BA (Hons) Music & Sound Production

Core units

• Composition 1: Focus on the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements within your track. Learn how tracks are structured in order to elevate your music above that of the competition.
• Digital Media Tools: Develop the fundamental technical knowledge and skills to support your creative work and generate content for an online creative portfolio.
• Music, Sound & Culture: Develop an understanding of the political, sociological and technological factors that impact upon music by studying contemporary musical genres, histories and associated music subcultures.
• Production & Mixing 1: Develop essential music production skills to become a professional producer. This is the first of three units that will enable you to learn how to mix audio from start to finish.
• Sound Design: Synthesis: Create your own signature sound to a professional level by learning how to use cutting-edge music software. You will begin building a portfolio of work that you will develop throughout your degree
• Studio Techniques: Working in our state-of-the-art studios you will develop the fundamental skills of audio capture, and hardware and software recording. 

Core units

• Composition 2: Develop your capacity to experiment and create through a number of compositional tasks. You will gain skills that can be applied in a range of areas enabling  you to produce and compose music for a variety of stylistic briefs.
• Creative Studio Production: Working professionally and creatively on a large scale recording you will explore how to get the fullest creative potential from the studio whilst learning how to manage a production project. 
• Music Industry Awareness: Learn how to navigate through the music industry by developing an awareness of copyright, royalties and intellectual property. Develop an ability to identify and analyse new business models, technological developments and new revenue streams.
• Production & Mixing 2: Developing an understanding of the historical, cultural and technical influences on music production, you will work in our studios to explore the creative potential of hardware and software based production practices. 
• Production Portfolio: Responding to a creative brief, you will collaborate within a team to propose, plan and manage a project, developing skills to reflect on your own creative practice.
• Sound Design: Audio: Design and create dynamic, complex and unique sounds. Learn to capture and transform sound and implement sound design strategies for music and visual media.

You may choose to complete an optional 4-week placement at the end of your second year or an optional (minimum) 30-week work placement which can be carried out anywhere in the world. The placement year offers a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.

Core units

• Interactive Music: Create your own interactive software/hardware system for making music whilst developing an awareness of the historical and technological impacts of creating music live with technology.   
• Production & Mixing 3: MIx and produce music to a professional standard with a critical understanding of current industry practices. Finish your work for a variety of formats and distribution methods. 
• Music, Sound & the Moving Image: Learn how to create music and sound for visual media in a surround-sound format. You will develop a range of practical skills in music, sound design and audio post-production.  
• Individual Music Project: Create a substantial portfolio of work based on a personal area of interest. Develop and demonstrate your professional skills and understanding related to research in your chosen area of the music industry.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

With practical learning being integral to your degree, we provide industry standard specialist facilities. We continue to invest in our campuses so all our students can maximise their talents today and into the future. Visit our virtual tour to find out more and get a feel for where you’ll be studying while you’re based on our Talbot Campus.

A placement should be a highly rewarding experience for you and the employing company and we do our best to ensure that everyone involved feels that they have got the most that they can from the experience.

Placements provide a great opportunity to make your first career steps and enhance your employability while you’re completing your studies. You’ll get the opportunity to:

• Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
• Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
• Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem-solving and teamwork (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
• Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
• Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider.

Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

You will begin your placement after completion of your second year of study and you must complete a minimum of 30 weeks. You can take a short four-week placement, subject to agreement by the Placements Panel. 

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Co-ordinator.  

Through timetabled sessions and one-to-one appointments, they’ll help support you in your placement search including advice on finding a placement, information and advice on all aspects of job searching and job applications, as well as ensuring your proposed placement meets the requirements of your course.  

Our CareersBU service is also available throughout your time at BU, offering services like CV checking and careers fairs to meet employers.  

Placement Development Advisors will support you once you have started your sandwich placement – so you will be able to maintain contact with the university throughout.

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements, we may be able to make you an offer through AccessBU if you meet certain criteria e.g. you have been in care or live in an area where fewer people typically progress to Higher Education. If you don't meet our published tariff, we will accept you at least 8 points below if your personal circumstances match our AccessBU criteria. 

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

These courses have compulsory elements involving working with dangerous substances in laboratory conditions and/or undertaking field trips in less accessible environments.  Students must complete a health and safety risk assessment taking part in these activities, for their safety and that of others.  As part of that assessment students provide information about any conditions or disabilities that might affect their ability to undertake these activities fully or safely. 

