Cohort 001 · London SE16 · 30 August – 4 October 2026
Finish and prepare your next record for release in six studio Sundays.
A practical music production and release programme for confident beginners and intermediate artists and producers, delivered in a professional South East London studio.
By the end of the six Sundays you will have produced, arranged, mixed and prepared a track for release, and understood the practical steps to distribute, monetise and grow around it. The programme does not guarantee streaming income, a signed deal or a released record on the final day.
£1,999 · no VAT is charged
Section 2 · Who it's for
Confident beginners and intermediate artists and producers.
The programme is aimed at people who already make music at home and want to level up in a professional studio environment. It is designed for adults aged 18 and over.
- You already use a DAW and want to finish records to a higher standard.
- You are an artist preparing your next release and want structured studio time.
- You are a producer who wants to work on real hardware alongside your laptop.
- You want honest feedback from working professionals, not generic online courses.
Age policy · This programme is 18+. We do not currently accept participants under 18.
Section 3 · Dates & attendance
Six Sundays. 24 contact hours. In the room.
The cohort runs in-person only. There is no livestream or online equivalent. Attendance in the studio is expected for every session.
Session dates
12:00–16:00 each Sunday
- Week 01Sunday, 30 August 2026
- Week 02Sunday, 6 September 2026
- Week 03Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Week 04Sunday, 20 September 2026
- Week 05Sunday, 27 September 2026
- Week 06Sunday, 4 October 2026
Attendance expectations
- Arrive 10 minutes before session start. Sessions begin on time.
- Full attendance is strongly recommended. Each week builds on the last.
- If you miss a session, catch-up arrangements are described in Section 11.
- The programme is delivered in English.
Section 4 · Tutors
Two lead tutors in the room, every Sunday.
A maximum of eight participants and two lead tutors gives a 4:1 ratio in the studio. Named tutor biographies and verified credits will be published here once formally approved.
Tutor names, biographies and credits will appear here once each tutor has confirmed the wording. No stock or placeholder tutor bios will be used.
Section 5 · The studio
Top Tier Studios, London SE16.
The cohort runs at Top Tier Studios, 60–62 Verney Road, London SE16 3DL. Real photography and video of the room, live space and control room will be added here once the shoot is completed and licensed for use.
Licensed, on-site photography and video of the actual control room, live room and communal areas will be added once the venue shoot is complete. No AI-generated imagery is used to represent the venue.
Section 6 · The 6-Week Curriculum
Exactly what you'll cover, week by week.
One focus per Sunday. Every week builds on the last so you leave with a finished track, honest feedback and a clear release plan.
Week
01
Foundations
Set up like a working studio from day one.
- DAW workflow, templates and session hygiene
- Signal flow, gain staging and monitoring in a treated room
- Sound selection, references and taste
- Lock in the track you will develop over the cohort
Week
02
Sound Design & Production
Build the record from the ground up.
- Synths, samplers and layered drum design
- Recording vocals and live instruments in the live room
- Editing, comping and tuning to a professional standard
- Produce a full arrangement of your track
Week
03
Arrangement & Songwriting
Turn ideas into a release-ready song.
- Song structure that holds a listener
- Topline, melody and hook workshops
- Transitions, drops and dynamic energy
- Peer and tutor feedback session
Week
04
Mix & Master
Make it translate on every speaker.
- Mixing through the studio console and monitoring chain
- EQ, compression, saturation and space
- Mastering for streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple, Tidal)
- Loudness, LUFS targets and format delivery
Week
05
Release & Distribution
Prepare the record for every platform.
- Distribution options and how the major platforms work
- Metadata, ISRCs, splits and publishing basics
- Artwork, visualisers and press kit essentials
- How editorial pitching and playlist ecosystems work
Week
06
Completion, Feedback & Release Preparation
Finish the record and plan what happens next.
- Final tutor and peer feedback on your track
- Royalties overview: mechanical, performance and sync
- Content and audience-building fundamentals
- Personal release-preparation plan you leave with
Section 7 · Equipment & facilities
Professional studio equipment, consistent with the approved list.
Participants work in a treated control room with a professional monitoring chain, a live recording space, and standard industry DAWs. The full, itemised equipment list published here must match the approved equipment inventory for Top Tier Studios.
Software & workstations
- Mac workstations available in the studio
- Industry-standard DAWs (specific versions per approved list)
- You may bring your own laptop and headphones
Hardware & rooms
- Console-based mixing and outboard signal chain
- Professional near-field monitoring in a treated control room
- Live room for vocals and instrument recording
Specific console, preamp, monitor, microphone and DAW versions will be published here once the definitive equipment inventory is signed off with the venue.
Section 8 · What participants leave with
Tangible outputs from the six Sundays.
These are the practical deliverables the programme is designed to produce. They are commitments of process, not guarantees of commercial performance.
- A produced, arranged, mixed and mastered track prepared for release
- Session files, stems and a final master delivered to you
- A written release-preparation plan for your track
- Direct feedback from tutors and peers documented across the cohort
- Working knowledge of distribution, metadata and royalties
- An in-person cohort network of eight artists and producers
Section 9 · Ownership & rights
You retain 100% ownership of the music you make.
Off The Record Academy does not take an ownership share, publishing share or royalty interest in tracks created by participants during the programme. The precise contractual wording will be provided in the participant agreement before enrolment is finalised.
- Masters and compositions created by you during the cohort remain yours.
- Session files and stems produced in the studio are provided to you.
- Use of your work by the academy in marketing or portfolio contexts requires your explicit written consent, granted per asset.
- Guest and third-party contributions are governed by separate release forms signed at the time.
The bullet points above summarise the intended position. Enrolment becomes binding on the participant agreement, which is the contractually authoritative document and will be shared before payment is finalised.
Section 10 · Graduate benefits
Defined, limited benefits after the programme.
Graduate benefits are deliberately bounded. Nothing here implies unlimited free studio access, guaranteed A&R meetings, label introductions or ongoing tutor mentorship beyond the stated limits.
- Access to a private graduate group chat for the cohort, moderated by the academy.
- Invitation to periodic graduate events at the studio, subject to availability and separately announced.
- Ability to book studio time at Top Tier Studios at published rates, with any graduate discount applied only when explicitly offered by the venue.
Specific discount percentages, free hours or event frequencies will only be published here once formally agreed with the venue and the academy.
Section 11 · Accessibility & catch-up
Access needs and missed sessions.
Please tell us about any access requirements before enrolment so we can confirm we can support them at the venue. The catch-up arrangements below apply to enrolled participants only.
Recording of sessions
- Tutor-led teaching portions of each session may be recorded and made available to enrolled participants of that cohort only.
- Guest sessions may be excluded from recording at the guest's discretion. If so, they will not be shared.
- Recordings are hosted privately, are not downloadable, and access is revoked six months after the cohort ends.
- We will not use participant footage or audio publicly without explicit written consent from the individuals appearing in it.
If you miss a session
- Access the private recording of the teaching portion (where available).
- Request a 30-minute catch-up call with a tutor, subject to scheduling.
- Additional in-studio catch-up hours are not automatic and depend on studio availability.
A full accessibility statement for the physical venue will be published here and on /accessibility. Please email info@offtherecordacademy.com before enrolment with any specific access requirement so we can confirm it can be supported at the venue.