Music Production: Are You Getting into Music for the Right Reason

I have been talking to a lot of students recently that attend my university and many of them are very interested in music production. However, I’m not sure that they’re interested in music for the right reason. I think they may be interested in it just for the short term fame that it brings to many artists. The way music has evolved recently, I think has caused a younger audience to become interested in making electronic music, such as dubstep. I mean one of the first things that come up on YouTube whenever you search for a tutorial in Ableton Live is how to make dubstep. I’m really not sure how I feel about this because many of the people that are becoming involved in music production simply don’t realize the amount of time it takes to develop the skills needed to produce quality music. Music production is not something you can learn overnight. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience.

I think one of the first things you should ask yourself whenever you want to become involved in music production, is what kind of music you are going to try and produce. Make sure that you do not just want to get into music productions to make bass wobbles in Native Instruments Massive. I think it’s important to have very broad interest in music as a whole, not just in one specific subcategory.

Another important thing is to make sure that you are willing to put in the amount of time required to learn the software and tools needed to produce. When I was first learning to make music in Cubase, it took me about six months just to learn my way around the program. Not to mention all of the VST instruments and everything that goes along with the program. These programs are expensive and aren’t worth messing with if you’re just looking at the short term kick.

Lastly, it’s important to make sure that you have the right studio set up and access to the right equipment before deciding on this path. No you don’t need every last piece of equipment when you’re first starting out, but you do have to have a good starting set up. If your studio is going to be at your house, sometimes it’s good to make sure that you have a room for this specific reason. Making sure the room is set up acoustically correct is important as well.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from getting into music production, but I think it’s important to realize what you’re getting into before you actually do. I just see so many people getting into music for the wrong reason that it almost makes me sick. If you truly love making music and have a true passion for producing, I would definitely give it a try. I hope this has helped you evaluate yourself as an artist and happy music making.