Stop making music in the dark

The Composer Academy is a community, course vault, and coaching space for working composers who are serious about turning their music into actual income — without selling their soul to an algorithm.

🚀 Join a welcoming and supportive community of composers turning their music into their career

You can write music.

That's not the problem.

The problem is you're doing it alone, without a clear path, watching your hard work disappear into the void while the algorithms shift and the goalposts move.

Maybe you've bought courses.

Maybe you've watched the YouTube videos, tried the email list, posted on Instagram. Maybe, like me, you've even built things that worked - and then watched them stop working.

What you actually need isn't more information. It's direction, feedback, and a room full of people who get it.

That's what the Composer Academy is.

"The perfect next step"

"Discovering Rich and his podcast is what first inspired me to start writing trailer music, and The Composer Academy has been the perfect next step in that journey. The weekly calls and feedback offer real guidance and a clear path that fits my goals. The community and regular check-ins keep me consistent and moving forward with confidence. I’d recommend the Academy to any composer looking for direction in the trailer or production music world." - Jake Cox - Composer

Who This is For

This is for you if:

You're serious about earning from your music but don't know the clearest path

✅ You've been making music alone and want feedback from someone who's actually done it

✅ You want to write for libraries, trailers, sync, or production music - not just for fun

✅ You're tired of collecting information and want direction instead

This probably isn't for you if:

❌ You're looking for a get-rich-quick shortcut (there isn't one)

❌ You're not willing to actually make music and get feedback on it

❌ You want a purely self-paced course with no community element

When you join, you get:

28 courses, available immediately - covering trailer music, production music, sync licensing, horror music, cinematic piano, Logic Pro, and more. Work through them at your own pace. No expiry date.

Monthly Live Sessions with me: Bring your tracks, your questions, your half-baked ideas. We work through them together. All sessions recorded if you can't make it live.

Track feedback: Submit your music and get real, specific notes on what's working and what isn't. Not "great job", actual feedback.

A Private Community of other composer: The most valuable thing I can offer isn't a course. It's a room of people further along than you who've hit the same walls.

My custom Kontakt instruments and sample packs: Tools I actually use in my own work, included at no extra cost.

Monthly Challenges: One practical task per month to make sure you're actually making music not just learning about it.

Why Listen To Me?

Fair question. Here's the honest answer.

I've been a working composer for over a decade. In that time my music has been placed in campaigns for Netflix, Disney, Google, Toyota and Unilever - through production music libraries who trusted my work enough to sign it and pitch it to some of the biggest brands in the world.

I've also built two music schools, launched more courses than I can count, been tanked by a Google algorithm update, lost my biggest clients, and had to start again from scratch.

Which is actually why I'm qualified to teach this.

I know what it feels like to build something real and watch it fall apart. I know the specific panic of wondering where the next income is coming from. And I know - from hard experience - what actually works when it comes to writing music that earns, and what's just noise.

The Composer Academy exists because I wished it had existed when I was starting out. Not a course full of theory. A real place, with real feedback, from someone who's navigated the industry and lived to tell the tale.

I'm not here to sell you a dream. I'm here to help you build the skills.

What's Inside the Course Vault

28 courses included with your membership - work through them at your own pace.

Trailer Music

- Trailer Music for Beginners

- Trailer Music Essentials

- The Trailer Music Course

- Hybrid Trailer Music

- Slowburn Trailer Music

- Action Sound Design

- Dark Thriller Trailer Music

- Action Comedy Drums

- Dark Fantasy Trailer Music

- Neoclassical Strings

Cinematic & Orchestral

- Tech: Cinematic Minimalism

- Cinematic Piano

- Pluck: Pizzicato Strings

- Uplifting Orchestral

- Cinematic Folk

- Euphoria: Cinematic Pop Rock

- Uplifted: Feel Good Cinematic Pop

- Soundbox: Cinematic Sound Effect Design

- Whimsy: Quirky Orchestral

Production Music & Sync

- Horror Music Mastery

- Cinematic Hip Hop

- Bounce: Quirky Minimal Electronica

- Lofi Music

- Building Drones

- Cool Dark Pop

- Swagger

- Crime Drama

- Ambient Piano

What Happens When You Join

1. Join today - you'll get instant access to the full course vault and the private community


2. Start with the Launchpad - a short foundational course that tells you exactly where to begin based on where you are now


3. Come to your first live call - dates are posted in the community. Bring a track, a question, or just show up and listen

