Music Producer Tips For Beginners

Here’s the hard truth; as an aspiring music producer, you have a long way to go before you begin making top-selling records. Unfortunately, training and a passion for the music alone cannot make an outstanding producer. Music production is a whole world packed with endless genres and instruments that can easily overwhelm even experienced producers. Fortunately, we have sieved out the best music producer tips that can get you started on your way to becoming an accomplished professional. We will offer 11 essential tips to help you know where to direct your energy and gradually cement your place at the table of respected music geniuses.

Even producers with an inherent musical gift cannot achieve greatness overnight. The path to greatness takes doing some serious heavy lifting and soul searching. If you are ready to achieve great results within the shortest time possible and hopefully fill the boots of great producers such as Tony Visconti and George Martin, read on!

  • 11 Essential New Music Producer Tips
  • Conclusion

11 Essential New Music Producer Tips

So, how do you get started on your path to greatness? Do you rack up all your credit cards and go on a shopping spree for all the latest plug-ins, synthesizers, and digital audio workstations? Well, you can always upgrade your equipment if you are financially endowed. However, we will focus mainly on tips that allow you to work with what you have. The idea is to fully utilize what is available and grow in both music production aptitudes and ethics.

Here are 11 new music producer tips that may come in handy:

Music Producer Tips; Grow a Genuine and In-Depth Love for Music

Our first tip is perhaps the most basic. You must love music on a greater level to achieve success as a music producer. Forget the money, prestige, and glamour that come with building a respected name in the industry and focus on the music. By committing yourself to understand music and listening to millions of records, you will master the aspects that make a song tick. Most importantly, you will develop an ear for good sound quality, which you cannot learn from school.

Understanding the different concepts of “great music” will help you respect everything about “great music.” It includes the craft of the songwriter, the recording, and even the video and performance. With this respect, you will equip yourself with the understanding of the effort it takes to make true musical masterpieces.

Develop a Sound Engineering and Mixing Skillset

Surprisingly, just about all top-rated music producers are sound engineering and mixing masters. Developing this unique skillset will help you understand the various elements of music and how they sonically work together. Ultimately, it will be easy-peasy for you to make sober decisions about how a track should sound.

Network and Cherish Each Professional Relationship You Build

Businesses are built on networks and relationships, and the music business is not an exception. How you treat upcoming artists, fellow producers, and music managers today can have a major impact on your opportunities in the future. That guy pushing paper and doing coffee runs in your local recording studio today may just be the person to give you your break-through opportunity tomorrow. 

Furthermore, don’t forget to network. Each time you meet someone with whom you share similar ideas or goals, make sure you give them your business card and request theirs. Shake hands with independent artists when you meet them in gigs and treat them accordingly. Be sure to check out their events, give them a pat on the back, and generally show positive interest in their work.

Music Producer Tips; Know Your Strengths

One of the best music tips we can offer is that you must know your strengths. Think of it this way: there are millions of music producers, but most have a certain way of producing music. If you want to leave a mark in the world of music, you must embrace your uniqueness and adopt a sense of individualism in your work.

Maybe, you have a gift of tapping into the essence of artists and bands. If this is your unique gift, you can easily unveil something in an artist they did not know about themselves. Consequently, you can propel their success in a way that no other producer can. In the same respect, you could have something that no other producer has —your signature sound. Such a gift allows you to create distinct music aesthetics in every record you produce. See, greatness may be around the corner when you embrace your uniqueness. Bringing a different approach and point of view to your production game could be what gives you an edge over other producers.

Familiarize Yourself with the Music Process

Did you know that a music producer is more than just a beat-maker? Well, it is your job to know every aspect of a song to direct it in a way that makes it pop up and reach the very soul of its listeners. Whether you are using digital programs or live instruments, it is always best to do your diligence to make the magic happen. Get to know the vision of a musician and even ask about their inspiration. Additionally, know your studio space, learn its dynamics, and how sound interacts with the walls. The idea is to understand what it takes to direct music and achieve the anticipated outcome.

