Electronic Music, Computing and Technology

Electronic music, computing, and technology sits at one of the most creative and technically demanding intersections in contemporary arts practice. Electronic music has transformed the sonic landscape of the past century, from the early experiments of the musique concrete pioneers to the synthesiser revolutions of the 1970s and the emergence of dance music culture, and today it encompasses everything from experimental sound art and live coding to film scoring, sound design, and algorithmically generated composition. Computing and technology are not merely tools in this context: they are integral to the artistic and conceptual decisions that electronic music requires.

At Goldsmiths, this programme combines rigorous musical practice with serious engagement with the technologies and computational systems that make electronic music possible. Goldsmiths has an exceptional reputation in experimental music and digital arts, and the programme reflects that tradition of intellectual ambition and creative risk-taking. You will develop your skills in electronic composition, sound synthesis, audio programming, signal processing, and the design of interactive and generative musical systems.

You will engage with the history and theory of electronic and experimental music, situating your own practice within a rich critical and artistic tradition. The programme is as much about developing your ideas and your voice as a practitioner as it is about technical mastery, and both are pursued with equal seriousness.

This programme is offered on a part-time basis and includes a sandwich year with a work placement, making it accessible to students who need flexibility and providing professional experience alongside artistic development. Graduates go on to careers as electronic musicians and composers, sound designers, audio software developers, music producers, live performance artists, researchers in music technology, and educators. The combination of creative, technical, and conceptual skills that Goldsmiths develops is genuinely distinctive and opens doors across the arts, technology, and creative industries.