MA
Postgraduate - Level 7

Innovation in Sound

Online
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A student sets up microphones in a live room
A woman sets up her live setup at the Electronic Music Weekender festival in Plymouth
MA Innovation in Sound student Jacob Smith showing off his project Sonify

Designed to help you push the boundaries in your chosen field; developing your academic prowess and capacity to move beyond music and sound; exploring broader realms of creative possibility. Innovation in Sound Master’s degree offers a flexible and multidisciplinary approach allowing you to tailor the course content to suit your own creative and career goals.

Key Information
  • Where can I study?
    Bristol / Plymouth
  • Start Date
    September 2025
  • Study Modes
    Part-Time
  • Course Length
    2 Year (PT)
  • UK/Home Fees (Per Year)
    £4250 (PT)
Applications opening soon
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Key Information
Key Information
Innovation in Sound

Course Overview

Alongside honing your practical skill set through experimental technical exploration, you’ll be encouraged to take a collaborative approach to projects through forming connections with both highly experienced academic and industry professionals; providing opportunities for you to make your impact on the creative industries and community.

Upon completion you will have developed your abilities to apply advanced production and project management techniques within a creative community as well as a professional portfolio of skills and experience tailored to you. In addition, students studying on this programme are encouraged to push themselves into areas of study that improve the lives of others.

This course is delivered at dBs Institute. Taught and awarded by Access Creative College

If you’re based in or hoping to study in London, this course is available to study with Access Creative London.

This course is taught by the dBs Institute and awarded by Falmouth University

Course Details

You will study a total of 5 modules, including a final major research project. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes.

A student sites in-front of a mixing desk

Year Overview

Year 1

Module Breakdown

The course takes place over three trimesters, covering 90 weeks across the two years of study. Over the course of five modules, you’ll be introduced to what it means to innovate across multiple disciplines, develop your own ideas within innovation, build a network of specialists within your chosen field and produce a final piece of work informed by your explorations and experiments in the previous modules.

How You'll Learn

You will advance your practical skills in the recording, manipulation, production and mastering of audio, while also developing your critical thinking, networking and collaboration skills. Due to the nature of this degree, how you utilise those skills will be entirely up to you.

You will also develop practical skills through practice-based workshops, and learn to evaluate and improve your work through group tutorials, and individual tutorials.

Regular learning will come from lectures, seminars and our Virtual Learning Environment. In addition your learning will be supported by:

  • Lectures and practical workshops
  • Masterclasses and guest lectures
  • Group and 1-2-1 tutorials
  • Access to extensive studio facilities and bookable equipment
  • Use of library resources and study spaces
  • Access to our Virtual Learning Environment
  • Access to supporting online resources including videos, reading and interactive activities

Assessment is 100% coursework and will be a mixture of practical portfolios, critical evaluations, planning documents, proposals and presentations.

On average you should allow for between 20 hours per week for your studies of which approximately 15% will be taught (c.3-4 hours) and 85% will be self-study.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Apply

Applying for this course is easy! Simply click the "Apply" button below to submit your application directly through our website.
A member of our Admissions Team will then be in touch to discuss your suitability for the course, your interests and to arrange an interview.

Applications for undergraduate degrees are made through the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). You can apply online through the UCAS website.

The equal consideration deadline for September 2025 entry applications is  29th January 2025. 

UCAS Codes
Campus
Course Code
Campus Code
Institution Code
Bristol
Plymouth

If you would like to make an application for this course, fill in your details below and a member of our admissions team will be in touch to advise you through the application process.

For detailed information on how to apply please take a look at our guide to making an application.

Why Choose dBs

Why Choose dBs & ACC

Here at dBs Institute, we pride ourselves on creating a learning environment that reflects the industry that you want to work in. Our state-of-the-art facilities ensure that you are working on professional-grade equipment; our course leaders have years of industry experience to draw from and we foster a community of students and staff that inspires and encourages collaboration. Throughout your studies and beyond, we will also provide you with career support and guidance to reach your future goals.

