Benefits of Earning Your Pro Tools Certification

Like any other skilled trade, musicians should utilize the tools and specialized equipment needed to make their work easier and better.

If you want to compose, record, mix, or edit music, you need a reliable Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to accomplish these tasks.

A good DAW will allow you to accomplish digital audio editing more easily, intuitively, and expertly. But a DAW like Pro Tools is an advanced tool for experts, so it’s essential to know how to use it properly.

You don’t want to invest your money into a program without the operational skills to get your money’s worth out of it.

That’s where a Pro Tools certification comes in handy.

Avid Pro Tools is a premier DAW in the music industry.

Pro Tools offers musicians a single option software platform to manage their tracks. With Pro Tools, you can manage everything from composition to your final edits.

The current version of this software comes with professional-quality music and audio management tools, allowing for dynamic recording, MIDI, and score editing tools.

Avid Pro Tools also comes with studio-staple sound processors and full mixing automation.  

If you’re a producer who wants everything in one place, ready for productivity, Pro Tools has it all. If you’re interested in the best music production equipment and software, Avid Pro Tools is industry-leading.

What Does a Pro Tools Certification Cost?

Fees for a Pro Tools certification and course and the completion exam are set independently by the Avid Learning Partner you choose.

You will likely have to purchase a coursebook and other study materials, which includes the cost of certification exams and a single retake if required.

If you need additional retakes, these will be chargeable. However, if you choose to attend a music college that is an AVID training partner, like Atlanta Institute of Music and Media, your certification costs will be included in your program’s general tuition.

Tip: Check out our blog article if you’re wondering how to get Avid Pro Tools Certified in general.

What Happens if You Fail the Pro Tools Exam?

Passing the exam requires fundamental competency in the material, and for some musicians, it will take more than one try.

You will know the results of your exam as soon as it’s completed and submitted for evaluation. Exam results are shown immediately when an exam is completed and submitted for evaluation.

Unless you are banned from retaking the exams for reasons of fraud or rule violations, you will be able to retake the exam until you pass.

If you don’t pass the exam, the retake policy states that you have to wait at least 24 hours until you can retake it. The good news is if you are taking the certification exam through an AVID Learning partner music school you get two free attempts.

Some people may choose to take more pro tools classes before their retake.

Once you’ve passed, you can’t take the exam again for the same version of the Avid product.

How Long Does Pro Tools Certification Last?

Once you’ve passed the exam, your Pro Tools Certification does not expire.

You’re a certified Pro Tools user for life. However, you are certified for that particular version of the Pro Tools software.

Some industry professionals like to stay up-to-date with their certifications, so they update their certification to a newer version from time to time by taking the Pro Tools update exam.

Major Benefits of Pro Tools Certification

All synced modulation can be switched to time based for sound designs that accompany visuals. Even LFOs can be set in seconds rather than Hz, where long cycle LFOs can also double as envelopes.

By becoming Pro-Tools certified, you gain several critical measurable benefits, including:  

• Gaining a better understanding of the basic concepts, features, and capabilities of the Pro Tools program.  
• Increasing your marketability to potential music industry employers.  
• Advancing your career in the fast-paced, highly competitive music industry.  
• Sharpening your performances with tools like loop recording and track playlists.  
• Polishing final mixes with sound pressing effects and plugins.
• Collaborating with up to 10 other musicians online in the cloud with Avid Cloud Collaboration.
• Share your final music, edits, and mixes with your audience and selected media.
• Connect with an extensive network of media professionals online via the Avid Artist Community.
• Reshape sounds with effects and qualities like texture, clarity, warmth, reverberation, and echo.  
• Hearing and correcting errors with premium editing functionality.  
• Sounding like a top-tier music professional, no matter where you are in your studies or career.  

If you’re looking to employ musicians, you can use the Avid Certified User credential as a benchmark so you can:

• Find the right person for the job
• Assess candidate skill level
• Invest in and promote your most promising employees
• Keep your systems running at top performance

Additional Opportunities

Once you’re a Pro Tools certified user, you can deepen your Pro Tools expertise and add to your credentials by pursuing more Pro Tools certifications.

Other certifications musicians choose are Avid Certified Operator and Avid Certified Expert for Pro Tools | Music or Pro Tools | Post, or even an Avid Certified Support Engineer for Pro Tools.

Are Avid Pro Tools Certification Courses Worth it?  

Whether or not Avid Pro Tools Certification is worth it to you depends completely on your musical aspirations.

Judging by the many listed benefits, it is clear that earning your Pro Tools Certification can go a long way in terms of developing your skills, building your resume, and being able to proudly display your Pro Tools knowledge to future musicians you collaborate with.

If you are a music student, there is no downside to learning Avid Pro Tools and earning your official certificate. Most students find that the benefits of certification greatly outweigh trying to learn the program independently.