Imagine yourself sitting in a music studio, puzzling musical patterns and ideas into a final arrangement, building drum patterns and dialing in sounds, adding magic to a track so it lands just right. If that sounds like a dream come true to you, then you might be a music producer.
Music producers are the architects behind all of your favorite music, helping to take a song from its bare bones all the way through the production processes to the final destination of a listener’s ears. They shape the sound and are responsible for realizing the creative vision of the artist’s they work with.
In this blog we’ll cover: how to get into music production, the path to becoming a music producer, focusing on the necessary education, training, and personal development that pave the way to success in this field.
What Does a Music Producer Do?
Music producers do a lot of different things, and there are a lot of different types of producers out there. In the most general sense, music producers are responsible for the process of making music. For some of us that means creating a beat, for others that means helping artists make recordings of their songs. Nowadays, producers come in all types of shapes and forms, from artists who self-produce like Missy Elliot or Pharell, producer DJs such as Katranada, and traditional producers like Linda Perry and Rick Rubin.
The role of a music producer is multifaceted and changes based on the context of any given project, but at any time they might find themselves helping write/edit songs, arranging, recording, sequencing/beat making, sound design, mixing, mastering, dealing with people, and coordinating everything within a project. It’s a role that is both creative, technical, and requires great people skills.
What Education is Needed to Become a Music Producer?
You might ask yourself, what degree do you need to be a music producer? While you don’t need a formal degree to work as a music producer, you do need to know your stuff. For some learners, a university degree or certificate program is a great option, but there are a lot of resources available to you that come in many forms.
University Degree and Certificate Programs:
Studying music production at a university or school has a lot of advantages. There are a few music producer degree programs, and others that are more broad like a Popular Music Degree. In both cases, they typically give you a very broad range of knowledge which include instrumental skills, music theory, and music industry studies in addition to all the music production and technology courses you might take. They also provide you with a creative environment and community to work with, which is incredibly important, and access to technology and spaces to work/learn. There are several online degree/certificate programs that are a great choice if remote learning is an important factor.
Self Education through Online Learning:
You can also get a lot of information and develop your skills through online learning resources such as YouTube, much of which is entirely free and on demand. Learning the necessary skills this way requires a self-motivated learner and can be more isolating, but you can’t beat the price tag and the flexible schedule.
Technology and trends are constantly changing, so regardless of the path you take, continuing your education throughout the years is key to remaining successful. If this is the career path for you, a music producer career, start considering yourself to be a lifelong learner.
Degree
Music Degrees aren’t standard for music producers, but it does give you a level of credibility and an advantage in the field. There aren’t a ton of college degrees specifically for music production, but more and more are coming onto the market at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Training
Training in the field is also critical, which can take the form of internships, assistant positions, collaborating with your peers, and with mentors. The landscape has changed a lot over the last 20 years and not as many formal recording studios function at scale. Internship positions are becoming more scarce, meaning that your network of collaborators and mentors play an even more important role in your training.
Certifications
Certificate programs are great choices for people who are looking for a short form, cost effective and more narrow field of study. For instance, you can supplement your mixing skills with a 3-course certificate somewhere like Berklee Online.
How to Become a Music Producer
Here are some skills to consider developing if you want to become a music producer:
Learn an Instrument
Learning an instrument and having basic piano skills is a huge advantage. Being proficient at any instrument gives your musicianship a level of flexibility that will support you in many parts of the music production process.
Understand Music Theory and Composition
Same goes for music theory. Although you don’t need to know everything, being able to speak the language and contribute to the conversation will make you a well-rounded producer. Here’s a curated list of free music theory resources.
Train Your Ear
Having good ears and being able to critically listen to music is a MUST for any music producer. This includes understanding audio elements like dynamics and frequencies, but also more musical concepts such as song form and arrangement. SoundGym is a resource specifically for producers and engineers.
Get the Necessary Equipment
In order to produce, you’ll need the right stuff. You can get A LOT done with very little these days and many of your favorite producers are working from their own homes. At the very least you’ll need a basic home studio setup which includes a computer, a Digital Audio Workstation, a pair of headphones and/or monitor speakers, and additionally, for most people, an audio interface, a microphone, a MIDI controller, and all associated cabling and stands. What you get depends not only on your budget, but also on the type of music you want to produce.
Develop the Technical Skills
At the very least you’ll need to know how to work in a Digital Audio Workstation aka DAW. Popular choices include Ableton, Logic, ProTools and FL Studio. Here’s a blog that will help you figure out which one is right for you if you’re trying to decide. Knowing more than one DAW will make you extra employable.
Collaborate and Network
A wise man once said, ‘your net worth is your network.’ Nothing in this industry gets done without the power of the people around you. Getting gigs to produce music is almost entirely done through word of mouth. That means that you always need to be investing in your professional network by collaborating, showing up to events, attending workshops, and generally just being in the scene, whether that’s online or in person.
Support Equitable Access to Music Education
Being a music producer is a dream job for some, and a career full of music and creativity. Educating yourself is one of many important steps to take along the way and there are resources available for all skill levels and budgets. Save the Music does important work in schools nationwide, making music and music production education available to all, particularly underserved communities. Music has the power to change lives and transform communities – consider supporting today.
Link to Resources:
Resources: Save The Music’s online music education resources page offers valuable resources for those looking to advocate for music education in their communities.
Explore: explore music careers and pathways here. This is a resource for readers interested in further understanding the different professional opportunities available in the music industry, including music production.
Share: Share these resources within your networks and help promote the importance of music education.
Support: Consider supporting this critical cause by donating, which helps further the reach and impact of music education programs.
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In collaboration with We Make Noise. We Make Noise is a 501c3 non-profit organization based in the US that operates in over 55 cities worldwide. The mission is to harness the power of music and technology to advance global gender equity. Learn more about We Make Noise’s work around the world by visiting https://www.we-make-noise.org/.