Music Production

Prepare for a career as a commercial music producer, equipped with the latest techniques and experience in a range of music production equipment, with our degree course in Cambridge.

As a student at ARU you'll create a diverse portfolio of work that will prepare you for the modern collaborative creative industries, whether you want to perform as a DJ, produce and release your own music, or create soundtracks for films and games.

Our BA (Hons) Music Production degree will allow you access to industry-standard equipment for recording, mixing, editing and production, giving you valuable practice in working as a professional producer at the same time as developing your skills in critical listening, and your historical knowledge of music production.

Many of your modules will be shared with our other music courses, giving you the chance to collaborate with different students and develop all-important skills for your professional life, such as teamworking and time management. You’ll also have opportunities to work with students on our film and computer game degrees, creating soundtracks for their projects.

In Year 2, you’ll broaden your understanding of the modern music industry by seeking and completing a placement in an area of your own interest. This will also help you learn to self-evaluate your transferable and employability skills and develop them further.

Our optional modules will allow you to shape our music production course for your chosen career. For example, Audio for Film or Audio for Games will develop your competence in production sound recording, sound effect creation, alongside specialist skills like automated dialogue replacement or production of non-linear interactive experiences.

Professional facilities

All our music students have access to:

• Five climate-controlled recording studios featuring analogue-digital hybrid studio set ups and two mixing suites, all equipped with Pro Tools, Logic and outboard hardware recording equipment (Neve, Universal Audio, Audient, SSL); and an audio-visual studio

• A spacious recital hall, band rooms and practice rooms

• Electronic and orchestral instruments; five grand pianos, including a Steinway Model D; synthesisers; traditional instruments from India, China and Africa; a Balinese Gamelan

• An impressive inventory of professionally rated microphones and recording equipment

• Podcast and video capture system

As one of our students you'll also have access to all our other creative facilities and equipment.

Careers

Throughout our BA (Hons) Music Production degree, you’ll not only develop the latest skills and knowledge for a career in music production, but also get the support you need to grow into a confident and creative graduate with a willingness for lifelong learning, and the desire to seek continuing personal and professional development in all aspects of your career.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have built up a professional portfolio of music production projects that will act as an enhanced CV for you to present to future employers and clients. This might consist of video showreels, commercial music releases, or other demonstrations of your technical expertise, as well as a fully-developed online profile.

You’ll also seek and complete a work placement in an area of your interest in year two, gaining experience of the industry as well as learning to self-evaluate and develop your employability skills.

Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our MA Music Therapy. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they look for and gain a deep understanding of how your academic learning relates to work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

Year 1 core modules: Music in Context; Electronic Music Composition; Studio Techniques; Music Production. Year 2 core modules: Mixing and Mastering; Music Industry; Ruskin Module. Year 2 optional modules: Audio for Film; Audio for Games; Composition and Orchestration; Chords, Contours and Grooves - Songwriting 2; Music Business; Synthesis and Sound Design; Professional DJ Techniques. Year 3 core modules: Final Project; Collaborative Project; Portfolio. Modules are subject to change and availability.

Our open assessment tasks will challenge you to come up with your own creative responses, giving you space for active and creative rehearsals, collaborative experimentation and the development of your own independent work.

You’ll also be assessed using different methods and strategies that reflect the wide variety of activities involved in music-making. As well as creative projects, these might include presentations/performance; essays; analytical work; portfolio development; and written and practical exams.