Apply to the degree programme in Music Technology (Bachelor + Master)
First joint application to higher education, spring 2025. Admissions schedule, required certificates and advance assignments as well as information about participating in the entrance examinations.
Applicants to the Music Technology program are required to choose one of the following three study profiles on their application form:
- Recording Arts
- Film and Game Music Producer
- Creative Electronic Music Practices
You may select only one profile. Students are admitted through separate admission groups according to their chosen profile. Click here to read more about the study profiles.
Although the application form is not graded, please complete it accurately and thoroughly, as the Entrance Examination Board relies on this information for evaluation. An incomplete form will affect your assessment in later examination stages.
Admissions schedule
NOTE! The next application period for this programme is scheduled for 2027. The admissions guide will be updated on this page in October-November 2026. The admissions requirements underneath are for the year 2025 and are no longer valid.
Language requirements
The languages of tuition in the Music Technology programme are Finnish, Swedish, and English. You must demonstrate your language proficiency in one of the above-mentioned languages by the given deadline. However, the majority of group tuition at the Sibelius Academy is provided in Finnish or English. The status of English is very pronounced within the Music Technology programme.
Music Technology entrance examination
Applicants for this programme are not required to complete advance assignments. All applicants who have submitted their applications by the deadline and who have been found to be eligible will be invited to the entrance examination.
The selection process comprises three stages:
- First Stage: Online written examination
- Second Stage: Online expert task and portfolio
- Third Stage: Workshops, instrument or voice audition, and interview
The first two stages will be carried out remotely and the third on site at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
First stage: Online written examination
The first stage consists of a written examination on Music Technology, which will be conducted remotely. You will need a computer with a reliable internet connection.
The examination takes place on 7 March 2025 and will test your knowledge of Music Technology, as well as your learning and deductive skills. Preparation materials, including an advance reading assignment, will be provided in the admissions guide, and additional resources will be provided during the exam.
>> Music Technology, preparatory material 2025
Approximately 50 to 60 applicants (across all profiles) will be selected to advance to the second stage based on their performance and profile ranking. Information on the results of the first stage will be sent by e-mail on 14 March 2025.
Second stage
The second stage of the entrance examination comprises the following sub-tests:
- Portfolio
- Profile-specific expert task
Portfolio
If you are accepted to the second stage of the entrance examination, submit your portfolio to the Sibelius Academy via the Studyinfo portal no later than at 3pm EET (Finnish time) on 28 March 2025.
Your portfolio must include excerpts from your music technology-related works, demonstrating your artistic practice. Include at least one sound or audiovisual recording, with all excerpts combined into a single file. The total length should not exceed 5 minutes, with a maximum of three works.
The portfolio should be submitted in mp3 format for audio or mp4 format for video. For video submissions, the file should use the H.264 or x.264 codec for video and AAC for audio. NOTE: Links to external platforms (e.g., YouTube/Vimeo) or any file formats other than those specified will not be accepted.
You must also complete a project description form for each work in the portfolio, including a self-evaluation and reflection on your performance, as well as details about your role and contributions in collaborative projects. You must use the provided project form template: [project description form]
The Entrance Examination Board will evaluate your portfolio based on diversity, originality, and quality of execution. They will also consider the descriptions and reflections you provide in the project form, your ability to self-assess, the clarity of their role in producing the material, and your capacity to verbally articulate the artistic and technical choices you made.
Profile-specific expert task
You must reserve the entire day of 31 March 2025 for the expert task, which is conducted independently within a maximum of 8 hours. A computer with a stable internet connection is required. Detailed instructions for completing the task and submitting the final outcome will be provided on the day of the test.
Each applicant will receive a task specific to their chosen profile. The objective is to create a musical/audio work following the profile-specific guidelines provided on the day. The completed task must be submitted via the Studyinfo system by the end of the day, following the submission instructions.
The Entrance Examination Board will assess the expert task outcomes according to criteria tailored to each profile. These criteria will be clarified along with the task instructions, taken as reference the following:
- Recording Arts focuses on technical skills in recording, mixing, and editing, production quality, creative studio techniques, workflow efficiency, and artistic coherence.
- Film and Game Music Production assesses the music’s support of narrative, composition quality, audio-visual synchronization, genre adaptability, and sound design.
- Creative Electronic Music Practices emphasizes creativity in sound design, technical execution with electronic tools, artistic coherence, and sonic sensibility.
