Four self-paced courses are available now, all priced at 7:

• Trailer Music Writing 101 — 8 lessons on the blueprint behind licensable trailer music
• Music Composition — 11 lessons covering the full composition process
• Popular Music History — 6 lessons on genre-by-genre music deconstruction
• TV & Film Production Music — 6 lessons on writing for picture and building a licensable catalog

The courses are designed to be accessible to a wide range of learners — from beginners exploring composition to working composers seeking a deeper understanding of the sync market. No specific software or equipment is required. Some familiarity with basic harmony and DAW use will help with production-focused lessons, but is not required to enroll.

Yes. You can enroll in multiple courses simultaneously. Each course delivers to the same email address on its own weekly schedule. We recommend considering your bandwidth — the material is dense and most students benefit from focused attention on one course at a time.

After enrolling, add admin@composeproducemusic.com to your contacts to ensure lesson emails reach your primary inbox. If you miss a lesson email, contact us at admin@composeproducemusic.com and we’ll resend it.

No. Once all lessons have been delivered to your inbox, you can take the final exam at any time. There is no expiration on exam access. Lesson emails are yours to keep permanently.

A cohort is a structured 6-week live program that runs on a set schedule with a maximum of 25 students. It includes all content from the corresponding self-paced course, plus four live Saturday Zoom sessions with Dr. Smith, peer feedback, and a finished piece of work by the end of week 6.

The self-paced course delivers lessons to your inbox at your own pace. A cohort is synchronous — you move through the material alongside a group with direct engagement from Dr. Smith.

Both tiers include all 6 weekly lesson modules, all 4 live Saturday Zoom sessions, all session recordings, private cohort Discord, and a Certificate of Completion.

The Coaching tier (97) adds personal written feedback from Dr. Smith on your submitted work, and priority Discord access — Dr. Smith responds to you directly.

The Core tier (97) is full cohort participation without the personal one-on-one feedback component.

Trailer Music Writing Cohort 1 is currently enrolling — July 7 to August 14, 2026. 25 spots maximum, first come first served. Upcoming: Music Composition (Sept 2026), Popular Music History (Dec 2026), TV & Film (Mar 2027). Join the free membership to receive opening announcements first.

All four sessions are recorded and added to your account library within 48 hours. You can watch them at any time. We encourage attending live when possible — the Q&A and group discussion are a core part of the experience.

No. The cohort is self-contained and includes all the course content. You do not need to purchase the self-paced course first.

A free account creates your profile in our system, which is required to manage membership access, track activity, and give you Discord and member content access. Registration takes about 60 seconds and requires only your name and email — no credit card. Create your free account here →

No. Courses and cohorts are sold separately from membership. Membership gives you access to community content, monthly analysis posts, the workshop library, and other ongoing content. The Composer tier (9/mo) includes a 0 discount on any cohort enrollment.

Yes. Cancel any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you retain paid tier access through the period you’ve already paid for. No partial refunds for unused days.

Yes. The Sync Pro tier is limited to 10 active members to ensure Dr. Smith can deliver a meaningful personal check-in each month. If the tier is full, you’ll be added to a waitlist and notified when a spot opens.

Self-paced courses: Take the online exam on the website after all lessons have been delivered. Certificate is issued automatically upon passing.

Cohorts: Certificates are issued upon completion of the 6-week program — no separate exam required.

Yes. Certificates are designed to be suitable for teacher professional development and continuing education records. They include your name, course/cohort name, completion date, and Dr. Smith’s credentials. Whether a specific institution accepts the certificate for PD credit is determined by that institution.

You may retake the exam with no penalty or additional fee. Review the relevant lesson material before retaking. Contact admin@composeproducemusic.com if you encounter technical issues.

All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through our secure checkout. All transactions are processed in US Dollars.

The Coaching tier (97) is available as 7/month × 3. The Core tier (97) is one-time payment only. Contact us at admin@composeproducemusic.com with questions about the payment plan.

• Self-paced courses: Refunds available within 7 days of purchase if no more than the first lesson has been delivered.
• Cohorts: Refunds available up to 72 hours before the cohort start date. No refunds after the cohort has begun.
• Monthly membership: Non-refundable. Cancel before your next billing date to avoid future charges.

Email admin@composeproducemusic.com with your name, order number, and reason for the request.

A computer or device with a stable internet connection, speaker or headphones, and a free Zoom account. A webcam and microphone are recommended but not required. Zoom links are provided by email at least 48 hours before each session.

No specific DAW is required. Course content focuses on principles and processes that apply across all major DAWs (Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools, FL Studio, etc.). Practical techniques are described in a DAW-agnostic way wherever possible.

Email admin@composeproducemusic.com with a description of the issue, your name, and the email address on your account. We aim to respond to all support inquiries within one business day.

Dr. William E. Smith (W.E.S.) is a working composer, producer, published author, and Associate Professor of Music Technology at Bowie State University with over 30 years of experience. His sync placements include NBC (The Voice, Last Call with Carson Daly), CBS (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), Fox Sports, Bravo, the NFL, NBA, and the Smithsonian Channel. He has published five books, released 11 albums, and performed in 9 countries. Read the full bio →

Yes. The courses are built on the framework of Compose and Produce Music Like a Pro, Dr. Smith’s textbook used in university classrooms since 2016, updated with current approaches for today’s sync licensing market. Cohorts extend that material into live, applied practice with direct feedback.

Yes. Dr. Smith is present for all four live Saturday Zoom sessions and participates in the private cohort Discord. Coaching tier participants additionally receive direct written feedback on their submitted work and priority Discord responses from Dr. Smith.