COURSE OVERVIEW

The BA (Hons) Creative Music Production course is a thorough, well-rounded exploration of both the practical and theoretical aspects of music production, and has been specifically designed for those looking to launch a career as a professional music producer.

Over the three years of the course, our expert tutors – who are all successful music producers and musicians in their own right – will guide you through the exciting world of music production in studio, live and digital music making settings. You’ll learn to create, produce and launch market-ready original music, while developing your industry-relevant technical and entrepreneurial skills at the  same time. During your time on the course, you’ll gain many practical music production skills, such as a proficient working knowledge of Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Melodyne and iZotope. On top of this, you’ll learn how microphones work, how to use PAs, how to record a variety of different instruments to get professional results, how to use a mixing desk and how to master, among many other abilities.

The course will push you out of your creative comfort zone, with regular opportunities to write and compose to brief, explore new styles and genres, and collaborate with the wider ICMP community – made up of both fellow music production students, and vocalists, guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboard players and songwriters also studying at ICMP. You’ll also cover basic music theory and music’s historical and cultural place in the world, and will develop the ability to analyse and critique music from an academic perspective. There will be plenty of chances to immerse yourself in the music industry via a series of real-world music business events, guest lectures, masterclasses and more, so you’ll leave ICMP with a solid understanding of how the music industry works and exactly what you need to do to progress your career in music production. Classes take place in ICMP’s high-tech Mac Labs, state-of-the-art recording studios and dedicated teaching spaces, using industry-standard hardware and software.

All students can book ICMP’s amazing facilities for personal use outside of class hours, seven days a week, free of charge, meaning you’ll have ongoing access to the very best music production kit, including controllers and loop stations, vocal processors and effects pedals, instruments, PAs, microphones, mobile recording rigs, writing rooms, studios,  and more.

Our dedicated team at The Hub will provide you with a range of personalised opportunities and training throughout your time with us so you’ll graduate ‘career-ready’. Creative Music Production degree students also have the opportunity to fulfill the role of Assistant Engineer in recording sessions at ICMP’s in-house studios and, in your final year, you’ll undertake classes and networking events at London’s Tileyard Studios – our exclusive industry partner and home to  the UK’s largest professional music community.

Fees & Funding

Taking a music production degree course at ICMP makes financial sense too, with the fees for ICMP music degrees significantly less than those at many traditional universities, and, also much lower than other UK music education providers - making studying music at ICMP in London great value as well as great fun.

2019/20 Course Fees*: £7,500 (UK & EU Students) | £9,700 (Non-EU Students)
*Fees are subject to change

Please visit our Fees page for information on access to Student Loans.

EU Students, applying to start their course in 2019, will continue to be eligible for both home fee status and have access to student finance. This entitlement will remain in place for the duration of the course. Read more

Full Fees Information | Full Programme Specification 

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Successful completion of the BA (Hons) Creative Music Production programme at ICMP leads to the award of Bachelor of Arts by the University of East London.

UCAS CODES

Key facts

  • Taught in a professional music production environment using high-tech industry-standard facilities.
  • Develops your practical music production skills, giving you a strong working knowledge of Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Melodyne and iZotope.
  • Opportunity to assist in recording sessions at ICMP’s in-house studio.
  • Fosters your creative skills through regular collaboration with fellow student artists from ICMP’s rich artist pool.
  • Career-focused artist development designed to make you business-ready as a music producer.
  • Acquire entrepreneurial, business and networking skills and learn how to market and promote your music.
  • The London location provides opportunities to showcase your production talents at top London events while immersing yourself in the global music scene.
  • Connection with Tileyard Studios and other extensive music industry links enables you to build an impressive network.

COURSE DETAILS

Year 1 (Level 4)

Year 2 ( Level 5)

Year 3 ( Level 6)

During your first year on the course, you’ll be given a solid introduction to a wide range of music production subjects and will learn how to competently use a number of industry-standard hardware and software packages.

Digital Music Production (30 Credits)

This module will consider how computer technology is used to produce contemporary music. Using Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Ableton Live, you’ll develop music programming and production techniques, including synthesis and sampling, alongside the development of critical listening skills.

Studio Recording and Engineering (30 Credits)

You’ll explore the fundamentals of audio theory within the context of a professional music recording studio. By learning how to use industry-standard recording and production equipment, you’ll become proficient with both recording and engineering (editing and sound production) processes.

