CfP: Producing Music, Producing Knowledge: Practice, Technology, and Culture in Music Production (09.-11.09.2026 University of Huddersfield, UK) Deadline: 02.03.2026.
Call for contributions for the Society for Music Production Research
3rd Annual Conference
September 9-11, 2026
University of Huddersfield, UK.
Producing Music, Producing Knowledge: Practice, Technology, and Culture in Music Production
Overview
The 2026 Society for Music Production Research (SMPR) Conference, Producing Music, Producing Knowledge , brings together the international music production research community to explore the creative, technical, and cultural practices that define how music is produced, experienced, and understood. SMPR is an international society dedicated to building knowledge and dialogue among practitioners and scholars of music production. Its work spans creation, technology, pedagogy, aesthetics, and reception—bridging research and practice across diverse musical and cultural contexts. Hosted at the University of Huddersfield, home to one of the world’s largest communities of music production and popular music researchers, the conference provides a forum for critical, creative, and professional exchange.
Conference Themes The conference invites contributions that explore how music production both produces music and produces knowledge, through technology, creative practice, pedagogy, and cultural understanding. We welcome submissions that investigate how knowledge is made, shared, and embodied within music production processes, technologies, and communities. We particularly welcome submissions on the following core themes:
Production Technology Evolving approaches to recording, mixing, live sound, and mastering • Creative and critical uses of digital audio workstations and production environments • Immersive and spatial sound practices • Production aesthetics and sonic experimentation • Interfaces, instruments, and human–machine interaction in studio and live contexts • Analytical, interpretive, and reflective approaches to technology and innovation in production.
Creative Practice Practice-based and practice-led research
Creative processes and production aesthetics
Producer roles, identity, and authorship
Collaborative workflows and decision-making
Music production education, knowledge exchange, and curriculum design
Industry contexts and professional pathways
Reflective practice, documentation, and studio ethnography.
Culture, History & Ways of Knowing Histories and ontologies of recording and production
Genre and aesthetic studies
Producer legacies and influential practices
Cultural contexts, representation, and mediation
Critical listening and analytical methods
Audience perception and reception
Archives, preservation, and heritage
Global perspectives and epistemologies of music production.
Scope of Submissions Submissions are welcome across the full range of music production research, including theoretical, empirical, and practice-based approaches. We particularly encourage contributions from practitioners and industry professionals, as well as research that documents and reflects critically on creative processes, technologies, and cultural contexts.
Presentation Formats
Paper Presentations 20-minute presentations followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion. Papers will be grouped into themed sessions aligned with the conference’s core thematic areas.
Poster Sessions Dedicated poster sessions offer an alternative format for presenting and discussing research. This setting fosters extended conversations, informal exchanges, and detailed feedback.
Please submit proposals via this link by 11:59 p.m. (UTC) on March 2, 2026.
Conference Structure The conference will include parallel presentation sessions, poster sessions, keynote addresses, and networking opportunities, including a drinks reception and a social event. The committee will also curate a series of panel discussions and workshops featuring invited participants. Full programme details will be published in July 2026.
Important Dates
Submission deadline: 2nd March 2026
Notification of acceptance: 20th April 2026
Conference dates: 9–11 September 2026
Publication Opportunities While the conference does not publish formal proceedings, presenters are encouraged to develop their work for submission to the Journal of Music Production Research (JMPR ). Presentations and posters offer an excellent opportunity for feedback before journal submission.
About SMPR: The Society for Music Production Research is dedicated to building knowledge and dialogue among practitioners and scholars related to all aspects of music production. SMPR promotes research, publication, and networking among scholars and practitioners in the domains of creation, technologies, historical and industry contexts, aesthetics, and reception. The field is broad and includes all aspects of music production. SMPR encourages multidisciplinary and intersectional engagement between its members, the music production industry, researchers, and related organizations and seeks to reinforce how research in music production impacts educators and students, while providing and encouraging a supportive space where members can contribute genuinely and sincerely by actively working to negate practices that perpetuate systems of oppression and exclusivity.
About the University of Huddersfield: The University of Huddersfield is a leading UK institution for popular music, music production, spatial audio, and sonic arts research, combining world-class facilities with internationally recognised teaching and scholarship. Home to the Centre for Research in Music and its Technologies (CRMT) and the Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) and closely associated with the world-renowned Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the university supports ambitious work across all forms of popular music, music production and sonic arts. Located in West Yorkshire, with fast rail connections to Leeds and Manchester, Huddersfield offers a creative, collaborative, and well-connected environment for artists, producers, and researchers shaping the future of sound and contemporary music practice. Please spread this CFC widely throughout your own personal networks using the following direct link https://bit.ly/4ponm1F