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MA Music and Audio Production

Name: MA Music and Audio Production
Price: £6015.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

If you’re seeking to advance your career in music and audio production, this course gives you the opportunity to study record production, sound design, audio-visual composition, sound art, creative audio production and music business, amongst other exciting topics. Through your studies, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your personal organisation skills, self-discipline, time management and dedication to succeed in a competitive field.

You will be able to enhance your team-working skills, demonstrating to employers the ability to devise creative solutions and work effectively with others, and can hone your communication skills to form concise, compelling and coherent arguments. Stay updated with all our latest BNU Audio and Music news by following us on Instagram @bnu_music.

two men looking at two screens in a music studio

Why Study Music and Audio at BNU?

Industry-Focused Curriculum

You'll learn from industry experts as you master every aspect of modern audio production—from music production and audio engineering to sound design and mixing & mastering. You'll gain the skills needed to excel in a competitive creative music landscape.

Flexible Learning Options

You'll benefit from flexible study schedules designed to fit your busy lifestyle. Whether balancing work, personal commitments, or your passion for audio production, you'll progress at your own pace in a nurturing environment that supports both your academic and creative growth.

State of the Art facilities and Live Projects

You'll enjoy hands-on learning in cutting-edge studios equipped with the latest recording suites and mixing labs, working with industry-standard audio production technology to develop practical skills for a professional career in audio production and creative media. Additionally, you'll benefit from extensive studio time and engaging real-world projects that mirror industry challenges, refining your recording, editing, and mixing skills while building a diverse portfolio that showcases your creative talent and technical expertise in music and audio production.

Focus on Advanced Audio Techniques

You'll dive into advanced audio production techniques that set you apart. Explore cutting-edge methods in sound design, recording, and post-production, gaining specialised knowledge that prepares you to lead and innovate in the dynamic field of music and audio production.

Career support and mentoring

You’ll be taught by seasoned industry professionals, who provide personalised mentoring alongside tailored career guidance. From one-to-one sessions and hands-on workshops to networking events that connect you with key industry players, you will receive the insights and tools you need to help refine your creative vision and confidently enter the music industry. This comprehensive approach not only hones your technical skills but also builds professional connections and practical know-how, ensuring you’re well-prepared for a career in music and audio.

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.
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.

What will I study?

This programme has been designed to allow you to develop a detailed understanding of the professional environment of the audio and music production sectors. You will learn how apply newly acquired knowledge and skills creatively in order to exploit current opportunities as well as instigate new lines of professional activity. Through developing conceptual understanding, you'll be able to evaluate methodologies employed within audio and music production and critique them.

You’ll study topics including sound art, composition and approaches to recording and mixing. Additionally, depending on the modules you pick, you can delve into the live music industry, recording performance, sound design, and social media marketing, amongst other area.

You can choose to study this course full time over one year or part-time over two years.

Audio and Music facilities equipment in close-up

Microphone close up in Audio and Music studios

A Bucks Students' Union event held in a music concert with students waving their arms in the air whilst looking towards the stage

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 lectures and can benefit from live project briefs, master classes, and plenty of networking opportunities.

A variety of assessment methods will be used as appropriate to the modules you take, including:

Practical assignment
Report
Essay
Portfolio
Reflective commentary
Research proposal
Dissertation
Practical project

MA Music and Audio Production Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

A typical applicant will hold a 2:1 and have an interest in pursuing a career in music, or have several years’ experience in the industry at an appropriate level.

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.

Modules

Core Modules

Credits

Approaches to Recording & Mixing

20

Credits: 20

You'll explore the histories, technologies, techniques and philosophies of record production, and examine the foundational aspects of sound recording, including acoustics, spaces, ambience, the physiology of instruments and recording devices. You'll workshop ideas presented during lectures and develop your own auditory ideas over the course.

Sound Art & Composition

20

Credits: 20

Through analysis and practice you'll study experimental approaches to music creation and look at the history and practices of experimental producers, performers, and composers in the sound art world and how they cross genres. You'll critique experimental audio works and their production techniques to implement similar ideas in your own work.

Research Methods

20

Credits: 20

Extended Independent Work

60

Credits: 60

You'll undertake project work at a strategic level in or for an organisation. You'll consider how you might bring about evidence-based change or innovation in your practice area. Using a step-by-step approach, you'll critically think about why your topic is important, how you might implement it and how the proposed change will be evaluated.

Optional Modules

Credits

The Recording Performance

20

Credits: 20

You'll investigate the performances and relationships between artist and engineer in the creative recording environment, and be encouraged to research the psychological and interpersonal issues of creating the right atmosphere for the communal activity of creating recorded music to happen.

Future Production Technologies

20

Credits: 20

This module encourages you to research modern production skills whilst utilising a cutting-edge performance environment to develop advanced techniques on modern performance technologies. You'll finish by designing, managing & executing either a musical performance for broadcast using multicamera livestream technology, or a multimedia installation.

Sound Design for Linear Media

20

Credits: 20

This highly practical module introduces and builds on skills specific to the production of sound and music for moving image and other linear media forms. You'll work on sound design projects in areas like film production, theatre and performance, or animation and VFX, which may involve working with learners on relevant other programmes.

Social Media Marketing

20

Credits: 20

You'll study core concepts in social media marketing at Level 7. This module will focus on using social media to promote brands or services and on building relationships between a business and their customers.

The Live Music Industry

20

Credits: 20

This module aims to provide you with a systematic and structured knowledge of the framework of the live music and entertainment business, and the impact the law has on it. You'll also focus on a practitioner’s statutory obligations and the development and applicability of legislation and established good practice models.

What are the tuition fees

Home

Home, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £6,015 per year *

Please note all of the 2026/27 academic year fees stated are subject to parliamentary procedure. Tuition fees are expected to increase each academic year in line with the maximum permitted value set by the Government for that academic year. The expected rise for Home undergraduate students (including those on a foundation year course), may impact both new and continuing students.

What are my career prospects?

This course will prepare you to work in a number of freelance professional roles such as Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, Studio Technician, Sound Editor, Sound Technology Educator, further postgraduate study or research.