BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and Performance.

With our electronic music production course, you'll learn creative composition, artist collaboration, recording, mixing, branding and promotion. Build your career as an electronic music producer and performer.

Electronic Music Production student performing at Deaf Institute, Manchester

Course overview

Throughout Electronic Music Production and Performance you’ll explore diverse perspectives on current and emerging electronic music practice while building the creative, technical, and professional skills required to establish your voice as an artist and share it with the world.

Whatever your preferred style, genre and digital audio workstation (DAW) you’ll have the freedom to develop your own sound under the guidance of our expert tutors. With access to a wide range of music technology and software – from Ableton, Moog, Roland, iZotope, Native Instruments and more – you have the potential to experiment with your tracks like never before. 

If you’re excited about studying electronic music production, performing live sets and have the drive to take it full-time, this course is for you.

Key info

  • Qualification: BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and Performance
  • Duration: 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
  • Start date: 16 September 2024
  • Fees: £9,250 per year
  • Entry Requirements: A minimum of 64 UCAS points at A2 or equivalent. Find out more

UCAS info for this course

  • University/college name:

    University of Central Lancashire (Institute code: C30)
  • Course:

    Electronic Music Production and Performance (Course code: W383)
  • Location:

    Spirit Studios (Campus code: Z)
View course on ucas.com More info for applicants

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Features and Benefits

Live performances icon

Live performances

As part of your final project, you’ll have the opportunity to perform your sets in some of Manchester’s most iconic venues. Thanks to our city centre location and local connections, our graduates have performed at The Deaf Institute and Band on the Wall.

Unrivalled studio time icon

Unrivalled studio time

As an electronic music production student you’ll be able to book studio time between 9am-10pm Monday to Friday, and 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday. Our in-house technical support team are on hand throughout the day to provide one-to-one support should you need it.

Learn in our dedicated on-site venue icon

Learn in our dedicated on-site venue

Our 100 capacity venue is at your disposal. You’ll have lessons here, perform live and practise your sets ready for life as a professional electronic music producer and/or DJ.

Access to purpose-built DJ booths icon

Access to purpose-built DJ booths

Like all of our other facilities, you can access the DJ booths throughout the academic year. These have industry-standard equipment from Pioneer, Technics and Allen & Heath, along with pre-installed filming equipment ready for you to stream or record your sets.

Hear from our programme leader

Dan Valentine provides an overview of BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and Performance:

Tutor at Spirit Studios showing how to edit a track channel in Logic.
Our open days are a great opportunity to find out what life as a Spirit Studios student is like 23 Mar

Our next Open Day

Saturday 23 March 12PM-4PM

Open Days are a great opportunity to find out more about our courses, meet our expert tutors and see our facilities in action. They're the perfect introduction to student life.

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BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and Performance course details

All of our courses are constantly evolving to ensure teaching and learning remain relevant and up to date. Here is the latest example of the curriculum for Electronic Music Production and Performance:

Year 1

Creative Music Production fosters the fundamental skills required to compose, arrange and produce your own music. This module encourages you to express yourself while experimenting with a range of electronic music tools and techniques, from synthesis and sampling to drum programming and building chords. You will prepare a portfolio of compositions which showcases your individual style and interests before reflecting on your process in the form of a written report.

Assessment: Portfolio of compositions and report. 40 credits.

This module provides you with the skills you need to take your music from the studio to the stage. You will be encouraged to explore performative approaches to composition and electronic music production, developing a portfolio of compositions that feature hands-on, ‘live’ approaches to music making. Following this, you will be guided through the process of preparing your material for the live environment, culminating in a showcase of your work in our dedicated venue.

Assessment: Composition and performance. 40 credits

Recording Techniques introduces you to the professional studio environment and provides the opportunity to develop key skills in recording, editing, and mixing. You will learn the principles of sound and how to apply them in the studio. You will capture sound with microphones, operate a mixing desk as well as a range of industry standard hardware and software. Through practical experimentation in our dedicated studios, you’ll learn to assess the needs of individual recording sessions and prepare a portfolio of your work while documenting your process in a written report.

Assessment: Signal path test and portfolio. 20 credits.

