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BA (Hons)

Music Producing

In the heart of Cardiff's vibrant music scene, benefit from cutting-edge facilities, experienced professionals and hands-on professional training. Work on real-world briefs with our industry partners and develop the diverse music production and sound design skills vital to the creative industries.

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Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    W374

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Cardiff

  • Campus Code

    B

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,000*

  • International students

    £14,950*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

Create, Collaborate, Innovate. Lay the foundations for a successful career in music and sound with our groundbreaking BA Music Producing course.

Designed For

This course is ideal for aspiring music producers, composers and beat makers interested in both modern digital music creation and traditional studio recording, whether working in a professional studio environment, or from a home studio set up. We will arm you with music composition and production skills applicable to a variety of career pathways within the creative industries.

Accredited by

  • Apple Training Centre for Education for Apple Logic Pro.
  • Avid Authorised Training Partner for Pro Tools.

Career paths

  • Music Producer
  • Beat Maker
  • Songwriter / Composer / Arranger
  • Composer / Audio Designer for Gaming
  • Film and TV Composer / Sound Designer Remixer
  • Recording Studio Engineer

Skills taught

  • Critical thinking
  • Digital literacy
  • Project management
  • Leadership
  • Communication

Staff sat in front of a red backdrop smiling

Course Highlights

Cutting-edge facilities

Apply cutting edge music production technology in state-of-the-art studios. Discover immersive audio in our purpose-built Dolby Atmos suite.

Industry partnerships

Work with industry professionals, including Grammy-nominated producer Romesh and international record company TERO Music.

Hands-on training

Experience live briefs, manage our digital record label, release original music, and build strong industry connections.

Diverse career opportunities

Develop music production and sound design skills relevant to gaming, TV and film, ready for a career in the creative industries.

Be part of the Immersed Festival

Collaborate with students from across the creative industries to host this annual multimedia festival.

Module Overview

Taught by industry professionals, this course develops your creative production techniques and compositional prowess within a realistic industry setting. Embrace creativity, collaboration and innovation on your journey.

Year one
Creative Music Composition & Production 
Critical Listening 
Studio Production 
Music & Sound Essentials 
Getting Plugged In 

Year two
Advanced Music Composition & Production
Music and Sound for Media 
Artists Liaisons 
Music Industry Practice 
Minor Project: Working to a Brief 

Year three
Major Production Project (Live or Production) 
Remix Production 
Professional Practitioner 
Industry Ready 

In year one, you will complete a thorough professional training in industry-standard Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) Logic Pro and ProTools, as well as gaining hands-on practical experience in the recording studio. This will build your confidence and develop practical skills to drive your creative practice forward.

Creative Music Composition & Production 
Release your creativity in music composition and production. From sketching songs to finished compositions, develop your DAW skills in Logic Pro and Pro Tools. 

Critical Listening 
Analyse and critically evaluate the audio environment. Develop the listening skills of professional music producers and engineers and apply these to your own creative practice. 

Studio Production 
Learn recording and mixing techniques essential for producing music. Discover the producer's role in optimising artists' potential in studio environments. 

Music & Sound Essentials 
Advance your understanding of melody, rhythm, and harmony in popular music creation and analysis. Get insights into fundamental principles and underlying concepts of sound. 

Getting Plugged In 
You’ll work in creative partnership with each other and with performance students on a short six-week practical project that has a ‘real world’ industrial brief. 

Throughout year two, you’ll work closely with students from other courses and disciplines to develop essential collaboration skills needed to become a successful producer. You’ll work on projects with musicians, songwriters, singers, filmmakers and gamers.

Advanced Music Composition & Production
Expand your songwriting and compositional skills. Study synthesis, advanced sequencing, sampling, editing, processing and mixing. 

Music and Sound for Media 
Grasp the technical and musical knowledge needed to begin composing music and designing sounds for film, video and related media. 

Artists Liaisons 
Focus on effective communication and promotion principles. Develop professionalism as both a music producer and artist. 

Music Industry Practice 
Explore the producer's role in the music industry. Learn about royalties, contracts, copyright law, marketing, distribution, and merchandising to challenge your understanding. 

Minor Project: Working to a Brief 
Create music/audio content of your design to a professional standard. Develop project management skills with client briefs and real-world deadlines. 

