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BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree

Develop your creativity and gain confidence working in high-quality recording and post-production suites with SAE’s 2-year Audio Production degree. Get to grips with the latest music production software, including Pro Tools, Ableton and FMOD, and use your newfound knowledge across the creative worlds of music, film, TV, games and more.

Available to start in January or September
BA/BSc (Hons) Audio Engineering & Music Production Degree
Campuses
Glasgow, Liverpool, London
Fees
BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree
Domestic Fees
London

£11,100 per year

The annual tuition fee is fully funded via Student Finance England for eligible home-fee students.

For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024.

Glasgow

£9,000 per year

Partial funding is available for eligible home fee applicants who are residents of Scotland via the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024.

Liverpool

£11,100 per year

The annual tuition fee is fully funded via Student Finance England for eligible home-fee students.

For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024.

Leamington Spa

£11,100 per year

The annual tuition fee is fully funded via Student Finance England for eligible home-fee students.

For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024.

BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree
International Fees
London

For international students (non-EU/EEA/Swiss)*, £15,000 per year



For EU/EEA/Swiss students*
: £ 11,100 per year

*Student visa required

For more information regarding SAE’s EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy, please read the SAE UK EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy.

Glasgow

For international students (non-EU/EEA/Swiss)*, £13,000 per year



For EU/EEA/Swiss students*
: £ 9,000 per year

*Student visa required

For more information regarding SAE’s EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy, please read the SAE UK EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy.

Liverpool

For international students (non-EU/EEA/Swiss)*, £15,000 per year



For EU/EEA/Swiss students*
: £ 11,100 per year

*Student visa required

For more information regarding SAE’s EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy, please read the SAE UK EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy.

Leamington Spa

For international students (non-EU/EEA/Swiss)*, £15,000 per year



For EU/EEA/Swiss students*
: £ 11,100 per year

*Student visa required

For more information regarding SAE’s EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy, please read the SAE UK EU/EEA/Swiss students bursary policy.

Duration(s)
2 years full-time
BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree
Course Durations
2 years full-time
Start Date(s)
January and September 2024
BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree
Start Dates
Glasgow
  • January and September 2024

Liverpool
  • January and September 2024

London
  • January and September 2024

Entry Requirements
BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree
Domestic Entry Requirements
Domestic students must meet one of the following criteria:
Degree entry Offers will be made to applicants who are expected to meet, or exceed the entry requirements below, in addition to supplying a personal statement:
72 UCAS points
GCSE level A* - C in English 9 - 4 (or equivalent). For students studying in Scotland this is equivalent to National 5, C grade
Personal statement
Non-standard entry routes SAE Institute will accept non-standard entry applications, which do not meet the 72 UCAS points or equivalent, and/or maths/English at level 2 or equivalent as required:
Portfolio of related work - This could include recordings, films, sketch books, a blog or any suitable medium that gives you the best opportunity to show us your creative potential.
Successful pass mark achieved via the SAE UK Maths test
Academic Essay
Further Domestic Entry Information
For more information, please look at our Domestic Entry page
Domestic Entry Requirements
BA/BSC (Hons) Audio Production Degree
International Entry Requirements
Non-UK Applicants
English language requirements Students whose first language is not English will need a qualification that demonstrates competence in English, equivalent to UK GCSE (Level 2) grade 4 (c) or above. Equivalent qualifications can be accepted, where these qualifications have been verified by ENIC and are adopted widely within the UK Higher Education sector, including:
IELTS (UKVI or Academic) (minimum 5.5 in all components and an overall score of 6.0)
Pearson Test of English (minimum 59 in all subscores)
Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (minimum grade C)
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (minimum grade B)
Cambridge English: Level 1 Certificate in ESOL International (B2 First) – minimum grade C
TOEFL (IBT or IBT Home Edition online) 72 overall with the following component scores: Listening – 17 Writing – 17 Speaking – 20 Reading – 18
LanguageCert ESOL examinations:
  • International ESOL C1 Expert – pass in all four components
  • International ESOL SELT B2 (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) – minimum 33 in all components
  • ESOL Integrated Skills in English II – pass in all components
• IELTS Indicator* (online) – minimum 5.5 in all components and an overall score of 6.0
*Accepted on exceptional basis for the applicants whose local test centres are affected by closures due to Covid-19
Further International Entry Information
For more information, please look at our International Entry page
International Entry Requirements

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM YOUR Audio Production DEGREE

If you’re ready to launch your career as an audio production professional, SAE’s BA/BSc (Hons) Audio Production degree will get you there more quickly than a traditional university course. Studied over 2 years rather than 3, this music production accelerated degree will see you gain theoretical knowledge and essential technical audio skills so you can work confidently in your chosen area of the audio industry – whether that’s in live sound/music, film, animation, games, immersive audio and programming, or audio drama.

