There is a growing trend toward staying in music production schools for four years, and for most people that really does not make that much sense at all. With other professions it is simple to understand why four years of college makes sense because there is so much book learning that has to be done to learn the profession well.
This just isn’t the case with music production. There is a lot of information that you have to learn, but most of that learning is going to take place during actual practice sessions. Music production is more of a skill than anything else and the only way to master that skill is through plenty of practice.
What that means is that as a professional you only want to go through two years of college not four if you have the option to do so. Most of the time companies don’t care that much about the degree in the first place, but the small advantage that it does give you isn’t going to change whether you have a two year degree or a four year degree.
Also you will learn most of the basic concepts in the first year or two of school and any of the advanced concepts and skills have to be learned through constant practice by you, which means that you need to be working on music, not sitting in a class room.
Don’t jump into a four year college for music production unless you understand the benefits that you are going to gain from it. In most circumstances there really aren’t any benefits and the only time you should think about it is if you just aren’t able to learn the basic material in the first few years that you are attempting to do so.
By going with a two year college you are going to save yourself a great deal of money. Basically you are only going to be paying half the amount for your education and it is going to serve the exact same purpose as the longer degree would have for you.
With a two year degree you will also have more time to focus on actually practicing producing music for different bands which is what is going to build up your career the most. Not only will the experience help you impress employers, but the connections you build will help your own business if you start a studio of your own.
Do your best to avoid the four year music production schools in favor of the two year programs. They save money, time, and get you the same level of benefits for the lower cost levels.