No Fixed Mix 2025, Empowering the Future of Sound

NFM Class of 2024 outside Dolby Europe Ltd, with production manager Eimear Ní Ghuaire

The world of sound is constantly evolving. As immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos, spatial audio, and AI-driven workflows become increasingly prevalent, the need for fresh perspectives and diverse voices is greater than ever. In 2019 we launched No Fixed Mix to open doors, and to provide aspiring female and non-binary sound designers with the tools, skills, and confidence to break into and thrive in the field. 

2024 welcomed five new faces to the No Fixed Mix programme for a successful series of workshops with our team. We were thrilled to have Sound Designer Hannah Webster give an exciting guest lecture and had a field trip to Dolby at Soho Square. In 2025, now in its sixth year, No Fixed Mix continues its mission with renewed energy, adapting to the ever-changing landscape of audio post-production. 

We have been privileged to witness the incredible journeys of No Fixed Mix alumni, many of whom are now forging successful careers in sound. Some have joined the teams of major post-production houses, and others have become independent composers and sound designers. This is the ripple effect we always hoped for —one where new voices amplify others, making the industry a richer, more inclusive space for everyone. 

To complement our workshops, lectures, and immersive audio tours, we’re excited to launch our first No Fixed Mixer this year. Taking place at the end of our programme, this mixer offers a great opportunity for all alumni to connect, share experiences, and network with each other, as well as with String and Tins staff and industry professionals alike. 

As submissions open, here are some reflections from a couple of last year’s participants: 

Mariela Miguel Caceres:

"I found it extremely valuable to gain insights into how the industry operates, how post-production studios function, and what a sound engineer's role entails. I’ve loved having assignments to practise what we learned in the workshops and receiving feedback on our work to help us improve further."

Erin Taylor Spencer 

"The workshops definitely provided an insight into this niche industry which I think would have been difficult for me to find otherwise. It was very interesting hearing from engineers with different backgrounds, skills and specialisms. Generally I feel more confident about how I want to approach my career going forward. Also I just loved being in a space where other people love talking about sound!"

This year’s workshops will include an overview of the audio post industry, sound design, bespoke composition and mixing for the big-screen. We are delighted to welcome Dr Leslie Gaston-Bird CAS MPSE this year as our guest lecturer. Leslie is past president and fellow of the Audio Engineering Society; an MPSE Golden Reel nominated re-recording mixer and sound editor specializing in features and documentaries; and author of two books: ‘Women in Audio’ and 'Math Fundamentals for Audio'. 

Four workshops will take place on weekday evenings throughout April to June and assignments will be set to be completed between sessions. Sessions will be held in-person at our Fitzrovia studios. We are grateful to Dolby for inviting us back to their HQ in Soho Square for another immersive audio tour which will take place one afternoon before an evening workshop. 

In order to apply for this year’s programme, interested female or non-binary applicants must be of at least 18 years of age and are required to email their single-page CV along with a single piece of sound work that they have created to the email, nfm@stringandtins.com. The work submitted can consist of audio only sound design, a collage of interesting field recordings, sound design to a picture, or a piece of sound design heavy music that should last between 10 seconds to 1 minute in duration. More details can be found here.

String and Tins 

Thanks to the generous support of HHB Communications, Avid, NUGEN Audio and iZotope by Native Instruments, successful applicants will be provided with a free 12-month subscription licence to Avid Pro Tools Studio™, the industry standard DAW (worth £299), NUGEN’s NUtility Toolkit (worth £69) and iZotope’s Mix and Master bundle (worth £479) so that they can continue to develop their audio post-production skills. 

Thanks also to Dolby for their support and opening their doors to us for a third year with their fantastic immersive studio tour. 

Applications for No Fixed Mix open on Thursday March 6th and the deadline is midnight on Monday March 24th at 09:00, we endeavour to respond to all applications the following week.