MA
Postgraduate - Level 7

Music Production & Sound Engineering

Online
Subject to validation

Establish yourself as a music production and sound engineering specialist with this multi-dimensional, professionally-targeted, online postgraduate course.

Key Information
  • Where can I study?
    Online
  • Start Date
    September 2024
  • Study Modes
    Full-Time / Part-Time
  • Course Length
    1 Year (FT) / 2 Year (PT)
  • UK/Home Fees (Per Year)
    £8500 (FT) / £4250 (PT)
icon chevron Icon Information
Key Information
Key Information
  • Where can I study?
    Online
  • Start Date
    September 2024
  • Study Modes
    Full-Time / Part-Time
  • Course Length
    1 Year (FT) / 2 Year (PT)
  • UK/Home Fees (Per Year)
    £8500 (FT) / £4250 (PT)
  • Get UCAS codes
  • Start your application
Music Production & Sound Engineering

Course Overview

This course caters for a wide audience, including recent graduates from music production and technology bachelor’s degrees, those in the early stages of their careers in music production and sound engineering (with suitable experience) and those who wish to develop and diversify their professional skill set from other areas of the sound and music industry.

You will gain a highly sophisticated understanding of the mixing and mastering process and build a framework for monetising your specialist skills. You will also become adept with key industry-relevant tools, ensuring that you are able to prepare material for a range of industry purposes and commercial enterprises.

This course is taught by the dBs Institute and awarded by Access Creative College

If you’re based in or hoping to study in London, this course is available to study with Access Creative London.

This course is taught by the dBs Institute and awarded by Falmouth University

Course Details

The course takes place over three trimesters, covering 45 or 90 weeks, depending on whether you choose to study one year full-time or two years part-time. You’ll study a total of five modules, including a final major research project.

Online MA Music Production & Sound Engineering

Year Overview

Year 1

Module Breakdown

Refine your craft as an music producer/sound engineer, master the use of multiple industry-standard DAWs, generate a passive income through conceptualisation and development of a product, deepen your understanding of setting up your own business and deliver a final major project.

How You'll Learn

While furthering your understanding and application of key creative techniques in the recording, mixing and mastering of music, you will hone in on an area within music production that resonates with you; developing it into a full-scale project intended for commercial release. Alongside this, you’ll develop entrepreneurial skills that will help shape you professionally, enhance your practical skills through practice-based workshops, and learn to evaluate and improve your work through group and individual tutorials. Regular learning will come from lectures, seminars and our Virtual Learning Environment. In addition your learning will be supported by:

  • Access to our Virtual Learning Environment
  • Online learning resources including videos, reading material, interactive activities, eLectures and audio recordings.
  • Live webinars
  • Course content released weekly via the VLE
  • Challenging practical tasks related to the course content
  • Access to Discord channels for discussing topics and sharing material
  • Live-streamed masterclasses and guest lectures
  • Group and 1-2-1 tutorials
  • In some instances you may be able to access to studio facilities, library resources and study spaces in Bristol, Manchester and Plymouth, this is dependent on your UK Settlement status.

Assessment is 100% coursework and will be a mixture of practical portfolios, critical evaluations, planning documents, proposals and presentations.

You should expect to commit a minimum of 40 hours per week of which 15% (6 hours) will be taught and 85% will be self-study.

Why Choose dBs

Here at dBs Institute, we pride ourselves on creating a learning environment that reflects the industry that you want to work in. Our state-of-the-art facilities ensure that you are working on professional-grade equipment; our course leaders have years of industry experience to draw from and we foster a community of students and staff that inspires and encourages collaboration. Throughout your studies and beyond, we will also provide you with career support and guidance to reach your future goals.