PRICING

Choose Your Plan

MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP

£39 /month

  • Bi-weekly office hours with Rich

  • Bi-weekly live streams

  • Full access to all of Rich's courses - all 28 of them

  • Access to Rich's Composer Toolkit of custom Kontakt Instruments

  • Monthly goal-focused challenges to keep you writing music

  • Track feedback to help you better understand and see your progress

  • Special guest interviews

No contracts - cancel anytime

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP

£399 /year

  • Bi-weekly office hours with Rich

  • Bi-weekly live streams

  • Full access to all of Rich's courses - all 28 of them

  • Access to Rich's Composer Toolkit of custom Kontakt Instruments

  • Monthly goal-focused challenges to keep you writing music

  • Track feedback to help you better understand and see your progress

  • Special guest interviews

No contracts - cancel anytime

🔒 The No-Risk Guarantee

Show up. Watch a course. Come to one live call. If after 30 days you don't feel the Academy is worth every penny, email me and I'll refund your first month in full. No hoops, no hard feelings.

"You’ll be welcomed by all and have all the support you need"

"Before I joined I was really struggling with momentum and accountability. Since joining the group, I have been able to finish tracks a lot quicker than I could previously.  The monthly challenges have really helped me with this, and at times they have taken me out of my comfort zone and explore different styles. Rich is a master at his craft and getting feedback and advice from him is a privilege."
Dom Matthews, composer

"The best investment in my career to date"

Marlon Schaeffer - Composer

You've Still Got Questions 👍🏻

What's included each month?

Every month you get two live sessions with me - one focused on Q&A and career strategy, one on track feedback and hotseat coaching. You also get a new monthly challenge to make sure you're actually making music and not just watching tutorials. All sessions are recorded, so if life gets in the way (it will), you won't miss anything.

What makes this different from just buying a course?

A course gives you information. The Academy gives you direction, feedback, and a room full of people who are further along than you. Most composers don't fail because they lack knowledge - they fail because they're doing it alone, without feedback, without accountability, and without anyone to tell them when they're on the right track. That's what this fixes.

How much time do I need each month?

Realistically? A few hours. The live sessions are about 60 minutes each. Beyond that, it's entirely up to you - some members go deep into the course vault, others just show up to the calls. There's no minimum requirement. This is your membership, not a homework assignment.

I'm a beginner - is this right for me?

Yes, if you're serious about actually making music professionally. The Composer's Launchpad inside the vault is specifically designed for composers at the start of their journey. And honestly, starting inside a community of experienced composers is one of the fastest ways to close the gap - you'll learn more from one good conversation than from hours of solo YouTube watching.

I'm already fairly experienced - will I still get value?

Probably more than a beginner, actually. The live sessions are where experienced composers tend to get the most out of the Academy - bringing real projects, real career questions, and getting specific feedback rather than general guidance. The vault is there if you want it, but the calls are where the real work happens.

Are the monthly calls recorded if I can't make it?

Every single one. They live in the vault permanently, so you can watch back at any point. If you want to submit a question or a track for feedback but can't attend live, just drop it in the community beforehand and I'll cover it on the call.

What genres and styles are covered in the courses?

Trailer music, production music, sync licensing, horror music, cinematic piano, dark thrillers, action sound design, neoclassical strings, Logic Pro X, and more - 28 courses in total. The focus is primarily on writing music that earns: library music, placements, sync. If you want to write music for film, TV, ads, or trailers, you're in the right place.

How is this different from free YouTube tutorials?

YouTube tutorials give you techniques. The Academy gives you a path. There's a big difference between knowing how to write a trailer cue and knowing which trailer cue to write, where to send it, what libraries are looking for, and why your last three submissions got rejected. That context is what the courses, calls, and community provide - and it's not something an algorithm will surface for you.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. No contracts, no awkward cancellation flows, no "are you sure?" guilt trip emails. Cancel before your next billing date and you won't be charged again. If you're on the fence, the monthly plan is the lowest-risk way to try it - one month, see if it's right for you.

What if I join and it's not right for me?

Then cancel. Genuinely. I'd rather have 100 members who are getting real value than 200 who feel stuck in something that isn't working for them. If you join, show up to a couple of calls, go through the course material, and it's not clicking - cancel and I'll refund your first month, no questions asked.

The truth is, I built the Composer Academy because I wished it had existed when I was starting out - when I was making music in a vacuum, sending tracks into the void, and wondering if any of it was going anywhere.

If that's where you are right now, come and join us. I think you'll find it's exactly what you've been looking for.

- Richard