School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (2024)

Turn your love of music and audio into a career you love at the Academy’s music and audio production school. Learn music production, composition, scoring, MIDI, recording, editing and mixing, as well as sound design, dialog, sound effects and final mix from industry professionals teaching at the School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media, and apply these skills in media production.

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Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media Degrees

Academy of Art University’s Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media program will guide you as you develop finely tuned skills in the areas of soundtrack production: composing, music production, music editing, sound effects and dialog recording, editing, and mixing.

Music Production

AA BFA

BFA MA MFA

Sound Design

AA BFA MA MFA

What Great Design Sounds Like

We inspire and motivate students to cultivate their unique voice as artists.Students develop a portfolio that demonstrates a personal style and a high level of technical skills, preparing them for a professional career. The spirit of imagination, creativity, skill, and intense commitment flourishes. The proof is in the music. This is what great design sounds like.

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Your dream is within reach. Follow your heart and get started on the career of your dreams.

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Facilities & Technology

The School of Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media has a state-of-the-art Virtual Instruments Lab, with professional level equipment and software, including a leading edge computer and audio interface, high end audio monitors, and sample libraries from Vienna Symphonic Library, East-West, and Spectrasonics (Omnisphere). This lab allows students to use the highest grade professional tools to create orchestral and electronic music scores for films and other visual media.

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Faculty

Our instructors don’t just teach you about the music industry, they are part of the music industry. The faculty is comprised of nationally recognized professionals who maintain careers on the leading edge of industry trends. They will challenge you to reach your creative potential.

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School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (1)

Bradley Hughes

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (3)

David Sonnenschein

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (4)

Eric Bikales

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (5)

Jason Martineau

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (6)

Lincoln Andrews

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (7)

Mike Axinn

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (8)

Mike Axinn

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (9)

Mike Axinn

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (10)

Mike Axinn

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (11)

Scott Looney

Whatever you want to do creatively - music, art, fashion - it’s here.

Academy of Art University junior, Tre Elrod, brings his passion of making music to the music production room and the stage. See what your future can hold when you pursue your creative dreams.

Student Work

Jun Seok Eom Demo Reel

Xiuzhu Guo Demo Reel

Kevin Chitsungo Stargirl Music Scoring

Jessica De La Cruz Demo Reel

Yurun Wu "Colorfornia"

Shannon Webster Demo Reel

Nikki Fish Demo Reel

Cheng Sha Demo Reel

Amin Rajabi "I Want You"

Brian Heater "Welcome to the Exploratorium"

Tori Langfitt Demo Reel

Abhishek Ghosh Demo Reel

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Alumni Success

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (12)

Filipe Leitao

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (13)

Filipe Leitao

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (14)

Filipe Leitao

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (15)

George Mazur

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (16)

Mark Cofer

School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (17)

Rob Kriston

Mark Cofer: Transforming a Love of Music into a Living Career

Mark Cofer is a passionate musician who had a practical dilemma: How can he make a living with a music career? In this video, he shares how he found the answer through his “Academy moment,” which led him to being the successful film composer he is today, with credits including box-office hits like Spiderman: Homecoming, The Magnificent Seven, and Independence Day: Resurgence.

Featured Alumni

Mark Cofer

MFA Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media

Composer and Music Producer,

Root House Productions

The Academy of Art helped me prepare for the real world by giving me the tools and knowledge to turn out professional level recordings. After graduating, I was able to get work as a composer for film and TV and create music cues for movie trailers.

MARK'S STORY

Industry Partnership

Apple Technology

Highlighting Academy of Art University as a leader in career readiness, a new video by Apple Higher Education Stories documents the creative process that Stephen Lamar Moore, a music graduate student, used to score the soundtrack for an animation film.

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Careers in Music Production & Sounds Design for Visual Media

As one of the top art and design schools in the country, Academy of Art University Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media graduates have a range of opportunities to choose from. Our facilities, faculty, and hands-on learning approach are designed to provide you with the tools you need to succeed in the music business.

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Your career starts here.Take the first step.

Or call 415-274-2222 to request more information about this program.

Score Composer

Compose original music to accompany narrative storytelling in visual media. Work with sound editors and mixers to balance music with other soundtrack elements, creating the sonic world in which characters live. Drive the emotions of the audience by crafting musical ideas that reflect the unspoken thoughts of a character.

