Creativity Works: Audio Production

Want to learn how to match your stories with the perfect sound? Get the skills you need and fast-track your career as an audio producer with this free 6-week course

• Who can apply?

  We don’t mind about qualifications or past paid experience. We just want to see your passion and interest in the industry plus a creative can-do attitude and desire to learn.

  Eligibility criteria:

  • 18-24 years old
  • Living in a London borough
  • Not in full-time employment, education or training
  • Available for the duration of the 6-week course
    • Mon 13 Feb – Fri 31 March 2023
    • 10am - 3:30pm with the occasional evening session finishing at 5:30pm
• Who's involved?

  Creatives and companies supporting the course curriculum include:

  Almass Badat, Arlie Adlington, Axel Kacoutié, Ayumi Konno, Bianca Manu, Dan Moss & Ami Bennet (Colour It In Studios), Dialled In, Factory, Foundation FM, Jayshree Viswanathan, Jesse Lawson, Joshua Ryan (Silver Music Entertainment), Kamilla Rose, Kei Maye, Nicole Logan, Mae Li Evans, No Signal, NTS, Raj Pander, Raymond Tannor, Reduced Listening, Sony Music Entertainment, Tash LC, The Podcast Show, and Vanessa Maria (Resident Advisor)

  We are also partnering with Mixcloud who will provide the brief for this course (previous brief partners for Creativity Works courses include; The Face, Reebok, Migration Museum, Swim Dem Crew , 4Creative, Untold Studios + more)

• Course curriculum

  Course features:

  • A live industry brief to produce your own 5–10 minute Podcast
  • Use of a Macbook Pro and the Adobe Suite for the duration of the programme, plus audio recording equipment
  • Access to industry leaders and mentors
  • Industry talks and masterclasses as well as practical workshops

  ---

  Curriculum:

  • 101 to broadcasting w/ Sony Music Entertainment
  • Ideation w/ Almass Badat
  • Storytelling w/ Bianca Manu
  • Imposter Syndrome w/ Kei Maye
  • The Big Platforms Production 101 w/ The Podcast Show, Audible & Spotify
  • The Independents Production 101 w/ Reduced Listening
  • Broadcasting with Sensitivity w/ Vanessa Maria (Resident Advisor), Raymond Tannor & Jesse Lawson
  • Storytelling through Sound w/ Axel Kacoutié (The Guardian)
  • Editorial Practice and Finding Your Story
  • Recording/Editing Sound & Quality w/ Mae Li
  • Presenting It (1xtra, Kiss FM, Asian Network )& Producing It - Panel Discussions
  • Development – Perfecting an idea and standing out
  • Independent Radio Panel w/ NTS, Foundation FM, No Signal
  • Factory – Post-Production Sound & Music Supervision
  • Presentation Skills Workshop
  • Money, IP, and Making It Pay w/ Dan Moss & Ami Bennet (Colour It In Studios)
  • Sound IRL, Community & Events w/ Dialled In
  • Marketing Your Work w/ Raj Pander
  • 4x Employability Sessions
• Audio Production Industry FAQ's

  Interested in starting or furthering a career in audio production? Read our Industry FAQ's below.

  Q: What is broadcasting ?

  A: Broadcasting is the practice of creating audio and video content and distributing it to the mass audiences of radio, television and internet media.

  Q: What are some of the job titles I could have?

  A: Sound Mixer, Sound Assistant, Podcast Producer, Music Producer, Sound Engineer, Sound Editor, Radio Producer.

  Q: What is the typical progression path look like?

  A: There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to what is needed to get audio production jobs and it’s not 100% imperative to get a degree in a related field. You can make a start by watching tutorials online, learning the ins and outs of relevant software, taking part in course (like Creativity Works!) and networking to find like-minded people in your industry.

  You might get started a runner or technical assistant then work your way to the level of an audio engineer.

  Q: What is the starting salary (& freelancer rate) for this profession?

  A: The average starting salary of a sound engineer is £25K with more experienced Producers earning £50K+*.

  Experienced freelancers can expect a daily rate of £150-£250.

  Q: Freelancer networks I could access?

  A: GGH own Freelance Survival Guides, The Dots masterclass networking event + more

  Q: What are the immediate skills gained?

  A: You'll learn how to use Adobe Creative Suite: Audition. Which can easily be transferred into using Adobe Premiere and In-Design

  Q: Industries this skillset could be used in?

  A: Social media, podcasting, advertising, film & TV, digital/ AV artist, sound design, radio, mixing for live events, DJ/ gigs, audio/ sound engineer, sound technician, broadcast engineer

  Q: What are some of the soft skills I could transfer?

  A: Listening: Production artists and engineers need excellent hearing abilities to create professional sound and need good listening skills to create projects according to client requests.

  Recording and editing: Job duties in this field often include recording sound and editing audio.

  Problem-solving: Engineers and assistants may troubleshoot issues they have with equipment at live shows or in the studio.

  Communicating: These professionals work closely with engineers and artists, which requires strong communication and collaboration skills.

  Handling equipment: This field relies on technology and special equipment to record, edit and play sound, so professionals are responsible for setting up equipment, maintaining it and operating it.

  Q: What is the landscape of podcasting?

  A: The podcasting industry is growing at a rapid rate. On Spotify alone there are now over 3.6 million podcasts to choose from. Podcasting has become especially popular for younger audiences. According to Spotify ‘Gen Z is the fastest growing podcast audience’ with Gen Z and Millennials now making up 71% of total podcast audience. They’re now a part of everyday life with 60% of people stating they listen to podcasts at home as background noise.

  Q: What are some of the in-demand roles in podcasting?

  A: There’s an increase in demand for not only on-screen (or in this case on-recording talent) but also behind the scenes talent. From podcast producers and editors to podcast script writers, the opportunities in podcasting are continuously growing.    

  *According to Glassdoor, January 2023