Are you interested in learning music production more quickly?
When you listen to some of your favorite mixes and songs, it can genuinely inspire you to clean out a room, turn it into your own home studio, and start producing.
Keep that energy and mindset. That is perfect. However, like anything in this world, developing skills takes time.
Authors who were inspired by Stephen King couldn't write The Shining the first time they put pen to paper. Chefs who were fascinated with Gordon Ramsay couldn't execute his stuffed pork tenderloin on their first attempt.
The best things in life take time, and music production is no exception.
However, that doesn't mean you can't speed the process up!
If you want to learn how to become a better a music producer quickly, we have 6 tips that will give you a proactive strategy and help you conquer music production much more quickly.
Here is where self-awareness comes into play.
There is so much to soak up in the world of music, and recognizing what you don’t know about music is a great start to learning music production. Try to avoid the thought process of, I probably know this well enough or I can just worry about this later.
It can be a bit intimidating to dive headfirst into the components you struggle with, but the payoff down the road will be fantastic.
Some common topics that may seem confusing are compression, reverb, arrangement, or even just music theory, in general.
Once you figure out these concepts, write them down as you go and then make sure to research them when you have time. The time you spend researching is critical to learning and will continue to increase your knowledge of music production as a whole.
Knowing which areas you excel in and which areas you lack confidence is a great first step to getting yourself where you want to be.
A great music producer should never stop learning.
Whether you are Grammy-nominated or currently mixing your very first song, there is always something that you can learn! This can include:
Another great tool you should utilize is YouTube. The great thing about YouTube is that it feels endless. There are tutorials for almost anything you need to know how to do regarding music production.
Some audio engineers make creating tutorial videos for their full-time job, which means many videos out there are incredibly high-quality and resourceful, as well!
However, don't get caught in the trap of losing hours and hours watching, "The next video playing is..."
There is a difference between attentive learning and idly watching tutorials. If it is your free time, have at it. But, if it is time you're allocating to learning music production, make sure you are reaping the most benefits.
Watching other producers work is one of the best ways to learn.
You can take note of their workflow, what software they use, any methods they use to speed up the process and what they do to make a track have that extra little bit of shine.
Many producers also find that working with others brings inspiration.
When you are working on music by yourself all the time, it can be easy to lose inspiration or fall into a rut.
When you start feeling this happen, get into a room with another musician or producer. The positive impact it has on your craft may surprise you.
As we have alluded to, learning music production doesn’t happen overnight and you should really love it because you will need to spend a lot of time attempting to learn as much as you can.
Don’t feel pressured by all of this either, spread out the studying!
One day you might want to focus on music theory and the next day you could start on arrangement. These two can go hand in hand so that would be a great place to start.
This studying also pays off when you begin working with clients. You will be expected to be able to do the majority of what your client requests and if you are struggling and consistently trying to figure something out, the optics aren't great.
Not that you should be expected to know everything, but if you're charging a monetary value for your efforts, you need to have a certain level of music production competence.
Be prepared, confident, and ready to showcase your abilities when stepping into studio sessions.
Spending time working on your craft is absolutely essential. This may be the simplest, yet best, way to learn music production. The more you work on it, the more you'll grow.
You will find that each song you start gets better and better and that’s something that just comes with time. Learn from your mistakes.
Always hunt for the why. When something sounds amazing, why does it have that great quality? On the other hand, if a mix sounds muddy, why does it sound muddy and what can you do to fix it?
All of these little grains of knowledge add to your arsenal and soon you'll have a vast and comprehensive knowledge of music production.
Producing music will always help you learn. You may get stuck from time to time, but you can always (temporarily) step away. Starting fresh ideas will also keep the workflow moving forward, so don’t be afraid to do something new as well.
Another great way to speed up the learning process is by attending a music production school.
Do you think being in a complete music-infused environment with experienced instructors and like-minded peers would spark inspiration and accelerate learning? Hint: it does.
Enrolling in a music production college also gives you the opportunity to work with software and technology you likely would not have at your disposal starting out. This gives you a chance to learn using the same tools the pros use.
The overall cost of attending a music production school will be higher than taking a DIY approach or utilizing free tutorial videos on YouTube, but in terms of hands-on assistance and speed of learning, the do-it-yourself strategy isn't in the same galaxy as a music education.
These 6 should get you on a great track to learning music production faster than normal. Remember: enjoy the process. Try to find fun, unique moments throughout learning and appreciate them.
If you treat everything like work with only the "end goal" in mind, you'll likely burn out. You love music, or else you wouldn't be reading this. So, why not love the process of learning how to produce music?
If you'd like to learn Music Production more quickly in an immersive atmosphere, you need to check out the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media.
AIMM offers the following programs for music producers:
You'll have access to exclusive studios, industry-standard equipment, and the opportunity to become AVID Pro Tools Certified.
They say to judge the success of a school by looking at the alumni and AIMM is no exception. Turbo the Great is an alumni that has made a name for himself working with Gunna and producing Drip or Drown 2.
Likewise, alumni Kesha Lee just earned a Grammy for Record of the Year with Childish Gambino for This is America.
I know what you're thinking. A music college is a pretty significant investment, right? You're absolutely correct. So why not give it a test run first?
Discover how AIMM can benefit your career by clicking below.