Popular Music Production BSc (Hons)

Southampton Solent University

Our music courses ranked 15th out of 66 other UK institutions for student satisfaction (NSS 2019).

Looking to start a career in music and sound production? Whatever your background, Solent University’s popular music production programme will enable you to deepen your skills in a wide range of areas – preparing you for a fantastic career as a music producer of the future.

The course explores three main areas of study: technical and musical foundations, music and sound production in studio and live settings, and employability in the music industry. These varied subjects enable you to gain a broad understanding of the industry, so when you graduate you’ll be equipped with the right skills and knowledge to kick-start your career.

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to use a range of facilities including our specialist recording studios – each with top of the range software, facilities and instruments including: Pro Tools Ultimate and Logic digital audio workstations, Microphones by Neumann, AKG and Shure. Analog processing includes Neve, Universal Audio, Focusrite, Empirical Labs, and Portico. Instruments provided included Drums by DW and Mapex, a Moog Synthesiser, Korg Kronos, Marshall, Fender and Vox valve guitar amplifiers. Software includes Native Instruments Komplete, and Plugins by Sonnox, McDSP and Celemony. Live sound mixers include Allen and Heath DLive, Soundcraft Si, and Midas M32.

Thanks to the academic teams close links with industry, you will have the opportunity to attend guest lectures from visiting industry professionals. Speakers have recently included: Mike Moran, composer; Trevor Horn, Grammy award-winning producer; Sam Skirrow, Bass player; Rob Da Bank, DJ and festival organiser; Gary Langhan, sound engineer; and Mark Lawrence, CEO of The Association for Electronic Music.

As a popular music production student you’ll also have the chance to visit the legendary Abbey Road studios, probably the most famous studio in the world, and talk to engineers at the top of the industry during a real recording session.

Solent provides a creative hub where students can meet film makers, animators, game designers, musicians, and video video producers and work on combined projects.

What does this course lead to?

Recent graduates have gone on to work in diverse areas such as live sound, game audio, recording studios, film and television sound, and technical support – working at organisations such as Bang Post-Production, Sony Music, Envy Post-Production, Global Documentary, Columbia Records, Metropolis Studios, EMI Music Licensing and Stage Miracles.

Who is this course for?

Solent’s music production programme is ideally suited to students who want to combine that unique mix of technical and musical skills, while developing an understanding of the industries that await them. Applicants should previously have studied music technology or a related subject, or be able to demonstrate some music making experience.