BSc(Hons) Creative Music Technology

This module will help you develop music-making skills while building your understanding of diverse musical practices and contexts. You'll explore composition, performance and creative experimentation, drawing on both familiar and unfamiliar approaches to music. Topics may include music theory, sound theories, composing with technology, performance practices, music histories and cultural contexts. Through reflective creative work, you'll strengthen your compositional skills, develop confidence in your individual practice and enhance your understanding of how music operates within different communities, cultures and professional settings.

This module introduces the technical and creative foundations of audio production. Working individually, you'll explore audio processes such as synthesis, sampling, digital signal processing, recording, mixing and sound design. Topics may include digital audio workstations, MIDI sequencing, software and hardware synthesisers, recording techniques and mastering approaches. You'll also investigate the historical and industry contexts that shape contemporary production practice. Through practical experimentation and creative project work, you'll build the technical knowledge and production skills that support further study and development across music and audio disciplines.

This module introduces the principles and practices of sound engineering in studio and live environments. You'll develop practical skills in recording, reproduction, sound reinforcement and audio engineering, working with industry-standard technologies and processes. Topics may include microphones, mixers, acoustics, signal flow, analogue and digital audio, loudspeaker systems, recording techniques, compression, equalisation and health and safety. Alongside technical knowledge, you'll strengthen your communication and collaborative skills through project work, gaining experience that will support further study and future opportunities in music production, live sound and audio industries.

This module will introduce you to the science and technologies behind music and audio practice. You'll explore the physics of sound, acoustics, psychoacoustics, electroacoustics and digital audio, developing an understanding of how sound is generated, represented and perceived. Topics may include amplitude, decibels, sound pressure, sampling theory, analogue-to-digital conversion, room acoustics and critical listening. Alongside building this technical foundation, you'll develop introductory academic research and reporting skills that will support further study and work within music technology.

In this module, you'll develop a fundamental understanding of digital audio and music technologies, exploring how audio tools are designed and created through programming and signal processing. You'll learn how sound is represented and manipulated in digital systems, studying topics such as synthesis, oscillators, filters, modulation, delay and effects processing. Alongside this, you'll build practical software development skills, including coding, debugging and working with data structures and functions. Through hands-on projects, you'll gain experience of developing audio processes for musical applications while building a foundation for more advanced audio technology and software development study.

In this module, you'll take a music project through the stages of writing, producing and releasing recorded work. You'll explore how creative ideas are developed into finished material, considering songwriting, arrangement, recording, production and presentation. Practical work will help you make informed artistic and technical decisions while responding to the needs of the project and its intended audience. You'll also examine the processes surrounding release, strengthening your ability to organise a project, communicate your creative identity and prepare music for public distribution.

This module will introduce professional sound practices for film, television and games. You'll develop skills in recording, editing, mixing and sound design across two core areas. Film and television topics may include track-laying, dialogue, music and effects, processing, automation, delivery standards and post-synchronisation. Game-audio work may cover cues, sound-effect models, dynamic music, procedural and generative methods, parameter mapping, game engines, middleware and integration. Practical activity will help you create, process and deliver audio assets for different media contexts.

This module will help you develop an original body of work in sound for screen and narrative media while building professional connections through collaboration with students from a range of disciplines. You'll expand your experience of media sound practice across areas such as film, television, animation, radio, podcasting, games and immersive media, including virtual and extended reality. Through masterclasses, practical activities and feedback on work in progress, you'll deepen your understanding of sound craft, strengthen your creative and technical skills, and develop a portfolio that supports your future career ambitions.

This module will help you prepare for life after graduation by developing a clear professional identity and exploring a range of career pathways. You'll reflect on your skills, interests and ambitions while investigating employment opportunities, freelance and business ventures, further study options, and professional networks. Through workshops, discussions and career-focused activities, you'll learn how to present yourself professionally through CVs, portfolios and online platforms. Bringing together your final-year work, you'll develop the confidence to showcase your achievements to public audiences and take practical steps towards your graduate goals.

This module provides the opportunity to create a substantial portfolio of original compositions aligned with your own artistic interests and creative goals. You'll refine your compositional voice while exploring techniques and approaches relevant to your chosen area of practice. Topics may include harmony, orchestration, notation, electronic composition, sound design, generative methods and interactive experiences. As the portfolio develops, you'll learn how to plan and deliver an appropriate showcase, performance or installation. By the end of the module, you'll have strengthened both your creative practice and professional presentation skills.