Higher education in Music, Sound and Image - Sound option - Cycle Supérieur

Information

  • Name

    Higher education in Music, Sound and Image - Sound option

  • Cycle

    Higher cycle

  • Course's number of years

    2 years

  • Maximum duration

    4 years

     

    DURATION OF STUDIES - EUROPEAN CREDITS ECTS

    The course lasts 4 years. It corresponds to the acquisition of 240 ECTS credits. The first two years of the programme are devoted to the acquisition of common knowledge, while the last two years are devoted to an individualised programme. The curriculum is organised around three areas of study:

    • in-depth musical training ;
    • technical and scientific training in the fields of recording production, creation, music and sound distribution and research;
    • high-level practical training.

     

    The curriculum is rounded out by a large number of work placements in the professional world. Students are required to attend all the courses on the FSMSI Sound curriculum. Depending on their availability, they may enrol in optional complementary disciplines. The average weekly number of hours of lessons and practical work during the course is close to 30.

  • Delivered diploma

    Master's-level2nd cycle diploma in Music and Sound Engineering

  • Course objectives and content

    OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT

    Years 1 and 2

    • Acquisition of universal knowledge, both musical and technical, specific to the profession of musician-sound engineer
    • Development of artistic sensitivity and creativity
    • Mastery of listening skills and sound analysis

    The curriculum for these two years is based on five teaching units (musical teaching, scientific teaching, technical teaching, practical teaching and additional teaching).

     

    3rd and4th years

    The final two years are devoted to a more specific pathway, with the choice of a professional direction and specialisation (music production, live performance or creation). Under the guidance of personal tutors, students develop their independence and carry out numerous personal projects. Numerous specialisation courses are then organised.

    In addition to work placements throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to work with the Conservatoire's audiovisual department during a compulsory two-month placement.

     

    UNIVERSITY DEGREE

    A partnership between the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and Sorbonne University enables students from the Conservatoire who so wish, and who have been admitted to a postgraduate course in sound engineering, to obtain a degree in Music and Musicology from Sorbonne-Université, in conjunction with the Conservatoire diploma and subject to fulfilling the conditions for enrolment at the university:

     
    • Obtaining a diploma in music and sound engineering from the Paris Conservatoire.
    • Validation at the University of two 26-hour courses, spread over two semesters, chosen from the "Musicological fields" teaching units.

    Enrolment and payment of fees at the university are required in order to follow the courses.

Disciplines

  • Musical training FSMS (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 8 ECTS)

    Read more
  • FSMS analysis (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 8 ECTS)

    Read more
  • FSMS Harmony (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 12 ECTS)

    Read more
  • FSMS Orchestration (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 6 ECTS)

    Read more
  • FSMSI complementary piano (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 4 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Musical culture and aesthetics (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 8 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Listening and musical aesthetics (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more
  • History and aesthetics of contemporary music (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 3 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Mathematics, signal processing and sound synthesis (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 6 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Acoustics and sound systems Part 1 (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Acoustics and sound systems Part 2 (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Auditory perception (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 3 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Audio technology (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 13 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Engineering and operations (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Sound recording, recording and new media (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Sound recording, mixing, post-production - Acoustic music (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 9 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Sound recording, mixing, post-production - Amplified music (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 9 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Computer music - beginners (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 1 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Sound to image - introduction (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Critical listening (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 4 ECTS)

    Read more
  • English: audiovisual professions - Part 1 (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 1 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Practical aspects of the job 1 (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 0 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Practical aspects of the business 2 (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 0 ECTS)

    Read more
  • FSMS practical work (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 0 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Production projects (Book) (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 24 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Research project (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 22 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Classic sound recording (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 9 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Jazz and contemporary music sound recording (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 9 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Mixing current music (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 9 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Acoustic music mixing (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 9 ECTS)

    Read more
  • English: audiovisual professions - Part 2 (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 6 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Communication and project management (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 4 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Arrangement (Song or Jazz) FSMS (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • 360° video, 3D audio, new media (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Creation, composition and production of music for the screen FSMS (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Sound design (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Artistic direction (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Computer music production: development, creation, repertoire (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Mastering (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Filmed music: Artistic direction and sound recording (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Filmed music: Video (Discipline optionnelle - 0 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Producing and mixing contemporary music (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Sound systems: specialisation (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • Image sound: specialisation (Discipline optionnelle - 5 ECTS)

    Read more
  • FSMS course (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 20 ECTS)

    Read more
  • APM-SON: Rights, regulations: creation, production, publishing (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more
  • APM-SON: Entering the audiovisual professions (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more
  • APM-SON: Safety standards for risk management in live performance (Discipline complémentaire imposée - 2 ECTS)

    Read more

Entrance exam

Higher Education in Music, Sound and Image - Post-graduate integration - SON specialisation

Opening date for registration :  10 January 2025

Closing date for registration :  10 April 2025

Description :

ENTRY COMPETITION 2025-2026:

No age limit for this competition

 

Application dates: from January 10 to April 10, 2024 online at www.conservatoiredeparis.fr.

The application must be completed online by 10 April 2025. The project must be submitted by midnight on 25 May 2025 at the latest on the Conservatoire's registration platform.

 

1) Applicants must meet the following prerequisites:

  • BAC+3 diploma (European bachelor's degree or bachelor's degree from a scientific, technical or audiovisual training course) or international equivalent
  • D.E.M level from a Conservatoire for music. Applicants must have a very good knowledge of music theory, a sound musical culture, a knowledge of composition (harmony and/or counterpoint) and musical analysis. (The pre-selection of applications by the jury will take place on 30 april 2025).

 

2) ELIGIBILITY

Selection by the jury of the candidates selected for admission on 2 June 2025

Review of each candidate's project portfolio, CV and covering letter

Candidateswill be required to submit a personal sound or video project demonstrating a degree of originality or creativity, or simply showing a certain level of technical mastery.

The project is free and may take any form: score, recorded music, model, sound recording, sound fiction, soundtrack for images, film music, sound design, video creation, audiovisual music clip, short film, video sequence of filmed music, etc.

The project must be accompanied by an explanatory note detailing its implementation (artistic aims, choices, constraints, locations and tools used) as well as an assessment of the result obtained. Candidatesshould highlight what they themselvesimplemented and how. This note may be very short (one paragraph) and may under no circumstances exceed 10 pages.

 

3) ADMISSION

  • Oral test in musical training (17 June 2025)
  • Critical listening test based on recordings OR comparative analysis test based on films, videos or extracts from the film repertoire (18 June 2025)
  • Interviews in French with the jury (candidateswill be asked to answer specific questions about their personal projects submitted with their application, as well as their professional experience) (19 and 20 June 2025).

 

N.B. : Candidates admitted to the competitive entrance examination for the2nd cycle who are not nationals of French-speaking countries must present, before 30 June preceding their first enrolment at the Conservatoire, a certificate issued by a body approved by the French government attesting to a level of French at least equal to B1 on the Council of Europe's scale of common reference levels, before 10 December following their first enrolment at the Conservatoire, a certificate issued by a body recognised by the French government attesting to a level of French at least equal to B2 on the Council of Europe's scale of common reference levels.