The tuition for this campus is stated on this page, just above the call to action, with the registration fee and the early-booking discount.

How long is the Academy, and how is it scheduled?

A year, at 360 hours of instruction. The schedule skips the major holidays, so the year is designed to be finishable alongside a life.

Yes. Every session runs in person and live online at the same time, so you join whichever suits you and can switch between them.

How big are the classes?

Never more than ten students, so every session is hands-on and every project gets attention.

Do I need experience to start?

No. The Academy opens at the fundamentals and builds through production, sound design, mixing and mastering to the business side - self-taught producers use it to fill the gaps, beginners use it as the whole road.

What do I leave with?

Your own completed project, a curated portfolio of your work, and a certificate - the year is built around what you are making, not around a syllabus you sit through.

World-class, 360° Music Production Program

360° Garnish Music Academy

At Garnish, we don’t just teach software—we teach the art of music production. This boutique-style program is designed for aspiring producers who want to take their music seriously and come away with more than just knowledge. By the end, students leave with their own completed project, a curated personal sound library, and the professional skillset to build a career in music production.

Beats & Pieces

→Within weeks into class, you will be working your way around your DAW, as it serves you long-term as one of your most essential creative tools. Through a practical hands-on teaching style. You will explore key concepts, such as MIDI programming, sampling, audio manipulation and arranging.
→"I switched to Ableton from Logic many years ago, but recently I've been missing Logic, so I decided to brush up to get the best of both worlds. I called Garnish, of course and the guys were great and got me back up to speed in no time" Jamie Jones

Music Composition

→You will learn the fundamentals of music composition, making you a more efficient producer. Learn and program chords which work well together, discover catchy lead lines, and bass lines that groove. Classically trained students who have taken this course repeatedly tell us how this part of the program has given them new tools and techniques.

Audio Engineering

→Become grounded in audio engineering and recording with essential techniques and tricks of the trade. This part of the course emphasizes correct recording practices, and vocal production. Even though music producers are not expected to be singers too, the more we understand about vocal production and recording, the better the final product! This includes knowing how to motivate, coach, and produce our artists. Singing is not mandatory during these sessions - we understand! Feel free to just listen.

Mixing & Mastering

→Know your space; learn the fundamentals behind acoustics and how to correctly stage your studio for cleaner and better sound. Then get your hands dirty with dynamic controllers, in-depth EQ, making the most of the frequency spectrum, mixing vocals, expanding song elements, creating cohesive sound, and awesome professional plugins, including our software partners, FabFilter .

Electronic Sound Design

→While even many pro electronic producers stick with only subtractive synthesis during their career, you will go beyond by exploring subtractive, granular, additive, wavetable, and frequency modulated synthesis. This section also covers sampling, glitch, resampling, and additional beat-making techniques to broaden your sound.

Marketing & Artist Development

→Take advantage of our small class sizes and hand-tailored advice from your instructors during this module, focused on finishing and refining your projects and what to do next!

Top-Line

→Struggling to write songs that contend with the hits? Reading songwriting books and watching endless hours of Youtube tutorials don’t seem to be making a difference? Our Top-Line Songwriting module advances your songwriting abilities with a direct approach and advice that other sources neglect to share, bringing the hit songwriter out in you!

Build Beats Better

→Rhythm Section Programming - Think like a drummer or a strummer: Program beats, riffs, and fills that sound like… well… beats, riffs, and fills.
→Composition - You should really have a good idea of production AND music if you wish to take giant leaps in the direction of producing the music you love. And music is what this unit is all about.
→Vocal Production - Record, produce, and mix a quality vocal — mic technique, editing mastery, tuning & mixing vocals and a virtual studio visit with a vocalist at work.
→Electronic Sound Art - Bend electronic instruments to your will: Create groundbreaking dance music in any DAW. Advanced Sound Design covers the foundations of House, Techno, Tech-House, EDM and Bass.
→Hip Hop Production - Learn how to record, write, collaborate, and produce Hip Hop! Styles include Boom Bap, East Coast, West Coast, Southern, and Trap. Explore and craft the skills to make your drums knock and your 808s rumble.
→Mastering - Put that final polish on your mix. Learn the art of mastering, and then get it to land safely in all the right places.

More Free Stuff!

→Thanks to our exclusive licensing partnerships, we have assembled a range of specialized assets: synthesizers, effects, and samples for Garnish Academy students. These instruments and sounds allow us to teach producers, side by side, using the same sets of expanded resources. Our constantly evolving license-partners and content producers add thousands of dollars to the value of our Producer and Academy courses. Many of these products are yours to keep. Others are free to use while you learn and are then eligible for exclusive upgrades at a fraction of their regular price.
→We have our very own boutique sample label. Garnish students get all of our packs (mostly written and produced by Garnish instructors) for free, and an exclusive pack just for Garnish students not sold on the site! It's recorded individual keys from Mark Ronson's Mellotron M4000D, which our label chief Zack Johnson meticulously recorded in Mark's studio in Hollywood. Thank you Zack and Mark!

Classes are capped at a maximum of ten students, creating a hands-on, collaborative, and high-impact learning environment where creativity thrives. You’ll learn directly from our superior roster of instructors—seasoned producers and engineers who are not just industry-active, but personally invested in your progress.

Our hybrid mentoring approach includes strategically placed group mentoring sessions and private one-to-one studio mentoring with a mentor of your choice. This is your chance to write, produce, engineer, mix, and master a professional-quality EP—your music, guided by expert feedback every step of the way.

Flexibility is key. Thanks to our smart scheduling, you can choose your DAW path: Ableton Live Suite, FL Studio, or Logic Pro. Not sure which one is right for you? We’ll help you choose based on your goals, genre, and workflow preferences.

Whether you’re aiming to break into the industry, build a professional portfolio, or simply refine your creative voice, this program offers the mentorship, tools, and structure to make it happen.

In Chicago, the city that gave the world house music, the 360° Garnish Music Academy runs the way it does everywhere we teach: small groups, hands-on, with working producers as instructors. If getting to the studio is not practical, the same sessions run live online, using our specialist music collaboration software, Muse. Discover qualities that distinguish us, here.

Hear it from our students.

“This kind of material and skill needs to be well TAUGHT. The instructors were excellent teachers and mentors. They are very passionate about the craft - and are extremely knowledgeable as well as experienced. But they also are very good at articulating the lessons and passing along that wisdom so we can learn... The course was an excellent mix of discussion as well as hands-on training. The instructors also set an exceptional tone for our classroom and created an environment that was motivating and optimal for learning. Great job!”

Eugene KirillovAlan Guno

Frequently asked questions.