Pursuing a career in music and entertainment is definitely something exciting. With the growth of all the technology today, the music being produced in the industry is something completely different from the days of old. Now everything is fresher, of higher quality, and is always aimed to be better than the last creation. Because of this, professions in this field require the most skill from any individual working as an audio engineer or in sound production, and choosing the school to get the education from is no joke. This guide provides you with insight on the top music production schools and audio recording schools around the country to further help you with that critical, life altering decision.

Nowadays, music and sound production is already a recognized field. There are tons of career opportunities for those who are naturally interested and inclined to creating and engineering music whether it be for musicians in their albums, scores in a movie, or the soundtrack of a commercial. In this profession, it is all about creating something that can outdo the others before it and that all boils down to skill. But how exactly does one gain all that needed skill and training? The answer is: the education you receive.

So what exactly are those schools that are note-worthy? Here is a few of the top music production schools open today:

1. Institute of Production and Recording
The Institute of Production and Recording started in 2002 with four founders: Terry Mhyre, audio engineering schools Jack Robinson, Lance Sabin, and Tom Tucker, Sr. There are two core programs in the school, namely the following: Associate in Applied Science Degree Program for Music and Entertainment Business and the Associate in Applied Science Degree Program in Audio Production and Engineering. IPR also offers certification courses and programs in Digidesign which are designed to build proficiency in using Pro Tools System, and an Apple Logic Pro Certification Training to get proficient in Logic Pro.

2. Musicians Institute
The institution is a music production school that offers students programs that can help build careers in the professional recording industry. MI incorporates its comprehensive, in-depth education with state of the art labs and studios. Aside from audio and music production, they also tackle post production in film and television. Studios at MI are updated, state of the art and use equipment such as Neve, SSL, DigiDesign, and Neumann.

3. The Los Angeles Recording School
The Los Angeles Recording School began in 1985 and was at first a job training school for recording engineers. The school aims to provide its students with the best training and education on today's industry's constantly changing equipment and techniques through a faculty of experienced engineers and music industry professionals. The LARS program concentrates on music production, digital recording, and audio post-production for film and television. The school also allows students to attend on either a full time or part time basis, with an average of 25 or 19 hours each week, respectively.

4. Columbia Academy
Since 1967, Columbia Academy has been providing high quality education to students considering a career in the music and entertainment industry. Columbia Academy provides courses that train students in the fields of broadcasting arts, music recording, sound design, post production audio, and video and film production. The school facilities include 3 recording studios to accommodate the courses' hand on training and practical applications. In the Columbia Academy program, students may choose between two streams, whichever suits them best - either music recording or post production for film and television. The Recording and Sound Design Program runs for 11 months (44 weeks), with supervision from instructors who have earned years of experience in sound design. The program is comprised of four modules that are made up of 80 hours of combined classroom theories, practical instruction, and supervised hand on lab/studio time. Classes run 5 times a week, 4 hours a day.

Choosing who to provide you with the best education for your future career is no easy task, especially with all the audio production schools to choose from nowadays. For the serious student looking to pursue a career as a music or audio engineer, or any track in sound production, the most important thing is to find a school that offers a comprehensive curriculum and extensive training to get you experienced in all aspects of music production. And in this constantly evolving field, it is crucial to look amongst all the audio engineering schools for an institution with programs that can keep up with the changing times.

The task of choosing your music producing school is no joke. It's an important decision that will greatly affect your future career. Read up, ask questions, call offices and make the decision that's right for you.