We created this list of the top 20 music production schools in Florida with Florida students like you in mind. If you’re interested in learning what it takes to compose, produce, and engineer music, then this list is for you.
We’ll highlight a few noteworthy programs at these schools and help you determine how much each one will cost.
We gathered our data using IPEDS (the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) from the Department of Education and Universities (a website that compiles school reviews).
To make sure we only included the best programs in our ranking, we compared schools based on performance indicators such as acceptance rate, graduation rate, academic quality, student reviews, and cost of attendance.
In this blog, we’ll explore each school’s program offerings so that you can find the best fit for your educational goals as a budding beatmaker or record producer.
Who is a Music Producer?
A music producer is responsible for the overall sound of a musical product, such as an album or soundtrack.
This role encompasses that of an audio engineer, in that the producer oversees and manages recording sessions, but also includes creative aspects like song composition and arrangement.
The producer is involved in all aspects of the development of a record. They assist artists with song selection and work with songwriters to produce original material.
Producers may encourage experimentation during recording sessions, but they must also have a clear idea of each track’s direction.
They negotiate agreements with performers and oversee logistics to ensure that time and money are used efficiently.
Furthermore, they monitor changes in taste and market trends, decide which songs should be recorded, help select session musicians, arrange for orchestras or backup vocalists, if necessary, make recommendations on artists’ repertoire and styles, and approve final mixes with engineers before releasing to the public.
Simply put, music producers are the backbone of any form of music creation.
How to Become a Music Producer in Florida
Florida is one of the most popular states in the US, and it’s a great place to study music production.
If you want to become a music producer in Florida, you need to develop your skills and technique. You also need to know how to use the right equipment.
There are many different software programs that producers use, so you have to practice on them all until you find what works for you.
You should do an internship in any of these music production schools in Florida listed here because this will help you gain experience with the business side of producing music too.
Apprenticeships can lead to jobs at recording studios or record labels or even give you opportunities for networking with other musicians who need producers and sound technicians.
Vocational Schools vs Public Universities
When considering a music production school in Florida, it can be difficult to decide between a traditional public university and a vocational school.
In general, vocational schools are more focused on specific career paths. Students receive hands-on training for their desired industry but may be limited in their academic options.
However, public universities are more general and offer a wider range of degree programs, but also include mandatory general education classes that can take up time from major-specific coursework. In addition, public universities are also usually more expensive than vocational schools.
A good way to make the decision is to first determine if you want a strictly academic experience or if you want to immediately begin building your career with practical skills and knowledge.
By doing some research into the pros and cons of both types of schools, you should be able to narrow down your options until you find the right choice for your personal goals and career.
Best Vocational Music Production Schools in Florida
Without further ado, these are the best vocational music production schools in Florida that we have found to be great options for you:
- Jacksonville School of Music
- Kalos Music & Art School
- The Forte School of Fine Arts
- School of Rock
- UCF School of Performing Arts
- Garnish Music School
- Recording Connection Audio Institute
- East Orlando School of Music
- Tampa Fine Arts Academy
- Creative Veins
Jacksonville School of Music
City: Jacksonville.
- Total tuition fees: One-time registration of $35, and then $120 monthly until completion.
Jacksonville School of Music is a top music production school in Florida that offers lessons for all ages and levels of proficiency. For those who are more experienced musicians looking to take their playing to the next level, JSM also has instructors that can help facilitate this transition.
These teachers have plenty of experience not only performing live but also helping students enter and succeed in music composition programs at universities across the state.
Kalos Music & Art School
City: Aventura.
- Total tuition fees: Not specified. The registration fee is $45.
Here, students can take group or private lessons from professional musicians with advanced degrees from both domestic and international institutions.
Kalos offers instruction in all orchestral instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass) as well as piano/keyboard and percussion/drums. Students can also find training for voice lessons at Kalos. Performance opportunities are available for all of these programs through the school’s various ensembles.
As a result, Kalos makes for a good option for students looking to begin their career in music production.
