We’ve all started somewhere as a music producer.
If you are starting in the music industry, it doesn’t matter whether you choose to focus on beat-making, full production, and arrangements or if you want to get more technical with mixing and mastering. You need to prepare yourself and take the right steps.
Ten Tips for Beginners in Music Production
We take more unplanned steps the younger we are. If we decide to follow the path instead, we may miss something important. It’s not possible to change anything now.
It’s still not too late to become a successful music producer, especially if you are just getting started. There are plenty of articles and guides that can help you get on the right track. We will attempt to highlight some key points to help you become a competent music producer or technician. ).
Here are 10 essential music production tips that beginners should know. They will help you get a head start in the business and give you some ideas about where to begin.
Let’s start.
1. Basic but important gear
To start in music production and learn the basics, you’ll need some equipment. You may need to invest in many items, from MIDI keyboards to EQ plug-ins. Everyone will tell you the more expensive your gear is, the better, but it’s not that important when you first start.
Listen to us. To get the most out of expensive gear, you will need more costly gadgets to go with it. You are also still a beginner and have yet to decide where you want to take your musical passion.
It’s best to begin with beginner equipment. Get a decent computer first. Concentrate on the CPU, RAM and hard drive that you will use to store your work. Do you have the option to use dual monitors? This will enhance your workflow, and you won’t need to upgrade anytime soon.
It is best to have a decent audio interface with two ins/outs and a MIDI keyboard with 25 keys. Your home recording studio is incomplete without a set of headphones or studio monitors. If you’re on a tight budget, go with a more expensive version. You should try both systems to better understand their differences.
A good vocal mic is important if you are recording vocals. At the beginning of your career, you can find an affordable large-diaphragm mic that will capture great vocals.
Let’s move on to the next important step.
2. Room acoustic treatment
Many new producers overlook this step, but it’s crucial to set yourself up for success. Even if you own the best gear, if your room isn’t treated, you won’t be able to produce and mix it correctly.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on this at first. You can get a great sound in a room with little money by installing a simple acoustic treatment.
The most important thing is to eliminate reverberation, adjust the room’s modes, and reduce the bass in corners. You will need acoustic paneling, clouds panels above your head to diffuse the sound waves, and sound diffusers on the back wall.
Get real panels that contain Rockwool or Fiberglass wool instead of the usual acoustic foam.
It is important not to “overtreat your room” and kill the high frequency. If your room sounds dry and quiet, you are overdoing it.
This is important, as the treatment of the room will determine the sound you get. In a guide by a professional sound engineer, I read that 60% of the sound is generated in the room. This is a good indication of the importance of room treatment, even if the numbers may not be exact.
3. Pick your DAW
You can now work digitally instead of analog, and you can do the entire process digitally, saving time and money.
You will need to choose a DAW to create your music. The software allows you to compose, record, mix, and master music all from a single platform. Start with free software to get familiar with digital production.
We will not suggest a DAW in this guide. You are responsible for choosing your DAW. Some are better for production than others, while some are better for beat-making and mixing.
You can use our list of free DAWs to help you choose the right DAW.
It is the warrior, not the weapon, that matters! You can produce amazing music on any platform if you’re good at your job.
4. Use your ears primarily, then your eyes
We will now share with you some tips and advice to help you get through the process.
Once they learn about the visual tools in their DAWs and the VST plug-ins they have installed, we notice that most engineers rely too much on the interface. A spectrum analyzer, for example, is an excellent tool. It should be checked before any project is started or completed.
We cannot focus only on what we see because we will lose the essence and beauty of music. The process of music-making is mostly based on our ears. Visual aids are just that: helpers. They can help us make the right decisions, but they cannot be unthinkingly followed.
Close your eyes and focus your attention on your hearing. This will help you make better decisions.
5. Reference industry-standard music
You should have a favourite genre when you first enter the world of music. No matter what genre you choose, you must be able to hear the music in detail if you want to continue working in that style (which is 99% of the time).
If you have some time left and you’re tired of music, you can play your favorite songs and take notes as you listen.
Note down the differences between styles and what you heard. Write down the basic elements of that genre. Also, note the BPM range in which the genre operates.