If you have such a condition or disability, please let us know as soon as possible.  You can contact our Additional Learning Support (ALS) service about this before or after making an application.  We will then work with you to identify any support or adjustments you would need.  Our ALS team works with the Faculty to seek to put in place reasonable adjustments and health and safety plans. 

Exceptionally, it may not be possible to arrange for a student to access these courses without either over-riding their core standards or competencies or creating unacceptable risks to health and safety.  If that is the case we will help you explore alternative course choices.

Among the roles you can take on with this degree are:

• Music Hardware Developer
• Music Technology Software Developer
• Music and Audio Consultant
• Sound Assistant
• Sound Engineer.

As you progress through the course, your studies and placement will help you establish the exact career path you want to follow, and how you want to put your skills and knowledge to use.

• Entertainment
• Music
• Audio
• Media
• Multimedia.

Once you have completed an undergraduate honours degree, you can develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Our fees commitment means your tuition fees are fixed at the price quoted
• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable)
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Clive Radford is the programme leader for BA (Hons) Music and Sound Production. His areas of study include music production, songwriting and performance (guitar), composition and arranging, studio techniques, production techniques, and synthesis and effects. He also researches ethnographic approaches to digital recording and production cultures with a specific focus on popular music in Stockholm.

Darrell Gibson is currently a Senior Lecturer the Creative Technology Department at Bournemouth University. Darrell has a background in electronic hardware design of Image Processing systems and Audio Programming. Darrell does research in the area of Computing in Arts and Humanities, Computer Graphics and Human-computer Interaction. He is currently working on Graphical Interpolator visualizations for synthesis-based Sound Design. These skills feed into his practice as a computer-based musician, composer, sound designer and audio technologist.

Dr Ambrose Seddon is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Technology, teaching on BA (Hons) Music & Sound Production. His areas of study include composition, sound for media, creative music technology, studio recording, and music production. Ambrose also supervises PhD students in composition. 

Ambrose is an active composer focusing on electroacoustic music, with much of his work receiving prizes and awards in international composition competitions. His practice encompasses acousmatic music composition, interactive multichannel sound installation, collaboration on immersive audiovisual projects, and performing improvised live electronics. Ambrose’s research interests include electroacoustic composition, compositional structuring processes, and music analysis, and he has presented at various international conferences and festivals. 

Experienced making electronic music and pop music that has been released through various independent labels, he continually strives to integrate new and varied approaches into his compositional practice

Tom Davis is an improviser, instrument builder and sonic artist. He works mainly in the medium of sound and is interested in lived experience, embodied cognition and perforative understandings of musiking as a temporal act. This feeds into an interest in the relationship we have with technologies as part of the creative process, raising questions such as: how does the technology we use shape the work we create and/or mediate our understandings of that work? Most recently he has been looking at how we can use technology to increase access to music for people with special educational needs. 

He has performed at many academic festivals and conferences in Europe and USA, including, NIME 2012, NIME 2010, NIME 2007, Renew 2012, In-Time 2012, ICMC 2008, Fix 2007, SAN Expo & Sonorities 2007.  He has exhibited installation work at such venues as Tate Britain London, Aspex Gallery Portsmouth and OVADA Oxford. Documentation of his outputs can be found here.

His writing has been published in journals such as Organised Sound, Performance Research & the International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media. 

Dr Panos Amelidis is a Lecturer in Bournemouth University's Creative Technology Department as well as a member of EMERGE Experimental Media Research Centre and Centre for Games & Music Technology Research here at Bournemouth University. He is a music technologist, composer, sound practitioner, and researcher. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Music Informatics from Ionian University in Greece, a MusM in Electroacoustic Composition & Interactive Media from The University of Manchester in the UK and a PhD in Music Technology from De Montfort University.

His work and research falls in the area of sensory ethnography with sound and the role of recorded speech, and soundscapes in the way new artistic musical works and narratives can be created. Special importance is placed on the synergy of soundscape recordings, verbal narration, technology and the opportunities provided by the electroacoustic studio. 

Michael is a British composer and lecturer at Bournemouth University. He did Doctoral study in composition under the supervision of Mark Bowden and Helen Grime at Royal Holloway, University of London. His work includes acoustic and electro-acoustic compositions. He is a graduate of both London Symphony Orchestra Panufnik (2014/5) and London Philharmonic Orchestra Leverhulme (2015/16) young composer schemes.