Electronic Music Contextual Studies explores the cultural, technological and social context for key developments in electronic music practice. You will be encouraged to consider a range of historic and contemporary perspectives on the discipline, as well as conducting your own research into a field of your choosing. In addition to developing your own understanding of the music you create, you will advance essential skills in research, analysis and academic practice.

Assessment: Presentation and essay. 20 credits.

Year 2

Introducing you to more advanced creative and technical approaches to electronic music production, this module will help to develop your sound design, composition and remixing skills across a range of projects. You will have the opportunity to collaborate directly with other musicians and develop a portfolio that integrates new techniques such as modular synthesis, generative composition and hardware effects processing.

Assessment: Portfolio and presentation. 40 credits.

Providing you with the skills to create a sound library and sampler instrument, this module highlights the creative and technical processes involved in creating industry-ready audio content. Through these sessions you’ll be encouraged to develop work in a specific genre and consider the needs of the end user, gaining a clear understanding of effective workflows for creating an original sample pack.

Assessment: Portfolio and presentation. 20 credits.

Encouraging you to collaborate with other musicians, this module explores your potential as an instrumentalist and performer. You’ll develop technical and creative skills using controller technologies as well as considering unconventional approaches to studio and performance practice, such as turntablism and dub mixing. Following your performance you’ll reflect on the collaborative process and identify the next steps in your progression in an in-person viva voce. 

Assessment: A collaborative music performance and presentation. 20 credits.

This module offers you the chance to undertake a self-directed investigation into a research topic that aligns with your interests. You will have the opportunity to explore a hands-on approach to research, grow your knowledge base, and refine the academic skills that are critical to undergraduate success.

Assessment: Essay. 20 credits.

Working to an external client brief, you’ll develop a clear strategy to achieve the goals and requirements of the commissioning client. Assignments in this module will encourage you to think critically about your work and use the skills and knowledge you have gained across other modules to create a product that meets specific criteria.

Assessment: Portfolio and report. 20 credits.

Year 3

In your final electronic music production module, you’ll learn to draw on new ideas to innovate within your practice. You’ll explore diverse perspectives on composition and production that will inspire you to think differently about your approach to music making. You will have the opportunity to apply creative strategies to generate original tracks, evaluate their success and present them as a finished portfolio. You’ll be encouraged to think critically about your techniques and conduct further research to put your ideas into context, building on the skills you have developed throughout your degree and sharing them with your peers.

Assessment: Composition and presentation. 20 credits.

This is your opportunity to test out everything you’ve learned during your degree as you take your work to the public. With the guidance of expert tutors, you’ll devise a creative project and manage its launch into the public domain. This is a student-directed module which enables you to focus on your individual creative goals in the context of a ‘real-world’ project. Whether you create a live performance, DJ set or score a short film, you’ll have the opportunity to share your work in an iconic venue in the heart of the city as you take your first steps into the industry.

Assessment: Major project and archive. 40 credits.

Concentrating on preparing you for work as soon as you graduate, this module will help you understand how different businesses function in the music and audio industries, and how you can find your place within it. You will be exposed to a range of career opportunities across the creative industries whilst undertaking independent research and development. Through completion of this module, you will gain essential skills relevant to entrepreneurship and self-employment and develop a professional portfolio that is tailored to your career goals.

Assessment: Proposal, portfolio and report. 40 credits.

Considering all aspects of performance, from technical requirements and sound reinforcement to lighting and live projections – you’ll create, prepare, and deliver a collaborative live electronic performance. Through this module, you’ll gain practical skills that are key in preparing you to deliver live sets that represent your creative vision, including developing industry-ready technical documentation and fully realised musical material.

Assessment: Technical specification and live performance. 20 credits.

Teaching and learning

Teaching on this electronic music production course takes place in a variety of formats including lectures, workshops, demonstrations, peer reviews and one-to-one tutorial support. Our aim throughout is to encourage your creative exploration and hone your technical skills, all so you’ll leave us as a confident, independent professional.

What careers will BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and Performance prepare me for?

