technology to showcase the lives and legacies of iconic musicians. I completed a consumer insights report to analyze the market viability of the concept, which helped me determine whether I should move forward with the idea. I used The Pharrell Williams Exhibit as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). It was hosted on OnCyber and originally created during Berklee’s 2025 Transversal Week. I used this MVP to test perceived cultural value, consumers’ willingness to pay, and overall utility. Through an anonymous poll that gathered consumer feedback, I found that participants showed significant price sensitivity and an overall unwillingness to pay much for the product. This was problematic, as it resulted in a sharp decline in projected revenues. Additionally, respondents perceived Galerie Reverb as offering only moderate cultural value and usefulness. The lack of clear demand for Galerie Reverb prompted me to discontinue the idea and motivated me to explore a new venture called My Metamuse. I conducted another comparative MVP survey to gauge consumer excitement about My Metamuse versus Galerie Reverb. An overwhelming number of respondents indicated that My Metamuse was the more promising venture, so I am now actively pursuing its development.
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INOCON 2025
Adriana Diaz
2025INOCON 2025 was a free music and technology event produced by four GEMB students in collaboration with Berklee Valencia and hosted at the Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea (CCCC). Focused on showcasing the work of the MPTI program, this edition emphasized creativity, accessibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With over 500 attendees, a multimedia installation, workshops, performances, and a silent disco, INOCON became a unique space for innovation, inclusion, and community engagement.
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Label Manager - Disrupción Records
Olatunmibi Fawole
2025For my Culminating Experience project, I took on the operational role of Label Manager/CEO of Disrupción Records. I chose this project because I want to build a career leading global music businesses, and I saw this as an entry-level opportunity of working with diverse genres in a real world setting. This role was important for me in understanding the moving parts of an independent record label. In this role, I was responsible for the affairs of the label, managing internal activities of its executive team, and the imprints. I was equally focused on developing external sustainable strategies that would be important for the long-term growth of the label. This role required project management, planning, research, and practical execution of ideas. Through this project, I learned how to balance creative ideas with business realities and how to lead a team effectively. Some challenges were expected, like time management, while others, like navigating limited resources, were surprising yet exciting. Overall, this experience has prepared me for future leadership roles as well as provided me with insights on the nuances of diverse genres.
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Head of Marketing and Branding Disrupción Records
Makinsy Fitzgerald
2025As Head of Marketing and Branding at Disrupción Records, I worked with the executive team and each imprint head to continue to build the label’s strong identity and provide marketing support. While I have a background in nonprofit marketing, I wanted to take this role to grow my skills within music specifically, and was eager to work in space that prioritizes building indie artists’ visibility. I created tools including campaign templates, content calendars, and planning guides in an effort to make marketing more accessible for our imprints. I also revamped our website, grew our email list, and increased engagement through newsletters and release campaigns which outperformed industry benchmarks. Beyond these tasks, I also interviewed industry professionals through discussions that tackled music marketing, elevating indie artists, and what it means to be part of the industry. I enjoyed bringing those insights back to my work. This role confirmed my passion for music marketing and taught me about collaboration and the importance of building community in creative spaces.
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ARTSNS: A Dual Approach to Content Licensing and Field-Based A&R in the Documentation of Electronic Music Production
Lorenzo Franchi
2025ARTSNS is a documentary series that goes behind the scenes to uncover the untold stories, techniques, and creative processes behind electronic music tracks, before they’re released. Through in-depth interviews and immersive filming, the series sheds light on the transformative journey of music production. The concept stemmed from a single question: "Who are the true artisans of music?" The answer led directly to the producers, those who shape sound in studios and home setups alike. ARTSNS opens a peephole into this hidden world, capturing the earliest stages of a track’s life, from raw idea to polished piece. To bring ARTSNS to life, it was crucial to establish a non-exclusive content license agreement covering the master recordings and compositions featured, alongside a synchronization license to include the tracks in the episodes.
