Live Production & Technical Arts
Entry requirements
UCAS Tariff
All candidates should hold at least two Cs at A-Level (or an equivalent Level 3 qualification), possessing a minimum of 104 UCAS points*. We normally require Grade C/4 GCSE (or an equivalent qualification) in English. Candidates should be capable of using the English language fluently, and able to structure arguments and present evidence to a standard appropriate to study at Level ‘4’. Where the application materials appear insufficient to form a clear judgement on the candidate’s fluency, additional documentary evidence (e.g. recent essays) will be called for. Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to have achieved IELTS level 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or equivalent qualification. We welcome applications from those who might have completed alternative qualifications, and/or have prior experience. All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. * New UCAS 2017 tariff system. Details regarding the English Language requirements for Middlesex University programmes can be viewed here. Fees & financing information can be found here.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**The Practical Study Route for Live Music Production.**
The Live Music Industry has become the largest the most important and glamorous part of the music industry. Over many years it has centred on live sound and sonic excellence, whether that’s a concert hall, festival stage, or a recording studio. This crucial part of the industry; from roadies, to lighting and rigging, technicians and engineers, have all played an important part to develop the industry to where it is, and continue to do so.
Over recent years technology has expanded the sphere of everything connected to the live music industry, to a space where we no longer have a venue cap for performance. We are now thinking of streaming live and globally and to do this requires a much wider deeper set of skills. The extremes of which now include immersive 360 audio and visuals laced together, transmitted anywhere around the world. The fact is concerts are no longer capped to the venue capacity, they are global and instant.
The majority of music industry revenue and employment is currently coming from the live music sector and this continues to expand.
The Live Production Pathway will give you a complete and thorough view of the skills and knowledge required to be part of this modern live music industry. There has never been a better time to work in this fast-moving, exciting and lucrative part of the industry.
The Live Production and Technical Arts degree starts as a broad course covering all aspects of delivering amazing live concert shows. As you progress through the course you will gain a thorough understanding of how the industry works and you will be able to identify career opportunities, specifically focused points on entry to the industry. So whether you interested in tour management, concert project management, the macro planning to the specific detail of the audio visuals, the technical aspects, the chromatic tuning of drums, the setting of hybrid drum stations , restringing of guitars, to a fully integrated setup including VR, AR, and immersive visual display, the Live Production degree is perfect as it covers it all. Each one of these areas, and many more being a discipline in its own right. You will be able and equipped to understand deeper learning, supported by an array of dedicated skills modules covering all of these topics and more..
- Live Sound Engineer
- Backline Technician, Drum Tech, Guitar Tech, Keyboard Tech
- Lighting Technician
- Stage Manager, Show caller
- Live Production Manager, Project Manager
- or any other aspect of the technical crew.
Most importantly you will become a fully rounded professional able to organise, plan, and manage projects from the backline to the top line artists. The learning is translated into action through cross pathway collaborative projects every term. You will acquire the deep knowledge and learned experience that industry needs and is constantly says graduates don’t have. This course will put you in that rare space as an accomplished graduate ready to work.
Through our unrivalled industry links, our curriculum is led by the latest advances in creative technology. You will study immersive and interactive sound technologies, Digital Radio technologies, Network audio, video solutions, and also the latest in 3D printing and additive manufacturing.
We are the longest running Live Production Course and a world leader in 5G interactive technologies. You will learn to understand how 5G technology is revolutionising live streaming within the industry and you will also immerse yourself in the latest in streaming technology.
This programme is quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.
Modules
Our tripartite commitment to our students’ academic, professional and personal development is recognised in a brand new curriculum, specifically purposed to bridge the gap between what industry needs and what education has traditionally provided. ACM's pioneering Creative Industries Future programme framework treats our students as individuals. We build bespoke programmes of study for each of them, based on their own history and aspirations for the future, with over 100 different modules and numerous unique module combinations to choose from. On UCAS, we actively publish a certain number of career destinations that are commonly stated as aspirational by our applicants and desirable by our industry, advising you as to which module combinations you might want to consider in pursuit of those particular career goals. If you’d like to pursue something different, however, it’s also completely possible to build and personalise your own programmes, as you see fit. Of course, we also understand that not everybody has a specific career destination yet, and so for those of you who haven’t quite made up your mind, the first thing we ask you to think about and choose from is one of six broad study routes. These study routes are described as Musician, Creative Artist, Producer, Management & Entrepreneurship, Games Development and Live Production and Sound. Choosing a route will dictate a selection of route-specific modules that you will study. Further into your course, in addition to the route-specific modules, you can then select from a suite of zero-credit elective modules and credit-bearing elective modules as you start to formulate your ambitions for the future more clearly. We also believe that there are some things that every Creative professional needs to learn about and understand. Things such as copyright, who the main players in Industry are and how the various sectors of artist management, records, publishing and live are changing in an ever more digital world. That’s why our Creative Industries Futures qualification also includes a small number of mandatory modules that every student must engage with. Whether students choose to focus on music performance, songwriting, production, live sound and production, games development and business management, we pride ourselves on delivering an immersive creative industry education in which we match the highest quality of teaching and learning with an unparalleled student experience. With its students representing every corner of the field they one day hope to work in, ACM is a microcosm of the creative industry in which they really can work together and learn by doing. We’re interested in our students’ careers as much as their studies, dedicating an entire department to supporting their professional development and helping them take their first steps into the creative industry. ACM’s Industry Link team ,through regular networking events, work placements, performance and audition opportunities, students are able to showcase their knowledge and talent to music industry executives (from labels, publishers, management companies and more) and gain first-hand feedback from those in the know. The department connects students to a network of top-tier industry partners in the music and wider creative industries, and also offers regular tutorial and masterclass opportunities with visiting guests. ACM students also enjoy an access all areas pass to Europe’s largest recording complex, in which the likes of Queen, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Will.i.am and countless others have recorded, and some still record, today. This joining of educational and professional environments, where over 50% of the UK Music chart is recorded, mixed or mastered in an average year, has created a unique end-to-end proposition for those wanting to pursue a career in the music and wider creative industries, not to be found anywhere else in music education.
Assessment methods
ACM uses real-world activity, learning and problem scenarios for all of its assessments. Our ethos is to embody learning-by-doing and students are therefore assessed through the demonstration of this learning by industry professionals who bring the latest knowledge, highest calibre of creativity and their entire experience into the classroom. Assessment methods are varied and balanced to suit a wide range of learners and may take practical, written, portfolio or other form. Students are often given the opportunity to work collaboratively with those studying other music related disciplines, representative of the way in which the Music and wider Creative Industries also require collaboration. Showcasing work to industry is inbuilt into the assessment process thanks to our unique link with Metropolis Studios and students will receive feedback from industry experts, supporting their professional and career development in addition to their academia. All written and portfolio assessments are submitted electronically by way of our Virtual Learning Environment and where possible, feedback is delivered in audio and video form, as well as written.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
ACM London
ACM Guildford
ACM Birmingham
ACM Online
Academy of Contemporary Music
What students say
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
After graduation
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Explore these similar courses...
Higher entry requirements
Nearby University
Lower entry requirementsSame UniversityThis is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
