Trainee Recording Engineer (Placement Year)

Founded in 1882, The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a world leading music conservatoire with a prestigious history and contemporary outlook. Our excellence was recognised by the 2025 QS World University Rankings, in which we were ranked as the global No. 1 institution for both Music and Performing Arts. The College has held this world-leading place in Performing Arts for the four successive years, while Music is a new subject introduced to the rankings in 2024.

We are seeking a trainee to join the RCM Studios team for a 12-month placement. The role provides an excellent opportunity for a sound engineer with a strong interest in classical music, wishing to develop high level skills in a wide range of operational disciplines including classical recording, editing and production, engineering film scoring sessions, mixing/directing live multi-camera video productions and running the live web streaming of classical concerts.

The Royal College of Music is one of Britain’s leading conservatoires. Located adjacent to the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, it provides specialised musical education and professional training at the highest international level for performers and composers. The RCM Studios provides professional recording, audio-visual and music technology services to support College students, research and events, as well as supporting external events. We specialise in archive recording and filming of concerts, audio and video sessions for auditions and competition entries, scoring sessions for student film composers, web streaming of major concerts, masterclasses and events (featuring some of the world’s most famous conductors and performers), and remote masterclasses and performances via videoconferencing.

Applicants must be currently enrolled in degree-level study in the fundamentals of sound engineering, music recording or a related subject, or equivalent qualifications and experience and seeking this opportunity as a 12-month placement as part of their studies.

The chosen trainee will have opportunities to work outside their specialist area and be expected to contribute to the wide range of activities taking place. This will include assisting the videographer with live and post production work. 

This post is offered on a fixed-term, full-time basis and is available from 1 August 2026.

For full details of this position please read the Applicant Information Pack, available to download from the RCM website.

To apply, please complete our 1) Application form and 2) Equal Opportunities form (available to download from the RCM website) and submit in Word or PDF format by email to recruitment@rcm.ac.uk

CVs without an application form will not be accepted. Please ensure that you include the Job Reference Number when submitting your application.

The RCM is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and to promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for all our staff, students and visitors.

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