The Reality of Learning Music Production

Don’t let those production videos fool you.

Photo by Caught In Joy on Unsplash

Let’s be honest here, learning music production is hard as shit.

You make dozens of beats, spend hours on your craft, and always seem to end up with the same result: “trash.”

Maybe you haven’t made any music yet and saw all those cool production videos where producers make memorable tracks in seconds.

Afterward, you stop and think, “I can do that.”

However, the harsh reality soon replaces that optimism with grief and frustration.

Nevertheless, you still want to learn to produce music but can’t seem to figure out why it’s so damn confusing.

The short answer is that music production isn’t one skill but several.

What is Music Production?

Ok, before I can talk about why music production is so formidable, it would help to define it.

If you’re looking for the most basic definition, then a producer supervises the recording process, ensuring:

1. The artist delivers an acceptable performance
2. The technical engineering of the recording is maintained
3. The coordination of the production team and process is managed efficiently.

However, I view music production as creating, developing, and refining your recorded material to a point of satisfaction.

It acts almost like “the backbone of most modern music.”

The reason is that most modern music wouldn’t be what it is without it.

In today’s market, this process makes up a lot of the track and, in most cases, the entire track.

Music Production isn’t One Skill

So, why is learning music production so hard?

The reason is that music production isn’t a single skill but rather a culmination of several stretched-out through different phases.

These phases make up the production process and include:

1. Songwriting
2. Sound design
3. Recording
4. Mixing
5. Mastering
6. Etc…

But the real challenge begins within these phases because there are more skills you need to learn.

To complicate matters more, each of these phases can extend into individual careers.

For example, songwriting alone can have different skills tied to it, such as:

1. Ear training
2. Music theory
3. Arrangement
4. Musical instrument proficiency
5. Etc…

Of course, you don’t need to be a pro in all areas, but you will need the basics for each phase if you aim to produce your own music from scratch.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

The 3 Approaches to Learning

So, you know what music production is and why it’s hard to learn, so how do you approach learning it?

Well, there are three main approaches you can take.

Approach #1: Practice, Practice, Practice.

The first is to just practice making music every day.

This method is simple and not one I would suggest since there isn’t a way to gauge progress, and it could take years to form.

You’ll repeatedly hit a wall if you spend hours only practicing and forget about the learning.

What sucks even more is that you won’t even know when you’ve hit that wall.

Approach #2: Structured Lesson Plan.

The second approach is to build a structured plan for your learning.

I suggest this method because you can measure progress, Know what you need to learn, and practice more consistently with relative ease.

I would also suggest contacting a seasoned producer to help you form your plan so that you know precisely what to learn.

If you don’t know anyone like that and can’t hire someone, then you can try making your lesson plan with the help of AI, like ChatGPT.

Approach #3: A Mentor.

The last approach is to find an actual mentor.

This goes back to knowing a seasoned producer willing to teach you or having the means to hire one.

If you don’t know anyone like that or don’t have the money but are against traditional college, you can try out a few courses.

How Long Will It Take

I wouldn’t ask this question if you’re only getting started or haven’t even made your first beat.

The reason is that no matter the approach or amount of time you practice, it’ll still take several years to hone your true skills.

Yes, the approach you take and the amount of time you sink into your new craft can change the number of years it’ll take overall, but nothing more.

On average, though, it will likely take you around 2–3 years to reach the point of a “good” producer.

That’s assuming you spend at least 30 minutes daily and use a viable strategy to learn and practice consistently.

Conclusion

Although music production isn’t the easiest thing to learn, it’s worth it.

The feeling you get when crafting unforgettable melodies is unmatchable.

As long as you choose the right approach and spend the hours necessary, there’s no telling how far you’ll go.

Lastly, don’t skip out on learning the necessary skills to achieve greatness, no matter how annoying they are.

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