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MA Creative Music Production

POSTGRADUATE MASTERS DEGREE

(Formerly MA Songwriting & Music Production*)

Songwriting & Production

Flexible online study with personal tuition

Full time – 12 months (30 hours a week)

Part time – 24 months (15 hours a week)

Part time – 36 months (8 hours a week)

Accepting applications for Sep 2024 start. Apply now

Our innovative online Masters degree in Creative Music Production will bring out the best in you as a contemporary artist, and help you keep reinventing your musical approach long after you have graduated.

This course is designed to work around your day-to day-life, with flexibility and customisation built directly into your studies. You’ll learn core skills including music production, mixing, songwriting and composition, and then will choose elective modules that give you genre-specific tutorials based on your music and goals. There is support for marketing, promotion, music business and other key skills needed to build a strong career long after you graduate.

We’ll also take you a step further, with free support after you graduate in the form of our Employment Support Program. This is for those of you looking to build a strong career, where we help you build a brand, and work with you to get your music heard by the right audience.

INTERESTED?

Register for more information about this course and studying with ThinkSpace Education.

Have questions? Our friendly team are here to help. Complete the form above, email us or call us on +44 (0)1243 256 049

Preparing you for the career you deserve

If you are looking for either a Masters in songwriting or a Masters in music production, this course will combine the best of both and help guide you towards a creative and fulfilling career.

You’ll study with world-class professionals: musicians, producers, artists and songwriters – and we’ll help take your music to a new level.

The course is designed to do two main things:

‘To raise the creative and technical quality of your songs or music to a professional, commercial level. Whether it's mixing and mastering, structuring your music or the practical everyday application of advanced music theory, we will help you maximise your creative and commercial potential.
To teach you to become more critically self-aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your own music and to collaborate with and exchange constructive criticism with other musicians, composers and songwriters.

We call this process reflect and refresh, a cycle of innovation and constant improvement that is familiar to all at the forefront of the industry.

TAUGHT BY working PROFESSIONALS

Our teaching staff and mentors are all current working professionals, many involved at the highest level in the business.

Being online, we work quite differently from other music production schools. We have access to a vast pool of talent from all over the world, so you can speak with tutors and gain insights from all areas of the music industry regardless of where they, or you, are based.

Here are a few of the many who will be giving you individual feedback, either in writing, during weekly one to one mentoring sessions, or at the student workshops. This doesn’t include visiting lecturers - these are the people doing the teaching

See All THINKSPACE Teaching Staff

PHIL LARSEN

Producer, Mixer, Remixer (Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Moby)

ELLA WALKER

Songwriter (Michael Kiwanuka, Danger Mouse, RHODES)

BILLY DECKER

Country Producer & Mixer (Billy Ray Cyrus, Sam Hunt, Chris Young)

LILLIAN CHAN

Songwriter & Producer (Founder of DYNA LDN)

IRWIN SPARKES

Songwriter (The Hoosiers, White Tail Falls)

CHRIS ROCKALL

Music Marketing & Promotion (Island Records, Universal/Motown)

LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

This module sets the foundation upon which the rest of the course is built. It will introduce students to a new methodology of critical thinking with regards to their musical goals and how to achieve them through a process of consistent reflection, research, analysis, repetition and improvement.

In the modern world of music technology, it has never been easier to access such a wide palette of sounds. Why is it then, that so much music sounds so alike and, therefore, lacks the uniqueness that often leads to something greater? Easy access to “presets” is one of the reasons that this occurs. In commercial music, success and longevity can often be attributed to innovation and individuality. Thinking about the use and creation of new sounds and textures will encourage students to embrace a world of possibilities that sets them apart from others.

Writing great music is not the only hurdle that students must face on the path to creating professional quality music. Delivering a polished final mix is an essential part in presenting music at its best. In many genres, particularly electronic music, mixing and production is inextricable from the composition and arrangement itself. This is an incredibly important skill for any professional wishing to compete in commercial music.

Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

EDM & Remix Masterclass
Lyric Writing Masterclass
Hip Hop & RnB Masterclass
Rock & Metal Masterclass
Country Music Masterclass
Adventures in Experimental Music
Advanced Music Promotion
Making Money
Digital Marketing

For more information on these modules, click the button to download the Course Handbooks. Please note, the availability of MA elective modules may be subject to a minimum enrolment. The choice of electives is provisional and may be subject to change.

Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

EDM & Remix Masterclass
Lyric Writing Masterclass
Hip Hop & RnB Masterclass
Rock & Metal Masterclass
Country Music Masterclass
Adventures in Experimental Music
Advanced Music Promotion
Making Money
Digital Marketing

For more information on these modules, click the button to download the Course Handbooks. Please note, the availability of MA elective modules may be subject to a minimum enrolment. The choice of electives is provisional and may be subject to change.

This module introduces students to key research skills, methodologies and concepts. The programme is largely practice-based, but this module offers a chance to develop a broader and deeper understanding of the ideas that underpin the student’s work and current academic approaches to issues within the discipline. The module will run alongside the practical modules and will offer an opportunity to reflect critically on their own practical work. The lively discussion of ideas and concepts will help students to develop the analytical tools to understand their own creative process, to place it in a wider cultural, social and historical context, and to draw parallels with other disciplines.

The Final Major Project is a major piece of work that will take 12 weeks to complete. It represents the culmination of creative, technical, and research skills acquired during the rest of the course. Students will be expected to research their chosen genre, developing a critical awareness of creative and technical problems faced by musicians at the forefront of professional practice. The quality of the creative idea and the insight into the intention of the artist is far more critical with larger scale work. The large-scale projects below are a great deal more challenging than the sum total of several shorter assignments. This module will encourage students to think of the bigger picture, demonstrate everything they have learnt during the course and accurately represent themselves as an industry professional. Consequently, the original idea and the approach need to be thought out much more thoroughly.

You also have the option of completing a written dissertation if you prefer. The dissertation will represent a student's research into an area of commercial music. The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarly written work.

You will be asked to write an essay of 12,000 words (+/- 10%), including footnotes, but excluding bibliography. This is a substantially longer than any of your other work so far. You will undertake the work as an individual, under the guidance of a supervisor, with whom you will meet regularly in one-to-one sessions.

FLEXIBLE Schedules TO FIT AROUND YOUR LIFE

We offer three different schedules so you can pick which best fits around your life. It is also possible to switch between these schedules at certain points during the degree, should you find that that you have more or less time available than you anticipated. You can also pause your degree altogether if life gets in the way.

Full time – 12 months (30 hours a week)

Part time – 24 months (15 hours a week)

Part time – 36 months* (8 hours a week)

Please note that these weekly hours are estimates based on previous years' students. It will vary from student to student, depending on your rate of work. These times estimates include every element of the course: live workshops, one-to-one tutorials, reading and watching the course materials, and time spent on assignment projects. (*36 month option not available to UK students on a postgraduate student loan)

Learn more about SCHEDULES

FinancING

Price for the whole degree:

£11,750

You will be invoiced in instalments at the start of each term. (For courses lasting longer than 12 months, please budget for an annual inflation linked increase on the remaining balance of fees, based on UK RPI, capped at 8%.)

UK and International students pay the same. (For those paying in other currencies, the exact price is subject to exchange rate fluctuation).

STUDENT LOANS

In parts of the UK you can apply for the following student loans to cover postgraduate tuition:
- Up to £12,167 in England. More info
- Up to £18,770 in Wales. More info
- Up to £6,500 in Northern Ireland. More info

PAY-AS-YOU-LEARN OPTIONS

We offer interest-free payment plans, where you can spread the cost of your course across the duration of your studies. The payment plan you are on depends on the schedule you are on. You will be required to pay a deposit upon enrolling.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FINANCING

UNSURE ABOUT STUDYING ONLINE?

Concerned about feeling disconnected or lacking individual attention from home? Don't worry. Our online music campus connects you with fellow students, industry alumni, tutors, and professionals across the globe. There's always someone to assist, offer advice, provide encouragement, or share work opportunities.

Discover what our degree alumni have to say about their connected experience with ThinkSpace, the friends they've made, and the networks they've built.

