Bachelor of Music (Audio)

The Bachelor of Music (Audio) at The Australian Institute of Music (AIM) is a three-year degree for people who want to work behind the desk, recording, mixing, mastering and producing music. You'll spend your time in studios, not just lecture theatres. Expect to learn signal flow, microphone technique, digital audio workstations, acoustics, and how to run a session with musicians. There's also the musical side: ear training, arrangement, and enough theory to talk to players and understand what you're capturing.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full time, and this one is no exception. At AIM the academic year runs across trimesters, which means you generally take fewer units at a time but study year-round. Each unit carries credit points, and you need to accumulate a set number to graduate, the exact total is confirmed in the course handbook. Core audio units run alongside music units, and later trimesters give you room to specialise in areas like live sound, post-production, or electronic music production.

Practical work and capstone

Work-integrated learning is built into the degree. You'll record real ensembles, work on live gigs, and in your final year complete a capstone project, often a portfolio of recordings or a major production, that shows what you can do. AIM's campuses are in Sydney and Melbourne, so placements and projects connect to those cities' music scenes: venues, studios, and independent labels.

Skills and who it suits

You'll graduate able to set up a session, manage a mix, and deliver a finished track. The degree suits school leavers with a music background, as well as people already working in audio who want formal training. It's hands-on, so you need to be comfortable with technology and willing to put in studio hours. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English proficiency is required, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and AIM's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition fees are published on the CRICOS register; check the official page for current details.

• Studio recording engineer
• Live sound engineer (front of house or monitor)
• Mix engineer
• Mastering engineer
• Music producer
• Audio post-production for film, TV and games
• Broadcast audio technician
• Podcast and radio production
• Audio for events and installations
• Sales and support for audio equipment

Hiring industries in Australia include recording studios, live music venues, broadcasters (radio and television), film and television post-production houses, game development studios, podcast networks, and audio equipment manufacturers and retailers.