Learning in SAE’s state-of-the-art recording studio environments, you’ll become comfortable at using both small and large format consoles, as well as industry software and hardware from brands including Audient, SSL and Neve. You’ll also explore desktop music production, learning to produce ‘in the box’ using a variety of Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), such as Pro Tools and Logic Pro. As you develop your professional practice, you’ll follow creative audio production workflows through from start to finish – from pre-production and recording to mixing, mastering and distribution.

Moving up the levels

As you progress your studies, you’ll put the academic and theoretical ideas you explore, such as sound theory and sound design principles, into practice as you create a portfolio of creative work both individually and as part of a team. You’ll regularly produce music across different genres with your fellow Audio Production degree students, as well as collaborating on creative projects with those from other SAE disciplines, which could include providing audio for games, films, documentaries and animations.

Across your studies, you’ll be supported by SAE’s Experts – all highly experienced educators and some of the audio production industry’s most successful creative professionals. They’ll guide you through your modules, ensuring you develop a solid understanding of the music and audio production industries, and essential business, marketing, legal and financial skills. You’ll work with them to design your Major Project – an in-depth exploration of your chosen area of interest across the audio production industries, planned in Trimester 5 and completed in Trimester 6 – your final trimester of study.

At the end of your 2 years at SAE, you’ll graduate with proficient audio production skills, a showreel of high quality work, an impressive network of creative connections, and the drive to either progress your postgraduate studies or launch a successful audio production career.

What you'll learn

Throughout your 2-year Audio Production degree you will:
  • Master your craft on small and large format consoles in industry-relevant studio environments.
  • Confidently operate industry-standard hardware and software, including Neve, SSL, Audient, Pro Tools and Logic Pro.
  • Combine hands-on immersive training with academic learning for holistic education from day one.
  • Explore and record your favourite music genres.
  • Gain entrepreneurial and music business skills to take into your audio production career.
  • Collaborate creatively with SAE students from other courses, such as designers, game developers, filmmakers and animators.
  • Develop a significant portfolio of work to present to industry.
  • Build an impressive network of connections across the wider creative industries.
  • Graduate career-ready with practical employment skills gained through strong industry links.

YOUR CAREER IN AUDIO BEGINS NOW

What your course structure will look like

The BA/BSc (Hons) Audio Production course is an accelerated 2-year degree, split over 6 trimesters. Its structure follows 3 distinct stages – each designed to help you develop specific skills. Dividing it this way ensures you graduate as a well-rounded audio production professional with a universal understanding of the entire audio production process.

Stage 1 (T1 and T2) provides a foundation of core technical knowledge.
Stage 2 (T3 and T4) broadens your skills, exploring new areas of audio production.
Stage 3 (T5 and T6) is all-encompassing, covering every aspect of audio production from conception to completion, including managerial aspects like project management, finance and promotion.
Trimester 1
Develop the essential technical audio skills and knowledge needed to collaborate with professionals and your fellow creative media students.
During the Principles of Audio module of this pioneering audio production degree, you’ll be introduced to the concept of sound as a physical phenomenon, as you learn to predict its behaviour in different situations. Using Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) for recording and editing, you’ll also explore the fundamental concepts of audio production, as you develop a core understanding of key maths and physics concepts to support your learning.

A highly practical course, you’ll familiarise yourself with the concepts of signal routing and the basic applications of microphones and loudspeakers, including the set-up of sound reinforcement systems.

