MA Music Production
Leeds, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 17,500 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
* for international students | for UK students: GBP 9,900 per year
Key Summary
About: Build on practical and theoretical experience in contemporary music production at Leeds Beckett University. You'll apply approaches in studios, study recording, arranging, mixing, producing, sound design, Foley, dubbing and post-production. The course includes collaborations, visiting speakers and links to local and national music, arts and festival organisations. Accredited by JAMES and taught within Leeds School of Arts, you'll access dedicated studios and labs.
Career Outcomes: The course prepares you for roles such as music producer, music technologist, performer, audio engineer, sound designer, post-production editor, composer for media and positions in television, radio, interactive media, games, animation, research and education.
Build upon your practical and theoretical experience of contemporary music production and apply a range of creative production approaches in industry-standard studio facilities. This course will help you to develop the skills and knowledge to take your production ambitions further, nurture your confidence to work within the music and media industries and prepare you for further study.
As part of this course, you’ll:
- Learn from internationally recognised researchers and experienced industry professionals
- Explore the technical and creative aspects of recording, arranging, mixing and producing
- Produce a wide range of commercial and non-commercial musical projects
- Critically analyse the productions of others in a variety of contexts
- Work with peers and collaborate with other artists and producers
Industry expertise
You’ll learn from regular visiting speakers from the music and film industries and a highly skilled and experienced teaching team. We have fantastic links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, which help to ensure you can get the most from your course.
Artist in Residence Sessions
Our Artist in Residence sessions will allow you to work alongside professional artists and gain an insight into what it’s like to work on a professional music project. We have previously welcomed artists Chris T-T, Ian Prowse, I Monster, Tom Williams, Utah Saints and Matt Deighton.
Why study Music Production at Leeds Beckett University
- Accredited by JAMES - we were the first university in England to become a JAMES Integrated Learning Centre
- Links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, which will provide a variety of opportunities to test your knowledge and practical skills
- Taught by experienced industry professionals
- Study within Leeds School of Arts - one of the largest university arts communities in the north, with 3000 students spread across over 40 courses
- In the new Leeds School of Arts building,g you will have access to dedicated music studios; Foley studios; dubbing and music recording studios; acoustic labs and a host of post-production suites
Duration
- Full-Time: 1 Year
- Part-Time: 2 Years
Teaching & Learning
Independent study is a crucial part of learning at university and you will be required to undertake many hours of self-directed research and reading, and preparation and writing of assessments. Your course is delivered through several modules, which will help you to plan your time and establish a study routine. Outside of your lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of support is available to assist with your independent study. Our subject-specific librarians will be on hand to direct you to specialist learning and study-skill resources. You’ll also be assigned an academic advisor to give you tailored feedback and support.
Core modules
What you'll learn
Creative Music Production
Develop a practical understanding of the creative possibilities of the studio environment as you create your musical product.
Negotiated Skills Development
Work closely with your tutors, researching and applying current theory and practice alongside a learning plan that meets your aims and objectives.
Studio Production Skills
Gain a balanced and critical view of the state of the creative industries. You will explore current creative and technological limitations and become involved in forecasting future changes and developments.
Music Industries in Context
Develop a range of theoretical perspectives drawing on contemporary research into the ecology of the music industries and how different stakeholders across the music sector work together.
Research Practice
Enhance your awareness of the methods and skills which are required to carry out research into the ideas and practice of music technology.
Final Individual Project
The final project provides an opportunity for you to engage in research and advanced practice in an area of your choosing.
Option modules
What you'll learn
Sound, Music & Image
Evaluate the relationships between sound, music and image, and devise and create examples of audio-visual media to a professional standard.
Orchestration, Arrangement & Programming
Study contemporary approaches to orchestration and arrangement of music for the moving image and create scores and MIDI realisations to a professional standard.
Music Industries in Practice
Explore the contextual background you'll need to study the music industry. This module will map out the contemporary music industry and investigate its development as a vehicle for popular music. You'll develop a range of theoretical perspectives and will draw on contemporary research into the ecology of the music industries. You'll study how different stakeholders across the music sector work together.
Audio Visual Practice
Develop your understanding and critical awareness of audio-visual practices and enhance your practical skills in the application of sound in a range of audio-visual contexts, from sonic design for moving images, to generative and installation contexts.
Popular Music Analysis
Examine performance, record production, video and reception and the meaning of music for your small-scale, individual research project which focuses on the analysis of popular music artefacts.
Music for Video Games
This module will enable you to address the challenges of producing musical content for interactive media, with a focus on the implementation of music in video games. You'll critically evaluate the role of music in games, and use industry-standard tools to implement dynamic music for video games. The music and systems you construct will demonstrate your critical understanding of dynamic music techniques. You'll practise using formats appropriate for professional or academic audiences to effectively communicate your work.
There are ways you may be able to fund your course. Sometimes it is possible to get sponsorship from a government body in your country. There are many different options, so have a look through the links carefully to see if they apply to you.
- International Scholarships
- Chevening Scholarships
- US / Canada Direct Loans
Your course will open up career opportunities in music production, interactive media, television, radio, research and education. It also integrates well with digital animation and video, games and the wider music and audio industries, ensuring you will be well-placed to get ahead in these competitive fields.
- Music producer
- Music technologist
- Performer