Facilities

Mic'ing up drums in the Studio 6 live room
Bristol
Mic'ing up drums in the Studio 6 live room
Hands-on with our Trident 68 mixing desk
Manchester
Hands-on with our Trident 68 mixing desk
Our Neve Genesys mixing desk
Plymouth
Our Neve Genesys mixing desk
The live room for our Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Manchester
The live room for our Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Inside the Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Manchester
Inside the Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Our SSL AWS924 Delta mixing console
Plymouth
Our SSL AWS924 Delta mixing console
Our API 1608 mixing console
Bristol
Our API 1608 mixing console
The live room for the Neve pro suite
Manchester
The live room for the Neve pro suite
arrow
arrow

    Why Choose a Online
    Degree at dBs

    Our online master's degrees offers a high-quality, immersive, and community-driven learning experience, led by industry experts who are passionate about their craft. With 24/7 access to course materials and resources, you can learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. Plus, our hands-on projects will equip you with practical skills necessary for a successful career in the music industry.
    A female student works on her laptop

    Flexible study

    Enjoy the freedom to fit your learning around you. For online students, course content – other than one-to-one sessions – will be available to access whenever suits you. Video materials that have been created for online students will also be made available to students that select to study on-site.

    dBs Online tutor kris burton sits in front of our API desk at dBs

    Learn from the pros

    You will learn from tutors whose expertise extends across production, composition, sound design, sound engineering, label management, marketing and promotion.

    You’ll also have access to our extensive guest lecture programme, giving you the chance to meet leading industry professionals – ranging from respected producers and performers to specialist technical staff from world-class audio companies.

    Student working on a project at dBs Pro

    Industry Connections

    As a student of this course, you will be encouraged to apply for placements and opportunities with dBs Pro, our in-house creative audio company.
    This will allow you to further your experience and apply the skills you have been honing, as well as showcase your skills to clients and develop your creative own links in the industry.

    What our students say

    Who better to tell you about our course than students already doing the course? In this video, some of our latest cohort talk about their experience of the dBs online masters degrees.

    What our students say

    Learn what makes dBs Institute so special from the people who matter most - our students!

    Opportunities

    Engaging with our industry

    In our 20+ year history, we’ve built a strong network of contacts across the creative industries, that include AMS Neve, Solid State Logic, Avid and many more.

    Career support

    We strive to equip our students with the skills and opportunities to secure roles across the creative industries, and this goal underpins the student experience at dBs Institute.

    dBs Pro

    dBs Pro is a creative audio company with a difference - it’s dedicated to providing our students with real-world experience alongside their studies.

    Your Future Prospects

    Online MA Music Production & Sound Engineering degree encourages students to become better independent learners and practitioners of sound engineering and  electronic music production. The course is designed to push students to explore areas of their discipline they may be unfamiliar with, expanding the professional pathways available to them when they graduate. With a strong emphasis on the industry, students will also learn how to be better entrepreneurs as well as artists, composers and creators.

    Here are just a few of the roles linked to this course:

    How to Apply

    Applying for this course is easy! Simply click the "Apply" button below to submit your application directly through our website.
    A member of our Admissions Team will then be in touch to discuss your suitability for the course, your interests and to arrange an interview.

    Applications for undergraduate degrees are made through the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). You can apply online through the UCAS website.

    Please note that the UCAS 'on-time' application deadline for equal consideration is 31st January 2024.

    UCAS Codes
    Campus
    Course Code
    Campus Code
    Institution Code

    If you would like to make an application for this course, fill in your details below and a member of our admissions team will be in touch to advise you through the application process.

    For detailed information on how to apply please take a look at our guide to making an application.

    Further Study

    Register your interest

    If you’d like to find out more about our postgraduate courses, please fill in the form below. Once submitted, a member of our admissions team will be in touch to discuss our postgraduate course offerings and the next steps of the application process.

    Please note, if you currently live outside of the UK and require a Tier 4 VISA to study in the United Kingdom, we are unable to accept your application for our on campus full-time or part-time postgraduate degree programmes. If this is the case, please apply for one of our online postgraduate courses instead.

    Stats