Learn How To Overcome Creative Problems
The third thing you must learn in this stage is how to overcome creative problems. You will encounter themeveryone does.
Theres too much material on the topic of creativity and creative block to include in this post, so here are some links to books and articles on it:
Also, if you want to shout me a few coffees, then my book might be helpful too.
How Much Money Does A Music Producer Make
How much money a music producer makes depends on your experience and clout. The producer of a chart-topping artist is going to make a lot more than a producer working for a small independent label. According to the 2016 edition of the Music Careers Dollars and Cents report by the Career Development Center at Berklee College of Music, record producers can make anywhere from $25,000 to $1,000,000 per year, or even more.
Explore Berklee Onlines Careers Page to learn more about jobs in music production.
Looking At Trends To Narrow It Down
So far we have just selected DAWs based on our knowledge and what the industry typically acknowledges. But lets get some actual data!
Google trends is a good way of tracking the popularity of something by seeing its search popularity over time. Although this is not going to give us the definitive answer of which DAW is most popular it will be a good place to start to rule contenders in or out.
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What Does A Music Producer Do
The role of a music producer has always been a somewhat nebulous one. Increasingly it can mean a number of vastly different things. Is someone who programs a beat a producer? Yes. Is someone who takes calls, coordinates meetings, and gets artists signed to labels a producer? Yes. Is someone who plays bass, co-writes songs, and mediates disputes between band members a producer? Yes.
A music producer holds many roles, but here are the four most vital:
Sound Recording: Capture The World Around You
Recording audio tracks is another massive pillar of music production.
Some producers entire workflow is based on recording and manipulating audio tracks. This production style is common for bands, singer-songwriters and acoustic music.
But producers of all genres often have to deal with recording the traditional way with microphonesespecially if they have vocals in their tracks.
Getting a great sound by recording with mics is a big challenge, but its not impossible.
In fact there are a few ways to make sure that your recorded sound is the best you can possibly make it
Dive into our resources for how to record music and audio:
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Songwriting And Composition: Create A Song
Some songwriters produce. Some producers write songs. The boundary between artist and producer isnt always a bright line.
That means knowing the basics of songwriting and composition is important for modern producers.
The producer often has to make tough decisions when something isnt working. Is it the mix? Or the arrangement?
Is it the parts, or the tones? Or the effects? Is this song boring, or does it just have the wrong song structure?
These are the types of questions an experienced producer should be able to answer.
To help you develop these skills, we put together an exhaustive list of resources for producers looking to learn songwriting, arrangement and music theory in general.
How To Become A Famous Music Producer Fast Is It Possible
Ok, so I’ll let you in on a little secret:
There’s no sure fire way to become a famous music producer quickly!
Well there is, but it’s not at all easy to achieve. While unrealistic, it’d go something like this:
Easy on paper, not so easy in reality. If you want to get your name out there as a top beat maker, your best bet is to make good quality music and promote it effectively. I’ve already talked a lot about music marketing on this site so have a look around. Or if you’re serious about learning how to promote your music, you should enroll in the IMA Music Business Academy for a structured music business plan you can easily implement.
So there you have it, a beginners guide on how to produce music like a pro. I hope you’ve enjoyed it if so, please share if via social sites and link to it from your music site. I’ll be updating and adding more to it in future, so be sure to keep checking back for the latest.
In the future I’ll be talking about other kinds of DAW , whether you should hire a studio or use a home one, where to get samples and more.
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Four: Apply For Internships
Many theater and music production companies hire summer interns to support the workload and reduce their payroll. Some of these summer internships are volunteer. Others are relatively low-paid. In either case, quality summer internships are win-wins, giving aspiring music professionals like yourself a hands-on learning opportunity and introducing you to an extended network of people who can advocate for you in the future if they believe in your abilities.
As the professionals at recordingconnection.com state, “The best way to become a music producer is to hang around a bonafide music producersomeone who makes their living being a music producer.” Internships are a wise way to do that.
Choose & Learn Your Daw
In order to produce electronic music on a computer, youll need a Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW. A DAW is a software application used for producing, editing, and recording music.
If youre at this stage, you probably already know the names of certain software, particularly the popular ones like Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase, Pro Tools, and Logic Pro.
The question is, which one should you pick?
There are a few things you have to realize if youre in this position:
- There is no objectively best DAW. It comes down to preference. All mainstream DAWs have the capacity to output great music.
- The time you spend stressing over which DAW to pick could be better spent learning production.
- You can always switch DAWs later on if you feel the need to.
