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Sonic Academy
Subscription-based production tutorials with monthly and committed plans; 949 courses, project files and samples included. Cheapest is the annual plan at £79.99/yr (around £6.67/mo), which also includes two subscription plugins (SA76, JU-60) for the membership's duration; no-commitment monthly access is currently a discounted £9.99/mo (was £13.99, an active promo rather than a stable list price). Individual course downloads (kept forever, not subscription-gated) run £11.96 to £27.96+ per course, a real premium over subscribing.
Founded 2003/04 in Belfast by Kevin Traynor, a founding member/drummer of Irish band The Divine Comedy; went online as SonicAcademy.com in April 2008.
The trading entity, a Northern Ireland company, was incorporated in 2010, around when Traynor's own tenure there appears to end per public work-history listings — current ownership/leadership isn't stated on the site. Forum feedback (KVR Audio) says the catalogue skews beginner and gets repetitive once fundamentals are learned; one thread flagged a period with browser-only streaming and no downloads, later reinstated after complaints. Listed as an Ableton Certified Training Center.
At a glance
- Price
- From £6.67/mo
- Location
- Online only
- Subjects
- Music production, Ableton
- Formats
- Online
- Established
- 2003
- Accreditation
- Ableton
Course structure
The formats Sonic Academy sells, and how long each one runs.
| Monthly subscription | No commitment — £9.99/mo (was £13.99) |
| Annual subscription | £79.99/yr (~£6.67/mo), incl. SA76 + JU-60 plugins for subscription duration |
| Individual course download | Keep forever — £11.96 to £27.96+ per course |
Worth knowing
- Founded 2003/04 in Belfast by Kevin Traynor, a founding member/drummer of Irish band The Divine Comedy; went online as SonicAcademy.com in April 2008.
- Per-course downloads are priced at a real premium over subscribing: e.g. a 2h25 course at £27.96 standalone vs. unlimited access for £6.67/mo.
Notable teaching staff
UMEK
Tutor
Slovenian techno DJ/producer, founder of the 1605 and Sráce Records labels; ranked in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs multiple years 2007–2015.
Mat Zo
Tutor
British producer signed to Anjunabeats; Grammy-nominated, Best Dance/Electronic Album 2013 for 'Damage Control'; co-wrote 'Easy' with Porter Robinson.
Frequently asked
What does Sonic Academy cost?
Sonic Academy's prices start from £6.67/mo, correct as of our last check.
Where is Sonic Academy based?
Sonic Academy is an online-only platform, not tied to a physical location.
What does Sonic Academy teach?
Sonic Academy teaches Music production, Ableton, in these formats: Online.
Is Sonic Academy accredited?
Yes. Ableton: Certified Training Center, listed in Ableton's directory.
When was Sonic Academy founded?
Sonic Academy was established in 2003.
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.
- sonicacademy.com subscription pricing
- sonicacademy.com course price example
- Companies House — Sonic Academy Limited (NI604240)
- KVR Audio forum discussion
- Ableton certified training directory