How to make a perfect music portfolio for university

Creating a portfolio for a music degree is your opportunity for you to showcase your talent, creativity and potential. 

For some people it's hard to know where to start when putting a portfolio together. Breathe. Take a moment. With a little bit of planning everything will begin to feel a lot more straight forward.

This guide is for anyone looking to apply to a music degree and focuses on what to include in your portfolio, how to present your work and what admissions tutors are really looking for. 

• What is a music portfolio? 
• What should you include in a music portfolio?
• Top tips for building a stand-out music portfolio
• How to present your music portfolio
• What are admissions tutors looking for in a music portfolio?

What is a music portfolio? 

A music university portfolio is a collection of work that demonstrates your ability and provides an insight into your creative process.

It's your chance to show the universities you've applied to what you're passionate about.

It's not just a book of edited photographs, but a group of different work that's brought together to demonstrate your creative process. This is your chance to tell admissions tutors a story of your work. When someone has finished looking through your portfolio they should have a clear idea of where your ideas come from, what influences you and how you bring ideas to life. 

The exact requirements for your portfolio may vary between different universities and the specific course you’ve applied to. For example, the Music & Sound Production BA degree at UCA asks for up to five examples of original music of sound design.

What should you include in a music portfolio? 

Every portfolio is different, but a strong music portfolio should showcase the level and range of your ability.

Academics and admissions tutors are interested to see the process you go through when developing original ideas, as well as examples of what you think is your best work.

Here are some of the key types of work you might consider including: 

• A collection of produced beats
• A video of a music performance
• A recording of an original song
• Music created for a film
• Any notes or writing about the project that provide insights into your decision making or demonstrate your passion for music

Ultimately, your portfolio should represent you, your interests and your process.

Remember that showing off the range of techniques and abilities you know is just as important as the quality. Even if you think some of your work may be a little rough, it may still be worth considering to include it if it demonstrates skills you haven't shared elsewhere in your portfolio.

Top tips for building a stand-out music portfolio 

• Start strong and finish strong: begin with a project that represents you at your best and finish something that shows your ambitions for the future. 
• Document everything: photograph and write about your process as you go. 
• Tell a story: order your work so that it flows naturally from research to development to outcomes. 
• Share your personality: Let your interests and influences shine through. Your tutors want to learn about you, not just your work. 
• Be selective: Aim for quality over quantity. 
• Show your process: don’t hide your unfinished work or failed experiments. Explain what they taught you and how you adapted. 
• Ask for feedback: show your portfolio to teachers, classmates, or industry professionals before you submit it. 

How to present your music portfolio 

Most universities will invite you to an applicant or interview day. During these days you’ll be given an opportunity to present or discuss your portfolio with a course academic or admissions tutor. 

For many reasons, some people are unable to attend an applicant day. Most universities will allow you to upload your portfolio online instead when this happens.  

Make sure you focus on clarity, not perfection. Admissions tutors want to see well-organised and thoughtfully sequenced work: 

• Use folders to group related pieces  
• Label everything 
• If you include any videos, ensure links are public or unlisted on platforms such as Soundcloud, YouTube or Vimeo so that they’re accessible to everyone  
• Keep written material legible and well-formatted 

What are admissions tutors looking for in a music portfolio? 

Your future lecturers want to understand how your creative mind works. The most important thing they're looking to understand is your potential as a musician.

They'll certainly be looking at your technical skills, but your current ability isn't everything. You'll be developing technical skills  during your degree and admissions tutors are well aware of that. Your potential is far more important to them.

Here’s what will stand out to them: 

• Creative thinking and originality 
• A willingness to express yourself 
• A passion for music and the industry
• Honesty and self-reflection 
• Potential to develop and grow as part of your degree 

They aren’t looking for professionals, they want to see passion, experimentation and an eagerness to learn. 

Need more portfolio support?  

Still unsure what to include? Come along to one of our upcoming Open Days where you can speak to our music academics and Admissions Team in more detail about what they expect to see in your portfolio.  

You can also use our Unibuddy chat platform to speak directly to current UCA students and ask them about their portfolio. For more inspiration you could also check out the work created by UCA music students via our online graduate showcase.

Related courses 

Undergraduate 

• Music & Sound Production BA (Hons)