Music Production (with Foundation Year)

If you are passionate about making and producing music, this course will prepare you for a future in the creative industries.

Our foundation entry course is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of music production and sound recording, developing your creative and technical skills. Providing you with the knowledge needed to study the full BA Hons degree programme.

In our purpose built studios, you’ll learn the core elements of music production from composition and arrangement, sound design and recording to mixing and mastering. You will also develop a clear and professional presence for yourself as a music producer.

Taught by expert, professionally active tutors, this industry-led course gives you plenty of hand-on experience, preparing you for a future in the music and audio industries. This course will prepare you for a variety of roles including producer, sound designer, engineer, film and TV composers and more.

Whatever your preferred style or approach to making music, this course will give you the freedom to explore your creativity, expand your knowledge and grow as a producer.

On successful completion of the Foundation Year, students will automatically progress onto the BA Music Production course.

About Spirit Studios

Spanning over four decades of iconic music history in Manchester, our early days as a commercial recording studio and rehearsal space saw the likes of local legends The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Simply Red and many more passing through our doors.

Spirit Studios then became the first music production and sound engineering school in the UK (formerly known as School of Sound Recording), and since then we’ve continued to nurture the next generation of producers, engineers, artists and business owners.

Our purpose-built facilities, expert insight, professionally active tutors and creative partnerships enable us to offer the most up to date and relevant training, and provide you with real career opportunities.

Music Production Foundation Entry
YEAR 1:
The Creative Musician
Research and Contexts
Sound Recording and Design
Music Production in Practice

BA Music Production Modules
YEAR 2:
Composition and Arrangement
Recording Techniques & Technologies
Career Focus 1 – The Online Musician

YEAR 3:
Composition and Production
Recording and Production
Music, Sound, Image
Career Focus 2 – Live Brief

YEAR 4:
Composition and Innovation
Advanced Recording and Production
Major Project – Music and Multimedia
Career Focus 3 – Professional Preparation

We pride ourselves on providing a variety of assessment methods; these are balanced between industry standards and an academic range that is aimed at varied student profiles and abilities.

Some modules may include an overall portfolio, others may have several varied assessments that encompass practical and written elements. Students may work on a solo project or also have the opportunity to work collaboratively in class or within external partnerships. All portfolios and written material are submitted electronically via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), practical exams are undertaken within studio or venue settings on a live basis. Feedback is delivered electronically directly to the student in a written and matrix format.

There is also the opportunity to discuss your feedback in a one-to-one tutorial.

We use a variety of the following assessment methods:
• Portfolios
• Practical coursework
• Practical Exams
• Presentations
• Written Tests
• Written Reports
• Written Essays