Creative Music Technology BA (Hons)

This course is designed for imaginative, innovative students who want to focus on music composition and production and explore the extraordinary musical possibilities offered by new technologies.

Overview
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
more about your DMU
Contact us

Overview

Watch: Lecturer Susanne gives us a tour of some of the music spaces available to students at DMU.

On the Creative Music Technology BA you will focus on composition and production. With us, you will explore an extensive range of approaches to creating and performing, including studio-based composition, multi-track recording and production, and sound synthesis.

Discover the application of music across disciplines, from music and sound for film to site-specific and installation work, creative computer coding, and advanced surround sound and diffusion.

Allow your vision and voice to be inspired by the academic study of digital and post-digital history and aesthetics. Based on your own interests, you will have the freedom to choose compositional, technical and theoretical topics to research in greater depth. You will have access to our dedicated facilities where you can explore areas such as spatialisation, musical computing and sound recording.

This course is taught by internationally recognised, experienced musicians who are active performers, composers and researchers at the forefront of electronic and electroacoustic music, electronica and sonic art.

Our graduates have gone on to work as composers, sound designers, performing and recording artists, session musicians, recording engineers, producers and audio technicians, in major organisations such as the BBC, ITV, Sony Music, Warner Music Group and smaller genre-based labels Ninja Tune and K7.

Key features

Develop your practical skills in our creative technology studios. You will benefit from access to audio recording studios, broadcast-standard radio production studios and management systems. The studio facilities include mixing desks and digital audio workstations, each equipped with comprehensive libraries of audio effects and samples.
Join a dynamic musical community which hosts concerts and workshops and has a number of musical groups such as the Dirty Electronics ensemble. The university also has many active student musical societies, including the Music Society, Recording Society, Sound Design Society, and DJ Society.
Have opportunities to present your work at some of Leicester's most important cultural institutions, including the CURVE Theatre, the Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre, and creative hub LCB Depot.
Gain valuable, industry-relevant experience by contributing to the award-winning Demon Media group, which includes the Demon FM radio station and Demon TV.
Through our Music, Technology and Innovation Institute for Sonic Creativity  you can take part in events, undertake creative research, work with professional artists, lead workshops and contribute to international research projects.
Benefit from guest lectures from music industry specialists. Previous guest speakers include Merzbow, Mira Calix, Tim Exile, DJ Sniff, Scanner, Pauline Oliveros, Brian Duffy, GRM, Leafcutter John, Chris Carter (Throbbing Gristle), Keith Rowe and Evan Parker.

News stories/case studies

Katherine Lindhorst and Connor Snape’s collaboration, called Paranoia, won Craft Skills: Sound in the RTS Midlands Students Awards 2020 and was also nominated in the Animation category.

Creative Music Technology graduate Connor, from Nuneaton, said: “Collaborations can be a struggle sometimes, but this seemed to come so naturally. At the time, I was looking at merging orchestral film scores with dance music and that really gelled with Katherine’s work.

“The dark ambience of Katherine’s animation worked well with my post-dubstep influence so I started composing synth sounds that complemented the visuals and it evolved from there. We were both working on the project at the same time so we could communicate what we were thinking in real time, which was really helpful.”

Wait, before you continue...

Why don’t you check out some work from some of our students at our dmu.ac.uk/jukebox site?

More courses like this:

Music Technology Foundation Degree FdSc
Music, Technology and Performance BA (Hons)
Music Technology BASc (Hons)

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: J932

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding:

2021/22 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: J932

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding:

2021/22 tuition fees for international students: £14,750

2021/22 tuition fees for EU students: £9,250 with our EU undergraduate transitional scholarship (T&Cs apply).

Find out more about available funding for international students.

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and Maths or equivalent, plus one of the following:
Normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels or equivalent, with Music or Music Technology at grade C or above or
Music or Music Technology BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM or
Pass in the QAA accredited Access to HE Music or Music Technology course with at least 15 credits in Music or Music Technology at merit. English and Maths GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course or
International Baccalaureate: 24+ points with Music or Music Technology at higher level grade 5

Portfolio Required: No

Interview Required: No

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications

UCAS Tariff changes

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff. Find out more.

