The Institute Of Contemporary Music Performance
BA (Hons) Songwriting and Production
London, United Kingdom
BA
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
14 Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 16,250 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international student fee
The BA (Hons) Songwriting and Production degree offers ambitious writer–producers the chance to develop their songcraft, creative collaboration, industry connections and technical music production skills. Across three years, you’ll create an impressive portfolio of new songs, while learning how to launch a successful career as a songwriter, producer and/or beatmaker.
If you’re looking to launch a career as a professional writer–producer, the BA (Hons) Songwriting and Production degree will teach you everything you need to know to succeed.
Whether you're a beatmaker with an ever-growing sample library, a multi-instrumentalist backing-track wizard at home in the studio, or a writer–producer looking to co-write and pitch on other artist’s projects, you’ll take your writing and production skills to the next level, with personalised guidance from our expert ICMP songwriting tutors along the way.
During your three years on this industry-aligned course, you’ll cover the entire spectrum of contemporary songwriting from both a practical and theoretical perspective – from melody and topline, and lyrics and concepts, to chords and track. You’ll learn to confidently produce songs for yourself and others, gaining in-the-box production skills across a range of digital audio workstations (DAWs), as well as advanced mixing and recording skills. Many of your classes will be taught in ICMP’s high-tech industry-standard recording studios at our Queen’s Park campus, where you’ll become proficient at using the studio equipment, software and plugins.
During your time with us, you’ll collaborate with talented students on this programme’s ‘sister’ course – the BA (Hons) Songwriting and Artist Development degree – as well as musicians and entrepreneurs across other ICMP disciplines. Each week, you’ll write at least two songs to brief across a wide spectrum of contemporary songwriting genres, styles and approaches – from the melodies of pop and alternative, to the beatmaking of hip-hop, grime and drill. As you progress your creative output, you’ll engage in ‘A&R-style’ feedback sessions and intimate group discussions to critique each other’s work and learn to evaluate your own.
As a writer–producer, you’ll be encouraged to cultivate your own distinctive songwriting style and creative production abilities, with a view to developing and maintaining a successful career in songwriting and producing, whatever that may look like.
At ICMP, our talented tutors all have active careers in both higher education and music, so you’ll develop your craft learning from some of the UK's best songwriters, music producers and musicians. They’ll encourage you to establish a unique music industry career path where you control exactly where, when and how you progress. You’ll also be presented with many exciting opportunities to learn about music entrepreneurship and build your network and career portfolio, such as songwriting-and-production-specific masterclasses and events, visits from industry representatives, and opportunities to perform at ICMP’s Songwriters’ Circle nights.
By the time you graduate ‘career ready’, you’ll have developed a strong understanding of the culture and history of songwriting; expertise in enterprise, business and marketing; and, perhaps most importantly, a creative portfolio of more than 100 songs.
Key facts
- Created especially for songwriter–producers and beatmakers.
- Discover your creative songwriting voice, with weekly individual and collaborative songwriting and production activities.
- Study a practice-based curriculum of the art and craft of modern songwriting, with a strong focus on melody, topline, lyrics, chords and more.
- Write more than 100 unique songs across a variety of genres and styles.
- Create songs using in-the-box production/DAWs.
- Record in ICMP’s industry-standard music studios.
- Understand how the modern music world operates and develop strong entrepreneurial business practices.
- Showcase your songwriting at top city venues across London.
- Build connections with the wider music industry and establish an exceptional songwriting network.
Creative Development Scholarship 2026/27
ICMP offers a scholarship up to the value of £4,000 to each eligible EU, EEA or Swiss student enrolling on one of our undergraduate CertHE and degree programmes or postgraduate programmes, starting in September 2026.
To qualify for this scholarship you should be an EU, EEA or Swiss applicant, who has been resident in either the UK, an EU or EEA country or Switzerland for a minimum of three years.
All applicants fulfilling this criterion will automatically receive our Creative Development Scholarship. There is no need to complete any additional paperwork.
ICMP reserves the right to review and amend scholarship criteria at any time. We also reserve the right to withdraw this offer of a scholarship to new applicants at any time.
Course Details
Year 1
In year one, you’ll discover a range of songwriting and production approaches, skills and styles, developing your creative and technical abilities. Working in small groups, you’ll expand your song portfolio by writing and producing both individual and co-written material. You’ll also engage in weekly tutor and peer feedback sessions to build your critical awareness of the songwriting process.
- Songwriting fundamentals: exploring songcraft
- Songwriting fundamentals ii: establishing songcraft
- Musicianship fundamentals for writer–producers
- Music business fundamentals for writer-producers
- Production fundamentals for writer-producers
- Mixing fundamentals for writer-producers
Year 2
During year two, you’ll continue building your talents as a songwriter and producer, with a stronger focus on the practical application of your skills. You’ll expand on your ability to write to brief and further evolve your creative identity as a writer–producer. You’ll also have the chance to participate in regular writing sessions and song camps, record using ICMP’s world-class studio facilities, and learn tactics to promote and market your work.
- Applied songwriting: extending songcraft
- Applied songwriting ii: embedding songcraft
- Applied marketing strategies for writer-producers
- Applied production for writer-producers
- Applied mixing for writer-producers
- Studio recording for writer-producers
Year 3
In your final year, you’ll supercharge your professional experience and career momentum, with opportunities to submit a full portfolio of songs, complete a self-directed professional piece of work, and create a strategic marketing plan to launch your career in the music industry as a writer–producer.
- Advanced Songwriting: Creative Identity And Repertoire
- Professional Practice For Writer-Producers
- The Enterprising Writer-Producer
- The Enterprising Writer-Producer II
You will be taught at our campus, utilising our live rooms, tech suites and in-house music studio facilities as well as classrooms and lecture rooms. You will have access to use these facilities outside of class time while you are a student at ICMP in order to rehearse and record your music.
You will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small group tutorials, performance workshops and music technology workshops tutorials.
You will have access to the Student Services Department for support and advice concerning welfare, finance, personal development, safeguarding etc. You'll also have access to our Professional Development team ‘The Hub, who provide bespoke music industry careers advice and access to unique industry opportunities.
Teaching and Learning
On the BA (Hons) Songwriting and Production programme your learning will be in small mixed groups for seminars and writing classes and small workshop groups for practical skills. Some lectures are in larger groups.
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you'll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments.Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including our Learning Resource Centre, our many performance and practice rooms, and well-equipped tech suites.
In your first year, you'll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures, seminars, practical classes and workshops for typically 10-12 hours a week, you’ll also have personalised one-to-one tutorials scheduled throughout the year.
You'll undertake more independent study and have less scheduled teaching in years 2 and 3, but can typically expect 8-10 hours of timetabled classes per week in your second year and 6-8 hours of timetabled classes per week in your third year.