Becoming a music producer isn’t easy and definitely can’t happen overnight. At the beginning you will have to spend most of your time learning how to make music. It will take some serious, hard work and sacrifice if you want to master it and make a living of it one day. Be prepared to work long hours, and even know how to deal with different types of people because it is well known it’s most difficult to work with people. At the same time there are endless possibilities and opportunities, plus you will be doing one of the most creative jobs in the music industry.
In order to become a good music producer you will have to divide the music into two different segments. The first one is the creative segment. Here you simply have to dive into the music and learn as much as you can about its nature and what’s that specific thing that makes certain pieces of music good. Knowing to play an instrument is great, but there are music producers who don’t how to play any instruments. However, they are required to understand music and have a good knowledge in music theory.
The other segment is the commercial one. Here you have to understand the musical trends, what does the artist you work with wants, how to stay in the budget and how to spend money wisely.
Being a music producer will also require from you a set of specific skills. Some of them are:
You must have heard this a thousand times already. However, this is true. Patience is something you need to have no matter what are you doing in the world. In order to be a successful music producer you have to be patient and focused on success. Having all the skills isn’t enough. Every piece of the puzzle has to fit in before success comes.
As a music producer you generally have to respect everything - the music you are working on, the people you are working with, as well as every single piece of equipment you have. By doing this, you will know what you are capable of doing, how to get the best out of the people you are working with and how to completely utilize the equipment you already have.
The digital word is full of distractions. You will have lots of things to worry about - from artists, equipment, to your personal problems and so on. In order to stay focused you will have to find a way to do the things you love. This will help you stay focused.
This is very important if you want to become a music producer. Working with people is not an easy job to do, especially because you will be working with creative people with strong personalities, egos, diva artists and so on. If you are just beginning, make sure to collaborate with a great number of artists if possible. Combine this with hard work and the success won’t miss you.
Train your ear because this is the key element in your music production career. And train it to pay attention to details. For example, you can create different versions of the same song. Work on them as hard as you can and see what’s good and what isn’t in them. Then combine all the good pieces into one song.
The music producer takes care of the overall music production process from the beginning until the final piece of music. This applies for both music producers working in their home studio or in a major studio. The process is the same.
There are plenty of reasons why the job of a music producer is very difficult and demanding. The first thing success doesn’t happen overnight and it takes time to achieve some success. However, although it is difficult, being a music producer is very rewarding.
Your work environment will greatly depend on the musical genre at the first place. For example, if you are working with different artists you will most often work in a studio when they are ready to make their new album. On the other hand, if you are working with hip-hop artists you will have to prepare the beats in your home studio first or create them as you go.
With the right tools and skills you have a chance to become a successful music producer. Although many beginners start spending lots of money on new hardware equipment, software and plugins here are the essential pieces you need to have in order to start.
Do your research before buying any piece of equipment, read as many product reviews (you will find some great ones on AudioReputation) or watch videos on YouTube before you make the purchase.
If you are on a tight budget you can start with the equipment you already have and gradually upgrade it or buy better equipment later. No matter whether you are just listening to music or you are making it, having a good quality audio equipment is really important. You also have to take good care of it. As a music producer you are going to work in a studio so you don’t have to worry about IPX ratings and whether your devices are dustproof/waterproof or not. This guide from James Longman will give you a good insight on this matter.
By now we are sure you already have an idea whether you can dive into the music production world or not. You have to have the skills, talent, trained ear, equipment and everything else, but without hard work and focus your chances to become a successful music producer are not so good. Combine all of these and you will be on a good way to success.