Music Production.
Whichever one of our music production courses you choose, you can expect to gain hands-on experience using the very latest equipment. Our expert tutors will help you build the skills and knowledge to utilise this technology and bring your musical ideas to life.
Browse courses
What is music production?
What defines a music producer and their involvement in the creative process varies from person to person. But generally, music production involves five key principles; composition, capture (recording), editing, mixing and mastering.
Producers are involved in the entire process of creating music and so there are a variety of pathways to choose from. You’ll become an expert in harmonisation, synthesis, music theory and sound mixing, as well as business strategy, networking and project management. The possibilities are endless.
Why study music production at Spirit Studios?
Our facilities can’t be beaten. You’ll have enviable access to a range of recording studios, DJ booths and equipment, allowing you to experiment and push your musical style to its full potential. As a student on one of our music production courses, you’ll get to use some of the most revered audio equipment in the business. From a legendary Neve VR mixing console in an open-plan studio, to racks of hand-picked boutique outboard equipment and monitoring systems.
You’ll also have access to shelves crammed with instruments and sign-out equipment, including the latest Elektron synths, drum machines and samplers, Gibson and Fender guitars, and over 160 microphones.
What is the importance of the music producer?
Music producers play a huge role behind the scenes. As experts in recording, editing and publishing, they’re critical in overseeing the complete process of creating a track or album. Often considered the “doers”, they realise an artist’s creative vision, guiding their sound and taking their ideas to a whole new level.
Making music is a collaborative process: sharing views, experiences and creative ideas to make a more interesting product. Music producers are not only the technical leaders, but are the creative driving force whom artists turn to for inspiration.
What careers will a music production course prepare me for?
- ADR Mixer
- Artist
- Audio Editor
- Audio-Visual Technician
- Composer
- Compositior for Moving Image
- Digital Content Creator
- DIY Label Manager
- DJ
- Dubbing Mixer
- Educator
- Foley Artist
- Game Audio Engineer
- Mastering Engineer
- Mixing Engineer
- Music Editor
- Music Journalist
- Music Producer
- Music Production Coordinator
- Radio Broadcast Engineer
- Radio DJ
- Recording Engineer
- Recording Studio Manager
- Remixer
- Session Musician
- Songwriter
- Sound Artist
- Sound Designer
- Sound Editor
- Sound Engineer
- Sound Technician
- Studio Engineer
Features and Benefits
Flexibility
Innovation and experimentation are our driving force and we celebrate a diverse range of approaches and traditions to making music. You'll have complete freedom to explore your own creative interests, genres and styles.
Enviable studio access
Students enjoy year-round access to purpose-built, state of the art facilities. Our studios, edit suites and live venue will become your second home.
We're small in size
This allows us to stay agile, invest in the right kit and quickly reshape our courses to meet the skill needs of a fast-changing industry.
Portfolio led assessments
From your very first lesson right through to assessment hand-ins, your learning is hands-on. You won't be sat in the back of a lecture hall, nor will you be asked to write essay after essay.
