Audio Industry Education: Degree or No Degree?

      The audio industry is creative, complex, and ever changing, so the question of whether or not one would need formal education to be successful is controversial. There are numerous people all over the world who either have their own home audio studio, or who work professionally somewhere as audio engineers or sound designers…and all without so much as even a certificate. These people are either self-taught or they learned through apprenticeship, and they see no need whatsoever for attending school after the fact. I was once asked by someone I met, who was a self-taught audio engineer, why was I wasting my time going to school for audio. In fact, there exist institutes that preach against the need for a degree in the audio industry as well, stating that either a certificate or apprenticeship is all you need if you have the proper connections. This is fine, if you subscribe to this school of thought. However, I happen to be one of those who disagree, because my years of life experience have taught me otherwise.

      Actual experience in the audio industry is definitely necessary. In fact, the more experience, the better your portfolio and prospects for employment or clients. Furthermore, experience coupled with connections, will further increase your chances for success in this field. However, it is my belief that experience and connections, plus a degree, will definitely up the ante for an audio professional. There are in depth technical aspects of audio that really should be taught in a formal educational setting, which may not be conveyed properly in an apprenticeship situation or in a certificate program. Additionally, the varied business aspects of the audio industry and professionalism are subjects best taught in college, in order to gain a thorough and working knowledge of these topics.

      I have two friends, who are professional audio engineers that are recording studio owners, and they both expressed to me their firm belief in extensive audio education. One of these friends attended school in New York years ago, and he trained an apprentice (who had no formal audio education) to work as his assistant engineer. It seemed like a good idea at the time. However, he unfortunately found out his apprentice seriously lacked work ethic, and he attributed it to his lack of schooling. The other friend graduated with me from the ILIC Audio Production Bachelor of Science degree program. Although he had years of engineering experience, that he acquired on his own before attending school, he always felt something was missing. Therefore, he obtained the degree to fill in the missing gaps of knowledge, and for further credibility with his clients.

      Whichever school or program you choose, the possibilities for success significantly increase when you have the proper knowledge as a foundation for your experience. Today, there are even more options available for audio degrees, and each school offers it’s own unique program, such as the Full Sail University Recording Arts Bachelor of Science degree program, that can prepare you for a bright future in audio.

      As with many careers, the competition is fierce in the audio industry. Certainly, having a college education will increase your odds for overall prosperity, as explained in an article on AEI, written by education professional Mark Schneider. As one who has been employed both with and without a degree, now that I have a BS in Audio Production, I am convinced that my education will be a pivotal part of my success in the end. As a business owner with a significant amount of proper education and experience, my clients will be sure to have confidence in my ability to deliver the quality audio they need!