The Forte School of Fine Arts
City: New Port Richey.
- Total tuition fees: Start at $65 per month.
The Forte School of Fine Arts is another decent music production school in Florida. It offers the following music production programs:
- Associate Degree in Music Production
This program may cost up to $3,000 in total and is designed to be completed over two years. Students will learn about topics such as musical composition, harmonic theory, and studio recording techniques.
This program enrolls 10 students a year, making the class sessions conducive for students to learn.
School of Rock
City: Multiple locations, including Tampa, Orlando, and North Miami.
Total tuition fees: $275 – $450 per month, depending on your course selection.
The School of Rock is one of the few music production schools in Florida that teach a particular kind of music genre – rock.
Unlike most other music production schools in Florida on our list that offer traditional courses and programs, the courses offered at the School of Rock are specifically geared towards music performance, with no infrastructural elements like audio engineering or design classes, however.
But the unique thing about this school is that it assigns students to a band that is then used for performance training through live shows at venues around the area.
If you are a big fan of rock music, and like the idea of making rock music someday, then this is the ideal music production school in Florida for you.
UCF School of Performing Arts
City: Orlando.
- Total tuition fees: $22,479.
The University of Central Florida School of Performing Arts is located in Orlando, a vibrant and lively hub for the arts. The school offers a Bachelor’s degree in music technology, as well as degrees in composition and recording arts.
Students will learn about music theory and history, along with learning how to use industry-standard computer software such as Ableton Live and Adobe Audition.
The facilities are state-of-the-art, featuring professional soundproof studio rooms for students to practice their music production skills.
Students are taught by tutors who have had extensive experience working in the music industry themselves.
We recommend this music production school. So, if you find the tuition cost affordable, then this makes one of the best music production schools in Florida where you can begin your career.
Garnish Music School
City: Miami.
- Total tuition fees: Start at $270 – $1,799, depending on your selection.
If you read our article on the best music production schools in New York [link to the article], then you are no stranger to this awesome music production school in Florida. Garnish Music School is a school in North Miami Beach, Florida.
The school offers a range of programs for beginners, intermediate and advanced students. Garnish Music School has received numerous accolades over the years from industry professionals and from students who have successfully made it into the music business.
During your time at Garnish, you will learn about composition and songwriting as well as recording techniques for a wide variety of instruments and vocals.
You will get an opportunity to work with some of the most renowned producers in the industry including Quincy Jones, David Foster, and Peter Gabriel among others on selected projects that are arranged by the school’s administration team on behalf of its students.
With Garnish, students have the opportunity to not only learn music production but learn the business of music. Not many music production schools in Florida provide you with that.
Recording Connection Audio Institute
City: Jacksonville, Miami, and Oviedo campuses.
- Total tuition fees: $12,860 for the Audio Engineering & Music Production program.
Recording Connection is a great school if you want to get started in the music industry. It’s located in several cities throughout Florida and across the country, like Jacksonville, Oviedo, and Miami.
The school has a reputation for providing quality training and teaching students everything they need to know about mixing, recording, game audio, and much more. No wonder it is one of the best music production schools in Florida right now.
They also have an excellent reputation with employers in the industry, who often will hire their graduates on as apprentices when they finish their programs. This school is highly recommended.
East Orlando School of Music
City: Orlando.
- Total tuition fees: $268 per month for 60-minute lessons.
The East Orlando School of Music is the largest private music production school in Florida. It offers a few different programs for students looking to pursue music production and other related fields.
As a student in their certificate program, you can take classes on the history of rock and roll, the art of songwriting, audio engineering and recording technology, video production, and DJing.
Students can also complete a variety of advanced studies within their degree programs in subjects such as computerized music production, sound design techniques, audio post-production techniques, advanced digital signal processing techniques and tools, MIDI composition tools and techniques, and advanced signal processing techniques for live sound reinforcement applications.
As a unique offering, EOSM also offers its first-time students a free lesson to allow them to make up their minds about their musical careers.
