Live Sound - BA (Hons)

dBs Institute

This course is designed for aspiring live sound professionals who want to take control of the technical side of gigs, concerts, and festivals. You’ll build advanced skills in audio engineering, system design, and front-of-house mixing while gaining real-world experience delivering shows and working directly with artists and event teams.You’ll explore the science and systems behind professional live audio, from signal flow, acoustics, and loudspeaker design to digital mixing, computer-based audio networks, and immersive sound formats. Alongside deep technical training, you’ll develop practical skills in stage planning, system setup, troubleshooting, and logistics. This blend of theory and hands-on experience prepares you for a wide range of roles across the live music industry. Optional modules in live recording & broadcast, festival production, and industry leadership let you specialise and develop your own professional direction.As part of a collaborative community with producers, performers, event managers, and technicians, you’ll work on real shows and build connections that reflect how live events happen in the industry. Whether you're aiming to tour with artists, run sound at major venues, or manage complex audio systems, this course gives you the technical precision and professional experience to succeed.**Why you'll love this course**- **Learn from working pros** - Your tutors aren’t just educators, they’re live engineers, tour techs and system specialists with years of live event experience. You’ll train with people who know exactly what the job demands, and how to prepare you for it.- **Train in real venues** - From the start of your course, you’ll be mixing shows, building rigs and solving problems in live environments. Whether it’s rehearsal spaces, venues or festivals, you’ll train where the work happens.- **Shape your studies to your ambitions** - Specialise in areas aligned to your goals, from immersive audio and loudspeaker system design to live recording and festival production. Option modules allow you to shape your skillset and align it with your career goals. **Year 1**In Year 1, you’ll build a strong foundation in live sound by exploring both the practical and scientific principles behind professional audio. You’ll learn how sound behaves in different environments through the study of acoustics, signal flow, and frequency response, while developing hands-on skills in front-of-house mixing, loudspeaker setup, and pre-production planning. This year equips you with the technical fluency and theoretical grounding needed to design, deliver, and troubleshoot live sound systems confidently.**Year 2**In Year 2, you’ll advance your technical knowledge and creative fluency through core modules in immersive audio, digital systems, and audio networking. You’ll learn how to design and deliver exceptional sound across stereo, multichannel, and spatial formats, as well as manage the operational side of events with training in logistics, sustainability, and health and safety. Optional modules let you explore broadcast sound, advanced mixing, or integrative performance technologies, supporting both specialisation and versatility. **Year 3**In Year 3, you’ll focus on innovation, leadership, and professional delivery. You’ll undertake two major self-directed projects: one that explores emerging approaches in live or immersive sound, and another that builds a professional portfolio aligned to your career goals. You can tailor your direction further with options in system design, festival production, or collaborative practice. By the end of the course, you’ll graduate with the creative insight, technical mastery, and real-world experience needed to succeed in today’s live sound industry.

Live Sound and Event Management