Committing to music production is a big decision. If you’re going to do it, do it properly.
This incredibly practical course has been honed to take you step-by-step from being a total beginner (also great if you’re a self-taught producer), to a completely confident music producer.
You’ll understand Ableton Live, music theory and sound design.Each of the course modules can be tailored to work around your schedule. You can make use of expert tutors, mentoring sessions and unlimited studio access throughout the course.
If you’re serious about making great music, take the jump.
Ableton Live Suite is the leading music production software, which also opens up a gateway to remixing live. We’ll take you from beginner level, to making tracks comfortably with it. You’ll also get this software free with this course (£539), so you can make music from home as well as in SEM.
Raise your sound design to put you into another league. Start competing with the pros.
Our in-house tutors can provide additional 1-2-1 support, to help you further develop your production skills.
Use our online booker to plan ahead. SEM offers more practical time than any other UK equivalent.
• 50% off NI Komplete • 40% off Ableton Live Suite
• Up to 25% off Focusrite and Native Instruments hardware
Enrol on the Music Production Course you will get:
• Free Ableton Live Suite (£539) or NI Komplete (£499)
• Free 1 year’s Roland Cloud Ultimate (£150)
DAW Skills - 3 months
Duration: 3 months
The DAW Skills module will give you a strong grounding in music production skills using Ableton Live – arguably the most immediately creative DAW on the market. You’ll learn how to work with MIDI and audio, virtual instruments, MIDI controllers and effects: techniques, which will be built on as the module progresses.
You will learn Ableton live inside out, along with basic sound design with Lives extensive selection of proprietary instruments, formulae for different genres, and techniques to turn your track from an arrangement into a finished piece.
If you’re interested in becoming a successful music producer, or DJ/producer, then this module will teach you essential skills for success in a competitive market place, and gives a solid platform for those looking to move onto further advanced study. We’ll show you how to get the most from your home studio setup, and how to incorporate hardware instruments into your workflow, if this is a direction you’d like to take.
Whether you’re new to music production or have been already producing your own music for a while, you’ll be learning all the essential skills in a creative environment, from industry active expert tutors with a wealth of releases and remixes under their belts. School of Electronic Music is an Ableton Certified Training Centre and a Native Instruments Training Partner.
Introduction to Ableton Live
Ableton Live workflow, MIDI sequencing, audio sample import and editing, music computer setup and specifications, MIDI controllers, audio interfaces.
Music Production Skills
Critical/analytical listening skills, common production techniques, basic synthesis/sound design, remixing skills, how to structure music of different styles/genres.
Home Studio Skills
Modern audio interface connectivity, functionality and signal flow, audio routing and recording.
Sound Design - 3 months
Duration: 3 months
Sound design is one of the most important skills a producer/artist can have in order to be form their own creative aesthetic, to be able to establish their own unique sound and sonic identity. If you have ever listened to just a few seconds of a track and instantly been able to identify the artist, then it’s pretty likely that the sound design might have had a large part to play in making them so instantly identifiable.
This intensive module builds on this, aiming to help you learn to create a well-crafted palette of sounds through exploring the intriguing world of sound design. During this module you’ll learn key skills to begin making your own unique tones with rich and engaging textures which fit perfectly into your tracks.
During this module you will also gain extensive knowledge of all of the methods of synthesis commonly used in modern music production. We’ll dive into envelopes, filters and low frequency oscillators – the goal is to create your own sounds specifically for your chosen genre, fitting into your creative vision. You’ll also learn a host of tips and tricks as to how these simple functions have been used historically to their maximum creative potential.
There is a big focus on percussive sounds in this module, which can be some of the most complex when it comes to production. We’ll build our own set of custom drum hits, crafted to fit perfectly into your musical style, which will allow you to minimise time going through lists of samples, and cut to a world of creative possibilities.