"I love the community. I've made friends for life and I look forward to working with many of them in the future."

accredited by Arts University Bournemouth

Your degree is accredited and awarded by our academic partner, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB). Home to the prestigious Bournemouth Film School – whose alumni include film director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) – AUB is a public university on the south coast of England. Its history dates back to the 1880s.

AUB provide academic oversight across our degrees, which are subject to the same rigorous quality checks as degrees taught by all UK universities.

*The name change of this Masters degree is subject to official approval by AUB.

How to apply

To make an initial application you will need to fill out the application form, write a short cover letter and provide a few examples of your music / sound design. You will find a detailed explanation of the process on the applications page.

You do not require a high level of music theory for this course, just the ability to write great music and lots of potential.

Start your application

"Am I good enough?"

We are asked this question all the time and we’re happy to help and advise. Get in touch and we'll discuss your musical ambitions and ask for some examples of your work. Then we can tell you where you stand. Simply complete the form below, email us or call us on +44 (0)1243 256 049.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more FAQs, and more information please visit the Applications & FAQs, Student Finance and Study With ThinkSpace pages.

We expect you to have a competent knowledge of one Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). You need to be able to write music fluently and productively. Your demos should be of good quality and we are happy to listen to your music and give you an opinion on this before you apply. We anticipate students joining with flaws in their work, but we need you to have a strong starting point so we can help elevate you to a professional level.

Being a songwriting and music production course, we are aware that you will all be working with a variety of different workflows, genres, styles, and instrumental skills. We aim to support as many different styles of music as possible. If you are unsure whether the music you're writing is suitable for the course, get in touch and send us your portfolio. We can discuss this with you and point you in the right direction if there is anything you should work on prior to applying.

You must have a reasonably powerful computer (Mac or PC) which can support your music writing workflow. We can advise you on this if you have questions, but as a guideline:

Minimum Requirements:

Intel/AMD quad-core 2.6GHz processor (or M1 for newer Macs)
16GB RAM (or more)
SSD drives to store your sample libraries/projects

Recommended Requirements:

Intel i7/AMD quad-core 3.2GHz processor (or M1 for newer Macs)
32GB RAM
SSD drives, or an M.2 Drive if you want something quicker but not necessary!

You may also need:

Monitoring headphones (or speakers if your room is suitable)
MIDI Keyboard
External Audio Interface

You will need a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). We are able to provide extensive support for:

Cubase 10 (or newer)
Logic Pro X
Reaper
Ableton Live
Studio One
FL Studio
Digital Performer

For this course the range of appropriate DAWs is very wide and as long as it allows you to write, produce, mix and export music to a high quality, you can work with the DAW of your choice.

You must have the samples and plugins required to write your style of music. There are countless libraries and plugins used to create high quality tracks, but if you want to run your setup and workflow by us before you apply we are happy to discuss this via email.

We understand that many students joining an online course like this will already have other commitments in life and need a certain degree of flexibility. Students joining this course can choose between one of three schedules - 1 year full time or 2-3 years part time. This will increase the amount of time you have to complete assignments, engage in webinars and work your way through the learning materials.

You are also able to take 'Intermission' which puts your studies on hold temporarily. You can do this for up to 2-years total over the duration of your studies. In case of emergencies, you can submit 'Mitigating Circumstances' forms to request an extension on a specific assignment.

Ideally, applicants will have completed an undergraduate degree before they apply. However, there is an option for those who do not have a degree, taking into account real-world work experience in related fields, and non-degree professional development courses. This Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is always assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The best way to know if you're eligible to apply is to reach out to us at postgraduate@thinkspace.ac.uk and we can discuss your options.

On successful completion of your course, you will be awarded a Master of Arts degree from the Arts University Bournemouth. The qualification is fully accredited in the UK (and recognised internationally) and is subject to regular quality control, review and external invigilation to ensure the highest academic standards are maintained. Your degree will list us as the 'Partner' that you studied your degree with.

have a question? contact us

Need some advice? Or just want to talk music? We’re always here to lend a professional ear.

postgraduate@thinkspace.ac.uk

+44 (0)1243 256049

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