Sound Design
Your first step into a career in sound and music production
Rome
On campus
ITA
First Level Academic Diploma in New Art Technologies - Sound Design
Language
Italian
Start date
October 2025
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
3 Years
Credits
180
Course Coordination
Filippo Manni
Get right to the heart of music production and raise the bar of sound design, taking advantage of some prestigious projects and partnerships with the industry. Here's what awaits you in the three-year Sound Design programme at IED Roma
The basis of all this is a markedly project-oriented approach: from the first year you will be able to work in a high-profile professional work flow and test yourself with national and international film projects, popular videogames, cartoons and record productions.
Over the three years, you will be involved in music production and orchestration with remixes and production of original sound tracks based on film models; you will also study television mixes, live masters, sound editing and sound design for videogames.
Issued Degree:
Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello (DAPL), corresponding to a Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) – EQF6 Level (European Qualification Framework).
Credits:
The course awards 180 CFA (Academic Formative Credits), corresponding to 180 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
Information to decide
From zero to hero: the three-year programme in Sound Design at IED Roma is the ideal start for your future career in a range of sectors including music production, sound, image and video. In three years you will get to know your future colleagues and co-workers sharing experience across different working environments. You will also learn to work independently on a variety of projects involving a communication between audio and images.
Over the three years of your Sound Design Undergraduate Programme at IED Roma you will learn different methods of research and sound application, from creative theory to experimentation. Special emphasis will constantly be placed on the historical and cultural context which provides the basis of cinema, video, entertainment and communication, and all this knowledge will prove precious as you move into your future professional world.
The exams will mainly assess your practical know-how, which will constantly be enhanced by a strong project approach and partnerships with other companies in the industry. You will have the opportunity to become familiar with specific tools, expressive languages and the best of technology to manage all phases of sound design and production: recording, sync sound, mixing techniques, sound editing, sound effects, music production, product development.
Throughout the whole degree programme, you will have access to computers, software packages such as Pro Tools, Live, Logic, MaxMSP, plug-ins, laboratories and live activities in the recording and mixing studios to improve your skills and gradually step into the world of sound production.
The three-year degree programme in Sound Design at IED Roma is designed for all students who have a genuine passion for sound, technology, art, cinema and of course music especially djing, music production of trap and rap beats and the secrets of mixing and mastering.
There are no specific requirements for this programme, and no theoretical or technical skills are required other than curiosity, open-mindedness and a strong passion. These are all qualities that we will be developing together as we go along, helping you find your way towards your future career. The aim of the course is not just to develop your skills as a Sound Designer but also to make you grow as an opinion leader on the sound options of communication projects. Other possible roles include the one of problem solver, and also the sound fantasist: we will let you develop your imagination without any limitation in terms of tools used, thus allowing you to work out original, effective and never predictable solutions.
The Sound Design degree programme at IED Roma is just for you if you seek specific job opportunities as: Music Producer, DJ, Dubbing Engineer, Audio Technician, Producer of jingles, theme songs and commercials, Mastering and Mix Engineer, Program Creator and Producer, Music Consultant, Sound Designer for brands and Project Designer of live and interactive sound experiences.
The three-year Sound Design degree programme at IED Roma is the best option for students who want to develop their career working in the audiovisual, cinema and TV industry, bringing their valuable skills to prestigious projects both nationally and internationally. It’s no coincidence that many famous personalities from the world of discography and cinema came up as successful IED students and were awarded prizes for their work ever since their first year of study.
The cross-cutting approach of the curriculum is one of the key assets: music production will work as the core focus (ranging from techno to the original orchestral soundtrack for film productions), but over the three years you will also be able to develop a better understanding of the many different careers around music and sound, and decide with full awareness the direction to take for your future career.
This programme is a unique opportunity to create your own portfolio from scratch, taking active part in workshops and projects outsourced by other companies from the industry. You will also be able to work across different creative and professional areas like Fashion, Video, Graphic Design and Communication, getting to know people like Directors, Animators, Visual Artists, Sound Engineers, Software Developers, Stylists, Creative Directors, with whom you can share and brainstorm ideas.
This programme pays close attention to market trends as it also involves a large community of lecturers and alumni with experience in a variety of industries, that will connect you directly with the job market. As a Sound Designer you will become a professional much in demand within the creative and technical environment. You will be working for communication agencies, web agencies, radio stations, broadcasters, software development studios for interactive museum installations, apps and videogames, and also for cinema and TV.
Syllabus
first year
On your first year in the Sound Design programme at IED Roma, you will acquire the basics and develop skills to understand cultural contexts. This will enable you to start using a practical approach to sound and grow creative ideas into projects.
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART
THEORY AND ANALYSIS OF CINEMA AND AUDIOVISUAL COMMUNICATION
ARTISTIC COMMUNICATION: TOOLS AND METHODS
TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL APPLICATIONS
PERCEPTION THEORY AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FORM 1
SHOOTING TECHNIQUES
SOUND DESIGN 1
AUDIO AND MIXING 1
SEMIOTICS OF ART
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 1
second year
On your second year, you will explore different areas of sound application and how they contaminate with other forms of language. You will be mastering such technologies as music production software and plugins to communicate and present your project idea.
THEORY OF PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOLOGY OF FORM 2
SOUND DESIGN 2
AUDIO AND MIXING 2
PHENOMENOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS
MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES FOR ENTERTAINMENT PROJECTS
INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS 1
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 2
PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES FOR VISUAL ARTS
SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNICATION
third year
The final part of the course will focus on sound design applications of growing difficulty, with partnerships from leading companies in the industry. You will work independently on your dissertation project where you will be able to express your creativity and artistic personality.
MASS MEDIA THEORY AND METHOD
SOUND DESIGN 3
INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS 2
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY ECONOMICS AND LEGISLATION
MULTIMEDIA PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
SOUND DESIGN 4
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 3
Faculty
Filippo Manni
Music Composer, Sound Designer
Course Coordinator
Willy Antico
Sound Engineer - Studio acoustic designer
Franz Rosati
Electronic Musician, Digital Artist
Tecla Zorzi
Stefano Maggio
Music Composer, Music Producer
Giulio Maresca
Electronic Musician, DJ, Perfomer
Riccardo Giagni
Matteo Bendinelli
Filippo Barracco
Vincenzo Pizzi
Mino Freda
Simone Martinelli
Music Composer, Studio Acoustic Designer
Fabrizio Galassi
Francesco Lenzi
Music Producer, Sound Designer
Claudio Coco
Gian Paolo Sammarco
Expert in sound psychology
Max Giovagnoli
Transmedia Producer & Storyteller
Barbara D'ambrosio
Serafino Murri
Inside the labs
+9
LISTENING LAB
+7
SOUND LAB
+3
COMPUTER LABS
What people say
Special Lesson with BRAIL
“What is crucial, for me is keeping in mind that music is something that comes from and is created by humans who understand and experience feelings and can convey them through the language of sound design and music.”
Author and Music Producer. Collaborates with artists such as Aiello and Ariete, Fulminacci, Galeffi, Giorgia, Giuse The Lizia, Il Tre, Madame, Mannarino, Michele Bravi, Motta, Nuvolari e Psi
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