BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2027
Love Sound Design? Fascinated by the sounds behind your favourite films, TV shows and games? Develop your skills in recording, music production and sound design on our BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production degree. Working in professional recording studios and Dolby Atmos mixing facilities, you'll learn to record, edit and mix audio, produce music and create sound for moving images and interactive media. Follow in the footsteps of our graduates, who've gone on to work in film and television on BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated productions.
Coming into BNU, I wasn't sure of what to expect however, meeting my lecturers, they had a 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
We’ve designed this to be the most wide-ranging audio course at BNU, one that balances specialist sound design training with the flexibility to explore music production and audio theory. You won’t just be sitting in a studio on your own, either. You’ll be swapping ideas with animators, game designers, and advertising students, tackling projects that feel a lot like real client briefs. It’s collaborative, occasionally chaotic, and exactly the kind of environment that gets you ready for the industry. By the end, you’ll have a portfolio that doesn’t just show what you can do, it shows how you work.
Our course is designed to be practical and immersive. You'll get plenty of opportunities to work on real-life briefs and projects, helping you build a strong portfolio and gain valuable experience. From recording sessions to live sound setups, you'll be involved in every aspect of music production. This hands-on approach ensures you develop the technical skills and creative confidence needed to succeed.
BNU has a huge amount of industry connections, thanks to over 25 years of delivering music courses. Our network of guest speakers and alumni can provide you with insights and opportunities in the music business. You'll have the chance to attend industry events, workshops, and networking sessions. These connections can open doors to internships, job placements, and collaborations with established artists and producers.
A degree in Music Production from BNU opens up a wide range of career opportunities. Whether you see yourself in studio production, live sound, composing, or working within a record label, you'll be well-prepared to pursue your passion. Our graduates have gone on to work in various roles within the music industry, from sound engineers to music producers. The skills and knowledge you gain at BNU will equip you to adapt and thrive in this dynamic field.
Course Structure and Specialisms
Your first year is all about trying things out, building your skills and discovering where your interests lie. You'll develop your knowledge of different software in recording, editing, mixing and production, while getting a taste of the different directions you could take your audio career.
As you progress, you'll deepen your skills in recording, mixing, sound design and immersive audio, applying them to music and sound for film, television and games. Through practical projects, you'll develop your creative judgement and technical expertise, building a portfolio that reflects your interests and demonstrates your abilities to potential employers and clients.
You'll work with students across Film and Television and Animation and Games, putting your audio skills to use on projects beyond your own course. This could mean creating sound design for games developed by fellow students or producing audio for film and television productions. You'll use industry-standard software such as Wwise and Unity Engine, and have the chance to take part in events like Global Game Jam.
You'll also benefit from links with Stanton Media and Deviant Films, who work with current students and graduates on their productions. Their projects have premiered in Los Angeles, with agents showing interest in acquiring shows for platforms such as Netflix. Through these connections, you'll gain valuable insight into the industry and the opportunities available within it.
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?
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.
Take a look at some of the professional productions our students have contributed to, from location recording through to post-production
The Audio & Music Production students and graduates we’ve worked with at BNU have brought enthusiasm, professionalism and strong technical skills to live events, promotional content and post-production projects. The course content and support from their lecturers have prepared them to contribute to professional productions and respond to real industry briefs.
— Nick Harwood, Stanton Media
Through our partnership with BNU, current Audio & Music Production students have contributed to post-production and Foley recording for professional films as part of their coursework. This includes editing and Foley work on a feature film due for release in 2027, giving students experience of professional film production while they are still studying.
— Paul Goodwin, Deviant Films Ltd
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.
Grow your live performance skills and musical knowledge through workshops and interactive demonstrations. Develop Your musical and technical language while also learning to collaborate successfully with other musicians and performers. It will also cover how to overcome nerves and how to communicate with other performers and an audience.
This module will introduce you to the history of post-World War 2 popular music. You will be introduced to the fundamentals of the evolution of the music and associated industries, synchronic and diachronic networks of music genres, and the people and organisations that shaped their development.
This module develops your recording, performing and songwriting skills. You will cover a variety of common processes regarding preproduction, demo creation, studio and live performance, songwriting and mixing. You will be focused on performance elements and song crafting, basic recording processes and the skills involved in mixing audio.
In this module, you will be introduced to the principles, functions and practices of management. Such approaches will subsequently be applied to key areas of the creative industries. In addition, you will gain an understanding of how different aspects of the creative industries interrelate.
In this module, you’ll reflect on and develop professional skills through project production. You’ll enhance your reflective writing, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking, gaining insight into your strengths and areas for growth.
