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Music: Popular Music and Recording

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 09/2025
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Peel Park Campus

Course summary

Serious about a career in the music industry? Ready to join a course that’s produced Mercury Prize nominees, award winning entrepreneurs, and professional film and television composers? If so, our popular music degree is the right choice for you.

When you join this course, you’ll embark upon your personal journey towards professional musicianship, developing your performance, composition and recording skills while deepening your knowledge of how the industry works. You’ll receive musical tuition in the instrument of your choice, get to grips with the essentials of studio recording, and expand your experience of performing in both solo and ensemble settings. Added to all that, you’ll take part in masterclasses led by established professionals, providing you with invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in the music industry.

As an undergraduate music student studying at Salford, you’ll have access to a vibrant local music scene with links to local venues and musical institutions. We’ll be providing you with the chance to regularly contribute to concerts and gigs, as well as to engage with like-minded creative artists.

Our popular music recording degree is well known for producing successful recording artists such as members of the British art rock band Everything Everything (Mercury Prize nominees 2018); recording artist and award-winning entrepreneur Caroline Redman Lusher (Founder and Creator of Rock Choir); Film and television music composer Louis Dodd (Love and Hate Crime, EMMY nominated Strike Back: Retribution, Amazing Hotels and BAFTA winning Long Lost Family), and songwriter/producer Rick Boardman (member of indie dance band Delphic and co-writer of hit singles including ‘Back to You’ performed by Louis Tomlinson and Bebe Rexha; ‘Real Love’ Clean Bandit/Jess Glynne and ‘Love On Me’ Galantis).

You will:

  • Study on the number one Popular Music and Recording course in the North West, and number two in the UK (Guardian 2021 league tables)

  • Be taught by practising music professionals on a course with a reputation for producing graduates in the popular music industry

  • Be able to fully explore your creative ideas and passions through specialist portfolio work

  • Work on projects in our industry-standard music recording studios

  • Graduate with a portfolio of work that can be used for future employment or further study.

Visit our Popular Music and Recording degree CourseFinder webpage https://bit.ly/3iCRHIf
Explore all of our Music courses and read our helpful FAQs https://bit.ly/391SUG6
Sign-up to an Open Day or Campus Tour https://bit.ly/2MchZVA

Modules

Year one

  • Musicianship Skills
  • Popular Music Style and Genre
  • Performance Studies
  • Applied Composition and Technology
  • Interpreting Popular Music

Year Two

  • Professional Development in the Creative Industries
    You will choose three of the following options:
  • Advanced Musicianship Skills
  • Compositional Practice
  • Studio Composition
  • Audio for Media
  • Studio Recording and Production
  • Popular Music and Identity
    You will then choose two of the following options:
  • Creative Compositions and Arranging
  • Advanced Performance Studies
  • Advanced Studio Composition
  • Music Journalism
  • Ethnomusicology
  • Advanced Musicology

Year three

  • Project Scope
  • Professional Practice
  • Negotiated Major Project

Visit our Popular Music and Recording degree CourseFinder webpage https://bit.ly/3iCRHIf

How to apply

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
J931
Institution code:
S03
Campus name:
Peel Park Campus
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

120 points
Minimum number of A2 subjects or equivalent - 2. To include a Music subject.

A level

BBB
UCAS Tariff Points 120 with minimum of 2 A Levels to include a Music subject. General Studies not accepted.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM
To include a Music subject.

Access to HE Diploma

Pass Level 3 QAA approved Access Diploma to include music. 120 UCAS tariff points.

Scottish Higher

120 UCAS tariff points to include Music.

AS

AS levels are accepted in combination with Level Three qualifications; including A-levels and BTECs.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.

Scottish Advanced Higher

Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31 points
To include a grade of 5 (Higher Level) in Music.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

120 UCAS tariff points. To include Music subject.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language at grade C/level 4 or above (or equivalent) is required. Maths at grade C/level 4 or above is preferred but not essential. You must fulfil our GCSE entry requirements as well as the Level 3 qualification requirement.

T Level

M

Additional entry requirements

Interview

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Please see our website for latest fee information.

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