Based on the scores given for the second stage, the top 30 to 36 applicants (10–12 per profile) will be invited to proceed to the third stage of the entrance examination, according to their ranking within their chosen profile. Information on the results of the second stage will be sent by e-mail no later than 14 April 2025.
Third stage
The third stage of the entrance examination consists of three sub-tests:
- Workshops
- Instrument or voice audition
- Interview
The third stage will be held on site at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki between 12 and 16 May 2025. Please note that the exact attendance dates for each invited applicant will be specified in the invitation to the third stage.
Workshops
The workshops assess your predisposition for learning and working both individually and in group settings through practical and sound-related tasks. You may work on assignments alone or collaboratively, participate in discussions on music technology, complete studio tasks, and engage in exercises focused on sound analysis and production.
The Entrance Examination Board will evaluate your performance in the workshops based on your aptitude for collaborative work, your technical and creative decision-making, and your ability to analyze and effectively communicate aural perceptions.
Instrument or voice audition
You are required to perform on an instrument or voice of your choice. This can include orchestral instruments, solo instruments, or electronic instruments and devices used in live performance. The performance can be in any genre, such as western classical music, jazz, ethnic music, popular music, electronic, electroacoustic, or experimental music.
The maximum length of the audition, including setup time, is 10 minutes. Should the audition exceed this time limit, the Entrance Examination Board will call an end to it. NOTE: All setup and takedown must be done within the allocated audition time. Early arrival for setup outside the audition room is permitted.
The Sibelius Academy will provide only a piano and a drum set for the audition. Any other instrument must be brought by you. The academy does not provide accompanists. If needed, you are responsible for arranging your own accompanist, with a maximum of one accompanist allowed.
Assessment will focus on instrumental/vocal skills, sound quality, sonic dexterity, rhythmic precision, harmonic understanding, and melodic sensibility.
Interview
Before the interview, the Entrance Examination Board will review your portfolio, project description form, and the outcomes of your expert task. The Board may ask questions regarding these materials and your performance in the workshops from the third stage.
During the interview, the Entrance Examination Board will evaluate your suitability for successful study in the Music Technology programme and your orientation towards a future career in the field. They will also assess your communication skills, clarity of expression, and the authenticity of your portfolio’s authorship.
The interview is not an opportunity to influence the evaluation of other stages of the entrance examination; it focuses solely on discussing your work, goals, and readiness for the program.
Entrance examination assessment
Applicants’ performance in the entrance examinations is assessed by Entrance Examination Boards appointed specifically for each programme.
Based on your entrance examination performance, the Board evaluates your knowledge, skills, and capabilities, as well as your ability to complete the degree studies within the programme’s normative duration. The assessment takes into account how your previous education and experience are reflected in your competence, and compares your competence to the objectives set in the curriculum. When assessing your educability, it is also considered that the new degree must provide you with a sufficient amount of additional competence.
In addition, the Entrance Examination Board for Music Technology will assess your capabilities in music and music technology based on your performances. They will also evaluate your educability, and your motivation for music technology studies.
The sub-tests will evaluate additional criteria, as detailed in the entrance examination descriptions.
Scoring of the entrance examination
The Board will score your performance in all sub-tests, and the scores from the third stage will determine the final student selection. The components of the entrance examination are weighted as follows:
First stage
- Online written examination 100 %
Second stage
- Portfolio & project description form 50 %
- Profile-specific expert task 50 %
Third stage
In the third stage, the components of the entrance examination are weighted as follows for each of the three profiles:
Recording Arts Profile (RAP)
- Workshops 25 %
- Instrument or voice audition 25 %
- Interview 50 %
Film and Game Music Producer Profile (FGMP)
- Workshops 35 %
- Instrument or voice audition 15 %
- Interview 50 %
Creative Electronic Music Practices (CEMP)
- Workshops 35 %
- Instrument or voice audition 25 %
- Interview 40 %
Questions or comments?
You can contact us via e-mail at siba.admissions@uniarts.fi.
Please note that in principle we do not explain the entrance examination assignments. The instructions are in the admissions guide.
If you have any questions regarding student life at the Sibelius Academy or in Helsinki, you can contact our Student Ambassadors at siba.student.ambassadors@uniarts.fi.
The Sibelius Academy Admissions Chat
Thinking of applying to the Sibelius Academy? Save the date and join our interactive Admissions Chat on the Sibelius Academy Instagram Live on Wednesday, 26 November 2025 at 7 PM (Finnish time). You will meet our students and staff, explore our study options, learn how to apply – and get answers to your most important questions in real time.
More info: 👉 https://www.instagram.com/sibeliusacademy/