While I dont recommend stressing over the decision, it is a good idea to take some things into account when choosing a DAW, namely:
For more explanation as to why we recommend Ableton, check out this article on the best DAW for beginners.
The best advice I can give you is to just pick one and start working with it. It shouldnt take you longer than a day to choose a DAW.
Just download one and get started .
Do I need any other gear?
The question a lot of people ask during the initiation stage is whether they need to buy anything more than a DAW.
There are two answers to this: the true answer, and the common answer.
Further reading:
Learning your DAW
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Native Instruments Komplete Start
Get this first, its completely free and comes with high quality professional sounding instruments and effects. You get a bunch of synths that include the standard bass and leads you need plus weird and wonderful sounds, pads, noises and even a modular synthesizer.
Then theres Kontakt with a selection of high quality sampled sounds including pianos, band instruments, world, soundscapes and hybrids.
There are over a dozen studio quality effects including mastering and guitar amp simulations. And they round it off with 1,500 loops and samples.
Its free but also easily expandable as you find you need more.
Street Price: Freenative-instruments.com
Common Studio Tools For Producers
DAW
Theres a huge overlap in DAWs chosen by the pros since theres really only a few popular options. Heres what we found:
- Ableton Flume, Netsky, Dada Life, Kill Paris, Diplo, Wolfgang Gartner, Skrillex, Baauer, Flosstradamus, Bass Kleph, Deadmau5
- Logic Disclosure, Hardwell, Flosstradamus , Nicky Romero, Chocolate Puma, Boys Noize, Calvin Harris, David Guetta
- FL Studio Martin Garrix, Porter Robinson, Afrojack, Avici, Camo & Krooked
- Cubase Stimming, Breach, Sharooz, Noisia, Zedd
Synths
- Native Instruments Plugins and Sylenth seem to be crowd favorites no matter who you talk to.
- Komplete/Native Instruments plugins Sharooz, Diplo, Dada Life, Camo & Krooked,Skrillex, Flume, Netsky, Nicky Romero, Boys Noize, Calvin Harris, Breach
- Sylenth Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Camo & Krooked, Flume, Netsky, Dada Life, Afrojack
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What Are The Responsibilities Of A Music Producer
- Listening to an artists sample tapes and working with them to produce the music they require.
- Advising on album songs
- Handling technical equipment, including mixing desks.
- Finding and booking suitable venues
- Involving in technical work, including audio editing, sound design, and ghost production
- Organizing event schedules, timings, and performances
- Making logistical arrangements for artists
- Working with organizations, artists, and venues involved in live events
- Helping artists to achieve the sounds theyre striving for
- Ensuring the arrangement of other facilities, like catering, toilets, entertainment, and insurance.
- Working with marketing groups to prepare printed material.
Your Level Of Expertise
As there are extensive courses on using different music software packs, its clear that they can be a bit hard to get used to.
If you consider yourself a beginner, your best bet would be to try out some more basic options. With a lot of different features, complicated UIs, its easy to get lost and feel demotivated.
On the other hand, if youre experienced enough, more complex programs should do the trick. Weve covered some of the DAWs that top music producers use, so its just a matter of finding the one that has all the necessary features and options.
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Music Production Success Doesn’t Happen Overnight
The most important thing for new producers to keep in mind is that practice makes perfect.
No one has used a DAW or a synth out of the box and created a masterpiece. Equipment helps, samples help, but repetition is crucial.
Consistent iteration and improvement is the path to producing something truly great. If you find yourself stuck on a project, create a new one and try something different. The goal is to practice creativity by designing new sounds, samples, and loops for future use.
Want Music Production to be Your Full-Time Career?
One of the best ways to get a jump-start on your career, develop life-long industry connections, and massively elevate your skill is the by attending an accredited music college.
At the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media, you’ll have access to industry-standard equipment, hands-on and intricate coursework, and the opportunity to become Pro Tools Certified.
Follow in the footsteps of notable AIMM alumni like Kesha Lee, who earned a Grammy for her work on “This is America” with Childish Gambino or KEYZBABY, who just co-produced the #1 song in American, “WAP.”
If Music Production is your passion, don’t hesitate any longer. Learn more about AIMM’s Music Production and Audio for Media Degree. AIMM even offers a fully Online Music Production Program.
