About this program
BA (Hons) Music Production
BA (Hons) Music Production will support you to develop a deep understanding of how to work creatively across the digital technologies of contemporary music production, preparing you for a career in the creative industries.
Exploring key areas of music creation, composition, recording and production within the critical framework of a professional environment, the course is designed around 3 strands which run through each year of study: Creating Music, Recording and Producing Music, and The Music Professional.
Createch is an emerging field where creativity and technology interact, and is also the fastest growing sector of the creative industries. Developed along related principles, BA (Hons) Music Production offers a unique balance between creativity and technology using an integrated approach to theory and practice.
Admission requirements
English Language Requirements (International/EU)
IELTS level 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking is required for this course.
All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language you will be asked to provide evidence of your English language ability when you enrol.
Home/EU/International
The course team welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds from all over the world. The course attracts students who apply direct from A-level (or equivalent) or from Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, or other art or design courses, as well as mature students who may have previously worked in industry.
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
104 UCAS tariff points which can be made up of one or a combination of the following accepted full level 3 qualifications:
- A Levels at Grade C or above (preferred subjects include: Music, Music Technology, Art and Design, English, Media, Business, or other subjects within Social Sciences
- Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
- Distinction, Merit, Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects: Art and Design; Media, Music and Performing Arts)
- Merit in UAL Extended Diploma 104 tariff points in Access to Higher Education Diploma (preferred subjects: Music Technology, Creative Music Technology, Music Technology and Production, Music, Live Sound and Music Events, Media)
- OR equivalent EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma at 24 points minimum
And 3 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*-C).
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the university website.
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Program content
Year 1
You’ll build technical skills to create, record and produce music; planning skills to manage audio projects; and academic skills to support your learning.
Introduction to Music Production
You’ll be introduced to the context of contemporary music production, key skills required by music producers such as critical listening and production analysis, and academic and planning skills needed to manage audio production in response to industry briefs.
Audio Principles for Music Production
You’ll explore the technologies and techniques of contemporary studio production, the function and application of the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), and techniques for recording musical instruments in a studio environment.
Creative Audio programing
You'll consider the theories, technologies and techniques of programing for music production. You’ll also explore the function and creative application of the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) in sound manipulation, sampling and synthesis.
Music Industries
This unit introduces you to key stakeholders within the music industry, developing your understanding of industry responses to an evolving commercial and technological environment. You’ll also explore career options as an employer, entrepreneur or artist.
Creative Mixing Techniques
You'll enhance your understanding of mixing techniques for multi-channel playback systems in audio applications such as VR, moving image, installations, music composition and record production. You'll also build written and reflective skills by researching your chosen applied area and reflecting on your developing practice.
Composition Skills for Music Producers
You’ll enhance your understanding of practical music theory by analysing musical components such as melody, harmony, rhythm, texture and form. Building on previous music software skills, you’ll explore approaches to composition and arranging techniques in a variety of genres by producing a composition-based portfolio.
Year 2
Music Cultures
You'll develop your awareness and understanding of key historical, contextual and technological developments in popular music, including recording and production. Your communication and analytical skills will grow through critical debate and analysis of music cultures and sub-cultures.
Audio Principles for Live Sound
Building on your knowledge of mixing and microphone placement, you’ll apply your learning to different approaches for live music scenarios. You’ll test theoretical concepts like networked audio, dispersion and speaker arrays in a live music environment.
Specialist Options
In this unit, you’ll choose 1 of the following options:
- Songwriting: explore techniques available to songwriters, developing your knowledge and skills to write, arrange and produce songs in a variety of genres.
- Composing for Media: develop your knowledge and skills across composition and music production for media applications like film, TV, games and installations.
- Audio Post-Production: investigate how sound supports and influences narrative in film and television, learning how to create a cohesive soundtrack for moving image.
Music in the Marketplace
You’ll build on knowledge of the music industry gained in Year 1 to identify, analyse and apply methods for funding, marketing and promoting music in the contemporary marketplace.
Aesthetics of Music Production
This unit will develop your understanding of music perception and the application of acoustic and psychoacoustic principles to recording and production. You’ll listen critically to acoustic spaces, audio equipment and audio material, and learn how to apply this to key production decisions.
