6 answers
Alexis
Student
1
Question
Asked
530 views
Music professional ?
How can I make music production as a career path and and can fulfil my financial freedom?
6 answers
Hakeem Ola Saka
Freelancer
52
Answers
Maryland Heights, Missouri
Updated
Hakeem Ola’s Answer
Making music production a career path that leads to financial freedom requires a strategic approach and dedication.
1. Skill Development: Invest time in mastering your craft. Learn music theory, sound engineering, production software, and keep up with industry trends.
2. Build a Portfolio: Create a diverse portfolio showcasing your production skills across different genres. Collaborate with artists, create sample packs, or produce music for commercials, films, or video games.
3. Networking: Connect with fellow musicians, producers, and industry professionals. Attend events, join online communities, and build relationships that can lead to opportunities for collaboration and exposure.
4. Market Yourself: Create an online presence through social media, a professional website, and platforms like SoundCloud or YouTube. Consistently release quality content to showcase your skills and attract potential clients.
5. Diversify Income Streams: Don't rely solely on one source of income. Explore avenues such as selling beats, offering production services, teaching music production, or licensing your music for films, TV shows, and commercials.
6. Monetize Your Audience: If you build a sizable following, consider monetizing it through merchandise sales, Patreon subscriptions, or sponsored content.
7. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with industry trends, technology advancements, and new production techniques. Invest in ongoing education to enhance your skills and stay competitive.
8. Financial Planning: As your income grows, practice good financial management. Budget wisely, save for the future, and consider investing in retirement accounts or other long-term financial vehicles.
1. Skill Development: Invest time in mastering your craft. Learn music theory, sound engineering, production software, and keep up with industry trends.
2. Build a Portfolio: Create a diverse portfolio showcasing your production skills across different genres. Collaborate with artists, create sample packs, or produce music for commercials, films, or video games.
3. Networking: Connect with fellow musicians, producers, and industry professionals. Attend events, join online communities, and build relationships that can lead to opportunities for collaboration and exposure.
4. Market Yourself: Create an online presence through social media, a professional website, and platforms like SoundCloud or YouTube. Consistently release quality content to showcase your skills and attract potential clients.
5. Diversify Income Streams: Don't rely solely on one source of income. Explore avenues such as selling beats, offering production services, teaching music production, or licensing your music for films, TV shows, and commercials.
6. Monetize Your Audience: If you build a sizable following, consider monetizing it through merchandise sales, Patreon subscriptions, or sponsored content.
7. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with industry trends, technology advancements, and new production techniques. Invest in ongoing education to enhance your skills and stay competitive.
8. Financial Planning: As your income grows, practice good financial management. Budget wisely, save for the future, and consider investing in retirement accounts or other long-term financial vehicles.
Jessica Griffith
Student
20
Answers
Canton, Ohio
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
If you are wanting to go to school for music production for a career then go to a school ,there are grants and scholarships available depending on your state as well. If you want to do it as a hobby then use a recommended sites above. They usually have tutorials on how to use a digital audio workstation (daw) system. I am about to recieve my associates in music production and engineering, and it is a lot to learn as far as music theory and Comp, technical musicianship, music synthesis, digital audio recording and editing, video recording and editing, webcasting and publishing and so much more. Good luck!!
Thomas O'Shea
Music Producer, Composer, Live Sound Engineer, Musician
116
Answers
Madison, Wisconsin
Updated
Thomas’s Answer
There are so so so many routes you can take as a music producer/ musician. The really cool thing is that you don't need to conform to the "normal" of only working in one genre. I have my signature sound which is a blend of EDM, Hip Hop and Pop. I also write classical music. That's just an example of what you can do. Pursue your interests and search for ways you can make money from those interests.
Here are just a few things you could do as a music producer to make money:
Produce beats and send them to artists
Make loops and send those to producers who will flip them into beats and send them to artists
Make music for music libraries for use in TV, Movies, Commercials and more
Make a YouTube and show your process
Travel around and produce for artists in person (you will need to build a name for yourself by using one of the above methods first)
Produce as a side thing and work as a live sound engineer (that's what I do at the moment, though I'm hoping to transition to producer full time)
There are SO many more. The point is, if you want a career in music production, you just need to act on it and use all your creativity to stand out (especially among the rising AI).
