Don't let your skills go unrecorded
Year of entry: 2020
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Meet usWhether you are an electronic/computer-based composer or an early music specialist who wants to make the very best recordings, this course will provide you with the intellectual and practical skills to realise your goals.
Recordings and productions are the dominant way of engaging with musics of all types. This programme explores the skills and knowledge relevant to this important musical activity, as well as understanding how it affects music more broadly.
You'll study practical, theoretical and analytical aspects of the creation, perception and reception of audio productions. You'll take an interdisciplinary approach, examining how creative studio practice is informed by science and engineering (acoustics, psychoacoustics, electroacoustics, signal processing) as well as composition, performance and musicology.
The course combines a very broad view of the techniques and applications of production for audio media with the subsequent development of more tightly focussed individual skills and scholarship. You'll encounter a range of possible projects, from the creation of entirely synthetic material using computer-based techniques to the successful capture of acoustic performances, as well as the restoration and reconstruction of existing audio heritage.
The course covers a range of theoretical and practical sessions, which allowed hands-on practice with a balanced analytical input. Recording opportunities are always available ranging from Classical, Jazz, and Experimental. This was really useful for increasing the sound palette and to engage in different collaborations.Lynette, MA Music Production
Course staff have a wealth of industrial experience as well as being active researchers
From choral to orchestral, jazz and folk to improvised electronica, gospel to gamelan, almost every kind of music is performed by the Department’s many ensembles, offering a wealth of opportunities for recording projects.
You'll study a total of seven modules, as well as an extended research project. Assessment will be both practical and essay based, as well as a short presentation as part of the Music Perception and Critical Listening module.
You'll cover both aesthetic and scientific approaches to music production, explore the history and context of a variety of genres and develop the practical skills needed to capture and edit musical recordings.
As part of the course, you will take the following modules:
The Music Perception and Critical Listening module is delivered by the Department of Electronic Engineering and is shared with students on its MSc in Audio and Music Technology.
Students on that programme also have the option of attending the Production Techniques, Technologies and Aesthetics module, giving you an excellent opportunity to work with peers from different disciplines and understand different perspectives.
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Over the summer period you'll complete a large-scale research project (60 credits). This can take several different forms: you could produce a set of productions with accompanying commentaries, demonstrating either new practices and techniques or mimicking existing productions as a form of analysis; a dissertation analysing existing productions or developing and testing theories about aspects of production; or a combination of the two.
Previous research project titles include:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
The freedom to do what I wanted, mixed with amazing equipment and staff who genuinely care about your development really helped set me up on the path I'm on now.Dan Watts, MA Music ProductionProducing and performing as DanAleX
| Study mode | UK/EU | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £9,010 | £22,720 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£4,505 | £11,360 |
Students on a Tier 4 Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study. Fees for subsequent years are subject to increase (no more than 2% each year).
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK/EU or international student.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
See a full list of department scholarships, awards and bursaries.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Teaching is delivered via lectures, listening seminars (held in our renowned Rymer auditorium) and practical workshops. Lectures will usually take place in the first half of term, with the later half focussing more on practical assessment work. During the first two terms you will participate in weekly practical workshops, as well as weekly listening seminars throughout the course.
Our department is home to the Music Research Centre, containing a large-scale neutral listening and performing space built to extremely low noise specifications (PNC15); a linked studio suite containing a dedicated performance space with configurable acoustics; and two mix down/control rooms (one with an SSL Duality console).
The Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall has a dedicated studio control room along with a suite of editing and programming rooms. You'll have access to a wide range of microphones and recording hardware/software and extensive computing facilities for practical work and research. We also have multiple sets of 5.1 monitoring and a full periphonic (ie with height) 16 loudspeaker ambisonic system for use with surround sound work.
You will be based in the Department of Music on Campus West. Almost all of your teaching will take place within the department.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll largely be assessed through production portfolios, supported by commentaries where applicable, as well as essays and presentations, both to fellow students and in our collaborative, public-facing student symposium each year.
What I loved about York was that I was able to take learning into my own hands. I chose to do an international record production project, which took me on a crowdfunded album project to Colombia. While on this trip I learned what it was to truly manage and produce artists on my own project, and I discovered a new type of self-confidence in being able to produce my own truly unique vision.Matt, MA Music Productionfounder, Music Alignment
This course will provide you with a versatile skill-set which will be of value for both entrepreneurs or for those seeking professional appointments, be it with a small independent production house or a broadcaster with global reach. You will graduate with a set of robust skills which will transfer to many different scenarios along with a breadth and depth of understanding of Music Production which will allow you to create meaningful and significant audio content, as well as critically analyse the work of other producers.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent in Music or another relevant discipline. We will also consider unrelated first degrees provided you can demonstrate a good grasp of music theory and some practical ability in music making. |
You should provide a portfolio of short extracts (no longer than 5 minutes) of your previous work in music production to support your application. You can attach an mp3 (or AAC, AAC+ etc) file along with your application on the online system, although you may be asked to provide a link to a higher resolution version prior to interview.
Please also provide a short written statement (maximum 500 words) describing the portfolio items and how they were produced.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0, minimum 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other components |
| PTE Academic | 55, minimum 55 in Writing and 51 in all other components |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 169, minimum 169 in Writing and 162 in all other components |
| TOEFL | 79, minimum 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking and 21 in Writing |
| Trinity ISE III | Pass in all components |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
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