Indeed, this is one of the best music production schools in Florida at the moment, and it is not hard to see why.
Tampa Fine Arts Academy
City: Wesley Chapel.
- Total tuition fees: Not specified.
Tampa Fine Arts Academy is a great place to study music. Comparatively, it is not as prestigious as the other music production schools in Florida we mentioned earlier.
But if you are just finding your way into music, this is a decent choice to get you into a musical career.
You will learn how to play multiple instruments and combine them to make great sounds. If this sounds like something you are excited about, then this music production school is for you.
Creative Veins
City: Jacksonville.
Total tuition fees: $189 per month.
Creative Veins is one of the many music production schools in Florida. And it is quite a decent school at that.
Students who enroll in this music school will find their experience enjoyable, as this school prioritizes personal teaching approaches, and a conducive environment (as seen in their serene school), and they make sure of your progress even after you are done with your classes.
However, the downside to this school is its lack of accreditation; which means that its certificates are not recognized internationally, and quite possibly, locally too.
Best Music Colleges in Florida
As earlier mentioned, to select from the music production schools in Florida you want to attend, you must first make up your mind on what kind of school it is going to be. While the vocational schools have a direct, hands-on approach to teaching music production, universities go a lot deeper; and as a result, you end up learning a bunch of stuff you do not need.
However, studying music production in a college is way more expensive, and you should know this. A music program in any of these universities will cost you an estimated sum of $200,000 (or more), and four years of your life! Albeit, some of these universities offer financial aid to qualified students, and anyone can take advantage of them. Here are the best universities in Florida to learn music production:
University of Miami
City: Coral Gables.
- Total tuition fees: $66,390 (30-credit degree program).
The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music offers two different programs for students interested in music production: a Bachelor of Music in Music Engineering Technology and a Bachelor of Music Arts.
Students can take their love for music even further by completing the school’s Master of Music degree. The University of Miami Frost School of Music also offers two graduate-level degrees that are relevant to music production.
Students enrolled in these programs learn how to use software like ProTools, Logic Pro X, Sibelius, Ableton Live 9 Suite, Reason 10 Suite, Waves Mercury Bundle plugins, Melodyne 4 Studio Pitch/Time Correction Plug-in Software (Download), and AutoTune Pitch/Time Correction Plug-in Software, among others.
Florida State University
City: Tallahassee.
- Total tuition fees: Median cost of $20,000.
The College of Music at Florida State University is undoubtedly one of the best music production schools in Florida. It is a public school in Tallahassee, Florida, that has got a great curriculum in music, as well as tutors that have years of experience making good music.
If you want to look at the cold hard facts, it’s a senior member of the State University System of Florida and is classified as a research university with very high activity by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Students rank FSU as an “attractive” school, and we agree. As a top music production school in Florida, this school will set your career up for tremendous success.
Full Sail University
City: Winter Park.
- Total tuition fees: $41,670 (average annual cost).
Full Sail University is a music production school in Florida that is consistently a thorn in our side. And it is a result of their relentless rating as one of the best music production schools in Florida.
Founded in 1979, Full Sail University offers one of the best music production programs in the country. Students have the opportunity to study with working industry professionals as they work toward a degree in music production.
The school prepares students for careers through its hands-on learning program and lab and studio facilities that provide students with real-world experiences.
Students can enroll in one of several degree programs including Master of Music in Music Production, Master of Fine Arts in Music Production, Bachelor of Science in Music Production, Bachelor of Science in Recording Arts, and Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business. And the best part is that they also offer online courses in music production that anybody can take advantage of.
University of Florida
City: Gainesville.
- Total tuition fees: $21,431 (average annual cost).
The University of Florida offers a Bachelor of Music in Music Production, which means students can learn how to create and edit audio for a wide range of media. In addition to music production, UF offers the following degrees:
- Bachelor of Music in Performance
- Bachelor of Music in Composition
- Bachelor of Music Education
- Bachelor of Music Therapy
In addition, students interested in the business side of the music industry will find a home at UF with their Bachelor’s in the music business. If you’re interested in learning jazz performance, UF also offers that degree.