Don’t Shy Away From Embracing Your Mistakes

As aforementioned, people don’t just become great producers overnight. There is a whole journey to greatness that may involve making some pretty “dumb” mistakes. At the same time, an error such as “wrong” overlaying or volume adjustments may just turn out to be happy accidents. Again, if you want to have an edge above other producers, you can do everything by the book. Experiment a little, do awkward and unexpected things and then listen to your mistakes. The idea is to grow and know why some concepts don’t work or learn how to make them work for the very first time in musical history!

Be Open-Minded About Feedback

You’ve heard that constructive and honest criticism is better than a dishonest compliment, right? One of the best music producer tips is being open-minded about both positive and negative feedback. It is the only way to grow in your profession. That said, don’t go nuts when someone sounds too harsh. Instead, find out what you would have done differently to meet certain musical objectives. Therefore, this is way better than receiving false compliments, yet your work is crap, for the lack of a better word to use.

Music Producer Tips; Be Your Own Hype Man

Don’t get me wrong; our music producer tips don’t advocate for false advertising. Essentially, we are encouraging you to encourage yourself and keep the fire going. Unfortunately, nobody cares about your prospects as a music producer more than you do. That said, let your friends know about what you do and even post tracks you have produced on your social media pages. Talk to musicians within your circles and request their feedback about your work. Most importantly, ask them to share your work on their socials, just to keep word about you spreading.

You must understand that any profession within the music industry is a business and should be treated as such. Learn the latest marketing tactics and put yourself out for the world to see. Apart from modern marketing methods such as having a website and posting on your socials, you could also use traditional methods such as dishing out business cards during music gigs and open mic events.

Don’t Let Analysis Paralyze You

It’s hard to talk about music producer tips without mentioning the need not to be paralyzed by critics’ views. Yes, we did mention that constructive criticism is good, although this doesn’t mean that you should hang your boots if a few people think your work is crap. Starting is not easy, and your audience may feel as though you have nothing special to offer. However, you must not stop trying out new things and putting your tracks out to reach out to other musicians, producers, and audiences.

When it comes to music, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Even if you don’t feel insanely talented in your craft, especially when compared to other producers, someone somewhere will appreciate your work. That’s just how the music world works!

Be Self-Aware

Producing music is fun. However, we can all agree that this is not the simplest career in the world. That said, you need to remain self-aware and define your “why.” Why do you love music? Why did you choose to become a producer? Why must you keep pushing, and what motivates you? Generally, everyone has their way of defining success. To some producers, success is producing several hit records yearly and listening to them on mainstream radio. On the other hand, some people are producers because there is nothing else they would rather do in the world.

See, knowing your “why” will keep you committed to your craft. Irrespective of whether you hit the bull’s eye with one hit production after another or otherwise. All the same, knowing why you do what you do will keep you focused on what’s important until you succeed.

Maintain High Standards of Professionalism

One of the first music producer tips we offered is that you must network, build and maintain relationships within the music industry. As you do this, make sure always to maintain the highest possible standards of professionalism. It is the only way to learn, grow and become a better producer with each new musician, producer, or manager you meet.

Professionalism is a broad term that touches on just about every aspect of your career. Therefore, it includes showing up on time for your studio appointments, being prepared for your sessions, and even committing to ongoing training to keep abreast of changes within the industry. Furthermore, professionalism also means giving your best each time you work on a project.

Practice!

We hope our music producer tips will propel your career to the next level. Starting in any profession can be an uphill task, and it takes making gradual improvements to grow into the best music producer you can be. You’ve heard that practice makes perfect, right? Well, create beats, beats, and more beats with each chance you can get. Work on as many tracks and productions as you can monthly and aim to improve your work progressively. Each time you put your best foot forward, you increase your chances of ultimately enjoying your breakthrough moment!

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