FAQ

• Expert live instruction during weekly online lab sessions
• Personalized feedback on your tracks and production process
• Instant access to our full library of self-guided courses, including Ableton Live, Sound Design, Mixing and Mastering, and more
• Exclusive meet-ups for roundtable discussion and feedback on works-in-progress
• Creative community, both online via our private Discord server and in-person at our Twin Cities campus
• Studio time for all Members, complete with professional audio equipment, microphones, and instruments with expert guidance from our Studio Technicians
• Members discounts on select software; rental and select hardware discounts at our local audio equipment supplier in Minneapolis
• Access to enroll a la carte in our 12-week live instruction courses; online and in-person courses are $150 monthly each, or $450 each if paid up front.
• To enroll in any of our live instruction courses you must be a Member.
• Membership will auto-renew monthly until cancellation is initiated by Member.
• For membership enrollment questions, call or text +1 (612) 293-7526 or email [email protected]
• For billing questions, email [email protected]

Membership at Slam Academy is a single monthly payment of $100 with no contract, simply pay-as-you-go. 

To enroll in any of our live instruction courses you must be a Member.

Our live instruction courses are 12-weeks long and meet weekly for 2-3 hours each.

Once you activate your membership, you can then add your live instruction cours(es) a la carte. Courses cost $150 per month each, or $450 if paid in a single payment. Live instruction course costs are in addition to your monthly membership fee.

No. There is no enrollment fee for new membership subscribers. Once you sign up and pay your first month of membership dues ($100/month), then you are up and running with access to enroll in live instruction courses ala carte for an additional $150 per month each.

No contract. No long-term commitment. No student loans. No re-enrollment fee.

We want to make your music production journey as easy and fun as possible!

Ableton Live and nearly all other softwares used in the Slam Academy classroom can be purchased by Slam students with an Educational Discount. Access the Ableton Live Education Shopping page with this exclusive link: www.slamacademy.com/ableton
Once you purchase the software at the link listed above, you can request an Educational Authorization form via email from [email protected]

The course content 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 at no additional charge with your membership, and are currently found in the video course library on your Member 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 for 12-weeks - either in-person or online - for 2-3 hours each session, depending on the course. These courses are purchased ala carte in addition to your membership for $150 per month each, or $450 each if paid in a single payment.

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. 

However, given the intensity and depth of our courses, we generally advise only taking one program 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:

• Access to our online lab sessions that meet several times per week. The online lab sessions are essentially small group private lessons or “study halls” where you can share works-in-progress and ask whatever questions you’re currently facing.
• Personalized feedback on your tracks and production process
• Exclusive meet-ups for roundtable discussion and feedback on works-in-progress
• Creative community, both online via our private Discord server and in-person at our Twin Cities campus
• Studio time for all Members, complete with professional audio equipment, microphones, and instruments with expert 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. 

The online lab sessions are one hour long virtual “study halls” that are held 3-5 times per week on weekday afternoons and evenings. Exact times fluctuate based on student needs and current times can be found in the Member Dashboard.

Every live instruction class meets weekly for 2-3 hours and is a mixture of interactive lectures and hands-on break-out 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.

Yes. Nearly all of the course content is available online in the Member Dashboard. There you will find the course videos, exercises and project assignments for your program.

This online accessibility allows you to work ahead if you’d like, and to review past topics as needed.

Since almost all of our courses are accompanied with a wealth of online materials (course videos, exercises, and projects to complete) we encourage people to get started as soon as you are able even if your particular course doesn’t start right away. 

Once you’ve become a Member, you can also come to any of the online lab sessions. There you can meet with our instructors to get your questions answered and get personalized feedback to support your learning before your class begins.

That depends on whether you are: A) new to making music, or B) already releasing tracks.

1. If you are new to making music, then we would like you to start with our Foundations of Music Production (insert link) course. It’s offered every semester both online and in-person in Minneapolis. It’s a 12-week course that explores the fundamental concepts of music, develops your ear, and teaches you practical skills to bring your musical ideas to life. Next would be our Ableton Live program, followed by our Sound Design program; both programs have three levels that should be taken sequentially. At that point, you are primed and ready for any of the other production courses at Slam Academy!
2. If you’re already releasing tracks, then you are welcome to choose your own adventure and take whatever courses best suit your interests. To bypass the recommended prerequisites on the intermediate and advanced courses, we ask that you submit one of your completed tracks and a project file to [email protected]

If you own a laptop and a set of headphones, you are all set. Simply head to www.ableton.com and download the free trial software. This will get you all of the features for 90 days, and also come with a nice intro set of lessons and videos to get you started. For headphones, be sure to not use wireless or bluetooth headphones. We generally recommend starting with a pair of Sony MDR-7506 headphones or similar, but just make sure that they are not wireless!

Absolutely! People come to Slam Academy searching for help learning music production, but what they find is much more: community. 

Having fellows musicians and producers to share resources, feedback and collaborate with is one of the greatest values that our membership program provides.

As with any true art form, practice never ends. There’s always room for growth and continuous development. That is one of the reasons we offer several weekly labs online that are unstructured for members to show up with whatever questions or projects they’re working on.

Online lab sessions provide a way for you to continue to receive critical feedback and support with your music even when you’re not enrolled in a program.

Likewise, Members in the Twin Cities area are encouraged to take advantage of our studios. The access to studio time is a perk that can single-handedly make maintaining your membership worthwhile. Compared to the cost of renting your own studio and stocking it with a sound system, synthesizers, drum machines, turntables, and other gear that is available for you to use at Slam Academy, the value becomes a no-brainer.

Frequently people must miss a class for whatever reason, so we have reinforced every critical moment of our classes in a robust video library and exercise series. Just login to your courses via the Member Dashboard and you will have access to that week's lessons. If possible, attend at least one of the online lab sessions instead that week (or when you are able to catch-up) so that you can still go over the material with an instructor. Additionally, you’re always welcome to direct message your instructor via our private Discord server so you can address any specific questions about that week’s content.

No. We do not administer any formal tests or grades. You will demonstrate your progress through class participation and projects submitted at the end of each level.

Like most things in life, you will find that what you get out of this program is directly proportional to what you put in. The most successful students are fully engaged during classes and labs, and steadily practice what they learn between classes so that they can properly absorb the material and incorporate the lessons and techniques into their own creative process.

Studio time at our Minneapolis campus can be booked online in the Member Dashboard.