dBs Institute Bristol

Not dBs's founding campus, despite sometimes being described that way: that was Plymouth, where friends Nige Burt and Dave Puttick built their first studio, Deep Blue Sound, in 1998 before taking their first cohort of seven students in 2000. Bristol opened later, in 2013.

Degrees are validated by Falmouth University (whose own TEF 2023 rating is Silver) rather than being dBs's own award; the Access to HE Diploma is £4,835/yr, BA/BSc £9,790/yr, MA £10,500 full-time.

Since 2021 dBs has been owned by Access Creative College, which also runs Bristol's other RSL music production diploma across town, so two of this city's three big music-course providers share a parent company.

Falmouth University: Validating partner for BA/BSc/MA degrees; Falmouth's own TEF 2023 rating is Silver (student experience) / Silver (student outcomes)Ableton: Certified Training Center, Bristol, listed in Ableton's directoryMusic productionDJSound engineeringDegreeDiploma

At a glance

Price: From £4,835/yr
Location: 2 Mitchell Lane, Bristol BS1 6BU
Subjects: Music production, DJ, Sound engineering
Formats: Degree, Diploma
Accreditation: Falmouth University, Ableton

Course structure

The formats dBs Institute Bristol sells, and how long each one runs.

Access to HE Diploma (DJ & Electronic Music Production / Music Production / Music Performance & Production)	1 year
BA/BSc (Hons), 10 pathways including Electronic Music Production, Sound Engineering, Songwriting & Music Production	3 years
MA Innovation in Sound / Music Production	1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Worth knowing

dBs was founded in Plymouth in 1998 by friends and bandmates Nige Burt and Dave Puttick as a music tech school that is also a commercial music production company; Bristol only opened in 2013.
Grammy-winner Joss Stone recorded at the original dBs studio in 2006, per dBs's own history page.
Since 2021, Access Creative College has owned dBs, so two of Bristol's three big music-course providers in this directory share a parent company.
Bristol campus facilities include 11 recording/production studios and, per dBs's own claim, the only education facility in the UK to house an API 1608 recording console, plus a Dolby Atmos suite, VR lab and foley room.

Notable teaching staff

Liam O'Mullane

Ableton Certified Trainer, dBs Institute Bristol

Teaching since 1996, specialising in Live device production and Push performance.

Frequently asked

What does dBs Institute Bristol cost?

dBs Institute Bristol's prices start from £4,835/yr, correct as of our last check.

Where is dBs Institute Bristol based?

dBs Institute Bristol is based at 2 Mitchell Lane, Bristol BS1 6BU.

What does dBs Institute Bristol teach?

dBs Institute Bristol teaches Music production, DJ, Sound engineering, in these formats: Degree, Diploma.

Is dBs Institute Bristol accredited?

Yes. Falmouth University: Validating partner for BA/BSc/MA degrees; Falmouth's own TEF 2023 rating is Silver (student experience) / Silver (student outcomes). Ableton: Certified Training Center, Bristol, listed in Ableton's directory.

Sources

Every detail on this page is re-sourced from the school's own site, not copied from a register or aggregator. See the methodology for how that works.