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Why study this subject?

The music sector offers a range of different roles in different environments for you to explore and opportunities in the UK music industry are plentiful. An Audio and Music Production degree will help you develop your creativity, expand your skillset and learn key business tactics to graduate career-ready and specialise in your chosen area of the sector.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

BNU has been delivering courses in the music industry for over 25 years and we have a wealth of expertise from within our network of lecturing staff, guest speakers, and alumni, all with a track record of success in a wide variety of roles in the music business internationally.

Like the industry, we put collaboration at the centre of what we do. You will get the chance to work with students on other BNU courses, such as the Film and TV students. You’ll record sound and work on post-production which will give you experience of working with a wide variety of genres to help you perfect your production skills.

During your time with us you’ll learn hands-on practical skills to help you stand out to potential employers. You’ll get to grips with industry-standard equipment including in our Dolby Atmos certified sound lab, ensuring upon graduation you are prepared for your first role. Our industry advisory group, BIGMusic, regularly reviews our courses, which means we’re always teaching up to date skills and knowledge relevant for today’s industry demands. By the time you graduate, you’ll have the ability to project manage yourself and a portfolio crammed with real life experience. Our Careers and Employability team will also help to find you work placements in and around the area. 

Our Specialisms 

Buckinghamshire New University gives you the opportunity to choose your specialism for your future career after your experience of the core curriculum in year one. Rather than having to make your big decision before you join us, we introduce you to various specialisms and offer you the flexibility to choose the specialism which leads to your chosen speciality. You can choose between BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production, BA (Hons) Music Production and BA (Hons) Music Production and Business.

These specialisms are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme.

We organise monthly ‘rec nights’ where music students come together to record their own compositions in our state of the art studios. This allows our students to practice their craft to ensure they are ready to enter the music industry.

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. Find out more about Studio 1 .
• 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.
• Our microphone stock includes Sennheiser, Neumann, AKG, Shure, Rode and Electrovoice.
• Studio monitoring includes 5.1 systems by Genelec and stereo systems by KRK.

All studios feature a full range of plug-ins including RX3, Ozone6, Komplete and Speakerphone.

We have other top-quality suppliers, including Midas, Focusrite, Novation and AC Lighting, so you can get your hands on the same tools as the best in the business.

Whilst studying with us you will also use our BucksAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. BucksAnywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.

What will I study?

On this JAMES accredited course, you’ll explore the ins and outs of industry as well as gaining technical knowledge. 

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.