Subtractive or analog synthesis
One of the earliest methods of artificial sound generation, and by far the most coveted method of synthesis in the hardware domain. Many early 80’s synthesisers helped establish modern electronic music, the influx of affordable and innovative Japanese synthesizers from companies such as Roland and Korg, put for the first time technology in the hands of people which enabled them to create music without the help of other musicians, freeing them from the need to rent expensive studio facilities.
Subtractive synthesis is famous for its rich, dense, unstable tonality. Perfect for chunky sounding bass plucks, warm sustained chord pads, smooth melodic leads and everything in between. If you can imagine the classic sound of 80’s synth pop, or early 90s dance genres and acid house, then you’re probably thinking of the sound of subtractive synthesis.
Frequency Modulation or FM
A method of synthesis which become popular in the late 80s due to its ability to create more realistic approximations of real instruments. It later became a creative tool as musicians started to experiment with its expansive sound design possibilities.
FM’s digital code-based core functionality allows it to achieve very solid, heavy and consistent bass tones. It has found wide use today to create the larger-than-life bass sounds used in dubstep and bassline house, but its flexibility lends its self to a multitude of genres from R&B to pop, techno to ambient.
Wavetable
Wavetable has become especially popular in the last decade with the release of software plugins such as Serum and Massive. In contrast to the other methods of synthesis, rather than combining simple tones to create a more interesting and varied result, wavetable instead uses a table of information extracted from an existing sound. This allows for many exciting new possibilities for sound creation, allowing the user to take real-world sounds and repurpose them into something entirely new and experimental, with some uncanny results.
Wavetable lends its self to all genres and is arguably one of the most widely used forms of synthesis today. As a result it is heard in many modern genres such as EDM and trap but due to its flexibility can find its way into any electronic piece of music.
Mixdown and Mastering - 6 months
Duration: 6 months
Your track may be a creative masterpiece, but if it doesn’t sound good then it’ll never stand out. Learning the skills of mixdown and mastering will not only allow you to create professional sounding music, but arm you with a skill that you can monetise through mixing and mastering other people’s music.
Mixdown can often be shrouded in mystery and labelled as a ‘dark art’ – we don’t think this needs to be the case. This module will give you extensive understanding and practical skills to expertly create professional and quality mixes, while minimising time investment. All the while, you’ll be creating music and getting your tracks to the next stage.
Starting with the basic toolset for the mixdown process, we’ll look at EQ, and equalisation tools for tonal balancing and optimisation of an instruments clarity. This includes dynamic processors such as compressors, which allow you to increase the perceived loudness of a signal allowing for more appropriate placement of a signal within the mix.
We’ll then build an understanding of what the aims of the mixdown process are, and explore structured methods that you can use repeatedly and reliably to achieve desirable results. We have refined each stage of the mixdown process into simple techniques that you can execute step-by-step, each step with tangible, measurable results so you can be confident your mix is moving in the right direction and avoid misspent time covering the same ground due to uncertainty.
Once we have established a basic framework for how to approach a mix, and built your confidence in executing a number basic mixdowns, we then start to expand our studies into a broader more varied selection of effects processors. We will explore digital recreations of coveted high-end studio effects, which due to their warmth and subtle saturation will begin to give your mixes a more professional quality.
Recording studio hardware is often varied in the way it is operated, and applications to which it may be best suited. We will look at effects that are very well-suited to processing specific types of instrument, for example, a specific valve compressor may be ideal for giving a bass pluck the warmth and weight that it needs to fill the space in the mix, or a modern solid-state EQ might be tonally paired with features that allow you to easily achieve a crisp pop vocal.
Building on our knowledge of classic hardware, we’ll then focus on more elaborate processing chains and explore the interactions that can occur between effects, and how to control them. The order of effects can be very important in allowing you to fix a specific issue with a signal, or create a certain result.
With this further understanding of a broader selection of tools, we’ll put this new information into practice in projects across a diverse selection of music genres. We’ll also dive into solutions to more elaborate complications that can occasionally arise during the process of mixing down a track.
