
HOFA BASIC
Online Course for Beginners
HOFA BASIC is the perfect choice if you want to discover the fantastic possibilities of professional music production.
Course duration: 6 months
Time requirement: flexible, as part-time or full-time
HOFA BASIC teaches you the fundamentals you need to bring musical ideas to life, to record and to mix songs.
Learn Audio Engineering Everywhere
The HOFA Online-Campus gives you access to all your learning content via your computer, tablet and smartphone at any time.
You will be provided with new learning units every month.
Multimedia-based learning: The course contains video tutorials, texts, sound examples, complete studio productions & practical exercises.

Simply get started
- Can be completed with all current DAWs such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Ableton, Studio One etc.
- Comes with Steinberg Cubase LE & Ableton Live Intro – no additional software required!
- Improve your productions in no time with the help of exciting video tutorials.
We are there for you
- Throughout the course, a team of professional audio engineers will be at your side to provide advice and assistance – by email, chat & phone.
- Each learning unit contains a song that you can mix and submit.
- Detailed analyses of your mixes & individual feedbacks by the HOFA tutors
State-certified
- Officially approved and certified education
- The costs of education might be tax-deductable (depending on your location).
- With your Student ID you can buy hard- and software from many manufacturers at an educational discount.
- Graduates receive the Audio Assistant Certificate.



Practical exercises that are fun
Each learning unit contains the individual tracks of studio productions that you can mix at home. Your practice mixes will then be analysed by experienced audio engineers in the HOFA studios.
We point out what you can do better
We provide detailed and individual analyses of your mixes and give you valuable feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your work with specific examples and screenshots.
Where do the practice mixes come from?
In the course we use productions covering various genres recorded at the HOFA-Studios and other top facilities, as well as home recordings. You are provided with a wide range of tracks, recordings and styles to choose from - including titles from well-known and successful artists.
HOFA Open Projects
The HOFA Open Projects give you an insight into professional music production from recording and mixing to mastering and are an important part of your online course.
Your online course is flexible
You can register at any time and start immediately or at a later date.
Usually, you will receive one learning unit per month, but there's also the option to get several units per month and thus earn your certificate faster.
The course expires automatically at the end of the course duration - if you wish, you can then extend it. It is also possible to pause the course.
Choose one-time payment and save money
With the one-time payment, you receive all available learning units at once and can adjust your course duration depending on your individual needs.
Free Studio Workshop Livestreams
As a HOFA-College student you can also attend fascinating online workshops on audio engineering held in the HOFA studios.
Recordings of the live streams can be found in the Online Campus afterwards.

State-certified online courses
All HOFA online courses are evaluated and certified by the German State Central Office for Distance Learning "ZFU". This certifies meaningful didactics, an educationally meaningful course structure and fair contractual conditions.
Due to the state certification, all training costs might be tax-deductible (depending on your location).
Try it for 14 days
After your registration you can try the course for two weeks. During this time you will have the opportunity to cancel the online course immediately and get your money back.
Academic training & ECTS credits
Discounts on software & hardware
You can use your Student ID to buy hardware and software from various manufacturers such as Ableton, Adam Audio, Adobe, Avid, Apple, Steinberg, Waves, HOFA-Plugins, HOFA-Akustik, etc. Almost all DAWs and plugins can be purchased with up to 50% educational discount.
No Admission Requirements
For your online course you'll need a computer with audio software, a pair of speakers/headphones and of course a fondness for music. You can complete the HOFA online courses with the plugins available in your DAW or from any third-party manufacturer. A smartphone or tablet is not necessary, but makes learning more flexible. Just contact us if you have any questions.
Recommended Soft- and Hardware
Ableton Live | Apple Logic | Avid Pro Tools | Cockos Reaper | Image Line FL Studio | Magix Samplitude | PreSonus Studio One | Propellerhead Reason | Steinberg Cubase | or similar.
Computer (PC or MAC) with at least 4-core CPU and 8 GB RAM
An audio interface is optional, but not necessary.
HOFA BASIC Registration
HOFA BASIC is also included in the HOFA COMPLETE bundle. With this complete audio engineering education, you save more than 27 % compared to the sum of the regular individual prices.