Audio Software Engineering (3 year)

If you’re keen to develop software with a particular focus on sound and audio, SAE’s BA/BSc (Hons) Audio Software Engineering is the course for you. This one-of-a-kind degree blends the technical with the creative, as you learn advanced skills in audio DSP, C++ programming and plugin development.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM YOUR AUDIO SOFTWARE ENGINEERING DEGREE
SAE’s BA/BSc (Hons) Audio Software Engineering sits at the crossroads of sound and code – a space where you can turn creative ideas into a technical reality. If you’re ready to explore programming through an audio lens, this software engineering and audio degree gives you a strong understanding of digital signal processing (DSP) and an excellent foundation in the disciplines of both audio and software development.
The global demand for audio software developers is growing. If you’re a musician who codes, developer who loves sound, or creative looking to drive the entertainment and tech industries forward, SAE will give you the space, knowledge and community to do just that. Mixing theory, industry engagement and self-directed practical projects, you’ll get a thorough overview of your areas of interest across 9 industry-leading modules.
With the perfect blend of programming and audio/music production embedded throughout the curriculum, this unique audio software engineering degree course manages to balance the technical with the creative – something not often achieved in UK audio software engineering degrees which can be too focused on either coding or music. Your learning will be supported by SAE’s expert tutors – renowned professionals with notable experience in audio development, DSP, software engineering and creative technologies.

Whether you’re dreaming of building the next big music app, audio plugin, game, interactive media project or DAW, this course teaches you to use the tools to make it happen, giving you the skills to code the future of sound. Across your time with us, you’ll explore the building blocks of audio software – coding, algorithms, synthesis, DSP and AI – turning ideas into real-world software applications. In the process you’ll become familiar with industry-standard programming languages and platforms such as C++, MATLAB, Max/MSP, Pure Data, JUCE, GitHub, JetBrains CLion and CMake.
As with all SAE degrees, collaboration is at the heart of the course. You’ll team up with musicians, music producers, game developers, filmmakers and animators from other SAE and ICMP programmes to bring your audio and software into vibrant new creative contexts – building an impressive portfolio in the process.
Towards the end of your software engineering and audio degree, you’ll complete a Major Project, delving deeply into a topic of your choosing. Upon graduation, you’ll have the skills, knowledge, contacts and confidence to launch your audio software engineering career – hitting the ground running across whichever exciting environment you end up in.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

At the end of your degree in audio software engineering, you’ll have:

• Built a solid technical foundation in software development, with a focus on audio-specific tools and environments.
• Explored principles of sound theory, psychoacoustics, synthesis and signal processing.
• Developed fluency in key programming languages including C++, MATLAB, Max/MSP and Pure Data.
• Collaborated with students from other SAE and ICMP disciplines to get hands on across real-world creative projects.
• Learned how to integrate AI and machine learning tools into audio workflows.
• Built a compelling, technically robust portfolio of projects that showcase your audio software engineering skills.
• Graduated career-ready, with practical and technical experience in the creative industries and a degree from a recognised institute.
• Audio software engineering degree courses begin in January and September.