Popular Music Debates (30 Credits)

On this module, you’ll be introduced to effective ways of recognising and interpreting the development of popular music genres and will develop the skills necessary to justify intellectual positions using critical texts and resources. The module utilises the University of East London’s ‘Skills Curriculum’ as a core framework for investigating, analysing and critiquing current debates and theories relating to the context within which popular music is produced, performed and consumed.

Creative Composition (30 Credits)

This module will equip you with the skills to write and perform a repertoire of original compositions and remixes. You’ll begin to progress writing, composition and remixing techniques aligned with the role of the creative producer. Alongside this, you’ll develop a practical approach to exploring your creativity, and will gain a deeper understanding of the history and context of creative composition and production.
In Year 2, you’ll deepen your knowledge of music production, through a continuation of previous modules, as well as the exploration of new, more advanced themes, practices, skills and academic knowledge.

Advanced Music Production (30 Credits)

This module further develops your recording and production skills, exploring advanced music production techniques for recording and mixing music to a professional standard, including file delivery and the audio mastering chain. The module also examines the producer’s role with consideration for musical decisions – for example, developing and creating a desired sound.

Applied Songwriting (30 Credits)

This module sees you explore your approach to writing in differing configurations of class creative roles and teams. You’ll compete to meet a range of industry briefs, including an Individual song writing Project, where you’ll continue your creative writing development and will examine A&R principles in more detail, creating repertoire for a specified artist project of your own design. The Writer Producer industry brief sees you combine your musicianship skills with your production talents in a studio environment to examine writing and arrangement techniques using production software.

Writing about Music (15 Credits)

To be a successful music producer it’s extremely helpful to be able to explore the relationships between popular music genres and experiment with a range of analytical approaches. This module builds on prior foundational work, further developing your capacity for intellectual engagement with popular music through analysis and critique, and involving you in the current debates and theories relating to the context within which popular music is produced, performed and consumed.

Marketing and Monetising your Music (15 Credits)

Essential to the career of every musician is a thorough awareness of the various facets of today’s rapidly evolving music industry. This module will establish the framework of the industry, exploring its three main sectors: recorded music, live music and publishing. It will deliver an overview of the contemporary music business, allowing you to develop an invaluable understanding of current monetisation models; effective marketing and promotion strategies; the role of management; and how to recognise and exploit changes in practice which have been brought about by the impact of the internet and new technologies.

Creative Live Sound Production (30 Credits)

Through project work, you’ll develop further understanding and application of core live sound concepts, principles and production methodologies including location recording, ‘sound vs music’, audio theory and creative recording techniques.
In your final year, you’ll progress your academic studies through personalised, self-directed learning, with the ability to tailor modules, such as the Dissertation and Professional Project, to your interests and future career goals.

Music for Multimedia (30 Credits)

On this module you’ll develop critical awareness and analysis of the compositional methods, tropes and approaches used in music for film, television and multimedia, including computer games design. This awareness and analysis will be practically applied through composition, post-production and editing.

The Business of Music Production (30 Credits)

On this module you’ll study advertising, PR, branding and entrepreneurial business models through an analysis of case studies, as well as working practically on developing, managing and refining your own product. You’ll also be encouraged and directed to keep your finger on the pulse of the rapidly evolving business of music with ongoing reference to contemporary news stories and analysis.

Dissertation (30 Credits)

A major element of your undergraduate degree, your dissertation requires you to plan, develop and realise an appropriate, independent research project under relevant subject-specialist supervision. This will enable you to: demonstrate how you’ve developed and applied the skills of critical and/or historical analysis acquired in the programme so far, offer a critical analysis of a wide range of source material, demonstrate independent thought and write lucidly. The dissertation is split into two parts – a series of lectures and seminars designed to inform your own work, supported by supervised sessions looking at the development and execution of your dissertation.

Professional Project (30 Credits)

The aim of this module is to support you in using the skills you’ve developed throughout the programme in order to identify, plan and complete a project to a professional standard. You’ll be empowered to decide the form of your project, but it could take the form of a music-based community project, a live performance, the production of an EP, music for media, or something entirely different. Main topics of study include the artist and collaborative practice, and an interdisciplinary project seminar, in which you’ll discuss and analyse project management best practice and methodologies prevalent in artistic project contexts.