You will be able to create music similar to songs already on the charts and in your favourite genre. This simple technique will help you learn more about genres.
6. Be original
We remind you that you should stay original after the topic of taking notes on the reference tracks. Reference tracks can fool you into writing the same notes based on some elements that will look similar to the original track.
Avoid this and instead find your own style in the genre that you enjoy. You can use the notes to get ideas for the genre, but you should also try to inject your own sound and feel.
Combining genre standards with your style, you can create something truly unique. This will become your style and separate you from other artists of the same genre. It is one of your main goals when you enter the world of music and a particular genre.
Everyone was praised and rewarded for their originality. This works for all music workers—beatmakers, producers, arrangers, and mix/master engineers. You will go far if you are original.
7. Less is more
You will hear this saying many times during your career as a music producer. This is a reliable saying. We can think of a lot when we say “less is more”, but the main idea is not to overdo something.
This term can be useful in the following situations:
Music production – Too many tracks and elements are added to the song to fill the “empty spaces”.
Excessive Layering– Adding tracks that are not needed (such as kicks and snares).
Arrangements– Too many transitions and fills. Just enough, but not more.
Recording– Recording even when you’ve got enough. Ad-libs do not need to be recorded on 20 tracks. Mixing and Mastering: Adding too many plug-ins to a single channel or track. If you need this much processing on your signal, something is wrong, and you’ll have to go back and fix it in the production stage.
We have learned this over the years and believe it is worth sharing.
8. Watch others do their magic
You should take the chance to intern in a studio or recording studio and learn from well-established producers. We didn’t have that opportunity, so we had to find other sources of information.
Everything from YouTube tutorials to masterclasses paid for by companies and written material or books is an excellent learning resource. You can even upload your mix to an AI mastering tool to compare it to the results. We think that the best way to learn is by watching how professionals do their job.
This process will be best for you, whether it’s watching a video of your favourite producer or visiting a studio where you can learn from a local producer.
As we have mentioned, the best way to get the producer’s opinion is to be in the studio. If you’re lucky and you work with a producer who doesn’t have ego issues, he or she will be able to transfer all of the knowledge gathered through the years to you and help you become their loyal assistant.
9. Get feedback on your music
Music is a sport played in teams. You will also need to ask others for their opinions.
You will learn from the average listener how they react to your music. They will often be able to give you insight into how the larger mass will respond to your music. If you have a song that is a hit, you will react to it. You can also tell if a song isn’t that great by their facial expressions.
You can get a constructive opinion from experienced producers or listeners. This will help you to improve as a producer or mixer. If they are honest with their feedback, you will be able to learn a lot.
In both cases, you should take advice with caution. However, if you believe that the feedback you have received will help you improve your music, then go ahead. You may receive advice that is not helpful but damaging to you. Be strategic and only take positive feedback.
10. Take frequent breaks
This tip cannot be emphasized enough. Breaks are not a joke and should be taken seriously. You can’t sit in the studio for 7-8 straight hours without taking a break and then mix or produce. Even if you don’t notice, your ears are becoming tired.
Another thing to avoid when you get home from a party late at night is starting to produce or mix. The ringing in your ears will make it difficult to make good decisions. You may also end up damaging your ears that day.
We suggest that you take a break of at least 10 minutes per hour and not work for more than three hours in one sitting. If you have to work for three hours, take a longer break. Then come back later. It is important to avoid ear fatigue.
It’s better to take a break and then come back after you have rested your ears. It is one of the biggest problems that people overlook. They avoid taking a break. Take frequent breaks to reap the rewards.
There are many other tips that can benefit every new engineer or producer, but we selected these 10 because they are the most important for beginners in the music production game.
These are tips I wish someone had told me before I entered the world of mixing. Don’t forget any of these tips. Early career decisions are crucial to your success.
Please share any other tips that we did not mention in the comments section of this article. Up until next time, fellow musicians!
Author Bio
Toshe is the account manager and creator of content for The Mixing Tips and manages the Instagram page. After working for over 15 years in the audio engineering industry, Toshe decided to broaden his horizons and provide newcomers with useful tips and guides to help them improve their music production.