  • ADR Mixer
  • Artist
  • Audio Editor
  • Audio-Visual Technician
  • Composer
  • DJ
  • Event Manager
  • Mastering Engineer
  • Mixing Engineer
  • Music Editor
  • Music Producer
  • Music Production Coordinator
  • Radio Broadcast Engineer
  • Radio DJ
  • Recording Engineer
  • Recording Studio Manager
  • Songwriter
  • Sound Artist
  • Sound Designer
  • Sound Editor
  • Sound Engineer
  • Sound Technician
  • Studio Engineer
  • Composer for Moving Image

Your tutors

Tutors on our electronic music production course have a wealth of experience, with releases featured in MixMag and Resident Advisor and tracks being played live by the likes of Bicep and Björk.  They’ll inspire and support you on your journey with us.

Dan Valentine

Dan Valentine

Programme Leader

Dan is an electronic musician and producer whose work has seen him release music on Manchester's Modern Love imprint, receiving support from the likes of Mixmag, RA, Björk and Bicep.

He has performed at:

  • Berghain
  • Boiler Room
  • Village Underground
  • NTS Radio
  • Golden Pudel
  • Cafe Oto
Rob Mullender-Ross

Rob Mullender-Ross

Tutor

Rob is an industry professional and well experienced lecturer, teaching the subject of sonic art around the country.

Mark Winterburn

Mark Winterburn

Tutor

Mark is producer and sound engineer who has worked on UK number one and Mercury nominated singles. He joined Spirit as a student and has returned as a tutor after a successful commercial career.

He has worked with:

  • Sylvia Massy
  • Plan B
  • James Arthur
  • 5 Seconds Of Summer
  • Cassia
Jonathan Radford

Jonathan Radford

Programme Leader

Jon is a producer, label manager, DJ and promoter who has over a decade of experience within the industry and has released five albums under the alias Diesler.

Brandon Nightingale

Brandon Nightingale

Tutor

Brandon is a music producer with many talents such as DJing, graphic design and occasional filmmaking.

Stuart Avery

Stuart Avery

Tutor

Stuart is a studio/mastering engineer who is heavily involved in the Manchester scene. As an experienced producer, promoter and events organiser, he's been a key player in the city's cultural output.

Stuart has worked with:

  • Blossoms
  • Badly Drawn Boy
  • KiD BRiTiSH
  • Orchids
  • The Irrepressibles
Tom Burford

Tom Burford

Tutor

Tom has been a professional musician for over 10 years, facilitating music production and performance sessions, and working across secondary and further music education.

Josh Horsley

Josh Horsley

Programme Leader

Josh is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer whose work explores temporality within music. His main focus is the sonic arts, and often uses architecture, film and design for inspiration.

Al Atcheson

Al Atcheson

Tutor

Al is a producer and sound engineer who teaches a wide variety of modules here at Spirit, allowing him to share his expertise with his students.

Our studios are your classroom

With ten recording and mixing studios, a live venue, DJ booths, edit suites and more, our facilities are one of the main reasons students choose to study electronic music production with us year after year.

Take a tour
Native Instrument and Avid controllers in S3 Suite

Entry requirements

  • 64 UCAS points at A2 or equivalent
  • Grade 4 or above in GCSE Maths and English

A minimum of 64 UCAS points at A2 or equivalent. You should also have achieved Grade 4 or above in GCSE Maths and English, or an equivalent (UK equivalents include key skills level 3 or functional skills level 2). If you are an international applicant you must have UK settled status in order to study on our degree courses. Non-native English speakers require IELTS: 6.0 with no component lower than 5.5.

Fees and funding

  • £9,250 per year (full-time)
  • £1,540 per 20 credit module (part-time)

Tuition fees for all our undergraduate courses are eligible for government funding through Student Finance England, subject to a successful application.

More info on fees and finance

How to apply

UK-based university applications are made through UCAS. You’ll need to register via ucas.com to create an application. You can then add this course as a choice to your application using the following information:

  • University/college name:

    University of Central Lancashire (Institute code: C30)
  • Course:

    Electronic Music Production and Performance (Course code: W383)
  • Location:

    Spirit Studios (Campus code: Z)
View course on ucas.com More info for applicants

Any questions? Speak to one of our course advisors

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If you have any questions about this course, your application or if you'd like to arrange a tour of Spirit Studios, please get in touch on: