What you'll study
This course is accredited by Rose Bruford College and delivered at Notting Hill Academy of Music.
The programme is a blend of music industry knowledge, alongside the development of professional beat making and digital production skills, you will also be taught by both academics and specialist industry practitioners directly at the heart of the industry.
Notting Hill Academy of Music seeks to give you an immersive music industry experience and get your music exposure in the right circles. All your lecturers are working industry professionals and will teach the specialist subject relevant to their own career.
Your assignments have been developed to reflect the real world of creating music and working within the industry, ensuring that you develop the skills you’ll need to succeed in the professional world. Central to the ethos of this programme, is the aim to get you ready for industry by giving you access to it from the start.
Depending on your progression choices after Level 4, as a graduate, you will be able to enter a range of music industry professions equipped with the industry knowledge, academic and industry skills that companies require.
Notting Hill Academy of Music alumni have gone on to work as artists, songwriters and producers, in A&R, record labels, copyright, streaming services and talent/creative management.
Why choose this course
Taught by Music Industry Experts
You will be taught by academics and specialist practitioners. All your lecturers are working industry professionals and will teach the specialist subject relevant to their own career.
Get connected and get into the music industry
Central to the ethos of this programme, is the drive to get you ready for industry by giving you access to the music business from the start.
Expand your skills using industry-standard software
You will learn and develop your music creation skills using industry-standard software to create your own music and to collaborate with and create music for others.
Immersive music industry experience
The course includes introductions and dynamic experiences aimed at getting your music exposure in the right circles. Assessments have been developed to reflect the real world of working within the industry and develop the skills you’ll need to succeed in the professional world.
All classes are taught from the historic Notting Hill Arts Club in London and at Sony Music UK in London to allow students to study and live in the industry.
Industry backed
Notting Hill Academy of Music partners and works with key players in the music industry including: Columbia, BMG, First Access Entertainment, Atlantic, Sound Collective and many others. Students will have to opportunity to attend real-life meetings at Sony Music UK during their studies through the academy's links to industry.
Gain practical training and skills
Practically the course covers: melody, chords, song structure, sampling, recreating sounds, basslines, drum sound (patterns, programming, and arrangements), mixing beats, remixes, MIDI, sound design, sequencing, recording, production and mastering all from fully equipped Mac Laptop DAW set ups.
Course breakdown
Course content is regularly reviewed to make it relevant and current. Course modules are therefore subject to change.
Beats and Business
Understand the different revenue streams available to you. Both ways to create and release music yourself, but also how to work with larger music industry businesses.
By thinking of your skills and the music you create as a business and knowing how to articulate and promote this, you gain the skills to develop your own career from the start.
An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:
- Thinking like a business: maximising your potential and the role of the producer, collaborator, artist
- Music business landscape 1: The label, A&R, producer/artist, collaboration
- Music business landscape 2: copyright and collections societies
- Music business landscape 3: Publishing and points
- Collaboration: legal, IP and protecting your investment
- Success stories: key producer/artists
- The business plan: monetising your music
- The business model: start-up structure and keeping it lean
- Media, marketing and promotion
- Business finance for non-finance experts
- Pitching to others
- Key responsibilities as a business owner: reporting, key dates, tax and finance
Beat Culture
The history and evolution of popular music is rich, multicultural and comparatively new. As new genres are brought to the forefront of popular music so are the technologies that inform them.
The module will focus on subcultures, style and genre, the history of music technology and also explore global dance music sounds and styles.
An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:
- A brief history of the evolution of contemporary popular music
- A brief history of technological innovation
- Cultures and subculture
- The study of styles and genres
- Domestic and International music trends
- Commercialism and alternative forms
- The digital creator: machine as composer
- The Producer/DJ as creative composer
- Integrating critical perspectives
- Equality and diversity in the music industries
The Digital Audio Workstation
A game changer for all musicians and producers, allowing all abilities to develop the software and its possibilities technically and creatively.
Industry-standard music can be created using just your laptop and in this first practical module, you will do exactly that. You will focus on simply familiarising yourself with Logic Pro to create a range of different sounds to illustrate audio production and compositional beat-making principles.
These techniques and skills will be developed further in Term 2, when you will start practically using the Digital Audio Workstation in more technical and creative detail.
An indicative lecture program relating to the module will comprise:
- The history of the DAW
- Key technical features: DAW as an analogue studio
- Core functions of the traditional studio
- Key creative features: DAW as instrument
- Set-up and signal flow
- Creating projects and tracks
- Basic functionality in the DAW, getting started
- Adding recordings and other sound files to the mix
- Sound design and synthesis functionality in a DAW
- Introduction to plug-ins and VSTs
- Introduction to signal processing and FX
- Exporting, sharing and collaborating
Build the Beat
This module builds on the DAW basics already covered and is intended to give you a grounding in the essential terminology, principles, skills and techniques in using Logic Pro that will allow you to start building tracks using professional DAW skills from the ground up.
This module is also studied alongside Record/Mix/Master, allowing you to put music creation and composition together with audio production techniques.
An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:
- Deconstructing hit songs
- Beats in-the-box
- Manipulating regions: Cutting, looping, copying, reversing
- MIDI basics
- Building MIDI beats
- Instruments and Sounds
- Synth basics
- Building synth beats (eg Drum Synth, Ultrabeat)
- Making beats, basslines and backing tracks
- Integrating samples
- Signal flow and set-up to record
- Putting it all together
Record, Mix, Master
Studied alongside Build the Beat, this module will get you thinking about how to apply music production skills to the tracks you create for yourself and others. In this module you’ll develop your DAW skills further, but also your project planning, collaboration, influence, communication and leadership skills.
You will learn to adjust your creative vision to support the creative vision of those you are working with too, and showcase your skills in making the work of another songwriter or artist industry-ready and commercially viable.
An indicative lecture programme relating to the module might include:
- Starting a project: inspiration and planning
- Signal flow and recording (MIDI and Audio)
- Creating and editing multiple tracks
- Choosing instruments and layering tracks
- Structure and balance
- Mix techniques
- Arranging and automating the track
- Creative EQ/Dynamics and FX
- Creating and exporting the final mix
- Introduction to mastering
- Remixing techniques (extended and creative edits, versioning, introducing samples)
- Manipulating parts and stems and collaborating with others
Producing the Song
The role of the producer/artist/collaborator is to see the whole project from a range of perspectives, including the commercial. Releasing a final creative work needs the effort and vision of the producer.
This module will introduce you to a range that brings together the musical (composition and arrangement) with the technical audio techniques (dynamics, EQ and FX in the final mix and mastering) you studied in previous modules.
An indicative lecture programme relating to the module will comprise:
- The role of the producer/artist
- Song structure and arrangement
- Melody, riff and hook
- Harmonic structure, bassline and cohesion
- Defining styles: Making Disco/Techno/House/Trance
- Defining styles: Making Hip Hop, Sampling, Turntablism & Rap
- Defining styles: Making UK Urban Beats
- Defining styles: Making commercial R&B, Pop
- The overall sound – matching technique to genre
- Your music’s journey, from studio to release
- Pitching to the professionals, positioning yourself and your career
- Commercial contexts and diversifying your skills
Teaching and Assessment Methods
This course comprises 6 Assessments totalling 120 credits.
You will complete around 320 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities and 880 hours of independent learning on projects, productions, placements or self-directed study.
Assessment will be through: Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials and portfolios.
Your future career
Depending on your progression choices after Level 4 and based on your skills and interests, as a graduate, you will be able to work in a range of music industry professions.
You will receive outstanding career development and support during your study, working with top industry professionals and tutors.
You will be able to enter a range of music industry professions equipped with the industry knowledge, academic and industry skills that companies require. Notting Hill Academy of Music alumni have gone on to work in A&R, record labels, copyright, streaming services and talent/creative management and many more.
Career Options
Studying a creative related subject provides our students with a wide range of skills. Recent graduates have progressed to work in:
- Professional Producer
- Beatmaker
- Artist
- Songwriter
Alumni Success
Daniel Owusu
Founder at Dreamlife Records
Jay Radia
A&R at Relentless Records
Kieran Spooner
A&R at Dreamlife Records
Charlotte Plank
Artist signed to Black Butter Records
Glenn Sonko
A&R at 2TE Records/Warner Bros UK
How to join
Course Overview
- Duration – 9 months
- Start date – Sept 2024
- Type – Face to face
- Tuition – Up to 10 hrs per week face to face
- Mode of study – Full time
- Qualification – Certificate in Higher Education (Level 4)
During the course you will complete around 60 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities per module and we recommend you undertake 20 hours per week of independent study outside of your scheduled learning hours. Awarding body Rose Bruford College.
Entry requirements
Two A-Levels at C grade/equivalent, Level 3 qualifications, or relevant music industry experience.
All applicants will be asked to complete a course-specific admissions task designed to demonstrate their creative skills.
Institution code: N/A
Course code: N/A
Application process
All applicants will need to attend an experience day at the Academy and meet with a team member in order to be offered a place to study at NHAM.
As part of the offer, all applicants will need to then complete a course-specific admissions task designed to demonstrate their creative skills.
We encourage all applications to be submitted by 31 August 2024.
Course Summary
Course Type
Short Course
Course Fees
UK/Republic of Ireland students
£9250