Facilities

Our 8.1 Spatial Audio Lab
Bristol
Our 8.1 Spatial Audio Lab
Mixing in our Dolby Atmos suite
Manchester
Mixing in our Dolby Atmos suite
Inside our Dolby Atmos suite
Bristol
Inside our Dolby Atmos suite
Our Solid State Logic Duality Delta mixing desk
Bristol
Our Solid State Logic Duality Delta mixing desk
Mic'ing up drums in the Studio 6 live room
Bristol
Mic'ing up drums in the Studio 6 live room
Hands-on with our Trident 68 mixing desk
Manchester
Hands-on with our Trident 68 mixing desk
The live room for our Neve Genesys suite
Plymouth
The live room for our Neve Genesys suite
Our Neve Genesys mixing desk
Plymouth
Our Neve Genesys mixing desk
The live room for our Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Manchester
The live room for our Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Inside the Neve Genesys Black pro suite
Manchester
Inside the Neve Genesys Black pro suite
A hardware synth performance in Studio 3
Bristol
A hardware synth performance in Studio 3
Students making music in the production suite
Bristol
Students making music in the production suite
Our API 1608 mixing console
Bristol
Our API 1608 mixing console
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    Why Choose an Online Degree at dBs

    Our online Master's degrees offer a high-quality, immersive, and community-driven learning experience, led by industry experts who are passionate about their craft. With 24/7 access to course materials and resources, you can learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. Plus, our hands-on projects will equip you with practical skills necessary for a successful career in the music industry.
    A female student works on her laptop

    Flexible study

    Enjoy the freedom to fit your learning around you. For online students, course content – other than one-to-one sessions – will be available to access whenever suits you. Video materials that have been created for online students will also be made available to students that select to study on-site.

    dBs Online tutor kris burton sits in front of our API desk at dBs

    Learn from the pros

    You will learn from tutors whose expertise extends across production, composition, sound design, sound engineering, label management, marketing and promotion.

    You’ll also have access to our extensive guest lecture programme, giving you the chance to meet leading industry professionals – ranging from respected producers and performers to specialist technical staff from world-class audio companies.

    Student working on a project at dBs Pro

    Industry Connections

    As a student of this course, you will be encouraged to apply for placements and opportunities with dBs Pro, our in-house creative audio company.
    This will allow you to further your experience and apply the skills you have been honing, as well as showcase your skills to clients and develop your creative own links in the industry.

    What our students say

    Who better to tell you about our course than students already doing the course? In this video, some of our latest cohort talk about their experience of the dBs online masters degrees.

    What our
    students say

    Learn what makes dBs Institute so special from the people who matter most - our students!

    Opportunities

    Engaging with our industry

    In our 20+ year history, we’ve built a strong network of contacts across the creative industries, that include AMS Neve, Solid State Logic, Avid and many more.

    Career support

    We strive to equip our students with the skills and opportunities to secure roles across the creative industries, and this goal underpins the student experience at dBs Institute.

    dBs Pro

    dBs Pro is a creative audio company with a difference - it’s dedicated to providing our students with real-world experience alongside their studies.

    Your Future Prospects

    This postgraduate course pushes students into unexplored territory and as a result, can lead to a myriad of professional pathways.

    With such a strong industry focus, many students will pursue entrepreneurial careers, be that a record label, audio plugin developer or freelance producer.

    The potential is not limited to those fields though, and depending on the project, students may venture into music therapy, sound art or game audio.

    Here are just a few of the roles linked to this course:

    Register your interest

    Let's get started

    Thinking about an undergraduate degree at dBs? Want to know more about our courses? We're excited to help you explore your options.

    Simply fill out the form below and our dedicated admissions team will be in touch with all the information you need.

    If you're ready to apply, you can also apply directly through UCAS.com

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    Please note that if you are an international student or require a visa to study in the UK you are only eligible to study our online courses.

    Register your interest

    If you’d like to find out more about our postgraduate courses, please fill in the form below. Once submitted, a member of our admissions team will be in touch to discuss our postgraduate course offerings and the next steps of the application process.

    Please note, if you currently live outside of the UK and require a Tier 4 VISA to study in the United Kingdom, we are unable to accept your application for our on campus full-time or part-time postgraduate degree programmes. If this is the case, please apply for one of our online postgraduate courses instead.

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