Once having a solid understanding of the mixdown process, we can start to look at the final stage of music production to ready your track for commercial release. Mastering is the process that can add a final sheen to your completed mix, but most importantly ensure your audio is compatible with the format that your track is due to be released on. We explore a number of different methods and plugins you can use to achieve an amazing master, and modern methods such as stems mastering which allow you a little more flexibility and accuracy during that final stage.
Electronic Music Composition - 3 months
This module can be studied in-house, or followed online via Zoom. It can also be studied alongside your music production modules, depending on when you feel you want to study it – speak to the office about intake dates that would suit.
Duration: 3 months
Unless students have a background in musical theory or have played an instrument, they commonly ask:
This module will answer and teach you all these techniques, and more.
It will guarantee to give you the edge and help you to be a successful, creative music producer or audio engineer. It will give you a solid grounding in musical theory: a key area of your musical skill set which will allow you to create ideas quickly with confidence, and improve your musical ear. It will help you put your ideas in to an arrangement ready for mixdown.
You may be able to produce music to a high level but it won’t be enough if it doesn’t sound musical. Once you are on your way as a producer, remixer or sound engineer, having an understanding of music composition will be indispensable as you will be able to effectively communicate with vocalists, artists and musicians around you in a language they understand.
Some examples of content:
The keyboard, bars & beats, tempo, analysing music, music theory, keys & scales, basic chords, extended chords, inversions, acapellas, automation, structure, creating hooks, song sections, arrangement, song templates, audio sampling, working out key.
Extra Studio Time - 3 months
With this training, you’ll get 3 months after your modules end to continue using the studios and developing your sound. You can continue benefitting from our expert in-house tutors, and have space to keeping creating once your official training is completed. The way we total your time at SEM is:
= 18 months guaranteed access to SEM from your start date
So this means even if you choose to study Electronic Music Composition alongside your music production modules all in the first 12 months, you will still get a guaranteed 18 months access to SEM. It would just mean you get 6 months studio time at the end instead after a busier 12 months.
Enjoy!
DAW Skills - 3 months
Duration: 3 months
The DAW Skills module will give you a strong grounding in music production skills using Ableton Live – arguably the most immediately creative DAW on the market. You’ll learn how to work with MIDI and audio, virtual instruments, MIDI controllers and effects: techniques, which will be built on as the module progresses.
You will learn Ableton live inside out, along with basic sound design with Lives extensive selection of proprietary instruments, formulae for different genres, and techniques to turn your track from an arrangement into a finished piece.
If you’re interested in becoming a successful music producer, or DJ/producer, then this module will teach you essential skills for success in a competitive market place, and gives a solid platform for those looking to move onto further advanced study. We’ll show you how to get the most from your home studio setup, and how to incorporate hardware instruments into your workflow, if this is a direction you’d like to take.
Whether you’re new to music production or have been already producing your own music for a while, you’ll be learning all the essential skills in a creative environment, from industry active expert tutors with a wealth of releases and remixes under their belts. School of Electronic Music is an Ableton Certified Training Centre and a Native Instruments Training Partner.
Introduction to Ableton Live
Ableton Live workflow, MIDI sequencing, audio sample import and editing, music computer setup and specifications, MIDI controllers, audio interfaces.
Music Production Skills
Critical/analytical listening skills, common production techniques, basic synthesis/sound design, remixing skills, how to structure music of different styles/genres.
Home Studio Skills
Modern audio interface connectivity, functionality and signal flow, audio routing and recording.
Sound Design - 3 months
Duration: 3 months
Sound design is one of the most important skills a producer/artist can have in order to be form their own creative aesthetic, to be able to establish their own unique sound and sonic identity. If you have ever listened to just a few seconds of a track and instantly been able to identify the artist, then it’s pretty likely that the sound design might have had a large part to play in making them so instantly identifiable.
This intensive module builds on this, aiming to help you learn to create a well-crafted palette of sounds through exploring the intriguing world of sound design. During this module you’ll learn key skills to begin making your own unique tones with rich and engaging textures which fit perfectly into your tracks.