You will have to provide services for free at first to get people to see that you make quality products but eventually you will be able to charge a pretty high fee for your work.
Here are just a few things you could do as a music producer to make money:
Produce beats and send them to artists
Make loops and send those to producers who will flip them into beats and send them to artists
Make music for music libraries for use in TV, Movies, Commercials and more
Make a YouTube and show your process
Travel around and produce for artists in person (you will need to build a name for yourself by using one of the above methods first)
Produce as a side thing and work as a live sound engineer (that's what I do at the moment, though I'm hoping to transition to producer full time)
There are SO many more. The point is, if you want a career in music production, you just need to act on it and use all your creativity to stand out (especially among the rising AI).
You will have to provide services for free at first to get people to see that you make quality products but eventually you will be able to charge a pretty high fee for your work.
George F Spicka
Compose Music \ Play Jazz Piano \ Curator of Paleontology
18
Answers
Baltimore, Maryland
Updated
George F’s Answer
I'd find a college or university that offers a degree in this.
The Berklee School of Music offers on-line courses in this and related subjects.
Maybe most important is to locate to an area that has an active music scene, like New York or Nashville. This way you can possibly interact with others who are more experienced, build connections that might become useful in the future.
gfs
The Berklee School of Music offers on-line courses in this and related subjects.
Maybe most important is to locate to an area that has an active music scene, like New York or Nashville. This way you can possibly interact with others who are more experienced, build connections that might become useful in the future.
gfs
Stephanie Gemmell
Music Professional and Freelance Writer
2
Answers
Hagerstown, Maryland
Updated
Stephanie’s Answer
Hi Alexis!
I agree with many of the answers above. There are a lot of reliable sources of information on learning music production available for you to explore as you are starting out, and from there you can decide if you want to pursue a formal education for music production or a related field. I recently finished my MA at Berklee and I would highly recommend any Berklee programs (including the Boston campus and Berklee Online) if you are considering school for music production.
There are many interrelated careers you can pursue simultaneously if you are seeking to work as a music producer. You can serve as a producer working for bands and solo artists, you could seek work at an established studio as an assistant engineer, or you could pursue being a mixing or mastering engineer as well. While some people choose to specialize in one aspect of production, mixing, or mastering, these roles all have skills that overlap with each other.
If you are starting out learning production, the first thing you'll want to explore and get comfortable with is working in a DAW, as others have mentioned. Ableton Live is a great DAW to start with in my opinion as it is clearly organized and less intimidating, but still fully functional and respected in the industry. There are some nonprofit organizations that offer introductory courses, including Femme House (https://www.thisisfemmehouse.com/sessions) which specializes in EDM production but can introduce you to skills you can use for producing any type of music. Ableton also has comprehensive reference manuals online and an online forum you can reference as you learn (https://forum.ableton.com/). There are also beginner/intro videos on YouTube that will explain the basics to you so you can begin working on your own music to practice!
As others have mentioned above, securing financial freedom in production has a lot to do with creating a fairly steady stream of income for yourself by generating multiple sources of revenue related to your expertise. This could involve doing both production and mixing, or mixing and mastering, potentially teaching students music production or music lessons, getting involved in sync licensing (placing songs in TV shows or films), or producing content for sample libraries or song libraries. While you don't need to get a degree to be a music producer, doing so could help you grow your clientele more quickly because it helps to give you credibility, not to mention you will likely be more confident in your own skills after successfully finishing a program in music production! It also helps to meet as many people as possible who are working as producers and earning their living primarily through production, so you can see firsthand how they make it work.
Also, listen to lots of music in the meantime and start thinking about what you like or do not like, and why! Also, talk to your friends or family about music that they like, and ask them to explain to you what they like about it. This all gives you practice for clearly communicating your vision with clients or collaborators, and for effectively listening to what clients want so you can help them achieve the sound that they want.
