Program Overview

Got a passion for music production? Solent's year-long popular music production foundation programme is structured to equip you with the broad range of production skills you’ll need to progress onto the full BSc (Hons) Popular Music and Production degree.

The foundation year enables students from widely varied backgrounds, and with varying aspirations, to develop their music production and performance skills, while helping to acclimatise to the ethos and expectations associated with higher education study in general, and study at undergraduate level.

Solent University’s popular music production programme will enable you to deepen your skills in a wide range of areas – preparing you for a fantastic career as a music producer of the future.

The course explores three main areas of study: technical and musical foundations, music and sound production in studio and live settings, and employability in the music industry. These varied subjects enable you to gain a broad understanding of the industry, so when you graduate you’ll be equipped with the right skills and knowledge to kick-start your career.

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to use a range of facilities including our specialist recording studios – each with top of the range software, facilities and instruments including: Pro Tools Ultimate and Logic digital audio workstations, Microphones by Neumann, AKG and Shure. Analog processing includes Neve, Universal Audio, Focusrite, Empirical Labs, and Portico. Instruments provided included Drums by DW and Mapex, a Moog Synthesiser, Korg Kronos, Marshall, Fender and Vox valve guitar amplifiers. Software includes Native Instruments Komplete, and Plugins by Sonnox, McDSP and Celemony. Live sound mixers include Allen and Heath DLive, Soundcraft Si, and Midas M32.

Thanks to the academic teams close links with industry, you will have the opportunity to attend guest lectures from visiting industry professionals. Speakers have recently included: Mike Moran, composer; Trevor Horn, Grammy award-winning producer; Sam Skirrow, Bass player; Rob Da Bank, DJ and festival organiser; Gary Langhan, sound engineer; and Mark Lawrence, CEO of The Association for Electronic Music. You'll also have the chance to work with local clients to develop your skills further, these clients have recently included the Joiners Live venue and BBC Introducing.

As a popular music production student you’ll also have the opportunity to visit the legendary Abbey Road studios, probably the most famous studio in the world, and talk to engineers at the top of the industry during a real recording session.