180 modules. 5 tracks. Lifetime access. Built by a composer who's been where you are.
Two minutes
The problem
You buy course after course, each covering a different slice. But you can't see how they connect.
You don't know what to focus on next. Theory? Orchestration? Production? You're guessing.
You can follow a tutorial step-by-step. But sit down to compose on your own — and you're stuck.
A music degree would give you the structure. But it costs years and tens of thousands of dollars.
"It's like having all the ingredients — carrots, onions, stock — but nobody taught you how to actually make soup." — feedback call, Composer Forge student research
The solution
Composer Forge is a structured progression system — not a random collection of courses. 180 modules across 5 tracks, building on each other in a sequence that actually makes sense.
Think of it like a music degree — but without the $80,000 tuition, the rigid schedule, or the irrelevant modules you'd never use. You work through it at your own pace, start at whatever level you're already at, and always know exactly what to do next.
Fundamentals to advanced harmony, counterpoint, ear training, and form — in a sequence that actually builds.
Melody, thematic development, chord language, form, emotional storytelling. The heart of what you're here to learn.
Instruments, textures, blending, articulations, and realistic mockups — including sample library mastery.
DAW mastery, mixing, mastering, and professional sound quality. From MIDI mockup to finished track.
Portfolio, online presence, finding clients, income streams, licensing. For those ready to earn from their work — or curious about what that path looks like.
For each track, a short quiz determines where you should start. No wasted time on things you already know.
Each module unlocks the next. You always know exactly what to do. No guessing, no rabbit holes.
Every module ends with you making something original — not copying the instructor's example. Real skills, not copy skills.
Already strong in orchestration? Focus on theory. Want everything? Take them all in parallel. The system adapts to you.
Want to see every module before you decide?
Browse the full 180-module curriculum →Teaching method
Most courses show you a polished result. Composer Forge shows you the process — including the wrong turns, the corrections, and the decisions that brought the piece to life.
Learn the theory, then immediately hear it in real professional scores. Not abstract rules — real music, real examples, real reasons why it works.
Watch the composition unfold in real time. Wrong notes. Revisions. Artistic choices explained. The messy, honest creative process that AI can't show and most instructors hide.
Apply the concept to your own work — not a copy of the instructor's example. After enough modules, you stop consciously thinking "what technique should I use?" and just compose.
Included in Tiers 4 & 5
One feedback credit = one piece reviewed. Submit any composition — a finished piece, a sketch, a chord progression, an arrangement — and receive a detailed written critique from a professional composer within 72 hours.
The review covers an overall impression, timestamped section-by-section notes, specific technique suggestions, whether the piece works for its intended purpose, and a prioritised list of key improvements. Delivered as a PDF you can return to as many times as you need — written by a professional composer who's encouraging, not scary.
Example review — "Midnight Forest" (game music)
3-page written review. Delivered within 72 hours.
The feedback service is already live. If you join Tier 4 or 5, you can use your credits immediately — details in your welcome email.
Included in Tier 5
Not just a chat — a structured hour working through your specific challenges with a professional composer and teacher. Each session is built around measurable progress: identifying what's holding your compositions back, working through it practically, and leaving with a clear plan for what to do next.
Sessions are one hour each, schedulable flexibly over 12 months. Available approximately two weeks after the campaign closes while mentor matching is being finalised.
Founding member tiers
One payment. Lifetime access to everything as it's built. Member rates on feedback and mentoring for life.
Less than one university textbook. 92% off the full platform price. The same structured education a music degree provides — for 99.7% less.
Buying 20 credits separately at member rate costs $580. Bundled in Tier 4, the effective credit cost is $17.50 each.
Tier 4 + 6 sessions bought separately at member rate = $1,191. Tier 5 is $1,097 — $94 less than buying them separately.
All tiers include member rates on feedback and mentoring for life. Content starts shipping May 2026. Founding members get first access to everything as it's released.
How much are you actually saving?
Founding member pricing closes March 24. After that, access returns to standard pricing — and lifetime access is gone permanently.
What happens after you join
Founding member registration. Lifetime access price available for one week only.
Founding members receive a survey to vote on which track gets built first. Higher tiers carry more votes.
