How to Produce Music – Everything You Need to Know
Would you like to create your own music? What are the necessary keys to produce music? We are sure you have wondered how your favorite artists make their songs.
Music production can seem like a huge workload when starting: learning music theory, figuring out how a music production program works, understanding the structure of your favorite genre, etc… but it can also be one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. If you are just starting, don’t let the workload, equipment cost, or initial learning curve overwhelm you!
Before discussing the necessary equipment, we want to share the 5 beliefs every beginner music producer should have:
- Trust your ears, but always mix on multiple sound systems. Proper track equalization will make a bigger difference than any plugin/VST.
- Your music projects are not a race: every track you share should be something you’ve spent at least a few days previewing.
- Experiment: don’t limit yourself to just one sound or genre, especially if it emulates a currently popular sound. Chasing trends will always limit your creativity. A truly innovative artist is someone who doesn’t worry about trends.
- Don’t spend your entire paycheck on hardware and software. It’s incredibly tempting to browse the internet for the perfect plugin or sample to complete a current project. Instead, focus on developing the ability to create the sounds you want with the tools you have. The same rule applies to hardware. When I started making music, I spent hundreds of dollars on various MIDI gadgets, controllers, and keyboards. If I had focused on genuinely improving my production skills, it would have been much more effective (and cheaper).
- Keep challenging yourself daily. Every small step forward is essential. Regardless of how long it takes you to learn a new skill or achieve a specific sound, make an effort to continue. As long as you spend a little time each day learning something new about the tools you already have, you won’t have wasted your time.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO PRODUCE MUSIC?
So… how do I create my music? Considering the advice above, it’s easy to overlook the equipment needed for production. Talent and promotional/marketing efforts are undoubtedly very important, but top-quality equipment is essential. You already know you shouldn’t be constantly switching components, so it’s important to ensure you have the right equipment from the start.
Although everyone has their own preferences, some programs and equipment have become industry standards for new producers.
These 5 tools are the essential equipment to produce a song.
1. DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
What is it?
A DAW, or digital audio workstation, is a software application for editing, recording, and creating audio files.
DAWs are considered the foundation of electronic music production: without them, we’d have to record on audio tapes. Nowadays, there are dozens of DAWs available, each with its unique features.
However, some common features are present in almost all options. Multitrack recording, pitch/tempo modification, and filtering are fundamental features across the market.
If you’re wondering how to learn to produce electronic music, you definitely need one.
Why do you need it?
If you want to bake a cake, you need a mold. The same concept applies to DAWs.
There are alternatives, like analog audio recording on tapes, but these options are prohibitively expensive and require substantial talent to use effectively.
What are some good options: For new producers, Ableton or Logic Pro are two of the best choices depending on what you want to achieve with your sound.
Logic has much deeper editing capabilities and can process massive sessions (think over 100 tracks) much more efficiently than Ableton, but it’s limited to Apple computers only.
Ableton is much faster to use for simple compositions and has the advantage of automatically matching tempos between different loops and audio clips, making live performances with just a controller extremely viable.
For those who want the easiest DAW to use, try FL Studio. Its simplistic interface makes creating beats and loops incredibly intuitive for new producers.
2. MIDI Controller
What is it?
Almost as important as your DAW is the MIDI controller you choose to control it. MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is a universal technical standard that allows communication between physical hardware and the DAW.
One of the most common forms of MIDI controllers are keyboard controllers, which mimic the look and feel of traditional piano keyboards.
While keyboards are essential for producers who already know how to play one, “grid” type controllers are a much more intuitive and affordable way to organize beats and trigger samples.
Why do you need it?
A grid controller, like the Novation Launchpad X, for example, allows precise sequencing of drums and live performance with a DAW like Ableton Live.
Due to its great value for money, grid controllers like the Launchpad X are an excellent way to dive into MIDI controllers without financial barriers to entry, while still getting professional-quality equipment.
3. A pair of studio headphones
What is it?
Studio headphones are headphones designed for professional production work and have specific adjustments to fulfill this purpose.
Studio headphones differ from consumer and gaming headphones by their completely neutral sound balance. Essentially, studio headphones aim to emit sounds as “uncolored” as possible so producers can mix their tracks in the most effective way.
Without knowing how your song actually sounds, correcting tonal imperfections during mixing will only make it worse.
Why do you need it?
To listen to your projects while creating them, there are two main options: monitors and headphones.
For new producers, headphones are the more recommended option. Studio monitors require significant adjustments to achieve a clear sound, as their sound is affected by factors like the shape of the speaker, the room arrangement, and more.
This leaves headphones as the main choice for new producers.
What are some good options: Two key things to keep in mind are avoiding Bluetooth headphones and not focusing on “trendy” brands like Beats by Dre.
4. An audio interface (external sound card)
What is it?
Instruments that are not MIDI, like guitars or vocals, lack the universal connectivity of their counterparts. An audio interface is designed to solve this problem.
The easiest way to conceptualize an external sound card is that it acts as a bridge between traditional analog sounds and digital audio.
For example, if you wanted to record a guitar with a 1/4-inch jack and a microphone with XLR connections, you would need a two-channel audio interface to import the audio into your DAW.
Why do you need it?
When handling live instrumentation, a proper audio interface is needed to translate the acoustics into a digital audio file.
In a digital audio system, analog instruments like pianos or guitars are recorded as analog electrical signals, which are then converted into a digital audio signal. Depending on your needs, different audio interfaces will work better than others.
As a general rule, audio interfaces exponentially increase in price the more tracks you want to record at once. However, companies like Fireface offer audio interfaces that can handle more than 30 input channels.
5. A studio recording microphone
A studio microphone is a microphone designed to capture sound and later convert it into a digital signal. Studio microphones are fixed, wired microphones designed to capture audio in a studio environment, such as a recording booth.
Typical studio microphones are omnidirectional, meaning they capture audio in a three-dimensional sphere and can capture most types of audio, and cardioid microphones, which have heart-shaped sensitivity patterns to capture vocals and speech better.
Why do you need it?
If you’re new to digital music production, you might have prior musical training.
If you want to transfer those skills to your digital compositions, it’s essential to have the right studio recording microphone. There are ten generally accepted types of microphones, although two types make up most of the production market.
Condenser microphones use a diaphragm that vibrates to produce audio signals and have a flatter frequency response than dynamic microphones, but they capture audio evenly. Basically, you need to be careful with background noise if you choose a condenser microphone.
Dynamic microphones work by electromagnetic induction and are usually much cheaper and more durable than condenser microphones. Their durability and price make them ideal for stage performances and capturing audio in noisy environments.
Conclusions
Success in music production doesn’t happen overnight. However, if you’re already asking yourself, “how to make music?”, you are at the beginning of a great journey.
The most important thing new producers should remember is that practice makes perfect.
No one has used a DAW or synthesizer straight out of the box and created a masterpiece. Equipment helps, samples help, but consistency is key.
Constant iteration and improvement are the way to produce something truly great. If you find yourself stuck in a project, create a new one and try something different. The goal is to practice creativity by designing new sounds, samples, and loops for future use.