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Vocal Aura Entertainment: A Business Plan
Adam Gadol
2025This thesis details the creation of Vocal Aura Entertainment, a live event boutique and booking agency that prioritizes artists first. Vocal Aura connects local and global markets with purposeful programming and a scalable business strategy, all while empowering independent artists and creating immersive music experiences. Stakeholder interviews, financial modeling, marketing strategy, and a thorough environment analysis support the project's 24-month plan, which directs the business from launch to regional expansion. The firm wanted to establish itself as a cultural bridge in Spain's rapidly expanding live entertainment industry through venue partnerships, brand alliances, and data-driven operations. The thesis examines how carefully chosen cultural brands can flourish in an authentic way by taking use of Valencia's distinct location with a vibrant nightlife, a growing expat population, and a developing music infrastructure. The foundation of Vocal Aura's business strategy is artist growth, creative curation, and scalability. It provides a model that can be replicated by other entertainment companies working in new creative hotspots.
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Business Plan : STU.PID
Elyes Gargouri
2025This project presents a business plan for STU.PID, a branded livestreaming platform built to support emerging global artists by connecting them with Gen Z audiences, especially Third Culture Kids (TCKs) through casual and real-time content. The idea was to offer something different from traditional artist promotion by focusing on unscripted formats that show the creative process as it really is. Content included livestreamed interviews (STU.TALKS), collaborative music making (THE COOK-UP), and on the ground segments (STU.PID IN PUBLIC), all designed to bring artists and fans closer together. The platform emphasized strong visual identity and consistent content across Twitch and Instagram. While the audience response was encouraging, the original monetization plan using Twitch subscriptions did not prove effective. Feedback suggested that brand partnerships and artist campaigns may be a more sustainable path forward. The project clarified key strengths in creative direction, live content production, and digital strategy. It also demonstrated that there is long-term potential for STU.PID to grow either as its own platform or as a creative service for artists, labels, and partners in the music industry.
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GLADIATOR RECORDS Business plan | Record Practicum 2025
Maximus Guerrero
2025The following business plan is for Gladiator Records, a label that looks to take inspiration and incorporate communications tactics and strategies from the luxury sector and implement them in a record label roster. The findings in this project saw that introducing scarcity into the music industry at an artist level lead to notable levels of interest despite the small sample fan size; along side the philosophy that genreless music will be the future of communications strategies in music. By emphasising quality of media content and understanding the luxury goods sector market trends, the label undertook small budget activations to test the salience towards audiences. Exclusive concert merchandise and limited high quality social media assets set the image in an intentional direction, while a genreless campaign approach saw numbers drawn towards the artist/releases in a natural long lasting way. With initial success comes the need for expansion and further investment complications as the operating capital is a curial piece to the plan.
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Supernova Productions
Nadeem Hakemi
2025There’s no more time. The moment has come to light the creative, ambitious and international flame that has helped Nadeem Hakemi go from speaking not a single word of French to working with some of the most iconic French and international brands on the planet. It starts with this document. You are reading a business plan for Supernova Productions, a social media content & workshop provider specialized in brands, bands and everything in between. This document reflects Nadeem’s transformation from French salaryman to fully-fledged entrepreneur with 15 years of experience.
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Head of Social Media and TikTok Optimization at Disrupcion Records
Althea Himel
2025For my Culminating Experience, I served as the Head of Social Media and TikTok Optimization at Disrupción Records, Berklee’s student-run record label. My project focused on revitalizing the label’s digital presence—particularly on TikTok and Instagram—by creating engaging, community-focused content that spotlighted artists, imprints, and behind-the-scenes moments. I collaborated closely with Disrupción’s eight imprints to establish social media pages, define brand identities, and support their marketing strategies. Throughout the semester, I launched digital campaigns, organized artist interviews, developed two rounds of merchandise, and led the promotion of events such as our Open Mic Night and Signing Party. I also worked one-on-one with artists to help them articulate and grow their online presence. This experience allowed me to apply my coursework in digital marketing, branding, and artist development in a real-world context. It also directly contributed to my professional growth and led to my current internship in Artist Strategy at Sony Music.