Modules begin releasing from the first track, one at a time. You get access as each is published.
All 180 modules built over 18–24 months. Your lifetime access covers everything as it arrives.
If you change your mind before the first content ships, email for a full refund — no questions asked.
Once content begins shipping (May 2026), you have 30 days to evaluate the quality. If it's not what you expected, full refund — minus any feedback or mentoring services already used at member rate.
Feedback credits and mentoring sessions are available to use immediately on purchase — they're not contingent on course content shipping.
Who's building this
I'm Karleen Heong. Since 2016 I've taught game music composition on Udemy — 37,000+ students across 145 countries. I know what composition education looks like when it works, and when it doesn't.
The motivation for Composer Forge was simple: when I was learning to compose, there was no good place to go where I could learn everything in a structured way. Music has so many areas — theory, composition, orchestration, production — and it's unlike most other art forms in how technical it is. I ended up piecing it together from dozens of scattered sources.
I spent two months researching 100+ composition programs — conservatories, online courses, YouTube channels, books, apps — to design the curriculum I wish had existed. 168 survey responses and direct conversations with students shaped every decision about what to include, how to teach it, and how to price it.
Composer Forge is the platform I would have paid anything to have access to when I started.
— Karleen
Questions
First modules ship in May 2026. Content releases one module at a time from the first track. You get access to each module as it's published. The full platform builds out over 18–24 months.
Because you're joining before the content exists. Founding members take on some risk — they're funding the build. In exchange, you get lifetime access at a fraction of what later students will pay. Post-launch access is $1,997 while the platform is being built, and $2,997 once it's complete. Founding members lock in at $247 (Tier 3) and never pay again.
Tier 1 ($79) gives you lifetime access to one track of your choice. Tier 2 ($147) covers two tracks. You're not obligated to engage with tracks that aren't relevant to you — but Tier 3 ($247 for all five) is priced as a no-brainer, so most people choose it.
Yes. A placement quiz for each track determines where you start — you won't be sitting through content you already know. The structured advanced content is specifically what most platforms don't offer; that's one of the main reasons experienced composers join.
No. Each track starts at Level 1 — complete beginner. The placement quiz is there to help you start at the right point. If you're new to music theory and composition, you'll start at Module 1 and the system builds from there.
One feedback credit = one piece reviewed. Submit any composition — a finished piece, a sketch, a chord progression, an arrangement — and receive a detailed written critique within 72 hours. The review covers what's working, what isn't, timestamped suggestions, and a prioritised list of what to improve first.
Tiers 4 and 5 include 20 credits bundled. Credits can be used immediately after purchase — no need to wait for course content to ship.
Tier 5 includes 6 one-hour sessions with an experienced composer and teacher. Each session is structured around measurable progress: identifying what's holding your compositions back, working through it practically, and leaving with a clear plan for what to do next. Sessions are schedulable flexibly over 12 months. Mentoring becomes available approximately two weeks after the campaign closes.
Yes — both services remain available to all Composer Forge members. The member rate ($29/feedback, $99/mentoring session) applies as long as you're an active member. Founding members have lifetime access, so they keep the member rate permanently. If you join on a subscription later and cancel, you'd revert to the public rate ($39/feedback, $129/session) until you resubscribe.
If you change your mind before the first content ships, email karleen@composerforge.com for a full refund — no questions asked. Once content begins shipping (May 2026), you have 30 days to evaluate. If it's not what you expected, full refund minus any feedback or mentoring services already used at member rate ($29/feedback, $99/session).
Yes — a subscription ($47/month) will be available after the campaign closes, but not during the founding member window. Lifetime access at this price is only available now. After the campaign, the lifetime price rises to $1,997, then $2,997 once the platform is fully built (2028).
Composer Forge covers significantly more ground and goes much deeper. The Udemy courses cover a specific slice — Composer Forge builds the complete foundation underneath and above that. Most students who've taken those courses have meaningful gaps in theory, composition craft, and production that this platform directly addresses.
Email directly: karleen@composerforge.com. Everything gets read and responded to personally.
Founding member pricing closes 11:59pm EST, Tuesday March 24. After that, lifetime access is gone.
Questions? karleen@composerforge.com