In this module, you’ll collaborate with other students on a project within your subject’s themes, honing vital professional skills like leadership, interpersonal relations, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving, essential for teamwork in real-world scenarios.
You'll study the science of sound and develop creative audio skills using hardware and software in the audio studio environment. You'll explore the auditory system and perception and learn to capture and create audio productions. You will study the critical technologies used in the audio industry and identify the science of how these operate.
You'll explore technical and creative approaches required of Sound Design within cinematic and audiovisual forms. This hands-on module looks at audio post-production techniques such as Foley, ADR (Ddalogue replacement), field recording, SFX search, mixing & processing techniques and other specialist Sound Design areas.
You'll be taught how to capture, edit and mix audio elements into a single output. Topics on recording & mixing will be introduced and demonstrated. You'll explore the use of technology within the science of audio recording & mixing using industry-appropriate equipment. The main emphasis will be on music-based recording & post-production processes.
Discover the technical aspects of delivering sound reinforcement in the live audio industry. You'll explore the key components of professional live audio systems and industry standard technology and techniques in the context of live performance. You'll also study creative mixing and how to operate safely and effectively in the live audio industry.
In this module, you will develop your own innovative performance and choreographic practice by creating a music video. To support your creativity, you will explore both theoretical and practical work by leading choreographers in the commercial music industry. You will reflect on the relationship between theory and practice, and document your creative process through a behind-the-scenes video blog (VLOG).
You'll study the equipment, environment and operational procedures involved in the production of sound for film & other media. Focused on Production Sound Recording, you'll use industry-standard sound kits on location. You'll also study professional audio post-production techniques as needed in film production & throughout the creative industries.
Study the application of sound in computer games, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and other interactive media forms. You'll consider the unique requirements of sound design in these non-linear areas and have the chance to learn basic audio implementation skills in industry-appropriate game engine tools.
You'll study the relationships between equipment, environment and operational procedures involved in audio production in a multi-track recording studio. You'll explore approaches to audio and music production and the history and practices of producers, engineers and composers in popular music and more experimental sound art scenes and how they cross genres.
This module offers you the opportunity to work on advanced sound design projects, tailored to your own interests and specialisms. You may collaborate with students from related disciplines such as Animation & VFX, Performing Arts, Creative Advertising, and Computer Games. You will gain experience in an applied setting, practise your existing skills, engage in collaborative processes common to the industry, and build a professional portfolio.
The aim of the module is to provide you with an introduction to research methods and the skills necessary for planning and conducting research and enquiry within their field of study, discipline or professional contexts.
You'll explore sound design techniques and critical listening skills in specific audio contexts. We'll help you learn to discern and analyse sound characteristics, record and develop audio to create original sound design, and produce creative work that explores the potential offered by different techniques and sound processing.
This module will give you a thorough understanding of the fundamental topics needed to manage projects within a complex and ever-changing environment. You’ll develop a deeper understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of project management and gain the essential skills necessary to plan, monitor, control and deliver successful projects.
This module builds on the audio production skills you've developed in previous years and introduces immersive audio techniques in music production. From binaural audio to Dolby Atmos, immersive audio has become more common in the industry in the last few years and this module aims to put your skillsets at the forefront of technical developments.
Building on non-linear sound design skills and experience acquired at Level 5, this module provides further focus on the application of sound in computer games, virtual reality (VR), and other interactive media forms. You'll have the chance to research this area and work on live projects in collaboration with BNU learners in relevant areas.
Building on earlier sound design modules, this module gives you the chance to undertake practical projects with external collaborators. You will work in a professional-style environment, enhance your technical and creative abilities, participate in industry-relevant collaboration, and develop a portfolio to support your progression into the field.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2027 - 2028: £10,050 per year *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2027 - 2028: £15,910 per year *
Please note all of the 2026/27 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.
Please note, distance learning and international fees are subject to change for 2027/2028 intake.
Additional costs
Your tuition fees cover most course costs, but you may need to budget for additional expenses. These can include specialist equipment, project materials, professional memberships, field trips or placements, as well as everyday student costs like printing, books and stationery.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our enquiries team by completing this form.
What are my career prospects?
Our graduates go in all sorts of directions; sound design for film and TV, audio post-production, game audio, music production, even sports broadcasting at events like the Olympics and Formula 1. Some go freelance straight away; others dive into postgraduate study in areas like spatial or interactive audio. However you choose to work, you’ll leave with the technical skills, creative flair, and collaborative experience to get your foot in the door, and the work in your portfolio to keep it there.
Many of our graduates have gone on to have successful careers in the Music industry, find out more about our Music alumni in the Wall of Fame.
As a graduate you can also go on to study a postgraduate course, such as MA Music Business or MA Music and Audio Production.
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