Tell me more about RISE Academy

At RISE Academy, our mission is to empower and elevate emerging talents in the South African music industry. 

Founded in 2015, our academy is committed to transforming raw talent into marketable, industry-ready performers. We achieve this by providing expert training, personalized mentoring, and a unique blend of technical skill development and business acumen. Our goal is to nurture dreams, craft success, and create a nurturing environment where aspirations truly take flight.

Our academy is committed to transforming raw talent into marketable, industry-ready performers. We achieve this by providing expert training, personalized mentoring, and a unique blend of technical skill development and business acumen. Our goal is to nurture your talent, craft success, and guide students to turn the passion into a profitable business.

Want to know more?

• Follow this link to see how successful our graduates are 
• Follow this link to read a few testimonials 

Where is RISE Academy located, and is it possible to attend courses remotely?

We have 3 campuses in South Africa; Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Some of our courses are also available online.

• Johannesburg: 173 Oxford rd, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196
• Cape Town: 80 Strand st, Cape Town City Centre
• Durban: 70 Buckingham Terrace, Westville, Durban
  

How can I contact the school for more information?

A quick and easy way to chat is via whatsapp. Otherwise you can give us a call or pop us an email. Click on this link to head over to the contact page: (link to contact page) where you can find all our contact information

Is there an age limit to attend RISE Academy?

RISE Academy is open to anyone who is passionate about music.

How do I enroll in a course?

Step 1: Application.

Apply here

Step 2: Interview

RISE Academy will process your application and contact you to arrange an interview. Interviews are done either online or in person. 

Step 3: Acceptance

Once your interview is complete RISE Academy HQ team will deliberate and let you know if you have been accepted or not. 

Step 4: Enrolment

If you are accepted you will be sent the necessary documents and paperwork to finalize your enrollment. 

Are there any prerequisites for specific courses?

At RISE Academy, we prioritize passion and talent as the primary qualifications for enrollment. We have no educational or technical prerequisites because we value your innate abilities above all else. However, for advanced courses, it is essential to master the foundational skills before progressing to higher levels.

When do classes take place?

Some of our courses are offered full-time (Monday - Friday) and others are part-time (Saturdays). Be sure to read more about the course you’re interested in by clicking here 

What are the tuition fees and payment options for each course?

Click here to download the outline of course fees and payment options.

Is there a refund policy if I need to withdraw from a course?

Please note that fees paid to RISE Academy are non-refundable. 

Do you provide student loans?

We do facilitate the process of applying for a student loan. This is done through our loan facilitators and the financial services are provided by the bank directly. 

To find out if you qualify for a loan click here

Who are the instructors for the courses?

At RISE Academy, we understand that the quality of education we offer depends on the strength of our mentorship team. That's why we've carefully selected top mentors for each subject. Learn more about our exceptional mentors by following this link.

What is the enrolment process for international students?

The enrolment process is the same as for national students. International students will require more paperwork in order to process their VISA applications, however, the steps are still the same. 

Step 1: Application.

Apply Here

Step 2: Interview

RISE Academy will process your application and contact you to arrange an interview. Interviews are done either online or in person. 

Step 3: Acceptance

Once your interview is complete RISE Academy HQ team will deliberate and let you know if you have been accepted or not. 

Step 4: Enrolment

Once you have been accepted you will be sent the necessary documents and paperwork to finalize your enrollment. 

Do I receive a certificate upon completing a course?

Yes, we host a graduation ceremony in April/May following the completion of the course. 

What are the graduation requirements?

All students are required to pass all assessments that take place during the course in order to graduate. 

Are there opportunities to connect with fellow students or alumni?

Yes there are several opportunities. RISE Academy hosts “Speaker Sessions'' throughout the year which is a platform for students to sing, play or perform their music for peer feedback and entertainment. This is a great opportunity to build connections. As we all know, networking is the key to succeeding in this industry so we do our best to facilitate these opportunities. 

Does the school host events, workshops, or networking sessions?

Yes to all of the above. We host various workshops and networking sessions during the year. A few examples of the workshops are the DJ Battle workshop and the Mashup Workshop, both of which are great opportunities to have a laugh and learn to stretch your capabilities. 

Our year end project is new to the annual calendar at RISE Academy. This project is a platform for students to collaborate and produce a track/performance as a team and present it, along with a business plan, to a panel of judges. We are very excited about this exciting opportunity for all our students.

What are the technical requirements for courses that involve software or equipment?

DJ

You will need a USB (8-16 GB’s) and earphones. To start you will not need the state of the art earphones, entry level ones are fine. 

Music Producers

You will need a laptop, earphones and FL Studios. 

1. Earphones: 

To start you will not need the state of the art earphones, entry level ones are fine. 

2. Laptop: 

We recommend Windows for the course purely because we use FL and it's designed for Windows. While an Apple Mac can work, it’s not our first recommendation. We will do our best to support you regardless of what laptop you are using. There is no requirement to purchase an upgraded laptop before this course. If you are looking to buy a laptop for this course, here are some recommendations on what will best suit your needs:

1. 1. Specs:
      1. Space: 1TB or more otherwise external hard drives are needed
   2. Ram: 
      1. Minimum 8GB, preferably 16GB or more
   3. Processor: 
      1. Minimum i5. Preferably an i7. i3 would only be sufficient for the first 9 months and then it will start to battle. 

The best laptops for music producers are Acer, Asus and HP. The fans in these machines are also extremely silent and that helps when recording someone outside of a soundproofed/treated room.

3. FL Studios:

There is a free FL Studio version that students are welcome to use, despite the limited functionality, as we understand budget constraints. The following recommendations are for students who are looking for the extras that the paid for versions give you access to in order of recommendation: 

a. FL Studio Producer Edition (± R 1,999)

Producer Edition provides the highest level of functions in FL Studio. It gives you access to all Clip types in the Playlist, Audio Recording, Automation Clips, Slicex, Edison and more! Fruity Edition and up.

• • Audio editors: 2
  • Instruments & effects: 89
  • Full audio recording
  • Full audio clips
  • Full playlist features
  • Effects: 50%
  • MIDI Support & Scripting
  • Full included Content (Sample, Loops, Presets) Lifetime Free Updates
  • 6 additional native plugins 

b. FL Studio Signature Bundle (± R 4,499)

Signature Bundle is FL Studio Producer Edition plus a collection of our 'signature' plugins. It's the cost effective way to get your hands on our best gear. If you already own some of the plugins in the Signature Bundle, the Image-Line store will automatically deduct these from the upgrade price.

• • Audio editors: 3
  • Instruments & effects: 96
  • Full audio recording
  • Full audio clips
  • Full playlist features
  • Effects: 50%
  • MIDI Support & Scripting
  • Full included Content (Sample, Loops, Presets) Lifetime Free Updates
  • 13 additional native plugins