I agree with many of the answers above. There are a lot of reliable sources of information on learning music production available for you to explore as you are starting out, and from there you can decide if you want to pursue a formal education for music production or a related field. I recently finished my MA at Berklee and I would highly recommend any Berklee programs (including the Boston campus and Berklee Online) if you are considering school for music production.
There are many interrelated careers you can pursue simultaneously if you are seeking to work as a music producer. You can serve as a producer working for bands and solo artists, you could seek work at an established studio as an assistant engineer, or you could pursue being a mixing or mastering engineer as well. While some people choose to specialize in one aspect of production, mixing, or mastering, these roles all have skills that overlap with each other.
If you are starting out learning production, the first thing you'll want to explore and get comfortable with is working in a DAW, as others have mentioned. Ableton Live is a great DAW to start with in my opinion as it is clearly organized and less intimidating, but still fully functional and respected in the industry. There are some nonprofit organizations that offer introductory courses, including Femme House (https://www.thisisfemmehouse.com/sessions) which specializes in EDM production but can introduce you to skills you can use for producing any type of music. Ableton also has comprehensive reference manuals online and an online forum you can reference as you learn (https://forum.ableton.com/). There are also beginner/intro videos on YouTube that will explain the basics to you so you can begin working on your own music to practice!
As others have mentioned above, securing financial freedom in production has a lot to do with creating a fairly steady stream of income for yourself by generating multiple sources of revenue related to your expertise. This could involve doing both production and mixing, or mixing and mastering, potentially teaching students music production or music lessons, getting involved in sync licensing (placing songs in TV shows or films), or producing content for sample libraries or song libraries. While you don't need to get a degree to be a music producer, doing so could help you grow your clientele more quickly because it helps to give you credibility, not to mention you will likely be more confident in your own skills after successfully finishing a program in music production! It also helps to meet as many people as possible who are working as producers and earning their living primarily through production, so you can see firsthand how they make it work.
Also, listen to lots of music in the meantime and start thinking about what you like or do not like, and why! Also, talk to your friends or family about music that they like, and ask them to explain to you what they like about it. This all gives you practice for clearly communicating your vision with clients or collaborators, and for effectively listening to what clients want so you can help them achieve the sound that they want.
John Graham
Music Producer
55
Answers
Bremerton, Washington
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Alexis!
I agree with Thomas and Hakeem's comments. And I like to suggest a few sites where you can find free and paid courses to get you familiarized with the field of music production and maybe have some fun trying things out. (Have to say - I am not associated with any of these providers and do not make any money from them. These are just sources of training and info that have helped me over the years.) Both of these talented and successful producers have had difficult life events that they had to overcome to get where they are today - and it's that perseverance and grit that really impressed me about them.
One producer I've followed and taken courses from over the years is Kris Bradley. She started out as a singer / songwriter and then found herself struggling and discovered she could make better and more regular money as a producer. Her website online is https://www.producelikeaboss.com/ , and she has a series of videos you can subscribe to (for free on YouTube) at https://www.youtube.com/@ProduceLikeaBoss . Her full online course for pretty every aspect of music production is about $500, if you can afford it - and many of her students have been quite successful over the years. Kris is very clear in her communication and makes the process fun - which is a big difference from a lot of folks online.
Another one I learned a lot from and obtained certifications for Mixing and Mastering from her courses is Aubrey Whitfield. She's from the United Kingdom and her presentations aren't quite as succinct as Kris Bradley's in my opinion, but she really gives you the facts and methods right down the line with no fooling around. In fact I was glad that her courses are in video format so I could easily go back and replay areas where I didn't catch everything the first time through. Her site is https://www.aubreywhitfield.com/product-page/how-to-become-a-successful-music-producer and her courses are much more affordable, starting at under US $20, and she has quite a few free classes at https://www.youtube.com/@AubreyWhitfielduk/featured especially about how to use various plugins and features on your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
There are many more I could suggest, but these two can quickly help you get started in the right direction. It's important to realize there are many ways of doing each step of the production process - and we all have to find our own way. With Songwriting, Arranging, Recording, Review, Editing, Mixing, Mastering, and Distribution - there are five to ten sub-processes with many steps in each one. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and fortunately if there's something you don't do well, there other people who can help you get it done. As Aubrey Whitfield likes to say, "We learn so much from failure and we come back stronger and better for it... If you have a dream that seems unreachable, don’t give up. Work hard everyday. Small wins lead to success."
