BA (Hons) Music Performance & Production Bachelor's degree at East London
BA (Hons) Music Performance & Production at East London. The University of East London's BA (Hons) Music Performance & Production develops your abilities across both performance and recording, bridging live musicianship with studio practice.
About this course
BA (Hons) Music Performance & Production is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at East London. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Performing arts graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 50% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Music & Performing Arts, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Sound recordingCore Module
Module details
This module is taken by all music students at UEL and teaches you the basics of sound recording in our studios. The module enables you to collaborate with students from our other BA music courses.
- Music production and culturesCore Module
Module details
This module is split into the Music Production and the Music Cultures section. It's a six hours module taught over two days by different lecturers. Music production teaches you the use of a DAW (mainly Logic Pro) and how to combine audio recordings with MIDI sequencing. The Cultures aspect of this module investigates genres and styles, and explores your identity. This is a core module for all UG music students at UEL.
- Music skillsCore Module
Module details
This module teaches you basic music theory (rudiments of music) and looks at your playing/singing techniques and keyboard skills. Guided listening to original songs and their cover versions to help you understand music theory by focusing on differences in pitch, rhythm, structure, timbre, and texture.
- Music Mixing/Mastering and CulturesCore Module
Module details
This module is also split into the Music Production and the Music Cultures sections. It's a six hours module taught over two days by different lecturers. Mixing and Mastering will teach you how to make your demos and music sound professional, and how to prepare your music for a commercial release. This is a key module and we expect your music to sound professional from here onwards. Cultures looks at music in the social and historical context and is taught to all UEL music students.
- Performance makingCore Module
Module details
This module explores improvisation and collaboration in music. It covers areas not addressed in other modules, including: 20th–21st Century Western Art Music Music from Non-Western Traditions Free Improvisation Electronic Experimental Music Students will also develop: Collaboration Techniques such as working with graphic scores, instruction pieces, modal and free improvisation Performance Skills like creating musical textures (e.g., drones, pulses), synchronising and un-synchronising with others
- Mental Wealth 1: Music industryCore Module
Module details
This module is for all UEL music students and will provide you with the opportunity to identify the skills, competencies and experience required for success in a range of potential future career areas. This may include entrepreneurship, employability, critical and creative thinking, and the techniques of your specialism. You will work with UEL Career Zone and formulate a working CV, you will learn professional etiquette and attitude. Furthermore we will look into performance techniques, technica
Year 2 7 modules
- Advanced sound and music skills 1Core Module
Module details
This module establishes your skills in composition and a solo performance. You will be using advanced musical concepts and techniques to create an original composition for solo performance.
- Songwriting and culturesCore Module
Module details
This module is split into songwriting and the music cultures sections. It's a six hours module taught over two days by different lecturers. In songwriting you will learn lyric writing, harmony, melody, rhythm, phrasing, structure, production with logic. The cultures section of this module explores music, sound and meaning.
- Public project 1Core Module
Module details
In this module you will create a public project, which can be composing for media in collaboration with students from games, or media with the aim to showcase your work in a public setting at the end of the semester. Technical aspects of this module include sound creation (synthesis) and music compositional techniques for media, such as adverts, games, stings. Programme and empathetic music.
- Advanced sound and music skills 2Core Module
Module details
This module establishes your skills in composition and group performance. Composition, improvisation, multidisciplinary performance, non-conventional techniques. Using advanced musical concepts and techniques to collaboratively create two original compositions for a group performance.
- Mental Wealth 2: Music industryCore Module
Module details
This module will provide you with the opportunity to apply skills, competencies and experience required for successful development and a range of potential future career areas. The focus is on areas of enterprise and employability for professional life. This may include creating business plans, planning, and producing events, pitching, and presenting project ideas. The music industry – music release plan, digital distribution, artwork and social media presence. You will also engage with UEL's ca
- Public Project 2Optional Module
Module details
In this module you will extend your exploration of creative practice in relation to people and places, communities, and the public sphere. You will apply creative production work in your discipline with consideration of its connections to social and political issues. You will develop approaches to audiences and participants exploring the challenges of engaging diverse groups. Alongside professional creative activities you will further build understanding of ethical practice in relation to commun
- Creative collaborationOptional Module
Module details
In this module you will collaborate with students from other courses in creative projects that model professional practice and introduce multidisciplinary practice. You may collaborate on projects with disciplines within the department, school, and wider University. Collaborative projects in this module will develop a final creative output, which may include public performances, productions, compositions or installations.
