BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production

UCAS CODE: NJ29 (Full-time) or NJ24 (Foundation Year)
TARIFF: 88 - 112 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
  • Study Mode: Full Time
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Duration: Three or Four Years
  • Start Date: September 2024

Do you have a passion for all things audio and music? On this JAMES accredited course, you’ll explore both the technical and creative aspects of sound, with plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the industry with real life briefs and masterclasses delivered by professionals.

Whether you see your future in studio and live production or within a record label, composing or performing, you’ll have the chance to develop your skills with expert guidance, making use of industry-standard technology and equipment to compose, perform, record and produce original music.

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Coming into BNU, I was not all that sure of what to expect however, meeting my lecturers, they had the reassuring aura and approachable demeanour that made learning easy and fun. The lecturers really did a tremendous job of putting our minds at ease to help us deal with stress in this course. In the studios, it's been great fun to use the Dolby Atmos system. It gives an insight and room for creativity when experimenting 3D audio by panning the objects.
Danielle Ediale
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Why study this subject?

The music sector offers a range of different roles in different environments for you to explore and opportunities in the UK music industry are plentiful. An Audio and Music Production degree will help you develop your creativity, expand your skillset and learn key business tactics to graduate career-ready and specialise in your chosen area of the sector.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

BNU has been delivering courses in the music industry for over 25 years and we have a wealth of expertise from within our network of lecturing staff, guest speakers, and alumni, all with a track record of success in a wide variety of roles in the music business internationally.

Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in your first year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers.

Like the industry, we put collaboration at the centre of what we do. You will get the chance to work with students on other BNU courses, such as the Film and TV students. You’ll record sound and work on post-production which will give you experience of working with a wide variety of genres to help you perfect your production skills.

During your time with us you’ll learn hands-on practical skills to help you stand out to potential employers. You’ll get to grips with industry-standard equipment including in our Dolby Atmos certified sound lab, ensuring upon graduation you are prepared for your first role. Our industry advisory group, BIGMusic, regularly reviews our courses, which means we’re always teaching up to date skills and knowledge relevant for today’s industry demands. By the time you graduate, you’ll have the ability to project manage yourself and a portfolio crammed with real life experience. Our Careers and Employability team will also help to find you work placements in and around the area. 

Source girl listening to music
two men looking at two screens in a music studio

Our Specialisms 

Buckinghamshire New University gives you the opportunity to choose your specialism for your future career after your experience of the core curriculum in year one. Rather than having to make your big decision before you join us, we introduce you to various specialisms and offer you the flexibility to choose the specialism which leads to your chosen speciality. You can choose between BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production, BA (Hons) Music Production, BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and BA (Hons) Music Production and Business.

These specialisms are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme.

 

What facilities can I use?

Our state-of-the-art recording studios and Dolby Atmos certified sound lab, give you access to the space and technology you need. From individual edit rooms up to large Pro Tools Ultimate studios with attached live rooms and vocal booths, we have it all to help you gain hands-on experience.

  • Studio 1 boasts a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 speaker system and an Avid S6 console. We are one of the first Universities in the UK to adopt Dolby Atmos into a music environment. Find out more about Studio 1 in this tour.
  • Studio 2 features an Audient ASP8024 Mixing desk, with outboard equipment by Neve, Universal Audio, Teletronix, Focusrite, Tegler, Maag, Manley and others. It also has monitoring by Genelec and Adam Audio.
  • Studio three and the Electronic Music Studio are based around Avid S3/S4 control surfaces and UAD Apollo x8 audio interfaces.
  • The edit booths are equipped with microphone preamps from Avid.
  • Our microphone stock includes Sennheiser, Neumann, AKG, Shure, Rode and Electrovoice.
  • Studio monitoring includes 5.1 systems by Genelec and stereo systems by KRK.

All studios feature a full range of plug-ins including RX3, Ozone6, Komplete and Speakerphone.

We have other top-quality suppliers, including Midas, Focusrite, Novation and AC Lighting, so you can get your hands on the same tools as the best in the business.

Whilst studying with us you will also use our BucksAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. BucksAnywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.

What will I study?

On this JAMES accredited course, you’ll explore the ins and outs of industry as well as gaining technical knowledge. 

To reflect the real world, you’ll work as part of a production crew both on and off campus. You’ll collaborate with students from other courses, including Film & TV and Performing Arts on projects ranging from the screen to the stage. You'll also learn relevant business skills to help you tackle the challenges freelance technicians can face, including finance and legal guidance.

At its core, our Audio and Music Production programme aims to produce creative graduates with the necessary technical, theoretical and professional skills for employment within the creative industries. You’ll gain comprehensive training in key elements of music and audio production: studio production, location sound and post-production, music performance and composition, immersive audio techniques, critical listening and analysis, sound design, recording and mixing techniques and live audio production techniques.

How will I be taught and assessed?

Our teaching staff have a wealth of professional and academic experience, with many still actively working in the music industry. You’ll also engage with our dynamic programme of visiting lecturers and can benefit from live project briefs, master classes, and plenty of networking opportunities.

Previous live-industry briefs have seen students work at Glastonbury, Dolby and Pinewood Studios. You'll also get the chance to work with up and coming music artists. Previous artists have included the Ting Tings, Jake Bugg, and Florence and the Machine.

You’ll study in a close-knit tutor group where everyone’s input is recognised and valued. Not only will you be able to make friends for life, you’ll also make important connections that could last through your career, and you’ll form a network, just like you’d find in the working-world.

A variety of assessment methods will be used as appropriate to the modules you take, including essays, reports, portfolios of creative audio content, written evaluations, presentations, and some continuous assessment on practical tasks. Assessments will be appropriate to the task, achievable, motivating and vocationally focussed, forming a constructive part of your learning process.

BA (Hons) Music Production Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)

UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.

A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.

For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.

If you don't meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or if you don't feel feel fully prepared for a degree course, you can apply for a four-year programme which includes a Foundation Year - find out more.

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

This course has Opportunity modules.

Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in your first year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers. Find out more.

What are the tuition fees

Home

Home, Academic Year 2024 - 2025

£9,250 per year

International

Overseas/International, Academic Year 2024 - 2025

£15,150 per year

Additional course costs and financial support

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.
You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing advice@bnu.ac.uk.

What are my career prospects?

Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.

Our BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production course will help prepare you for a range of career possibilities in areas such as:

  • Producers
  • performers
  • composers
  • researchers or educators
  • setting up your own production company
  • music production for music charts
  • production company management
  • artist management
  • performance
  • film advertising
  • studio and live production
  • sound design
  • music performance
  • music technology retail
  • music hardware and software support and more!

To help you prepare for your chosen career, we invite experts from industry to come and talk to you at our High Wycombe campus.

Graduates can also choose to study for a postgraduate course, such as MA Music Business or MA Music and Audio Production.

Course leader

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Dr Gerard Gormley
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Dave Cronen
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Brett Gordon
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Dr Christopher D. Lewis SFHEA
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