BA (Hons) Music Production Bachelor's degree at York St John University

Develop a foundation of professional sound engineering skills. Learn the principles of sound and studio technology through taught studio sessions, including transducers, signal routing and gain staging, processing and recording principles, recording studio operations, summing and mixing theory, and using the mixing console.

Investigate the techniques needed to effectively use digital workstations, including audio recording, editing and mixing, analogue and digital sequencing, synthesis and sampling, and operation of different software packages.

Gain a deeper understanding of studio technology, composition, and DAW practice, learning how to use them efficiently to produce professional level outcomes. Build experience using the studio as a workplace and create music productions as part of a team.

Develop musical understanding and ability to apply it creatively in composing music with meaning. Explore the foundational elements of music by combining music theory with contemporary Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) based composition.

Gain a deeper understanding of the music industry. Explore how the music industry has developed, the formation of music industry institutions, legal frameworks, how consumption of music has evolved, and business models and fragmentation of the music industry.

Introduce key academic sources, including books and journal articles. Learn to analyse recorded pieces of music in a variety of contexts and apply key frameworks to written assessments. Develop research and academic writing skills through discussions and debates about key concepts and issues surrounding the study of music production.

Develop musical knowledge by studying composition and arrangement in different production contexts, considering the roles of instruments in an arrangement, and learning how different sounds and sonic textures can be mixed. Topics covered include beats, grooves and syncopation, creating a hook, 4-part harmony writing, manipulating time signatures and tempo, track development, and density and layering for effect.

Build sound engineering skills through recording technique and computer-based production workshops. Study the design and operation of specialist studio recording equipment, hardware and software synthesisers and samplers.

Develop skills in mixing music, along with further skills in critical listening and sonic evaluation. Using historical and current methods, find your own best practices for putting different audio tracks together.

Manage a music production project from start to finish, based on a brief from an external client. Manage the production and deal with the client in a professional way to develop creative direction and enhance artistic identity.

Gain an understanding of the mechanisms of intellectual property, copyright and licencing in the music industry. Examine how creative assets can be exploited to generate income. Explore publishing, royalty collection agencies, industry bodies and representation. Learn about marketing and publicity processes and techniques used in the music industry.

Learn how historical developments in music technology have influenced electronic dance music (EDM) production styles, and develop an understanding of the techniques used to employ the technology in the creation of a music product. Guided tour through the genesis of electronic music and its evolution into EDM in the contemporary context.

Showcase the breadth of knowledge and production skills gained during your time on the course. Demonstrate your production practice and run a full recording project, producing a portfolio of commercial music. This could take the form of an album production for a local music group, a collection of tracks or EPs, or a soundtrack for a film or other moving image product.

Using analysis, experiment, theory, practice and reflection, write and submit a written document on a topic you are passionate about. Write up to 6,000 words that contribute to research in your chosen specialism.

Work with a supervisor to develop a career plan, based on research into an industry or enterprise you are interested in. Learn about continued professional development (CPD) and self-reflective exercises.

Investigate the history of audio mastering, and consider how historical events have affected music distribution. Use critical listening skills in different contexts when looking into headphone technology, acoustics, and the evolution of audio formats. Cover every part of the audio mastering process from receiving audio to delivering the final product.

Develop your songwriting skills to form a key aspect of your professional toolkit.