Lastly, I'd like to recommend that whatever DAW you use for production, that you join the affiliated user forum for it and check out the "how to" videos on their sites. I've been producing since 2005, and I never stop learning. Here are are some sources for some of the most popular DAWs right now (not a complete list):
ProTools ($299/yr): https://www.avid.com/courses
Logic Pro ($200): https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/resources
Cubase Pro ($579): https://www.steinberg.net/tutorials/
Reaper (free trial, then $60): https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php
Ableton Live ($439): https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/
PreSonus Studio One ($399): https://www.youtube.com/@presonus/videos
FL Studio ($199): https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-learning/
[Some of these DAWs have starter/beginner versions for less, but they're less capable/have fewer features. The courses or training videos on their websites that I've cited here are pretty much all free.]
All the best and Good Luck with your journey! I look forward to listening to your work in the future!
I agree with Thomas and Hakeem's comments. And I like to suggest a few sites where you can find free and paid courses to get you familiarized with the field of music production and maybe have some fun trying things out. (Have to say - I am not associated with any of these providers and do not make any money from them. These are just sources of training and info that have helped me over the years.) Both of these talented and successful producers have had difficult life events that they had to overcome to get where they are today - and it's that perseverance and grit that really impressed me about them.
One producer I've followed and taken courses from over the years is Kris Bradley. She started out as a singer / songwriter and then found herself struggling and discovered she could make better and more regular money as a producer. Her website online is https://www.producelikeaboss.com/ , and she has a series of videos you can subscribe to (for free on YouTube) at https://www.youtube.com/@ProduceLikeaBoss . Her full online course for pretty every aspect of music production is about $500, if you can afford it - and many of her students have been quite successful over the years. Kris is very clear in her communication and makes the process fun - which is a big difference from a lot of folks online.
Another one I learned a lot from and obtained certifications for Mixing and Mastering from her courses is Aubrey Whitfield. She's from the United Kingdom and her presentations aren't quite as succinct as Kris Bradley's in my opinion, but she really gives you the facts and methods right down the line with no fooling around. In fact I was glad that her courses are in video format so I could easily go back and replay areas where I didn't catch everything the first time through. Her site is https://www.aubreywhitfield.com/product-page/how-to-become-a-successful-music-producer and her courses are much more affordable, starting at under US $20, and she has quite a few free classes at https://www.youtube.com/@AubreyWhitfielduk/featured especially about how to use various plugins and features on your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
There are many more I could suggest, but these two can quickly help you get started in the right direction. It's important to realize there are many ways of doing each step of the production process - and we all have to find our own way. With Songwriting, Arranging, Recording, Review, Editing, Mixing, Mastering, and Distribution - there are five to ten sub-processes with many steps in each one. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and fortunately if there's something you don't do well, there other people who can help you get it done. As Aubrey Whitfield likes to say, "We learn so much from failure and we come back stronger and better for it... If you have a dream that seems unreachable, don’t give up. Work hard everyday. Small wins lead to success."
Lastly, I'd like to recommend that whatever DAW you use for production, that you join the affiliated user forum for it and check out the "how to" videos on their sites. I've been producing since 2005, and I never stop learning. Here are are some sources for some of the most popular DAWs right now (not a complete list):
ProTools ($299/yr): https://www.avid.com/courses
Logic Pro ($200): https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/resources
Cubase Pro ($579): https://www.steinberg.net/tutorials/
Reaper (free trial, then $60): https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php
Ableton Live ($439): https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/
PreSonus Studio One ($399): https://www.youtube.com/@presonus/videos
FL Studio ($199): https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-learning/
[Some of these DAWs have starter/beginner versions for less, but they're less capable/have fewer features. The courses or training videos on their websites that I've cited here are pretty much all free.]
All the best and Good Luck with your journey! I look forward to listening to your work in the future!
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