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Beyond the Billboard: How Festival Sponsorships Shape Festival Experiences and Consumer Sentiment
Sophie Johan
2025Music festivals are major cultural and economic forces that play a big role in shaping contemporary music consumption, community, and identity within the live entertainment industry. Without partnerships, most would not be financially viable; however, partnerships have evolved from pure sponsorship models to true collaborations focusing not only on entertainment but also cultural and emotional impact. This paper explores how music festival partnerships and brand activations shape the festival experience, consumer sentiment, and authenticity. While previous research often focuses on financial benefits and brand recall, few analyze emotional impact, audience-brand alignment, and the full consumer experience. I conducted interviews with seven industry professionals (65+ years of collective experience) and on-site observations at Primavera Sound, complemented by an attendee survey. Today, partnerships go beyond logo placement—brands are expected to create immersive, value-adding activations, leading to deeper emotional connections. Long-term partnerships benefit both parties and allow for true synergy. Industry shifts highlight the rising importance of sustainability and hybrid experiences. Key findings include the value of long-term partnerships, the need for authentic and interactive activations, and the risks of audience misalignment and “activation fatigue.” Strategic implications emphasize longer-term approaches, solving attendee pain points, and focusing on wellness and lifestyle in a values-driven market.
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INOCON 2025
Laura Larenas López
2025INOCON 2025 was a free music and technology event produced by four GEMB students in collaboration with Berklee Valencia and hosted at the Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea (CCCC). Focused on showcasing the work of the MPTI program, this edition emphasized creativity, accessibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With over 500 attendees, a multimedia installation, workshops, performances, a headliner, and a silent disco, INOCON became a unique space for innovation, inclusion, and community engagement.
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MOXiR - Business Plan
Chin-Nan Lee
2025MOXiR is a business plan developed to address the growing need for sustainable income models for independent artists and to offer fans more meaningful engagement. The platform allows artists to upload tracks, generate curated AI remixes, and sell limited digital editions directly to fans, bridging gaps in monetization, ownership, and interactivity. Motivated by low streaming payouts and the lack of trusted AI music marketplaces, MOXiR empowers artists to retain control while exploring new revenue streams. The project involved interviews, surveys, and beta testing with early adopters. Deliverables included an interactive prototype, full business plan, and branding. Research and feedback informed MOXiR’s artist-first approach, hybrid ownership model, and legal framework. This process sharpened my business, marketing, and legal skills while contributing to the ethical integration of AI in music. MOXiR offers a practical, scalable blueprint for how technology can elevate, not replace, human creativity in the evolving music economy.
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Business Plan and Customer Insight Report ArtsConnect: Where Creativity Meets Opportunity
Lilith Lenz
2025This Cumulating Experience develops a customer insight report and strategic business case designed for graduate students and professionals studying music business, entrepreneurship, or creative industries management. Using the case of ArtsConnect, a career development platform for creative students, this report applies market research and product testing insights to analyze a startup’s pivot from a dual-sided B2C/B2B model to a focused B2B approach (change mainly found in customer insight report). Founded in 2023, ArtsConnect initially targeted both individual creatives and institutions but faced challenges with monetizing emerging talent and sustaining engagement. Through in-depth focus groups, college administrator interviews, and investor conversations conducted during the Berklee Valencia Master’s program, the project identified clear needs for creative-specific career tools at the institutional level. The resulting strategic refocus leverages colleges as buyers and students as end-users, supported by data-driven feature development and pilot partnership plans. This case explores how aligning product-market fit with institutional pain points can transform a passion-driven project into a scalable business, and outlines actionable steps for validating new models in the education technology space.