Key Discipline : Collaboration
Another thing thats beneficial to focus on during this stage is collaboration. This could be working with another producer, vocalist or musician. There are many reasons why collaboration helps:
- You pick up tricks and tips from other artists and producers
- You learn to work well with other people and communicate ideas
- You learn how to make compromises
- You build relationships with like-minded people
- You build your brand by leveraging others audiences/fanbases
Theres really no excuse for not collaborating. If you live in an area where no one makes music, you can either collaborate with someone over the internet or move.
If you dont know anyone on the internet who makes music, stop being lazy and join the EDMProd Artist Community, post a question asking if anyone wants to collaborate with you, and get busy.
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Fruity Loops Fl Studio 12
Fruity Loops is the first DAW Ive had the chance to come across. I was probably 15 or 16 when I started getting interested in making my own music on the computer.
As this program has been around for quite some time, no wonder that its what first comes to mind for most people when you ask them about a good audio editing software packages.
With all the basic tools and options, you can easily copy, cut, paste and stretch the tracks, as well as give them interesting effect layers.
The interface is special because of the user- friendly vibe it gives the moment you start the program.
Dont let the name and looks fool you, as you really can make a masterpiece in Fruity Loops. Just check out FrankJavCee on YouTube and youll be amazed by the possibilities of this digital audio workstation.As the go- to electronic music maker and basic editing software, Fruity Loops shows that even with a rather minimalistic approach, you can do a lot. We would definitely recommend this DAW to any newbies out there, looking to start making, editing, and mixing music on their computer.
Samples Plugins And Midi: Your Digital Sound Tools
Your DAW is your studio centerpiece. But the digital tools you use inside it are just as important in your music production workflow.
MIDI is the language that lets you communicate music in the digital world. Its the information you enter in the piano to control your synths, samplers and drum machines.
Its the data your MIDI controller sends when you hit a key, strike a pad, turn an encoder or press down your sustain pedal.
Plugins are the virtual instruments and effects that create tones and textures in your mix.
Your DAW comes with a completely functional set of built-in plugins, but theres a whole world of exciting plugins out there. Some are even available completely free.
Building your own unique set of inspiring plugins is part of developing your palette as a producer.
Last but not least, samples are snippets of audio you can use in your productions in any way you see fit.
These audio puzzle pieces can be anything from individual drum hits or short instrumental melodies to entire tracks or rhythmic loops.
Samples are used in almost every genre of music you can think oftheyre one of the most inspiring parts of being a producer.
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Is It Hard To Make Your Own Beats
Well, yes and no. It can be if you do it wrong, but if you go down the right path initially then the learning curve should be fine. Dont worry, well tell you what the right path is.
The thing is, many beginner producers start out punching above their weight. They buy complex software such as Cuebase, and hardware to mix all their music down. Doing this is basically setting yourself up to fail, as you dont have the basic knowledge to create your own beats yet.
What you need instead is some simple but powerful beat making software such as DubTurbo. This has built with beginner and intermediate producers in mind. It is easy enough to pick up and learn, yet powerful enough to produce good quality music that youll be able to get someone to vocal.
Forget about getting all the most expensive equipment you hear Dr Dre talking about, start out with the basics and work your way up. Try jump the gun too early and youll be left with nothing but confusion.
The Other Daws Didnt Feature
One of the key findings of our search was that not many professional musicians and producers used any of the other DAWs outside of the four listed above.
Even for Garageband which is a very popular DAW in general. We couldnt find any evidence that profesionals use this DAW. Which makes sense as it lacks many more advance features and is a free piece of software aimed at amateur musicians.
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What Is The Best Music Production Software To Use
Now, onto the questions of the best beat making software. This is something many producers get hung up on, when in reality it’s quite an easy area to get right.
The type of music making software you should get will depend on what level of producer you’re currently at.
I’d recommend a different one for a beginner producer than I would an intermediate who knows they definitely want to go pro.
Let me explain.
When you first decide you want to learn music production, you don’t have more than an idea of what being a producer will be like. You might’ve seen famous producers and recording engineers and think you’d like to do the same. In reality though, you don’t know what really goes into producing a track. When you give it a try, you might find it’s not right for you.
Your first few months of audio engineering will involve a lot of learning. You won’t be making beats for the top musicians in your genre, and people won’t be paying you big money for your instrumentals. It’ll be a hard slog, at least initially.
It’s because of this that I don’t recommend investing too much money into your beats maker software at this stage of things. If you learn how to produce music and still want to pursue this path after you’ve learned the basics, then I’d suggest investing more and getting the professional music making software. But initially, start out small.
With that in mind, here are the two options I’d recommend depending on what stage you’re at.