Creative Industry Project
You’ll conceptualise your ideas while establishing, building and working in teams to respond professionally to an industry brief. You’ll work collaboratively with an external client to produce creative work that will be showcased publicly.
Year 3
Innovations in Music Production: Artificial Intelligence Applications for Music Production
You’ll explore the concepts and innovations of artificial intelligence (AI) in music production through assistive and creative technologies, and learn about practical software techniques for applications such as composition, mixing and mastering.
Research Skills for Music Producers
You'll investigate and apply relevant research, managing and planning methodologies to propose a Final Major Project in your chosen specialist area.
Final Major Project
You’ll design, develop, implement and evaluate a significant creative project to a professional standard, applying your research and planning skills to create a music production-related outcome.
Professional Practice Portfolio
You’ll develop your ability to identify and evaluate opportunities in the creative and cultural industries relating to your area of professional practice. You'll build your enterprise skills and gain confidence to become a freelance professional or to set up your own business. You'll collate and present a portfolio of work relevant to your chosen area of the industry, demonstrating your professional skills and understanding of career paths.
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Program delivery
BA(Hons) Music Production runs for 93 weeks in full-time mode. It is divided into 3 stages over 3 academic years. Each stage lasts 31 weeks.
Tuition
- Tuition fees for Home students are £9,250*
- Tuition fees for International students are £23,610*
*This fee is correct for 2022/23 entry and is subject to change for 2023/24 entry. Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students.
Qualification
- Practical workshops
- Studio recording practice
- Location recording practice
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Guest lectures and workshops
- Project work
- Peer critique
- Research
- Learning sets
- Work-based learning
- Group working
- Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
Continuing studies
Enterprise and employability are central to all 3 strands of the course design, enabling you to develop your skills and apply them to your own creative practice.
Regular guest lectures and masterclasses from industry practitioners provide insight into the creative industries, while the Music Professional Strand covers areas including an introduction to career paths, practical methods for funding, and ways to market and promote your music.
When you graduate, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of careers in music production including studio engineering, live sound engineering, songwriting, music performance, composing for media, game audio, acoustics and post-production.
Between Years 2 and 3 of the course, you’ll also have the opportunity to undertake one of the following additional UAL qualifications:
Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS): An optional, year-long learning opportunity which enables you to develop your professional skills by undertaking a variety of placements and industry experiences. Supported throughout the year by academics, you’ll build on the knowledge gained on your course in a range of national or international locations, and graduate with an additional qualification of Diploma in Professional Studies.
Diploma in Creative Computing:
An optional, year-long opportunity which allows you to develop the computational skills that are shaping the future of the digital creative industries. After successfully completing the Diploma and the final year of your undergraduate degree, you’ll graduate with an enhanced degree title: for example, BA (Hons) Music Production (with Creative Computing).
Career paths
BA (Hons) Music Production will develop your employability skills for a wide range of music production career paths, including studio engineering, live sound engineering, songwriting, music performance, composing for media, game audio, acoustics and post-production.
With the increasingly freelance nature of employment in the creative industries, the course will also offer you the guidance and confidence to become a freelance professional.
More widely, Careers and Employability at UAL will support you in your journey to becoming an innovator in the creative and cultural sectors through a program of events, seminars, workshops, online resources and funding opportunities.
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About this institute
University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London (UAL) is ranked 2nd in the world for Art and Design according to the 2022 QS World University Rankings®, for the fourth year in a row. It has an international reputation in art, design, communication,...
Why study at University of the Arts London
With multiple sites across London, UAL offers endless opportunities to draw inspiration from this global creative hub.
- UAL has a track record for launching and furthering careers across the creative industries and beyond.
- Graduates are frequently shortlisted for national and global awards ranging from the Turner Prize to the Oscars.
- UAL is home to more than 2,400 postgraduate students.
- The university offers a wide range of theoretical and practice-based research programmes leading to a PhD or MPhil.
- UAL is ranked among the UK’s top research universities, with 83% of research conducted by UAL students and staff graded as world-leading.
- UAL has a diverse student community, with students drawn from over 130 countries across the globe.
- Students are encouraged to draw inspiration from London’s world-famous art galleries, museums and theatres.
- UAL’s dedicated support service offers useful advice for international students including guidance on funding, visa applications and accommodation.
Contact info
University of the Arts London
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