Year 3 6 modules
- Music entrepreneurshipCore Module
Module details
In this module you will explore the key skills and approaches of entrepreneurial practice including project proposals, pitching, event management, producing, and live events. You will be introduced to market and audience research and development, programming, curation and evaluation, as well as artist liaison. You will explore approaches to establishing a creative identity including social media and online presence for networking and promotion.
- Final performance project 1Core Module
Module details
In this module you will develop and apply advanced skills in professional creative activities to project work in your discipline. You will explore subject-specific methods of making, developing and presenting your work with close reference to industry standards. Live electronic music – solo / Creating and performing an original solo piece for instrument/voice and live electronics (using software such as Ableton Live or Logic Pro - Live Loops).
- Research project 1Core Module
Module details
In this module you will use research methods to explore a chosen topic related to creative practice, developing a review of literature or relevant practice-research resources to build an independently defined project. There are two pathway options within this module; a practice-research approach in which you will undertake your research using making and doing in combination with reading, analysis and writing; and a written research approach in which your work will build towards an extended piece
- Research project 2Core Module
Module details
This module builds on from your work in Research Project 1 to continue to develop your advanced creative practice and research skills. You will extend your ability to pursue an independent project idea culminating in an outcome specified by your course. Through this process you will activate rigorous approaches to delve into and articulate concepts, methodologies and theories in relation to your course disciplinary specialism.
- Final performance project 2Core Module
Module details
In this module, you will deliver a performance project within your specialist area. Supported by your tutors and peers, you will create, develop, refine, rehearse and publicly present work that showcases your skills and creativity. Having established skills, techniques and approaches throughout your degree, and in Final Performance Project 1, you will draw on your advanced abilities to produce work that will form part of your showcase. Live electronic music – group / collaboratively creating two
- Mental Wealth 3 / your career / work placementCore Module
Module details
This module will provide you with the opportunity to apply the full range of skills, competencies and experience required for successful development in a range of potential future careers. Students will advance the areas identified at level 5 for their own personal professional development (including emotional, social, physical, cultural and cognitive intelligences) through taught and workshop activity. All students will undertake a professional practice placement of 20-50 hours to build their t
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study music performance and production, progressing from foundational skills to specialist focus. A course like this normally starts with principal-study lessons, ensembles and performance classes, alongside musicianship, theory and aural skills. Year 1 also covers music history and repertoire from early music onwards. In Year 2, you'll deepen performance technique through recitals and larger ensemble work, and gain practical experience in composition, music technology and studio craft. You'll also explore teaching and community music practice. Year 3 typically leads to specialist pathways such as performance, composition, musicology or music production, alongside professional development in music business and funding. Your studies culminate in a final recital, portfolio or major project.
Who it's for
This course suits you if you're a capable musician or producer with genuine curiosity about how music is made, recorded, and performed, and you want to study both simultaneously rather than choosing one. You'll thrive if you're comfortable in a studio environment, keen to learn technical production skills, and interested in the creative and analytical sides of music. Whether you're drawn to live performance, production work, session playing, or hybrid roles that combine these, this degree gives you space to explore. You'll spend three years developing both your creative voice and professional capabilities, working with others while building a portfolio of your own work.
Careers & job market
Across Music & Performing Arts nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months, and 55% of those working are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. Graduate earnings nationally range from £20,000–£28,000 at the 15-month mark, rising to £19,975–£28,200 after five years. Roles vary widely: some graduates move into recording studios, live sound, session work, or music education; others pursue further study or combine music with adjacent creative industries. Your path depends on the contacts you build, the portfolio you develop during your degree, and how you position yourself in a competitive field.
University & format
This is a 3-year full-time Bachelor's degree (BA Hons) taught in English at the University of East London, a public university. The University of East London is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree is nationally recognised. The institution has received a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at East London →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Music & Performing Arts graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £25,000 | £22,000 – £30,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £17,000 | £11,000 – £23,000 | 135 |
| 5 years after | £23,000 | £17,000 – £29,000 | 135 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in music & performing arts · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Music & Performing Arts nationally
National figures for Music & Performing Arts graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Music & Performing Arts courses at the same study level.
Compared with 527 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 55; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Music & Performing Arts graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Music & Performing Arts graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Orchestras & ensembles
- Schools & conservatoires
- Studios & venues
- Media & freelance
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Music & Performing Arts graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.8 out of 10: NSS 77.9% · in work or study 80% · continued 75%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of East London
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of East London
1,002 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Music & Performing Arts right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to East London from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by East London; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check East London’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with East London and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at East London
Music & Performing Arts at other universities
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (with integrated foundation year)Aberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (with integrated year in professional practice)Aberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Drama & Theatre StudiesAberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Creative Industries Futures (including Foundation Year)ACMCommon questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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