Choosing the right place to study is important. Your teachers, your course and the working environment all have a profound impact on your development as a musician.

The Royal College of Music welcomes students from a wide range of backgrounds on a variety of courses, offering some of the finest teachers and truly world-class facilities. Competition for places is significant and based entirely on musical merit. Successful applicants demonstrate a very high level of musicianship and potential for professional growth.

If you have not yet decided whether the RCM is for you, we have compiled the information below to help you make an informed decision.

Explore the RCM

We advise visiting all the institutions that you are interested in. Seeing them for yourself is a great way to experience the atmosphere as well as finding out more about the opportunities and study options that each place offers. There are lots of ways you can explore the RCM, even if you are based overseas and cannot visit our building in person.

Our annual Open Day is packed with live music, introductions to the faculties, a selection of open lessons, informative talks and opportunities to meet current RCM students.

Our extensive programme of events is a fantastic way of seeing the standard of performance that RCM students achieve and the kind of performance opportunites we provide. We also livestream several events online every season.

You can take a tour of our campus and facilities on YouTube and enjoy a series of interactive digital exhibitions from our historic collections through Google Arts & Culture.

How to apply

Applications for most RCM courses are made through the UCAS Conservatoires online application service. The only exceptions are the Doctoral Programme and Exchange Programme. 

Find out more about how to apply , including how to complete the application form, audition requirements and more.

Audition methods and application deadlines

The RCM holds live auditions in London each year. In addition we normally hold live auditions at a range of venues in Asia, Australia and the USA. Application deadlines and audition dates vary between courses and venues, as does the availability of RCM accompanists. Overseas auditions/interviews are not available for all courses and principal studies, for example interviews for composers are not available overseas. We recommend that you check the information at the link below carefully before applying. 

We encourage you to audition in person if possible; visiting our campus and meeting our staff will help you to decide whether the RCM is the right place for your next step.  But if you are unable to attend a live audition for most courses you can submit a video audition instead. 

Find out more about your audition options and which venues we will be visiting this year.

Choosing where to audition

Speak to our Admissions team

If you would like to talk to someone about applying to the Royal College of Music, our audition process or our expected standards, feel free to contact our friendly Admissions team who will be happy to advise you.