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Business Plan on Boundless Studios
Keith Lubega
2025This project presents a comprehensive business plan to launch Boundless Studios, a state of the arts creative hub aimed at reshaping the creative industries in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. With a strong artist-first philosophy and an integrated model encompassing music production, visual content creation, podcasting, and education; the goal is to address key challenges such as limited infrastructure, financial barriers, and lack of training in East Africa’s creative sector. With a clear focus on ownership, cultural authenticity, and export-readiness, this paper explores the economic potential of the region’s creative economy, outlines a phased development plan, presents detailed financial projections, risk mitigation strategies, and marketing approaches. The project seeks to elevate East African creatives to international prominence resulting in a blueprint for an innovative, scalable model that fosters employment, nurtures talent, and amplifies African voices on the global stage.
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INOCON 2025
Hannah Lucchesi
2025INOCON 2025 was a free music and technology event produced by four GEMB students in collaboration with Berklee Valencia and hosted at the Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea (CCCC). Focused on showcasing the work of the MPTI program, this edition emphasized creativity, accessibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With over 500 attendees, a multimedia installation, workshops, performances, and a silent disco, INOCON became a unique space for innovation, inclusion, and community engagement.
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Research Paper
Nicola Mantelli
2025This thesis investigates how Spotify's playlist ecosystem, particularly its algorithmic and edit orial playlists (New Music Friday and Today’s Top Hits) affects musical diversity and artist visibility. The study updates the basic framework of Aguiar and Waldfogel (2018) with 2025- relevant features, such as Discovery Mode and the AI-powered DJ, using a data-driven methodology. It assesses the degree of genre diversity and concentration in the most popular playlists on the platform using quantitative techniques such as Shannon Entropy and Gini Coefficient computations. The monetary benefit of playlist inclusion is measured by a case study analysis of LISA's song "Moonlit Floor," which estimates that its presence in Today's Top Hits has resulted in nearly 2.6 million more plays. The findings raise concerns regarding equitable exposure, which show that both editorial and algorithmic playlists have a modest concentration of genres and a higher concentration of artists. While algorithmic innovations promise personalization, they may reinforce existing commercial hierarchies. This study adds to the current conversation about platform dominance in music streaming by providing important information about the forces influencing music exposure, discovery, and industry dynamics in the digital age.
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Research Paper
Claudia Martínez Alcañiz Tebar
2025This research paper explores the role of jazz festivals as strategic tools for demonstrating cultural and economic value to stakeholders such as government institutions, sponsors, and investors. Jazz festivals are often appreciated for their artistic significance, but their potential for urban development and tourism hasn’t been exploited or even explored. This research investigates how cities can show the financial and cultural contributions of jazz festivals to justify public and private support. Based on an extensive literature and interviews with industry professionals from Memphis, New York, New Orleans, and Valencia, the study offers recommendations for economic models and policy strategies that align festivals with broader city development goals. The findings suggest that jazz festivals can serve as central pillars of creative economies when integrated into a city’s long-term strategic planning, supporting local talent, attracting high-value tourism, and elevating the city’s cultural profile/branding.
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Operational Project - INOCON 25
Roberto Moffitt
2025INOCON 2025 was a free music and technology event produced by four GEMB students in collaboration with Berklee Valencia and hosted at the Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea (CCCC). Focused on showcasing the work of the MPTI program, this edition emphasized creativity, accessibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With over 500 attendees, a multimedia installation, workshops, performances, and a silent disco, INOCON became a unique space for innovation, inclusion, and community engagement.
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Disrupción Records Executive (A&R)
Ole Neuss
2025My project was centred around my role as Head of A&R for Disrupicón Records. I applied for this role as I am very eager to pursue the career of an A&R and Disrupción provided the environment for me to delve into the practical nature of this. The outcome slides aim to give an insight into what me and my team worked on this year. It gives a holistic picture of the mission of our label and how we went about achieving this. Additionally, it shows each departments individual goals and progress for you to understand further how each team member contributed to our label. The challenges and learnings from this year are discussed further in my reflection, which are lessons I will take with me from Berklee.