It is important to note that this program is not online and will require a student’s presence on campus. It should also be noted that this school is located within easy driving distance from Miami, making it convenient if you want to take advantage of the many live music venues there.
Florida Atlantic University
City: Boca Raton.
- Total tuition fees: $24,775 (average annual cost).
Florida Atlantic University, located in Boca Raton, is ranked as one of the best music production schools in Florida. Florida Atlantic University offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music degree in music production.
The university has nine different state-of-the-art recording studios, so students have the opportunity to learn hands-on in a variety of environments. Some facilities include:
- A digital audio workstation with more than 50 digital and analog synthesizers.
- A Mac Pro computer running Pro Tools HD software.
- An eight-channel mixer with four preamps, 12 channels of outboard processing, and monitoring systems powered by Yamaha amplification
Students also have access to a two-story media facility on campus where they can complete audio projects using hardware such as samplers, sequencers, and synthesizers.
Rollins College
City: Winter Park.
- Total tuition fees: $72,566 (average annual cost).
Rollins College is located in Winter Park, Florida, and has a music program. Although Rollins is best known for its liberal arts program, the school does have an undergraduate music production degree that you can also pursue.
Jacksonville University
City: Jacksonville.
- Total tuition fees: $57,740 (average annual cost).
If you’re set on attending a college in the Jacksonville area, check out Jacksonville University’s music production program.
This school offers bachelor’s degrees in media composition and audio engineering.
It also has a wide variety of other programs to explore, including culinary arts, marine science, aviation management, and more.
Stetson University
City: DeLand.
- Total tuition fees: $48,465 (average annual cost).
Stetson University is a public college located in DeLand, Florida, and is a private university founded in 1883. Students at Stetson University can choose from the following music production degrees:
- Bachelor of Music.
- Bachelor of Music Education,
- Bachelor of Music in Audio Production.
- Bachelor of Music in Music Business.
University of South Florida – Main Campus
City: Tampa.
- Total tuition fees: $23,866 (average annual cost).
The University of South Florida offers a school of music with a music production degree. This program is open to anyone interested in pursuing an academic career as a producer or sound engineer, as well as those wishing to hone their technical skills with DAWs and recording equipment.
In addition to musical studies, the university also offers other degree programs in law, engineering, and business.
Florida International University
City: Miami.
- Total tuition fees: $23,803 (average annual income).
The Department of Music at Florida International University allows students to earn a Bachelor of Music in Music Technology or Music Production. As you would expect from a school that is located in Miami, the department has an excellent reputation for its programs in Latin music.
The program offers classes such as Electronic Studio, Rehearsal Techniques, and Computer-Assisted Composition.
Perhaps more importantly, it has many well-connected faculty who can help you get your foot in the door when it comes to pursuing a career in music production.
How Much Do Music Producers Make in Florida?
The music industry is a tough field to get into, and staying in it can be even harder. But many people would say that the potential payoff makes it worthwhile.
If you’re looking to pursue a career as a music producer, understanding how much you might make is important.
In Florida for example, music producers earn $69,980; which is above the average. Thus, they are decent income earners.
Choosing the Right Music Production School for You
There are a variety of things to consider when choosing the right music production school in Florida for you. The first is whether you want to study online or on campus. Online programs have more flexibility, but it can be beneficial to attend an on-campus program as well.
Next, check out a school’s curriculum. Do they offer courses that are relevant to your interests? What do their facilities look like? Are they able to provide internships and job placement assistance?
When choosing a music production school in Florida, the school must be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) or another regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
It’s also important that your chosen program has a good reputation in this industry and has connections with music professionals such as producers, recording engineers, studio managers, and others who may help you transition into a career after graduation.
Wrapping It Up
It’s important to note that a great deal of studying and research is required to produce the best music possible. Take your time with this decision, and be sure to do your research on each of these music production schools in Florida.