English language

If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

Year one modules

Introduction to Studio Techniques (core)
Sound Analysis and Perception (core)
Introduction to Music and Sonic Art (core)
Foundations of Music (core)
Creating with Technology (core)
Digital Music Creativity: Sequencing (core)
Academic Fundamentals (core)
Ideas in Music and Sonic Art 1 (core)

Year two modules

Ideas in Music and Sonic Arts 2 (core)
Composing with Technology (core)
Studio Production Techniques (optional)
Sounds and Images (optional)
Creative Coding (optional)
Electronic Instrument Building (optional)
Sound Diffusion (optional)
Live Sound and Location Recording (optional)
Studio Signal Processing (optional)
Sound for Screen (optional)
Digital Audio Electronics: Sensors and Interfaces (optional)
Spatial Composition (optional)
Ensemble Recording (optional)
Negotiated Project (optional)

Year three modules

MAT Research Project (core)
Music, Media and Community Arts (optional)
MAT Personal Practice (optional)
Sound Design (optional)
Composing for Dance (optional)
Sound Installations and Environments (optional)
Music Industry Management 1 (optional)
Music Industry Management 2 (optional)

Click here for more detailed module information.

Teaching is carried out through lectures, seminars, practical workshops and rehearsals and you will have extensive individual contact. Assessment is primarily through musical, practical and written coursework.

Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, you will normally attend around 8-12 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 32 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

Facilities and features

Creative technology studios

Our multi-million pound creative technology studios feature a range of high-specification equipment. You will benefit from our multichannel composition studios and a suite of recording studios, as well as industry-standard software for recording, creating and manipulating sound.

These studio facilities feature mixing desks by SSL, Audient and Yamaha, microphones by Neumann, AKG and Sennheiser, and digital audio workstations such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Ableton Live, each equipped with comprehensive libraries of audio effects and samples.

We have purpose-built audio recording and production facilities, and a multichannel performance space with loudspeaker orchestra and broadcast-standard radio station. You will also be able to borrow from a substantial resource of audio and audio-visual equipment. This includes mixers, audio interfaces, DI boxes, stereo multichannel field recording kits, and studio and stage microphones.

The studios provide facilities for the acquisition, editing and distribution of video, audio and computer-generated materials and files can be shared throughout the studios via a fast computer network, enabling a seamless mixed-media workflow.

Find out more...

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Blackboard, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Graduate Careers

Digital music and audio are central components to contemporary media. Recent graduates are now composers, sound designers, performing and recording artists and session musicians, recording engineers, producers, and audio technicians.

You may choose to pursue careers in music management, theatre, radio content and production, television, music retail, music and internet publishing, software development, and music education.

Our graduates have taken up roles with large companies such as the BBC, ITV, Sony Music, Sony Computer Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Ableton and Babel Media (Toronto, prestigious recording studios, including Abbey Road, Great Linford Manor, Townhouse Studios and Metropolis Studios, as well as smaller genre-based labels such as Ninja Tune and K7.

We also support students with entrepreneurial ambitions, with success stories in both freelance and company start-ups. Students have created businesses in music creation and production, recording, sound design, music for media, music technology equipment supply and technical support, acoustics consultancy and studio design, along with online forms of distribution and sales.

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on our audio and music courses have explored sonic arts in Berlin, translated art into music in Stockholm and toured the home of hip hop in New York. Planning is also under way for a trip to Tokyo, where students can experience contemporary Japanese art, youth culture, and music and audio technology.

While overseas DMU Global opportunities are not currently possible, DMU will continue to review government advice and if travel is permitted, we hope to offer a small number of extra-curricular opportunities in the summer of 2021.

Placements

During this course you will have the option to complete a work-based placement, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career.

Previous students have taken up placements with organisations such as

Our careers programme DMU Works can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.