Topics include:

  • Sound Theory
  • Decibels
  • Acoustics
  • Introduction to DAWs and sequencing environments
  • Equalisation (EQ), effects and dynamic range processors
  • Basic audio signal routing and wiring
  • Electronics
  • Microphones and loudspeakers
In the Desktop Music Production module of this music production degree course, you’ll learn to design sounds with synthesis and sampling techniques within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Across your classes, you’ll develop a good understanding of music theory from a practical perspective, compiling and arranging your own music productions. You’ll also apply EQ and dynamics processing to creative production, work with effects ‘in the box’, apply DAW-based mixing techniques to your projects and present your work to the class.

Topics include:

  • Digital Audio Workstations
  • Synthesis and sampling
  • Sequencing
  • MIDI
  • Basic sound design
  • Effects processing
  • Dynamics processing
  • Mixing
  • Intro to music theory
  • Presentation techniques
  • Intellectual property and copyright
Trimester 2
Across your second term, you’ll broaden your scope to work on more complex multidisciplinary projects, while getting to grips with industry-standard practices.
In Recording Techniques, you’ll be introduced to a studio-based recording environment by getting hands on in SAE’s in-house recording studios. You’ll build the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you need to operate a modern professional studio environment by arranging and engineering recording sessions.

Topics include:

  • Signal flow principles
  • Signal flow diagrams
  • Signal flow applications
  • Recording procedures and techniques
  • Mixing procedures and techniques
  • Digital Audio Workstations
  • Audio editing
  • Principles of signal processing equalisation, dynamics, and effects
  • Time and pitch correction
Across the Audio Production Industries module of this audio accelerated degree, you’ll focus on common production workflows and techniques used in various audio fields, such as music and multimedia. You’ll also examine these industries and explore roles within them. As you enhance your skillset in audio editing by investigating sound restoration, pitch and time correction and multitrack drum editing, you’ll also look at mixing techniques within a studio environment for both multimedia and music applications. Finally, you’ll research and write about a chosen area of interest in the audio production industries.

Topics include:

  • Console types and differences
  • Components of consoles
  • Workflows: analogue, digital, hybrid
  • Integrating hardware and DAWs
  • Care and maintenance
  • Production planning
  • The recording process
  • The mixing process
  • Audio editing techniques
  • Finalising
  • Sound restoration
  • Aesthetics and musical context
Trimester 3
Across Trimester 3, you’ll undertake a variety of project briefs in a professional working environment using a project-based ‘creative studio’ approach. Creative Studios sees you participate in authentic assessment activities that reflect industry practices, providing a highly practical approach to your education.
During Creative Studio 1, you’ll develop your professional practice and focus on the supportive role audio practitioners play across other media disciplines, including film, TV, games and animation. Studying sound design and post-production techniques across a range of media, you’ll complete practical sound-to-media projects in these areas. You’ll also work on individual projects within a variety of audio fields, such as the live sound, events, music and electronic music industries, and audio applications and programming.

Topics could cover:

  • Sound for media (film/TV, games, animation, podcast/radio)
  • Sound design and editing
  • Foley recording
  • Music and electronic music composition
  • Immersive audio
  • Object-based programming
Trimester 4
The second Creative Studio term focuses on collaborative audio and music production. Building on your practical knowledge, you’ll take on production roles and plan artist productions – from pre-production right through to the final mixing, mastering and distribution stages.
The Creative Studio 2 module is all about collaborative music production. As a course cohort, you’ll divide up production roles to create your own artist productions. Operating large-format consoles and conducting complex recording sessions, you’ll learn more advanced microphone and multi-microphone techniques for sources such as drums. You’ll also conduct complex live or location-based recording sessions, with or without a live audience.

As you progress your project, you’ll learn production techniques including effects, pitch correction and advanced editing. Expanding on skills gained in earlier units, you’ll increase your knowledge of mixing techniques to incorporate hybrid and analogue console and outboard equipment workflows. You’ll also explore mastering in the context of the final delivery format of your project.

Via your project, you’ll discover fundamental business, marketing and finance concepts, as you discuss different audio and music productions and freelance work. You’ll also gain an insight into health and safety, the legal side of the music industry – copyright, ownership and contracts – as well as the roles played by bodies such as the Performing Right Society (PRS for Music) and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).

Across the module, you’ll be encouraged to collaborate with students from other SAE disciplines outside of your audio production course to create additional media for your project, including graphic design, artwork, music videos and websites.