Mixer

Mixing is the ultimate combination of the technical and the creative. Balance music and audio elements to create the polished final mix to make a dynamic impact on your audience. Learn how to use plug-ins like EQ, reverb and more along with mix automation to create balanced mixes that deliver the emotional impact your audience demands.

Sound Editor

Edit dialog, sound effects, ambiences, and other sounds to fit with the visual material. Use filters and plug-ins to transform audio for a specific setting. Work with the Supervising Sound Editor to deliver all audio assets for a given project, whether film, game, or animation.

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COMPANIES THAT HAVE HIRED OUR GRADUATES

Learn Online

Our revolutionary online courses provide the same rigorous education that we offer on campus with greater flexibility. Our online programs are purpose-built to deliver art and design courses. Study on your own time, at your own pace. Combine online and on-site classes.

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School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media (2024)

FAQs

Is it hard to get a job in sound design? ›

That being said, it will likely take much time, dedicated energy, and great patience to get to a position where a professional can rely solely on their sound designing work for their livelihood. That is the nature of most every freelance position in film.

How long does it take to get a degree in sound design? ›

Typically, acquiring a relevant degree in audio engineering or a related field takes about 2-4 years. Post-education, breaking into the industry and honing practical skills can take an additional 1-3 years of on-the-job training and networking.

Do you need a degree to be a sound designer? ›

Most sound designers earn a bachelor's degree in audio engineering or a related field. Although this is an entry-level position, it's not an easy one to get, and requires an impressive portfolio. After working in the field for some time, experienced sound designers may be eligible to work as audio directors.

Do you need to go to school to learn music production? ›

There are virtually NO degree requirements to work in the music business.

How much do sound artists make? ›

Foley artist salary: Foley artists are sound professionals in the film and television industry who recreate everyday sound effects that are added to the film during post-production to enhance audio quality. They can make between $57,100 and $73,500 yearly.

Is a career in sound design worth it? ›

Pursuing a career in audio engineering and sound production can be highly rewarding for people with a technical and creative mindset. Sound production and engineering are two distinct fields, but both involve applying technical knowledge and skills to create a high-quality end product.

Can you become a Sound Designer without a degree? ›

While a degree can offer a structured learning environment and a comprehensive understanding of sound theory and technology, it is not a strict prerequisite for success in the field. In the realm of sound design, practical skills, a keen ear, and creative innovation often carry as much weight as academic credentials.

Are sound designers in demand? ›

Yes, Sound Designer is in high demand: there are currently 21,800 jobs open. And the number of jobs is expected to grow substantially over the next 10 years.

How many hours a week do sound designers work? ›

On average, Sound Designers may work anywhere from 40 to 60 hours per week, with fluctuations depending on project timelines, production schedules, and industry demands.

Do sound designers make music? ›

A Sound Designer is responsible for creating all sound and audio for a production. Depending on the requirements of the show, this can include sound effects, music, building atmosphere and how the performers are heard.

How much does a sound designer cost? ›

Sound Design Pricing Examples

Freelance sound designers typically charge between $50 and $150 per hr, depending on their level of experience and the complexity of the project. Project rates for audio layout can vary commonly, relying on the kind as well as scope of the project.

What is a sound designer called? ›

A sound designer might also be called a supervising sound editor, audio designer, sound/audio engineer, or sound/audio artist.

Can you study music production with no experience? ›

If you don't have any experience and want to study music production at university, many unis do offer specific music production courses. To find out which universities offer this, have a look at the UCAS website. Subjects like music, sound engineering and multimedia are also useful too.

Do you need to know math for music production? ›

A good understanding of math helps a recording engineer to excel, both in issues related to music theory as well as in issues related to the equipment that you use a lot of while recording. But with that said, no. One can become a competent recording engineer without using much math.

Is music production difficult? ›

One of the most challenging aspects of music production is deciding where, when, how, and what to do to create the music. Because making music is a difficult task, musicians can get hampered during the music production process.

How to start a career in sound design? ›

How to become a sound designer
  1. Pursue an education. The first step to take when seeking employment as a sound designer is to obtain basic industry skills like sound editing and mixing. ...
  2. Participate in an internship. ...
  3. Seek freelance opportunities. ...
  4. Create a sound library of your own. ...
  5. Expand your skill set.
Dec 12, 2022

How hard is sound design? ›

Sound design isn't an easy task, you must be prepared to fail and make mistakes. If you don't (at least occasionally) then chances are you're doing something wrong ! You will certainly make some useless and stupid sounds/presets or whatever you're trying to create.

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