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

You will be taught at our campus in Kilburn, utilising our live rooms, tech suites and in-house music studio facilities as well as classrooms and lecture rooms. You will have access to use these facilities outside of class time while you are a student at ICMP in order to rehearse and record your music.

You will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small group tutorials, performance workshops, music technology workshops tutorials and one to one instrumental tuition.

You will have access to the Student Services Department for support and advice concerning welfare, finance, personal development, safeguarding etc. You'll also have access to our Professional Development team ‘The Hub, who provide bespoke music industry careers advice and access to unique industry opportunities.

As a student of UEL you will also enjoy access to a range of UEL facilities, including the 24/7 multimedia libraries, with over 300,000 books, journals, audio-visual resources and archives, 500 electronic books and 25,000 electronic journals and databases.

Teaching and Learning

On the BA (Hons) Creative Music Production programme you will be taught through a variety of lectures, seminar, workshops and demonstrations.

When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you'll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments.Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including our Learning Resource Centre, our many performance and practice rooms, and well-equipped tech suites.
Throughout the duration of your course your time will be split as follows:

Teaching, Learning and Assessment hours per year
Year 1: 420hrs | Year 2: 406hrs | Year 3: 336hrs

Self-study hours per year
Year 1: 780hrs | Year 2: 794hrs | Year 3: 864hrs

Assessment

Your knowledge and thinking will be assessed through reports, workbooks, presentations, essays, examinations and recordings. Your practical skills will be assessed through recordings, performance, composition and practical examinations, and your skills for life and work will be assessed through project pitches, coursework and presentations.
The assessment breakdown of this programme is:

Year 1: 65% Practical | 35% Coursework
Year 2: 64% Practical | 36% Coursework
Year 3: 44% Practical | 56% Coursework

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants will typically have A Levels, BTEC Diploma or Extended Diploma, or International Baccalaureate equivalent to 80 UCAS points, or an ICMP Higher Diploma.

In addition, you should hold a GCSE Grade C or 4 or above in English, or suitable equivalent, such as Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Adult Literacy/Numeracy.

International students will typically hold a relevant equivalent qualification –please check your qualification with our Admissions Team. In addition, you should hold a relevant English language qualification equivalent to CEFR  Level B2.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants who may have no formal qualifications but can demonstrate their suitability for study through appropriate skills and experience.

All applicants will be invited to attend an audition/interview.

This course is also available as a one-year Cert HE.

UCAS code W100Uni code i25

HOW TO APPLY

 Please apply via  the "APPLY NOW" link  below.

At any time during application process if you need help or further advice just contact our Admissions team who will be happy to assist you. 



By phone:
020 7328 0222

By email:
enquiries@icmp.ac.uk

or

APPLY NOW
Tutors

Jason O'BryanMusic Production

Jason O’Bryan is Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) Creative Music Production degree course. Formerly producer and bassist with the UK band, Dub Pistols, Jason has released several successful albums and remixed a string of world famous artists including Bono (U2), Lily Allen, Scissor Sisters, Moby, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rob Zombie, Ian Brown, Bush, Natalie Imbruglia and Robbie Williams.
Jason O'Bryan | Music Production | ICMP London

Bill BorezMusic Production

As an accomplished artist, producer, writer, guitarist, keyboard player and remixer Bill Borez has recorded several top 40 hits and numerous dance chart hits and dance chart No.1 records. Bill has worked under various aliases including the seminal rave act Zero B, named by DJ and Musician Goldie as one of his top ten all-time influential British dance music artists.
bill-borez-music-production-tutor

Steve TurnerMusic Production

As a live programmer, Steve has performed with The Sugababes, All Saints, Anastacia, Leona Lewis, Alesha Dixon, as well as working on four world tours with Kylie Minogue, where his skills as a synth programmer have really come into their own. He also composes string arrangements, recently featuring on 4 tracks from Jocelyn Brown's amazing album True Praises.
Steve Turner | Music Production Tutor | ICMP London

Paul StanboroughSongwriting

As a multi-instrumentalist with a training in creative music technology, Paul’s understanding and awareness of the craft and sensibility needed to shape and form a song ultimately led him to a position as the in-house producer, programmer, and engineer for renowned songwriter and producer, Guy Chambers. Alongside Chambers, Paul worked with artists as diverse as Kelis, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Janet Jackson, Mark Ronson, The Scissor Sisters, Britney Spears, Jamie Cullum, and Tinie Tempah, to name a few.
Paul Stanborough | Music Production | ICMP London