During this module you will also gain extensive knowledge of all of the methods of synthesis commonly used in modern music production. We’ll dive into envelopes, filters and low frequency oscillators – the goal is to create your own sounds specifically for your chosen genre, fitting into your creative vision. You’ll also learn a host of tips and tricks as to how these simple functions have been used historically to their maximum creative potential.
There is a big focus on percussive sounds in this module, which can be some of the most complex when it comes to production. We’ll build our own set of custom drum hits, crafted to fit perfectly into your musical style, which will allow you to minimise time going through lists of samples, and cut to a world of creative possibilities.
Subtractive or analog synthesis
One of the earliest methods of artificial sound generation, and by far the most coveted method of synthesis in the hardware domain. Many early 80’s synthesisers helped establish modern electronic music, the influx of affordable and innovative Japanese synthesizers from companies such as Roland and Korg, put for the first time technology in the hands of people which enabled them to create music without the help of other musicians, freeing them from the need to rent expensive studio facilities.
Subtractive synthesis is famous for its rich, dense, unstable tonality. Perfect for chunky sounding bass plucks, warm sustained chord pads, smooth melodic leads and everything in between. If you can imagine the classic sound of 80’s synth pop, or early 90s dance genres and acid house, then you’re probably thinking of the sound of subtractive synthesis.
Frequency Modulation or FM
A method of synthesis which become popular in the late 80s due to its ability to create more realistic approximations of real instruments. It later became a creative tool as musicians started to experiment with its expansive sound design possibilities.
FM’s digital code-based core functionality allows it to achieve very solid, heavy and consistent bass tones. It has found wide use today to create the larger-than-life bass sounds used in dubstep and bassline house, but its flexibility lends its self to a multitude of genres from R&B to pop, techno to ambient.
Wavetable
Wavetable has become especially popular in the last decade with the release of software plugins such as Serum and Massive. In contrast to the other methods of synthesis, rather than combining simple tones to create a more interesting and varied result, wavetable instead uses a table of information extracted from an existing sound. This allows for many exciting new possibilities for sound creation, allowing the user to take real-world sounds and repurpose them into something entirely new and experimental, with some uncanny results.
Wavetable lends its self to all genres and is arguably one of the most widely used forms of synthesis today. As a result it is heard in many modern genres such as EDM and trap but due to its flexibility can find its way into any electronic piece of music.
‘I haven’t got any music qualifications’, ‘I don’t play an instrument or have any equipment’. Not a problem.
Whether you’re a singer wanting to make beats to sing to, or desperate to create anything on the spectrum – from hiphop to techno – this course will cover production from the ground up.
You’ll also be mixing with like-minded students, with all the opportunities that brings. Are you ready to commit?
None. Suitable for beginners or self-taught producers, no prior qualifications needed. Students can use SEM’s studios so no home-setup required, but if you do have one, see our suggested kit list here.
You will finish with a strong command of Ableton Live, music theory and composition, sound design and mixdown. Add the Audio Engineering module to expand your creative portfolio.
None. Suitable for beginners or self-taught producers, no prior qualifications needed. Students can use SEM’s studios so no home-setup required, but if you do have one, see our suggested kit list here.
You will finish with a strong command of Ableton Live and sound design.. Add the Audio Engineering module to expand your creative portfolio.
Start dates and course fees
February (Weekend Term) April July (Evening Term) September (Weekend Term) October Book a call with a course advisor to discuss your full timetable as other modules may have different lesson days/times. Option One : Advanced Payment Option Two : Termly Payment Option Three : Monthly payments from 6 – 48 months Book a call with a course advisor who can discuss the best financing option to suit your circumstances.Start Dates
6 months music production : Saturdays 12pm – 6pm
6 months music production : Mondays 12pm – 6pm
6 months music production: Mon & Wed 7pm – 10pm
6 months music production : Saturdays 12pm – 6pm
6 months music production : Wednesdays 12pm – 6pmCourse fees
£300 registration fee to secure your place. If your course starts within 1 calendar month, the remaining balance of £2695 is also payable. Total course fees: £2995.
