The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon

What The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon does

The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon (RAIS) is a private vocational school founded in 2011 and located in a single facility at 1926 Alberta Ave, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It delivers four full-time diploma programs — Audio Engineering (6 months, $13,400 CAD), Motion Picture Arts (10 months, $16,700), 3D Animation (1 year, $18,900), and Game Art & Design (1 year, $18,900) — capped at 15 students per cohort with one intake per term. The school operates as a direct-enrollment institution: prospective students apply online, undergo an administrative review and interview, and attend in-person classes at the Saskatoon campus, with no distance-learning option. Tuition is bundled with industry memberships (PAVED Arts for motion picture students, SaskMusic for audio engineering students), and the school is a designated participant in the Canadian Provincial Integrated Student Loan Program and accepts RESPs.

Curriculum is built around industry-standard tools — Pro Tools for audio, Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects for film, Maya, ZBrush, Unreal Engine, After Effects and Photoshop for 3D animation, and Unity and Unreal Engine for game development — delivered through dedicated studio environments, computer labs, and a student lounge. Instruction is led by working industry professionals, including faculty with credited experience at Electronic Arts Canada, Method Studios Vancouver (Avengers, Aquaman), Warehouse Studios (AC/DC, Nickelback), and a founding director who co-founded a Gemini Award-winning post-production firm. Go-to-market is predominantly organic: a website, social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X), on-site facility tours, and word-of-mouth referrals, with no disclosed paid acquisition or external sales infrastructure. The school is founder-operated, has no parent company, no disclosed funding, and operates with approximately 9 employees.

Name

The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon

Legal name

The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon

Website

https://rais.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon (RAIS) is a private vocational school in Saskatoon, Canada, offering four diploma programs in audio engineering, film, 3D animation, and game design to aspiring digital arts professionals, with class sizes capped at 15 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: The primary revenue stream is tuition fees charged for diploma programs. Programs are priced at different levels based on duration and intensity: Audio Engineering (6 months, $13,400), Motion Picture Arts (10 months, $16,700), 3D Animation (1 year, $18,900), and Game Art & Design (1 year, $18,900). Additional revenue includes PAVED Arts membership fees bundled for Motion Picture Arts students and SaskMusic membership fees bundled for Audio Engineering students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon (RAIS) is a private vocational school that delivers diploma programs focused on hands-on technical training in audio engineering, filmmaking, 3D animation, and video game design. Programs range from six months to one year and are taught in professional studio environments using industry-standard software and tools. The school is located on a single campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with no online or distance learning options.

Product overview

RAIS is Saskatchewan's digital arts school offering four distinct diploma programs: Audio Engineering (6-month program covering recording, mixing, and music production), Motion Picture Arts (10-month film program), 3D Animation (1-year program), and Game Art & Design (1-year program). The programs share a unified focus on hands-on technical training and portfolio development, with each program using industry-standard software tools relevant to their respective creative fields.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audio Engineering Diploma A six-month, full-time diploma program focused on recording, mixing, and music production with hands-on training in professional studio environments using Pro Tools. Includes 80 hours of extracurricular studio time per student and a bundled SaskMusic membership. Total program cost is $13,400 with 478 instructional hours.
• Motion Picture Arts Diploma A 10-month diploma program providing technical skills, industry connections, and portfolio development for the film and media industry. Uses Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, with bundled PAVED Arts industry association membership. Total program cost is $16,700 with 816 instructional hours.
• 3D Animation Diploma A project-based, one-year diploma program focused on building a professional demo reel using industry-standard software such as Maya, ZBrush, Unreal Engine, After Effects, and Photoshop. Skills are applicable to film, television, and video game production. Total program cost is $18,900 with 1,160 instructional hours.
• Game Art & Design Diploma A hands-on, project-based, one-year diploma program focused on building real games and a professional portfolio using industry tools including Unity and Unreal Engine. Total program cost is $18,900 with 1,160 instructional hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students complete programs with portfolio-ready projects demonstrating technical and creative ability
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• PAVED ArtsminorOthersPAVED Arts membership is included with Motion Picture Arts tuition, providing students with industry association benefits and connections within the film and media community.
• SaskMusicminorOthersSaskMusic membership is included with Audio Engineering tuition, providing students with music industry association access and networking opportunities in Saskatchewan.
• Bryan Adams (Warehouse Studios)minorOthersHead instructor Ryan Andersen previously worked as a runner at Bryan Adams' Warehouse Studios in Vancouver, working with major acts including AC/DC, Sarah McLachlan, and Moist. This connection provides industry insight and credibility.
• Foolish MortalsminorOthersGuest lecturer Michael Long runs Foolish Mortals indie game studio in Saskatoon, which has sold over 60,000 copies of games across multiple platforms. Provides real-world indie game development perspective to students.
• Bokeh MediaminorOthersFaculty member Layla Bautista runs Bokeh Media production company, specializing in music videos, short films, and commercials, providing industry perspective and mentorship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Think Tank Training Centre: North Vancouver-based private vocational school specializing in 3D animation, VFX, and game design. Direct comparator to RAIS's 3D Animation and Game Art & Design programs, with similar hands-on, industry-instructor-driven model.
• Lost Boys Studios (School of Visual Effects): BC-based private VFX/animation school operated by industry veterans. Direct competitor to RAIS's 3D Animation program, with stronger VFX specialization and comparable small-cohort, mentor-driven model.
• VanArts (Vancouver Institute of Media Arts): Private, smaller-scale Vancouver-based school offering diploma programs in game art, animation, film, and sound. Closely comparable to RAIS in size, curriculum focus, and graduate-driven instruction, with one of its alumni (Erik Johnson) now teaching at RAIS.
• Nimbus School of Recording Arts: Private trade school in Vancouver focused exclusively on audio engineering and music production. Direct peer to RAIS's Audio Engineering program in curriculum and target student, though somewhat larger and more focused on the music production niche.
• Pacific Audio Visual Institute (PAVI): Vancouver-based private audio/visual vocational school. Highly comparable peer to RAIS, with the additional signal that RAIS's director (Doug Luciuk) is a graduate, illustrating close programmatic overlap and competitor relationship.
• Centre for Digital Imaging and Sound (CDIS): Burnaby, BC-based private vocational school offering audio engineering and digital animation programs. Featured as the alma mater of RAIS's head instructor (Ryan Andersen, 1998) and guest lecturer (Aleksander Lomaszkiewicz, 2003), and a direct competitor for aspiring Western Canadian digital arts students.

Broad incumbents

• Vancouver Film School (VFS): One of Canada's largest private film and digital arts schools, offering diploma programs in film, animation, game design, and sound design. Directly comparable to RAIS in curriculum focus, but with significantly larger scale, multiple campuses, and substantially higher tuition.
• Toronto Film School: Private career college offering diploma programs in film production, acting, and digital media. Most similar larger Canadian peer to RAIS, with similar hands-on curriculum philosophy but broader program scope and Toronto-based market.

Regional players

• Saskatchewan Polytechnic: Primary public post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan, offering digital media and related programs. Competes for the same in-province student pool as RAIS, with public funding advantages and broader credential recognition.
• SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology): Large public polytechnic in Calgary offering film, animation, and digital media programs. Regional peer in Western Canada with publicly-subsidized tuition as a competitive counterweight to RAIS's private school pricing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RAISSASK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCALMb9n9V6a96P9-SSt53YA
• Facebookfacebook.com/The-Recording-Arts-Institute-of-Saskatoon-174117142631333
• Instagraminstagram.com/raissask
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-recording-arts-institute-of-saskatoon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon