How to start a Music Production Career in 2023
Do you want to start a music production career? In this 2 part blog, we explore some important concepts for emerging artists to consider when pursuing a career in music production, while retaining the ‘human’ touch that makes your music resonate with listeners. This first post is about establishing your style and identity and focus on the foundations.
With plenty of opportunities for access and exposure, the prospect of music production has been an exciting avenue for up and coming independent artists. With today’s ease of accessibility to software and the introduction of Social Media and Video Conferencing (Zoom), it is important to note that musicians must strive for a balance between technically sound production and artistic integrity. Art in its purest form is a medium of expression and should be easily reflected towards the listener on an emotional level.
Cultivate your musical identity
Before developing your technical skills as a producer, it is important to establish your musical identity. What makes up your identity is a combination of styles or sonic characteristics from a variety of genres and influences. Having your own identity will inspire your creative workflow and decision making when creating music.
Consider these steps when establishing your musical identity
Listen to music
To become a music producer, it is important to be versatile and flexible to work in a variety of styles and genres. Start with listening to music that you enjoy, and use personalised and curated playlists (in your streaming services) to broaden your horizons. Listen to music with different arrangements, styles, instrumentation and notice how the songs make you feel. By continuously listening to music as you develop, you’ll enhance your critical ear and begin to differentiate genres and styles by their components (pitch, rhythm, tempo).
Learn an instrument/Music Theory
Learning a musical instrument has the potential to really aid your understanding of musical concepts. Doing so will also allow you to speak to your clients with a personal understanding of performance and in turn, result in a more accurate performance of your musical ideas. Another idea to consider would be to learn how to read and understand music, especially having a sense of music theory. Understanding musical notation and reading manuscript will also allow producers to expand their work to even more styles such as classical and jazz.
Master your Audio Engineering Skills
To be able to bring your creativity to life, it is important to have the technical skills to execute your ideas. It is important to familiarise yourself with different recording, mixing and mastering techniques. By understanding all the different stages of music production and the relevant processes behind them, these skills will help you effectively execute your creative ideas in a recorded format.
Consider the following avenues to further understand the technical aspects of music production:
Learn through a Course
Whether it is through online videos, workshops or a degree, many institutions teach aspiring producers the technical skills necessary to begin a career in music production. With a variety of courses from recording techniques to business management, classes are also a great avenue for producers to meet and network with classmates and fellow aspiring producers.
Take part in an Internship
Another avenue of education is practically applying your skills in internships. This can vary from a professional recording studio, to local radio stations and independent studios. Recording studio internships are a great entry-level opportunity for musicians to learn about the music industry, as well as practical recording and audio processing techniques.
Build your professional network in the music industry
Once you have mastered these foundations, it is time to create your music, develop your style and go out into the industry. Become an active part of the music scene, collaborate, experiment, connect with people and seek advice.
Find out more in part 2 coming soon.
Do you already have a body of work and want to find out more?
We want to hear from you! We’re always on the lookout for talented producers, artists and audio engineers who want to develop their skills while studying alongside a working commercial studio. You can get in touch with us here or book a personal studio tour.