Our Music Production Courses
We offer a range of music production courses to suit your study preferences, including degrees, evening-based industry courses and short courses. You can filter by course level below:
BA (Hons) Music Production
Duration:
3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
Key areas:
Creating, recording, mixing and mastering
BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and Performance
Duration:
3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
Key areas:
Sequencing, sampling, producing and performing
BSc (Hons) Live Audio Engineering and Music Production
Duration:
3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
Key areas:
Sound-checking, monitoring, mixing and mastering
BA (Hons) Music Business and Event Management
Duration:
3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
Key areas:
Managing, promoting, branding and publishing
BSc (Hons) Entrepreneurial Audio Production
Duration:
3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
Key areas:
Composition, acoustic theory and post-production
MA Music Production
Duration:
1 year
Key areas:
Research, portfolio creation, advanced mixing and mastering
Creative Music Production
Duration:
12 months
Key areas:
Creating, producing and publishing
Studio Production and Mastering
Duration:
12 months
Key areas:
Advanced recording, mixing and mastering
Sample into Sound
Duration:
5 days (non residential)
Key areas:
Sound engineering, music production and music business
PT101 Pro Tools Fundamentals I
Duration:
2 Days
Key areas:
Audio production, editing and mixing
PT110 Pro Tools Fundamentals II
Duration:
3 days
Key areas:
Recording, clip-based editing and mixing
PT201 Pro Tools Production I
Duration:
2 days
Key areas:
Submixing, automation and auditioning techniques
PT210M Pro Tools Production II (Music Production)
Duration:
3 days
Key areas:
Fine-tune automation, static automation and advanced MIDI production techniques
PT210P Pro Tools Production II (Post Production)
Duration:
3 days
Key areas:
Field recording, dialog editing and mixing audio to picture
PT301S6 Essential Pro Tools | S6 Mixing Techniques
Duration:
1 Day
Key areas:
Session management, system customization and expanded parameter control
PT310P Advanced Post Production Techniques
Duration:
4 days
Key areas:
Post production, sound design and Foley
In-Person One-to-one Tuition
Duration:
2+ hours
Key areas:
Previous students have studied areas such as DJ skills, mixing techniques, building a personal brand and more.
Online One-to-one Tuition
Duration:
2+ hours
Key areas:
Previous students have studied areas such post production techniques, DAW familiarisation, mixing techniques and more.
What to expect
As you progress through one of our music production courses, you can expect to move to a state of independence that is essential when forging your own career path. Our courses are designed to give you hands-on experience to ensure you leave us industry-ready.
Whether you want to create music for moving image, become a studio engineer, the next best DJ or a mixing god, our range of courses give you the freedom to explore these areas of interest. With a variety of specialist modules, each course covers the core skills needed to succeed as a music producer and bring your ideas to life.
You'll cover topics such as
- Mixing and Mastering
- Composition
- Post-production
- Remixing and DJ performance
Student successes
Orlagh Dooley
Andy Tomlinson
Holly Lester
Your tutors
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.
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.
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.
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
Lewis Jones
Tutor
As a Spirit Studios veteran, Lewis has taught on a number of our courses and outreach programmes. As a professional sound engineer and producer, his career has seen him travel the world.
Lewis has previously worked with:
- MIKA
- Travis
- Angy Gangadeen
- Lonelady
- Seafret
Josh Cullen
Tutor
Josh is a producer and musician who has toured extensively and produced audio for some high profile clients.
Josh has previously worked with:
- Jagwar
- Ray Lewis
- Dom Major
- Ravenface
Liam Peacock
Tutor
Liam is a soundtrack composer who has worked on creating music for film, television, games and animation.
He has previously worked with:
- Orb Soundwerx
- The BBC
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
Steve Boyce-Buckley
Tutor
Steve is a professional recording engineer, producer, arranger and classically trained musician with over 4 decades of industry experience.
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
Brandon Nightingale
Tutor
Brandon is a music producer with many talents such as DJing, graphic design and occasional filmmaking.
Real opportunities
Our creative partnerships benefit our students by providing work placements, field trips, guest lectures, educational discounts and, of course, job opportunities
Why study with Spirit Studios?
Outstanding facilities
Our facilities are designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s music industry, ensuring you feel confident in every studio or live venue you encounter.
Industry connections
You’ll have a range of exciting creative and collaborative opportunities, including hands-on work experience at legendary venues in Manchester and beyond.
Proven results
Our career focused attitude means that from day one, everything we do is designed with your future in mind.
Spirit +
We prepare students for a bright future through our Spirit+ programme of extracurricular masterclasses and workshops from leading industry figures.
Taught by industry-active experts
Our tutors have not only had years of experience in the creative industries, but share a commitment to helping you on your journey as well.
Community spirit
We're a supportive community that takes pride in our small size. We'll get to know you as an individual and tailor mentorship to your personal development.
Interested in studying with us?
Click below to start your application, register for an open day or get in touch with any questions
News Stories
-
Featured2022 Degree Shows
It has always been our top priority to provide students with practical experiences in order to prepare them for life as a working artist - and our end of year Degree Shows achieved just that.
Read more about 2022 Degree Shows
