Starting as a new music producer in the industry can be frustrating.
But with proper guidance and tools, you can quickly up your game and achieve great success on your production journey.
Whether trying your hand at full music production, beat making, arrangements, or mixing and mastering, these seven music production tips for beginners will set you on the right path.
7 Music Production Tips for Beginners
Are you an up-and-coming music producer, artist, DJ, or creator who wants to up your music production game?
These essential tips will give you a jump start in the music industry.
1. Get the Right Music Production Gear
There’s a ton of advice online about the music gear to use.
But starting as a beginner, there’s no need to break the bank and invest in expensive sound equipment.
Here are the essential pieces of equipment you need for music production:
- Computer (your music production device): If you already own a decent PC or MacBook, you can use it. Otherwise, go for a desktop, depending on your preference. Ensure the CPU speed, RAM, and hard drive storage space are sufficient. And if you’re low on funds and feeling creative, you can get started on your smartphone.
- DAW (Digital Audio Workstation): You need audio production software to produce, mix, and master your music. Popular DAW options include FL Studio, Audacity, Logic Pro, and GarageBand. If you need a more straightforward solution, we have a built-in music editor at SOUNDRAW that you can use to edit and compose music in minutes. No music composition knowledge is required.
- Monitor Speakers/Headphones (Monitoring Equipment): You also need a set of quality monitoring speakers to listen to your sound and improve your production. Can’t afford speakers yet? A pair of quality headphones will do the job.
- MIDI Keyboard: Depending on your budget and what you want to achieve, you might also want to get a keyboard. A 25-key USB MIDI keyboard will do.
- Microphone: You should also get an affordable USB microphone if you're recording vocals.
For starters, these essential pieces of music equipment will make the core of your home studio.
Go for an affordable version for each category so you don’t spend much. And as you improve your music production skills, you can think about getting more advanced gear.
2. Sort out Your Recording Studio Space
You might have the best gear, but if your studio space isn’t comfortable and well-treated, you’ll struggle to produce quality music.
While getting started, it’s crucial to make essential acoustic treatments in your room for better sound quality.
Eliminate reverberation or background noise, and treat the room modes by installing acoustic panels above your head. If you want to go wild, add some sound diffusers in a corner to disperse sound waves.
Apart from room treatment, your studio space needs to be comfortable. Again, you don’t have to spend much to create a home studio.
If you have a limited budget, you can set up a mini studio in a standalone room or small corner of your bedroom using less expensive gear.
Whatever your choice, make sure your recording space is comfortable and free of distractions.
3. Find your Own Sound
As a music producer, it’s essential to discover your signature sound and style that is unique to you and sets you apart from others.
It is not a one-off approach but a long process that refines and develops over time. However, it could happen faster if you’re conscious and intentional.
When defining your music voice, try to emulate a combination of sounds from your favorite producers. When you embrace and find inspiration in the music you love, finding your voice and defining your sonic aesthetic from different influences becomes easier. Also, find out what makes your productions different from others.
These tips will help you develop your inherent sonic taste and learn more about yourself in your music.
4. Shut Your Eyes and Open Your Ears
Another music production tip is primarily focusing on your ears, not your eyes.
Concentrating on the visual aids in your DAW instead of listening intently to the sound can cause you to lose the essence of the music production process. It’s a rookie mistake and one you should avoid.
The music production process is based on your ears. So, don’t focus too much on what you see in the interface.
When playing sound, ensure you shut your eyes and tune into the sounds you’re producing. This way, your brain gives 100% attention to the active sense of hearing, and you can make the right decisions.
Mastering this tip will help you level up faster and make you a better music producer.
5. Use Distortion Creatively in Your Mixes
When used creatively, Distortion can help add sparkle to a mix and make instruments stand out.
But it could easily be misused, leading to a sludgy-sounding mess.
Many experienced producers use distortion to expand their sonic palettes and create a warmer sound.
So, when mixing, use a clipping effect to add more harmonics to your sound. This effect achieves a louder-sounding mix and better balance.
Heavy saturation is another distortion effect that enhances and adds a touch of nostalgia to your sound. You can add it parallel to a track without compromising the original sound.
If your audio waveform exceeds the limit, compress and EQ the distorted channel so it blends in with the original channel.
Mastering the art of adding distortion effects in many ways will help you improve your tracks and make better mixes.
6. Practice Consistently
Make it a habit to hone your craft and practice music production regularly.
Like any other activity in life, practice makes progress. The more committed you are to producing music, the better you get at it.
Set aside dedicated time in your calendar every week for consistent music practice. This will help you improve your production skills and sharpen your ear for great-sounding music.
Plus, you should listen to sounds from established producers and practice the techniques you’ve learned in your DAW.
While practicing, take frequent breaks. Spending 6-7 hours making music in the studio is not advisable. You’ll make poorer sound decisions, and ear fatigue will occur.
So, make it a routine to take breaks within an hour of a production session to ensure you’re well-rested and not overburdened.
7. Learn from Other Music Producers
A final tip to get ahead in music production is to learn from other producers.
No producer is an island. Solely relying on online courses, tutorials, and textbooks won’t help you progress faster.
You must watch the pros, learn how they do it, and gather valuable feedback on your production process.
And you don’t have to be in the same studio with them. Thanks to YouTube, TikTok, and other video streaming sites, you can watch as they work online, understand their workflow, learn essential tips, and refine your craft.
In addition, joining various music production forums and online communities will go a long way in growing your career as a producer. You’ll get to connect with like-minded producers in the industry and learn valuable tips from them.
Always be open-minded and willing to learn. Incorporate constructive feedback into your process and tweak things until they reach the desired mark.
Final Words
If you’re early in your music production career, making the right decisions is essential.
As a recap, ensure you sort out your music gear/recording space, choose a good DAW, focus with your ears, be creative with distortion effects, practice often, and learn from experienced producers.
Implementing these music production tips will help you master the basics and produce better sounds.
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