Slam Academy is an Ableton Live Certified Training Center based in Minneapolis, MN with online and in-person classes, as well as Self-Guided music production courses so you can learn at your own pace. We specialize in electronic music and teach industry-standard tools like Ableton Live and rekordbox.

The course curriculum is the same between these two formats.

With Self-Guided courses, you work through the content at your own pace, independently online. These courses are included with your Membership at no additional charge, and are easily accessible upon login via your Dashboard.

With Live Instruction courses, you work through the content in real-time with an instructor alongside a small group of Members. Live Instruction courses meet either online or in-person for 12-weeks; each class is 2-3 hours long, depending on the course. These courses must be purchased in addition to your Membership, a la carte for $450 each or $150 monthly for three months with payment plan.

Your learning style, amount of self-initiation, need for social accountability, and budget are all important factors in deciding which format of courses is best for you.

 Yes! You are welcome to take more than one course at a time. 

For example, if you're new to music production and looking to jump start your journey, we recommend taking "Foundations of Music Production" and "Ableton Live, Level 1" together at the same time.

However, given the intensity and depth of our courses, we generally advise not taking more than two courses at a time so that you can properly absorb the material and have time to practice the concepts in each course. 

We encourage you to work through all of our programs over time for a holistic music production education. 

  Yes! As long as your Membership is active, you can access the course content from any of the Live Instruction courses you’ve taken in the past, and you have access to our library of Self-Guided courses to work through at your own pace.

You also get the full range of Membership benefits:

•  Instant access to our full video course library of Self-Guided courses
•  Expert real-time instruction during weekly online Group Lessons
•  Personalized feedback on your tracks and production process via Group Lessons
•  Exclusive meet-ups for roundtable discussion and feedback on works-in-progress
•  Creative community with other Members, online and in-person at our Twin Cities campus
•  Studio access in Minneapolis for all Members, complete with professional audio equipment, microphones, and instruments with guidance from our Studio Technicians
•  Members discounts on select software; rental and select hardware discounts at our local audio equipment supplier in Minneapolis

 Live instruction courses are 12-weeks long and typically take place weekday evenings from 7-10pm CST, and weekday afternoons from 11am-2pm CST. 

Every Live Instruction class meets weekly for 2-3 hours and is a mixture of interactive lectures and hands-on lab time. This format allows for you to immediately practice the concepts discussed in the lecture and then regroup with your instructor and peers to address any questions on the spot. 

Outside of class time, we encourage you to spend 1-3 hours several times per week working on the material. Naturally, practice time varies widely from student to student depending on personal schedule, responsibilities, and commitment level, but in general we advise people to aim for spending 10 hours per week total to successfully complete any of our courses.

Become a Member and started learning right away!

Most of our Live Instruction courses are accompanied by a Self-Guided version of the course that allows you to begin working through the materials right away! Any progress you make in the Self-Guided course will be tracked and visible in the Live Instruction version as well.
 

Once your Membership is active, you can also start attending the online Group Lessons to meet directly with our instructors. Group Lessons are available several times per week, and easily accessible through the Dashboard once you are logged in. In this open format online class, you can ask questions, meet other Members in the Slam community, and get personalized feedback to support your creative journey.

Slam Academy offers industry-leading music production education with programs specializing in DJing, electronic music production, sound design, mixing and mastering, vocal production, music business and more. Founded by one of the world's first Ableton Certified Trainers, we remain one of the few Ableton Certified Training Centers in the midwest region of the United States, and offer our full course catalogue online as well.

Yes! Slam Academy is designed to support complete beginners as well as intermediate and advanced music producers. Our step-by-step approach helps students learn the foundations of music production quickly and confidently.

Absolutely. Slam Academy was one of the first Ableton Certified Training Centers in the U.S., and our founder James Patrick was one of the earliest Ableton Certified Trainers. Our Ableton Live program teaches you how to produce professional tracks from scratch.

We offer both! Slam Academy offers online classes that you can take from anywhere in the world, as well as in-person classes at our Minneapolis, MN location in the United States.

No prior music experience is required. Our programs are designed to guide you through everything from basic music theory to advanced production techniques — all in a supportive and creative environment.

Yes! Students receive personalized feedback from instructors and peers through Group Lessons, community channels, projects, labs, assignments, and class time in Live Instruction courses. Your active participation is the best way to improve quickly.

Slam Academy instructors are professional producers, DJs, and engineers who work in the music industry. Our team includes Ableton Certified Trainers, label-released artists, and seasoned performers. Click here to learn more about our instructors.

Yes! We offer a free mini-course that teaches you how to create your first track in Ableton Live. It’s a great way to get started before committing to a full program.

Check it out and get started here: https://slamacademy.com/course/beginners-guide

Become a Member to gain immediate access to our Self-Guided courses and other Membership benefits by clicking the JOIN NOW button below! Once your Membership is active, you can enroll in Live Instruction classes a la carte from your Dashboard.

We hope you join us soon! Thanks for your interest ~