Job Title:
BBC Open Music Trainee – Radio and Live Events Production
Start date
: 04 May 2026
End date
: 30 October 2026
Scheme duration
: 20 days across 6 months – this will be a mixture of weekday and weekends.
Salary:
£25,000 (pro rata - plus travel expenses where applicable)
Location:
Open to everyone in the UK. Training and development opportunities will mainly happen in London and Salford with travel paid for those not based in these areas
Deadline for applications:
Sunday 01 March 2026, 23:59
Please note you can only apply for one of the BBC Open Music Trainee Positions. This opportunity is aimed at individuals that have not previously worked at the BBC or gained experience through a BBC scheme.
WHAT IS BBC OPEN MUSIC?
Passionate about radio? Curious about classical music? Whether you've considered working at the BBC or not thought about it until now, BBC Open Music is here to help you find out if this could be your path.
BBC Open Music is a training and development scheme which brings together creatives, musicians and aspiring radio or technical producers from all genres, backgrounds and regions across the UK. It's designed to help you build new skills, spark fresh ideas, and explore collaboration within orchestral and classical music broadcasting at the BBC.
WHY JOIN THE SCHEME?
The BBC Open Music trainee scheme will offer a paid 6-month training and development programme focusing on either
Radio & Live Events Production
(creating music radio programmes) or
Technical Production
(sound recording and engineering).
Trainees Will Take Part In 20 Paid Training & Development Days Spread Over 6 Months (a Combination Of Weekend And Weekdays) Including The Following
* Time with a matched mentor at the BBC – including BBC radio production staff and sound engineers working on programmes and events at the BBC
* Opportunities including masterclasses, training days specific to Radio and Live Events Production or Technical Production, and hands-on experience to gain new skills with BBC Radio 3, the Proms and BBC Concert Orchestra
* A chance to network, build contacts and form relationships across Radio & Music at the BBC
* Gain live event experience through working with BBC teams on music radio productions, including a BBC Concert Orchestra collaboration for BBC Radio 3's Friday Night is Music Night
BBC Open Music is offering opportunities in both
Technical Production
and
Radio and Live Events Production
. We can only accept an application from each individual for one pathway. Here is detail of what you could expect from working in the Radio and Events Production area.
Radio and Live Events Production
If You Like Coming Up With Ideas, Want To Tell Stories And Are Keen To Learn More In This Area Then The Radio & Live Events Production Traineeship Could Suit You The Best. Types Of Things You Could Get Involved In Might Be
* Working as part of a creative team to come up with new ideas for compelling audio for audiences.
* Identifying, researching and booking contributors/guests
* Working as part of a team on live output in the studio or on location.
* Creating music or speech segments of programmes
To find more information about the Technical Production Pathway click here.
Please note you can only apply for one of the BBC Open Music Trainee positions.
Who would we like to hear from?
There are 15 trainee roles available for individuals over the age of 18 (on 1st May 2026) from across the UK. We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. We welcome and encourage applications from those who are under-represented in the radio and music sector. This includes individuals from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, people who are deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent people, and people from working class backgrounds.
Eligibility
* Be 18 years old or over by the time the traineeship begins in May 2026
* Be legally eligible to work full-time in the UK for the entire duration of the traineeship
* This opportunity is aimed at individuals that have not previously worked at the BBC or gained experience through a BBC scheme.
Criteria
For All Applicants
You don't need formal qualifications or any experience working in radio or classical music to apply – you just need to have a curiosity for exploring what a career in this area might look like. Open Music could be a great fit if you:
* Have a desire to learn and explore whether classical music broadcasting at the BBC could be the right path for you
* Have a passion for sharing music with others
* Demonstrate an excitement to collaborate with others, particularly with other BBC Open Music trainees and teams across BBC Radio and Music
For those looking to be considered for the Radio & Live Events Production pathway:
* Would like to explore ways you could develop your career as a radio producer
* Demonstrate a passion for creating radio and audio to platform music, to tell stories and connect with audiences
How To Apply
We have outlined the application process below; the most important thing to remember when applying is that we are looking for your potential. We can only accept one application per candidate, so please choose either the
Radio Production
or
Technical Production
pathway based on which best reflects your strengths and interests.
Click '
Apply Now'
to create a candidate profile and fill out some job-specific information (no CV or cover letter is needed)
Once submitted, our Early Careers team will review your information and if you meet our eligibility criteria, you will receive a link via email within 48 hours to our Hirevue platform. You will be asked to complete some video and written questions which will help us to get to know you and understand why you'd like to be part of
Open Music
We will shortlist applications following the deadline on
1 March;
if your application demonstrates some of the qualities we're looking for, you will be invited for a short online interview taking place between
24-26 March 2026
(please keep these dates free in your diary)
We hope to let you know the final outcome of your application by Tuesday 17 March. If you require any reasonable adjustments in order to apply (e.g. submitting your application in an alternative format), please contact us at Early Careers Contact
For more information, visit
Disclaimer
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.
For any general queries, please contact:
Redeployment
The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.