Can You Build A Career In Sound Engineering?

Yes, you can, and there’s more work out there than you might think.

Richie Poate, JMC Academy’s National Course Leader in Audio, is here to tell you why. 

Maybe you love music and sound but aren’t sure where to start. Or maybe you’ve watched a film, heard something that gave you chills and wondered who created it. If audio has ever resonated with you, there could be a place for you in Audio Engineering & Sound Production at JMC. 

For many people starting out, the dream looks something like this: the lights drop, the crowd roars and there you are behind the sound desk, mixing for a rock star. It’s what draws so many into audio, and with the right training, you could get there. But that’s only one door, and it isn’t for everyone.

Do You Need to Study to Become a Sound Engineer? 

Not necessarily, but it makes a big difference. When Richie started out, there ‘wasn’t an audio engineering school in Melbourne in 1992’, so he learnt on the job. As a musician, he was ‘hanging around the studios’ and picked up skills along the way. However, he says that path left him with ‘holes in [his] knowledge’ that required backfilling later on, and without formal training, ‘you don’t necessarily have complete control of your music production.' 

So, although here are many thousands of YouTube tutorials, online training websites, and short courses out there that teach sound engineering. However, undertaking a “pick and choose” approach to learning will result in knowledge gaps that will require backfilling later.  

That’s where study comes in

As Richie puts it: 

‘Undertaking higher education gives you a highly structured and comprehensive learning process, so you acquire the skills in the right order and at the appropriate levels of complexity. So, when you leave somewhere like JMC, employers can be sure you have those required skills.’ 

How Does JMC Prepare You? 

The Audio Engineering and Sound Production bachelor program runs over two years full-time (accelerated) at our Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney campuses. You’ll start with the core skills: studio recording, mixing, and music fundamentals. From there, you’ll move into more complex music production, sound for screen, electronics, immersive audio and acoustic design, all while working hands-on in our industry-standard studios and facilities. 

Richie explains the thinking behind it: 

‘What we do here, at JMC, is we introduce you to those core skills, but we also introduce you to, and give you experience in, a much broader set of sound engineering vocational outcomes. The idea being, over the course of two years, you can identify what areas interest you most and then head down that path.’ 

If you’re worried that audio is all knobs and maths, Richie has some good news: ‘The nature of audio engineering can be pretty basic or incredibly technical. But it doesn’t have to be technical. There is something for everyone.’ 

As you go, you’ll shape your own path with electives such as Live Event Production, AV Technologies, Advanced Live Sound, Electronic Music Production and Post Production Audio. 

Need some inspiration? Check out our graduate showcase. 

You’re Never Working Alone 

Audio at JMC is collaborative by design. We’re our own creative ecosystem that mirrors the industry, so you can become the go-to sound person for projects across campus. That might mean recording bands, designing soundscapes for games, mixing audio for student short films, or running sound for live events. You’ll build your network and portfolio while you study, and later trimesters bring an internship with industry partners. That way, you graduate with real work to show, not just a transcript. 

So, Where’s the Work? 

It starts sooner than you’d expect.

‘There are very clearly defined tiers of work. And there is work. A lot of our Trimester 2 students are already doing crew work at places like the MCG or Marvel Stadium, because they develop those skills in the first couple of trimesters,’ says Richie. 

The rock star’s sound desk is just one option. Here are some of the others Richie listed: 

AV is a big one. AV (audiovisual) techs look after the sound, screens and lighting at events such as conferences, product launches, concerts and award nights. It might not be the first job that comes to mind, but the skills you learn in the course, like setting up microphones, running a mixing desk and getting clear sound to a crowd, are exactly what AV techs use every day. The same skills also prepare you for studio, live sound and post-production roles, so you can choose the path that suits you. As Richie puts it: 

‘It gives you both options; the vanilla skill set is basically the same.’ 

JMC graduates are already making their mark in AV. Richie says, 'JMC graduates are very well represented in the industry and highly regarded as professionals.' Roles in ‘professional services and events tech’ are a big part of the industry, and as he points out, ‘the skillset is in demand.' 

Creative and Career-Ready 

So, will you end up behind the desk for a rock star? You might. But whether your future is on a festival stage, in a film mix room, on a theatre crew or running AV at a convention centre, we set you up for the ‘creative as well as the technical vocational outcome’. As Richie says, ‘there is plenty of work out there.’