2 answers
John
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
Asked
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What steps in schooling did you go through to have music production as a career? Did you have a big "breakthrough" and if so was it all luck? How, as a musician, do you stay afloat.
What school(s) did you go to? How did you start your career as a musician.
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2 answers
Kevin Julien
Composer
11
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Kevin’s Answer
Music Producers go through many types of schooling to have a career in the music business.
Generally there are 3 ways Music Producers develop the necessary skills to be successful.
One way is by having a formal education in music production and earning a qualification.
The benefits of this are many (including but not limited to) having official recognition of your ability (such as a college degree);
the opportunity to learn from teachers who likely will have been successful music producers themselves;
the chance to work and make friends with others who have the same interests. They might be more advanced at this stage or even if they are not there are likely things one could learn from them and them from you.
You will also meet others musicians who are vocalists or are learning about other parts of the business that you later work or have success with.
A second way to learn and acquire the necessary skills is to work in a recording studio especially as an apprentice alongside an established music producer. This can give an up and coming producer a chance to see how life is for a music producer. This would largely be handling recording sessions and everything that goes around the preparation of that including setting up the studio ready for recording; the actual recording and the work that goes on after recording such as mixing. Recording artists might only be around for the recording session but the producer is available and working on the preparation, recording and post recording. It could also include other things such as learning how studios maintain their equipment; the type of equipment they buy; how they market themselves and many other aspects of the business.
The third way to learn is by teaching one's self. Today, most producers are able to access a 'Digital Audio Workstation' (DAW)and so can teach themselves by trial and error; watching online tutorials or learning from others who have the same equipment.
There are pros and cons of all of the above if done in isolation as having one approach can mean limitations when faced with challenges.
Most music producers have to be flexible to the demands of making music. If a music producer only learns on their own with a DAW (and just one program for example) they might not understand how to work in a recording studio as the equipment is often different and almost always involves some hardware like a mixing desk . On the other hand if a producer has only had formal training at an educational establishment they may not be knowledgeable about the latest techniques being used in certain kinds of music. Genres like Hip Hop are changing all of the time and often innovate in the area of music production and so it can take some time for new methods to be formalized and then assimilated into college music programs.
In reality most music producers will have a combination of all three approaches. Some begin by teaching themselves but then decide to go to college or just take short courses to fill in any gaps in knowledge that they think they have.
Producers have breakthroughs in many ways and it is seldom that any story of a successful producer is the same as another.
Some producers will begin from nothing and then start working with artists until the level of artist becomes higher and more prominent. Even by starting with unknown artists a producer can work their way up by making great music. This increases their exposure and more people will hear about them and want to work with them.
Others network and make a lot of great contacts. Then when their music is ready get in touch with their contacts and are helped into a successful career by having opportunities given to them through those contacts.
Others have breakthroughs by working hard and heavily promoting their music until they get traction. For example it could be they send their songs to lots of DJs but only a handful like their music. However the handful that do like their music is a start for the producer. So when they make more music they can send it to the same DJs. After a while they might grow this support to more and more DJs until eventually their music is played so much that they have hit records.
These are just a few of the ways success is achieved.
Luck is a difficult thing to quantify but recent research suggests that we often create our own luck and our chances of success. We can do this by developing particular habits. These include being open minded; adventurous; creative; trying different things.
Applying this to music producers would include things such as learning and working in lots of different genres of music; experimenting often; always being open to learning new things and challenging one's self. These can help a music producer because if they are working towards a career making Pop music for example; it could be the case that an opportunity arises to work with a Rock artist who is on the verge of being successful and has a lot of backing. If the producer never learnt about Rock then they probably would not be able to work with the Rock artist and so another producer would likely get that Job. But if a producer learns as much as they can they are in a position to take any opportunity as you never know which one could be your breakthrough. In other words producers should always be prepared.
Music producers stay afloat in a number of ways. One way is to constantly having hit records. But this is a major challenge. Most producers with hit records on the Billboard 100 usually have only one period of commercial success. This time can last only several months or continue for a few years. It is typically the time when people consider that producer "hot" and everyone wants to have their record made by that producer. However, trends change and after some time another producer comes along with a different sound that people move on to. There are cases where producers do have hits later on or some success again with a new sound but this is not often. Therefore most producers will stay afloat by saving up enough money during their peak to invest in new things. This could be building a studio for hire where they don't produce music but have others working and recording artists. This can act as a passive income for the producer (they can make money without being at the studio).
The producer may branch out into other areas. If they made club music in the beginning they may try to break into the film and television music business. Sometimes they can get in on their name alone. It should be noted that particular skills (such as music scoring) are needed to make music for film and TV and so many producers may not have these skills having spent years in studios using modern recording equipment for most of that time rather than music notation. Some may have elements of what is required and could decide to re-train to be able to work in this area.
Music producers also develop new producers. Often they may still want to be involved with hit records but are not so attuned to modern trends as younger people so may support or sign younger producers to give them the opportunity to use a studio to try to create hits.
It should be remembered that producers with many hit records will have royalties generated from these records.
Depending on how enduring these records are they could earn enough in royalties each year to never have to worry about staying afloat!
Research short courses, longer programs such as undergraduate degree options for music producers
Contacts local recording studios and see if they would let you visit for a day to watch a recording session
Choose 3 music producers you like and learn about their life story. Where they were born, grew up, family life and everything that happened before they had their breakthrough. See if anything in your life is similar to theirs or if their lives give you ideas on how you could be succesful
Reseach the ways that music producers earn money specifically: royalties; production fees; licensing; artist management
Study ways that people improve their chances of being lucky and successful. Read a book called "The Luck Factor"
Generally there are 3 ways Music Producers develop the necessary skills to be successful.
