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Friday, January 8, 2010

How To Become A Music Producer

The basic job of a music producer is to supervise and oversee recording projects. This includes helping artists create and perfect music to their highest potential. Every good producer should have a good ear and a knack for music. Their technical skill should be at a level to where they can create and make musical ideas a reality. As a music producer you have to know your job.



Becoming a music producer


The role of a music producer can take on many different aspects, depending on the person. Some producers are efficient at the technical side of producing, such as working the keyboards and mixing boards. They pretty much like a hands-on approach. Many other producers are there just as an adviser giving tips and guiding the artist through there songwriting and recording process. However a producers job is always the same, and that is to oversee the recording process and make sure the artist is creating his best work to the fullest potential.

Now that I have got that out the way lets get to the juicy part.

In your journey to becoming a producer there are many qualities that you need to develop. However there is one thing that every person who wants to become a producer must have I bet you want to know what that is.. all right I'll tell you-

Every person that wants to become a music producer must have... (drum roll please)

A GENUINE LOVE FOR MUSIC!

It's just that simple - a person must love music in order to produce his or her own music. You have to first introduce yourself to all kinds of different music, Weather it be Rock, Rap, Jazz, Blues or whatever. You would be a person who listens to music more often then the average person. Now if you love to listen to music no matter what and you find yourself wanting to create sounds and make your own melodies, then most likely you want to know how to become a producer. So let's find out what must be done to become a music producer.





How to become a music producer step-1 - developing music know-how


Learn how to play instruments: Every person wanting to become a producer should gain a feel for the sound of music by playing different instruments. This will help develop the skill and know how of making melodies and becoming familiar with different sounds and notes. Take some music lessons whenever possible. Training can go a long way. A very good start would be to play the piano or the guitar. These are versatile and ubiquitous instruments. You should experiment with whatever you can get a hold of. See what instruments you like the best. Spend sometime playing drums, mandolin and bass. You don't have to be an expert at each and every instrument, but this will help you get a real good feel for music. This is one key to becoming a music producer.




Build and expand your musical knowledge: If you want to be sure if your music sounds right you have to know how to solve musical problems. Take much needed time out to study musical theory and composition. Learn as much as you can about songwriting and lyric writing techniques. Always work with different artists whenever possible. Understanding music theory and composition will help you in your sessions when your music doesn't seem to sound exactly the way you want it to. This is an important key to becoming a music producer.



Listen to as much music as possible: If your serious about becoming a producer you should be listening to music all the time. When studying a song, you should listen to it closely and attempt to pick apart the arrangement and instrumentation of the song. Try to become familiar with what a particular instrument does to the sound and feel of the music. Another method to creating a good sound is to identify common elements in 2 or more good songs. See what both the songs have in common to make them both sound good. There is no standard method or sure formula for creating a hit song, but you can identify elements in a song that make it stand out from the rest. A producer should work along with the engineer to craft good sound quality of music.



Research music material: Make sure you spend quality time researching music books, articles, and magazines. Research music production until it's coming out your ears.




How to become a music producer step-2 - Learning the technical side of music production


In your journey to becoming a music producer it is mandatory to learn as much as possible about the actual recording process. This part of course requires hands-on experience, Which is what you want to constantly do. Master the tools of the trade.


Get to know your recording software: If you want to become a music producer. Experiment with a lot of different audio programs such as Digital Performer, Pro Tools and Logic. This is necessary due to the fact recording is done digitally in these days and times.


Master audio engineering: There is a lot of equipment and hardware involved in music production. Your technical know-how has to be above par. It is essential that you master the hardware. You need to eat, sleep and drink keyboards, mixing boards, preamps, compressors and microphones, just to name some of the equipment. Hardware is also available as software units, however the controls are the same.






How to become a music producer step-3 - educate yourself about music production and engineering


If you really want to become a music producer, then formal training is in order.


You should take classes in audio engineering: There are plenty of courses available to aspiring music producers and engineers. Check out your local colleges, and recording studios for courses.


Earn your degree in music production: There are many colleges to attend in your area, that major in audio engineering and music production. IPR, Los Angeles, Berklee music school, and Georgia State University are just some of the schools to look into.




How to become a music producer step-4 - Network whenever possible


Now that you have your skills down pack it's time to get out there and meet people. It is a known fact that it is not how good you are, but who you know when it comes to breaking into the music industry. So to get out there, it is extremely important to build relationships and meet as many people as possible.


Seek out an internship: Spend a lot of time searching for recording studios and production companies. Many of these places give internships for up and coming music producers. Many of these internships are usually low-paid or no pay at all. As an intern you will make very little money, and get very little sleep due to the long hours and weeks. Starting at the bottom is tuff and you will have to move up slowly. Expect to run a lot of errands for engineers and artists.



Find a group to work with: Another good method of breaking into the business is to work with an artist or artists who are looking for a music producer. The more people you produce for, the more other potential artists will want to work with you, and check out your production skills. Make sure to spend a lot of time going to local shows, your bound to find artists to work with. Producing music you like is worth the trials and tribulations. Produce as many albums and demos as possible. This will build up your track record. If you get to produce for an artist or artists, do it at a low price, especially if you are unknown.


Start your own studio: Last but not least Get your own producing equipment. If you want to become a music producer, your own recording studio is a must have. This way you can have a spot for artists and musicians to rent out so they can record. This will also build up some credibility for you and will also attract potential clients your way.




Conclusion


Becoming a music producer is a long and hard road. The travel is not pretty..believe me. However if you really love music this will not matter. You will have to start at the bottom, and work your way up. You will have to build up your production skills. You will have to master your tools. Again if you really love music this will only be fun and challenging for you. With persistence and dedication however, your first hit record is not that far off.


Beat producer Lavish- QV2PVGGQPH3Y

2 comments:

  1. You don't need to become an audio engineer to become a great producer nor do you need to get a degree in music production

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, names Nina. Been wanting to make music with no clarity where to start. Been reading articles. I have absolutely no experience in studio or instrument. I know I have an ear for music and quality sound. I hear melodies, MUSIC lyrics in my head. What is the best first approach for a beginner like me? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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