Topics could cover:

  • Advanced music production tools and techniques
  • Large format consoles
  • Advanced recording techniques
  • Location music recording
  • Live sound
  • Mixing on a large format console
  • Hybrid workflows
  • Mastering
  • Business, legal issues, marketing and finance
Trimester 5
As you near the end of your studies, you’ll start to specialise, advancing your skills across your chosen area of the audio industry by selecting from one of 3 optional modules.
Across this module, you’ll build a thorough understanding of professional practice as you align your professional development with your future career plans.

Exploring an audio-specific area of interest, you can choose to pursue a research project in your field of specialisation or undertake a structured industry-based live project designed in collaboration with your Experts and the wider industry. Using your mastery in creative media practice in combination with evidence-based decision making, you’ll develop a proposal for your final Major Project (Trimester 6). Study areas could include programming environments, electroacoustic music, electronic composition, game audio, film sound and immersive audio… or something else entirely.
Across the Advanced Specialised Production module, you’ll build on your previous skills and knowledge to create professional-standard work in your chosen field. This can either be through live projects with peers from other SAE disciplines or during work placements, by working on simulated briefs, or by developing your own project. This module is a great opportunity to refine any skills required for your final Major Project, as you develop connections with industry professionals and create a body of work that showcases your knowledge and skills to date.

Topics could cover:

  • Programming environments

  • Electroacoustic music

  • Electronic composition

  • Game audio

  • Film sound

  • Innovation and entrepreneurship

  • Live sound and events

  • Immersive audio
In this module, you’ll create the proposal for your final Major Project with guidance from our Experts. You’ll also develop a variety of academic and professional skills as you prepare to progress to postgraduate studies or embark on your career journey.
Trimester 6
The final module of this audio production degree lets you demonstrate the practical and academic skills you’ve developed across your 2 years at SAE via a large-scale advanced-level project.
During your final trimester, you’ll implement the Major Project you designed, scoped and planned across Trimester 5. This industry-focused venture lets you concentrate on a specialism of your choosing, advancing your knowledge and skills in this area. Depending on your topic, you can use it as a springboard into industry, an opportunity to establish your own business or as a way to make connections with industry professionals that may lead to future employment.
UCAS Course Codes
BA Audio Production W616
University of Hertfordshire
Level 6 This program was developed and is delivered and assessed by SAE Institute, awarded by and quality assured by University of Hertfordshire.

Tools & Software

Big reasons to study Audio Production at SAE

Audio Production Student
Accelerated learning
Get into the industry quickly with our audio production accelerated degree – completed in 2 rather than 3 years – and save on tuition fees and living expenses, too.
Our degrees explained
Facilities and Equiptment
World-class facilities
Learn your craft in SAE’s high-tech audio production studios kitted out with industry-standard tools and software from brands including Ableton, Audient, Neve, Apple and Avid.
Explore more
Expert support
Be guided by SAE’s Experts every step of your learning journey – they’re all highly experienced professionals at the forefront of the audio production industry.
Meet your mentors
Creative Collaboration Audio Students
Creative collaboration
Unleash your artistic side and get creative with your fellow Audio Production students, as well as industry practitioners and those studying other SAE disciplines.

Career Outcomes

What Jobs will this course lead to?

  • Studio Engineer
  • Music Producer
  • Game Audio Specialist
  • Sound Editor
  • Staging Crew
  • Audio/Visual technician
  • Sound Designer
  • Live Sound Engineer/Operator
  • Radio Broadcaster/Podcaster
  • Foley Artist

YOUR DREAM CAREER BEGINS NOW

With our industry connections, specialised teachers and personalised education in world-class facilities, you can unleash your creative future with an Audio Production degree.
Enquire now

Course FAQs

Audio students get the chance to collaborate with other disciplines, there are many opportunities and requirements to collaborate with students from other degrees throughout the course.

No, this is not required. Students have access to our campus computer labs for assessment work.

You will only be required to submit a portfolio if you have not met our Level 3 entry requirements for the course, 72 UCAS points or above. One of the National Course Advising team would be happy guide you on how to produce a portfolio if needed.

This can vary depending on the campus and course. You may, for example, have a larger lecture group for common units, and a smaller tutorial group of 8-15 students. In most cases tutorial sizes average 15 – 30 students.

Read more
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