£300 registration fee + 2 x 10-week instalments of £1460. If your course starts within 1 calendar month, the first install is also payable. Total course fees: £3220.
We can offer payment plans from 6 – 48 months, subject to passing our criteria. Plans from 0% finance.
When should I enrol?
In short: enrol as soon as you are ready. All live course dates are available for you to enrol on.
Unlike most training centres SEM has a limit on lecturer to student ratio and keeps its class sizes small. We therefore have limited availability and courses fill up in advance. We would recommend enrolling as soon as you are ready, to avoid disappointment.
We would always recommend chatting to one of our friendly course advisors prior to enrolment. Book a call now.
What about student discounts?
Even if you work full-time, you’ll also qualify as a full-time student whilst you study this course, which means:
View our full list of SEM student discounts here.
I work full-time. Is it possible for me to take this course?
Yes, a lot of our students work full-time, have family commitments, and study this course successfully alongside.
Your study is broken up into approx. 6hrs of weekly lectures (fixed time every week, see the ‘What is my timetable?’ tab).
Outside of lessons, you can book into SEM studios as much or as little as you need – we have long opening hours to cover evenings and weekends. You will have unlimited booking access, and support from in-house tutors when you’re in for studio time. The tutors also have time-slots each week for 1-2-1 zooms, so you can tune into these from home too if you can’t make it into the studio as often.
We also include Ableton Live Suite with training, so that you have the flexibility to make music at home. Coupled with our comprehensive online learning resources to support your in-house training, it gives you the ability to cover the content at your pace, to fit your schedule.
So as long as the lesson times doesn’t clash with your other commitments it is totally possible to study this course successfully alongside full-time commitments.
Book a call with a course advisor so we can chat to you about this in more detail and work out the best option for you.
Do I need equipment for the course?
Music production headphones with a 1/4″ adapter, an external hard-drive or USBs to save your work, and writing materials are the only equipment you need.
If you need advice on what flat-response, comfortable music production headphones to purchase, please speak with Bop DJ Manchester who are 5-minutes walk from SEM. They can also offer you discounts as a SEM student, and they have excellent product knowledge.
Every student has access to their own iMac workstation in the school which contains all the software, samples and plugins that you will use throughout the course.
Home setup
A home setup is absolutely not essential. Some of our best students have benefitted from only using SEM’s studios, as it has meant they have are working in acoustically treated studios, with the most up-to-date software, and access to in-house tutors.
With this said, if you have a home-setup, or are thinking of setting one up, these are some things you might want to consider:
Mac or PC?
We use all Macs throughout SEM, but PCs are equally fine and can be more cost-effective. If you’re working on a budget, we would strongly recommend firstly thinking about whether a laptop vs a desktop is going to be better for your needs. Once you’ve decided, we would advise focussing on processing power as this will allow your software to run more quickly. Remember that you can get up to 15% discount on Apple once becoming a SEM student.
Flat-response monitors, audio interface and a MIDI keyboard
We have some awesome music production partners which you can view on our student discount page for a range of extra music equipment. Remember – these are not essential, but ‘nice to haves’!
Software
The latest Ableton Live Suite is the main music production software used on this course. As this is a ‘Complete’ Music Production Course, you will receive a copy of Ableton Live Suite for free, or Native Instruments Komplete (if you already have a copy of Ableton Live Suite). Please note that the software is given upon full receipt of course fees, or can be received early with a £250 deposit which is refunded upon final payment of your course fees.
Once you have a copy of this, as long as you have a computer (Mac or PC) with adequate system requirements, you should be able to use this to make music at home as well as at SEM. We recommend getting Ableton as early on in the training as you can should you wish to make music at home.
