MA Music Production (Taught)

Launch your career as a highly skilled pioneering music and audio producer with our Music Production Masters degree.

This practical postgraduate degree will cover all aspects of the music industry, including studios, electronic production, recorded and live music, postproduction, publishing and representation.

You’ll gain valuable creative and professional skills in mixing and recording, broadening your artistic mindset for the ever-changing landscape of the modern music and media industries. You’ll also build on your theoretical understanding through study of industry practices while enhancing your networking and entrepreneurial capabilities.
We encourage innovation, and you’ll have the opportunity to adopt new perspectives and methods that will help your work stand out in a competitive global market.

Creative Music Production modules in trimesters 1 and 2:
Focuses on the practical understanding and realisation of intricate aspects of music production, with a primary emphasis on creative and artistic vision. It is approached through the central themes of listening and practical application, aiming to help students situate their interests while expanding their understanding of the field.
In preparation for presenting their production portfolio, students will embark on a journey of continuous improvement, honing their practical and creative skills by identifying and addressing technical and creative shortcomings. Students will explore a diverse array of repertoire and original compositions, engaging in a thorough exploration and analysis. Simultaneously, they will cultivate a cohesive approach to production, aligning their creative endeavours with the unique demands of their chosen artistic expression.

Critical Perspectives on Music Production module in trimester 1:
This module is delivered through critical group discussion of both historical concepts and current research and practice. Students will evaluate their music production practice in reference to global contemporary debates on the art of music production and the wider creative industries.
This module will facilitate learning by addressing and exploring relevant critical and philosophical frameworks through lectures, group research/critical listening seminars and directed independent study. The module allows music producers to meet, evaluate ideas, share production practices and discuss how methodologies meet theories and how theory underpins practice.

Postproduction Mixing and Mastering in trimester 2:
This module will explore a range of postproduction techniques and processes allowing the student to best present their individual works produced throughout the course of Trimester 2 and 3. Students shall consider format outputs both from historical and contemporary perspectives exploring areas such as Immersive Audio/Dolby Atmos and other industry broadcast standards. The integration of conceptual understanding and practical application progresses towards the Major Project module where students undertake their most ambitious work.

Major Project in trimester 3:
Students are expected to embark on an ambitious Project around music production in alignment with their creative pursuits. This project may take the form of a digital transferable product or a public showcase. Examples include live performance, installations publicly accessible EPs, digital applications, web-based projects, or collaborative endeavours. The student is also expected to exhibit autonomy in creative/artistic decision-making and articulate critical reasoning through either reflective commentary or via Viva Voce. Students are expected to actively engage and captivate their audience with their creative project.

Indicative module specifications can be found via the Leeds Conservatoire website: https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/

Trimester 1:
• Creative Music Production 1 – assessed by production portfolio
• Critical Perspectives on Music Production 1 – assessed by essay or presentation

Trimester 2:
• Creative Music Production 2 – assessed by production portfolio
• Postproduction Mixing and Mastering 2 – assessed by mixing and mastering portfolios plus analytical vlog submission.

Trimester 3:
• Major Project 3 – assessed by one of the following, accounting for 70% of the mark: a portfolio submission and accounting for 30% of the mark a written or spoken critical commentary (4000 words or Vive Voce)