choosing your subjects
Why Study Music Technology?
Music technology is the main way that most people experience music in the world today. Whenever anyone listens to radio or Spotify, or music on the TV or films, or music in video games, or music in adverts and jingles; they are listening to something that was recorded and produced by people working with music technology. Whenever you hear music performed live, it’s music technology that makes it all happen. Without music technology, the ways that people enjoy music would simply not work – it’s so integral and important to musicians!
Music technology is the ideal course for anyone who wants to improve their music and musicianship but wants to focus more on how music is made and released professionally – being the recorder rather than the recorded artist.
In 2024, the Music industry’s contribution to the UK economy hit a record £8 billion, and UK music exports revenue in 2024 reached a new high of £4.8 billion! Total UK music industry employment in 2024 hit a record 220,000 (full-time equivalent posts). Music is one of the UK’s most successful fields, and whilst studying Music offers us all something – whether we want to have a career in the arts or not – business is booming for UK musicians.
Frequently Asked Questions Music Technology V Cert
What will I learn?
We follow the NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Music Technology, which is split into five areas:
- Introduction to music technology and the music business
- the various roles and jobs associated with the creating, recording, and production of music
- the history and development of music technology over time
- marketing, promotion, and sales in the music business
- The digital audio workstation (DAW)
- computer hardware and software required for music production
- use of DAW software to create, record, and produce music
- understanding of health and safety when using a DAW
- Musical elements, musical style, and music technology
- how musical elements such a structure, melody, harmony, rhythm, and instrumentation combine to create music
- features of different styles of music
- Sound creation
- how sound is used in different forms of media
- different methods creating sound, both acoustically and electronically
- Multitrack recording
- equipment in the recording studio
- health and safety in the recording studio
- planning and executing multitrack recording sessions
- mixing a multitrack recording
how will i be assessed?
There are two assessments in this course – one is an extended assessment that you do in class, and the other is a 90-minute exam.
The extended assessment takes 17 hours to complete, and you will be given a brief to complete. Prior to the assessment, you will be given two hours to prepare and research. During this time, you will be allowed access to all of your lesson notes and the internet to create a research pack, and you are allowed to take this research pack into the assessment with you. The assessment is designed to test your ability to recall and use knowledge, analyse and evaluate your work, and apply all of the skills and techniques you will learn over the course.
The exam is a written test, focussing much more on your knowledge of how music technology works.
Which Course Will I Follow?
Students will follow the Level 1/2 Technical Award in Music Technology course offered by NCFE.
What equipment will I need?
You will be provided with specialist software on your laptop to complete composition tasks. Regular practice on your instrument will also enhance grades due to the increased level of musical understanding that it creates. The Academy may recommend a study guide or workbook to support students’ learning.
Where can this subject take me?
As well as opening doors to musical and creative career choices, studying music technology opens up many options for pupils because of the way that working creatively improves cognitive function. Pupils who study Music go on to have careers as:
- Composing and songwriting
- Performing
- Talent management and artist management
- Audio and recording engineering
- Digital content production
- Choreography, dance, and music direction
- DJing and music production
- Public relations management, programme management, and tour production
- Military Music (the military is the largest employer of musicians in the UK!)
- Marketing management
- News reporting, photography, journalism, radio, and TV
- Events management, live sound / lighting technician, and stage management
How Can I Support My Child at Home?
As part of this course, your child will need to engage with a wide variety of styles and genres of music. Encouraging them to listen to many different genres and artists – including artists they’ve not heard of before (and sometimes even artists they don’t like!) will help them understand more about the variety of way of making music. Regular music practice on your child’s instrument will also help them engage with this course – the best music technicians are musicians too!