3rd Party Plugins
You will receive a year’s free subscription for Roland Cloud Ultimate (£150), which will be taught on the music production part of the course.
For the Mixdown and Mastering module, this module does also delve into other 3rd party plugins as well as Roland Cloud. The 3rd party plugins taught are all available for use within SEM, so none of these plugins are essential or required for home use. We mention them only because you may want to plan your purchasing of them at some point if you have a home studio setup.
Please note: This Mixdown and Mastering module does not begin until 6-months into your training, so any 3rd party plugins will not be used prior to this.
Slate Digital is the primary plugin that you may wish to purchase for home use. We provide Slate Digital for use in SEM, but should you wish to use this at home, with a SEM discount you can get Slate Digital for a year’s subscription for less than £100, or on a monthly $9.99 subscription. Others that are recommended but not essential are the FabFilter Essentials Bundle (Pro-R, the Pro Q-3 and the Pro-C 2) which is a one-off £299, or with a 40% student discount, £189. Valhalla Room is $50 for a one-off purchase.
Soundtoys 5 Bundle is completely optional, but also worth mentioning. Student discounts on this is 50%, however this discount can be stacked on additional seasonal discounts (Spring Sale etc) so can often be purchased for around £150 outright.
I am an international student. Can I apply?
UK Students
Students from within the UK can enrol via the normal way, by clicking ‘Enrol Now’ on their chosen course.
EU and International Students
Our course pricing remains the same – we do not increase the course price for international students.
Please view our international students page for further information regarding Britain’s exit from the EU, and VISA information. There are a few VISA options for EU and international students:
Standard visitor VISAs
If your main purpose to the UK is as a visitor ie. for leisure, and studying a course is something you wish to do in addition (and is not the main reason for your trip), you may be able to travel to the UK on a standard visitor VISA.
Short term study VISAs – for study up to 6 months
If the course you are looking at is longer than 6 months, don’t worry – this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t study it with us.
We have several options in place where part of your training could be done online, with the key part of your training done during the 6 months in the UK. As our courses are modular, we can pack in a lot of training into the 6 months you are here in Manchester, with lots of the modules overlapping during this time to ensure you maximise your time.
Tier 4 Visas
We cannot issue Tier 4 VISAs, which are typically VISAs if you are wanting to study in the UK for longer than 6 months. However if you are a student already in the UK under a Tier 4 VISA (e.g. studying a university course) then you are able to study at SEM alongside, as long as it falls within the timeframe of your Tier 4 VISA allowance.
Please book a call with a course advisor who can discuss what VISA options might be best for you.
Alternatively, we also offer a range of online courses that may be of interest to you.
Do you provide student accommodation?
Student accommodation is not provided with the course.
Please see our accommodation page which has detailed information on both student halls, and private renting in and around Manchester.
It is advised that if you are moving to Manchester from abroad or a different city, the atmosphere of student halls might be better for you.
We can help you with other aspects of re-locating, such as advising you on the best transport links to find us, and where some of the best musical venues around Manchester are.
See our accommodation page for more information, and if you need any assistance in relocating please ring SEM office on 0161 833 4722 to speak with our Student Support Team.
How do I find out more?
Get more detail
We would recommend booking a call with a course advisor first, who can advise on what’s right for you. During this call we can also arrange a personal tour of SEM if you wish. Personal tours take approx. 1 hour, so we can get to know you, and you the school, in a lot more detail.
See SEM in full flow
We also hold Open Events are bustling events where you can get involved in lots of free music production and DJ workshops, and a range of industry seminars. All are welcome and it is a great way to see the school in full flow and meet lots of tutors, but as they are busier events you may not get the same level of information and detail that you would on a personal tour of SEM. You can see the next available Open Event dates and sign up for one here.
Try it for yourself
If you’re keen on music production and DJing and want to see what those areas are like, we would also recommend you come along for a Free Music Production Taster Course, or a DJ Taster Course. This is a great way to get a feel for the tuition style, and learn something new!
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