In your final year, create a unique major production project for your portfolio, ready for the industry. Collaborate with the faculty and with external clients under specialist USW supervision to perfect your skills and create innovative and original music and sound artefacts.

Major Production Project (Live or Production) 
Create a portfolio that demonstrates your skills and creativity in your chosen field. Highlight your growing industry confidence and professionalism. 

Remix Production 
Use conceptual and technical creative techniques to fully engage in the area of remix production. Produce remixes for international artists, with potential for global release.

Professional Practitioner 
Manage your own digital record label and engage with professional music master to develop your critical listening, deploy advanced production techniques. 

Industry Ready 
Understand professional responsibilities and develop business contacts. Create a viable financial plan to support career goals and transition into the professional marketplace. 

Learning and Teaching

How you’ll learn

You'll only be assessed through coursework, which means practical assignments, building your portfolio, doing presentations and working on projects. The best part? No exams to worry about! Everything is geared to help you learn and reach your potential in the music and sound industry. 

Teaching staff

Our course features a team of experienced music industry professionals and technical experts. Led by David Coker and Dr Damon Minchella, each with over 30 years of experience, our curriculum mirrors contemporary industry trends. Students enjoy hands-on learning with cutting-edge equipment and software, enhanced by masterclasses, guest visits and industry networking opportunities. David's global industry expertise and Damon's musical career, including work with Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller and Richard Ashcroft, enrich your learning with profound insights into music production and industry dynamics, blending theory with practical experience. 

Placements and work experience

Discover unparalleled work placement opportunities through our course. We focus on practical learning with cutting-edge equipment and software, meaning you're prepared for a vibrant career in music production. In your third year, you'll manage a digital record label and work with prominent Southeast Asian record company TERO Music, gaining real-world experience and building industry connections. Partnerships with Romesh Dodangoda offer internships and studio placements, elevating your career prospects post-graduation. Work with Cardiff’s youth music initiative Sound Progression, supporting and developing potential local talent. 

Facilities

Our campus boasts nine analogue and digital recording studios, featuring Solid State Logic and Audient mixing consoles, along with sound-isolated live and control rooms. Specialised studios include a dedicated Dolby Atmos suite for immersive audio production. Our music labs provide multiple workstations each equipped with Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live and Reason. You’ll enjoy access to a wide range of microphones, musical instruments and MacBook Pro laptops available for loan from Media Stores. 

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

When it comes to career opportunities, this BA in Music Producing prepares you for diverse paths in the music and sound industry. Graduates can follow traditional roles such as studio-based production, working in partnership with artists and record labels. They also thrive in the modern world of digital audio recording, remixing, and home-based studio production.  Specialisations in audiovisual production for film, TV, and gaming are also popular. The program's immersive approach and industry partnerships enhance real-world experience, preparing students for dynamic careers in music and beyond. 

Careers support

To support your dream career in music, the Careers and Employability Team offers a package of development sessions alongside your studies. This includes one-to-one appointments with faculty-based career advisers, in person, over the phone, on Skype, or via email through the "Ask a Question" service. We provide extensive online resources to help you consider career options and present yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, an interview simulator, and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, with weekly email job alerts. 

Industry partners

We have strong industry ties which offer exciting trips. Previous visits include the renowned Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, and D&B Audio Technik’s immersive audio factory in Stroud. We collaborate with the Berlin School of Popular Arts and BBC Music Introducing Live. You’ll take part in the Immersed  Festival at Cardiff Tramshed, working with students from other faculty courses.

Romesh Dodangoda, who’s worked with Bring Me the Horizon and Bullet for My Valentine, is an ambassador and mentor. Bringing bespoke briefs, masterclasses, and the prestigious Graduate Award for Excellence in Music Producing. 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS Points: 96 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: CCC to include a relevant subject (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
  • Welsh BACC: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CC at A Level with a relevant subject (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant subject (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
  • Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points.

Additional requirements include:

The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

Applicants in the UK: Selection for this course is based on a suitable application. If you do not meet the entry criteria you may also be required to attend an interview to help us assess your suitability for the course.

Applicants outside the UK: Selection for this course is based on a suitable application and submission of a portfolio of your work which the Course Leader confirms is suitable for an offer to be made.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch and we'd to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,000

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£14,950

per year*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Lecturer, Alun Tomos, playing a guitar

90%

Of BA (Hons) Music Producing students at USW were satisfied with their course.

National Student Survey 2024

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