One way is by having a formal education in music production and earning a qualification.
The benefits of this are many (including but not limited to) having official recognition of your ability (such as a college degree);
the opportunity to learn from teachers who likely will have been successful music producers themselves;
the chance to work and make friends with others who have the same interests. They might be more advanced at this stage or even if they are not there are likely things one could learn from them and them from you.
You will also meet others musicians who are vocalists or are learning about other parts of the business that you later work or have success with.
A second way to learn and acquire the necessary skills is to work in a recording studio especially as an apprentice alongside an established music producer. This can give an up and coming producer a chance to see how life is for a music producer. This would largely be handling recording sessions and everything that goes around the preparation of that including setting up the studio ready for recording; the actual recording and the work that goes on after recording such as mixing. Recording artists might only be around for the recording session but the producer is available and working on the preparation, recording and post recording. It could also include other things such as learning how studios maintain their equipment; the type of equipment they buy; how they market themselves and many other aspects of the business.
The third way to learn is by teaching one's self. Today, most producers are able to access a 'Digital Audio Workstation' (DAW)and so can teach themselves by trial and error; watching online tutorials or learning from others who have the same equipment.
There are pros and cons of all of the above if done in isolation as having one approach can mean limitations when faced with challenges.
Most music producers have to be flexible to the demands of making music. If a music producer only learns on their own with a DAW (and just one program for example) they might not understand how to work in a recording studio as the equipment is often different and almost always involves some hardware like a mixing desk . On the other hand if a producer has only had formal training at an educational establishment they may not be knowledgeable about the latest techniques being used in certain kinds of music. Genres like Hip Hop are changing all of the time and often innovate in the area of music production and so it can take some time for new methods to be formalized and then assimilated into college music programs.
In reality most music producers will have a combination of all three approaches. Some begin by teaching themselves but then decide to go to college or just take short courses to fill in any gaps in knowledge that they think they have.
Producers have breakthroughs in many ways and it is seldom that any story of a successful producer is the same as another.
Some producers will begin from nothing and then start working with artists until the level of artist becomes higher and more prominent. Even by starting with unknown artists a producer can work their way up by making great music. This increases their exposure and more people will hear about them and want to work with them.
Others network and make a lot of great contacts. Then when their music is ready get in touch with their contacts and are helped into a successful career by having opportunities given to them through those contacts.
Others have breakthroughs by working hard and heavily promoting their music until they get traction. For example it could be they send their songs to lots of DJs but only a handful like their music. However the handful that do like their music is a start for the producer. So when they make more music they can send it to the same DJs. After a while they might grow this support to more and more DJs until eventually their music is played so much that they have hit records.
These are just a few of the ways success is achieved.
Luck is a difficult thing to quantify but recent research suggests that we often create our own luck and our chances of success. We can do this by developing particular habits. These include being open minded; adventurous; creative; trying different things.
Applying this to music producers would include things such as learning and working in lots of different genres of music; experimenting often; always being open to learning new things and challenging one's self. These can help a music producer because if they are working towards a career making Pop music for example; it could be the case that an opportunity arises to work with a Rock artist who is on the verge of being successful and has a lot of backing. If the producer never learnt about Rock then they probably would not be able to work with the Rock artist and so another producer would likely get that Job. But if a producer learns as much as they can they are in a position to take any opportunity as you never know which one could be your breakthrough. In other words producers should always be prepared.
Music producers stay afloat in a number of ways. One way is to constantly having hit records. But this is a major challenge. Most producers with hit records on the Billboard 100 usually have only one period of commercial success. This time can last only several months or continue for a few years. It is typically the time when people consider that producer "hot" and everyone wants to have their record made by that producer. However, trends change and after some time another producer comes along with a different sound that people move on to. There are cases where producers do have hits later on or some success again with a new sound but this is not often. Therefore most producers will stay afloat by saving up enough money during their peak to invest in new things. This could be building a studio for hire where they don't produce music but have others working and recording artists. This can act as a passive income for the producer (they can make money without being at the studio).
The producer may branch out into other areas. If they made club music in the beginning they may try to break into the film and television music business. Sometimes they can get in on their name alone. It should be noted that particular skills (such as music scoring) are needed to make music for film and TV and so many producers may not have these skills having spent years in studios using modern recording equipment for most of that time rather than music notation. Some may have elements of what is required and could decide to re-train to be able to work in this area.
Music producers also develop new producers. Often they may still want to be involved with hit records but are not so attuned to modern trends as younger people so may support or sign younger producers to give them the opportunity to use a studio to try to create hits.
It should be remembered that producers with many hit records will have royalties generated from these records.
Depending on how enduring these records are they could earn enough in royalties each year to never have to worry about staying afloat!
Kevin recommends the following next steps:
Jessica Han
Consulting
6
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Hi John,
I agree with Kevin's response above 100%.
In my personal experience, there were four factors that i think really helped me succeed:
1) Hard work
2) Open mindedness -- i.e., being eager to learn and try new things
3) Flexibility so I could adjust to the market and capitalize on any and all opportunities that came my way
4) Resilience - just never giving up
You can also use tools on the internet to leverage your music, such as sound cloud, spotify, and instagram to grow your audiences and maintain a living, current portfolio.
Best of luck with everything! Never give up and continue to work hard :)
I agree with Kevin's response above 100%.
In my personal experience, there were four factors that i think really helped me succeed:
1) Hard work
2) Open mindedness -- i.e., being eager to learn and try new things
3) Flexibility so I could adjust to the market and capitalize on any and all opportunities that came my way
4) Resilience - just never giving up
You can also use tools on the internet to leverage your music, such as sound cloud, spotify, and instagram to grow your audiences and maintain a living, current portfolio.
Best of luck with everything! Never give up and continue to work hard :)