So you’ve been inspired by the wonder of electronic music and now wish to start crafting your own tracks. Learning to produce is a journey that many set out on but few complete, more often than not due to the lack of instant results which can be a direct result of some very common beginner mistakes.
In this article, we’ll take you through some music production tips for beginners that all newbie producers should avoid. These top producer tips will help you to stay focused, motivated, and on the right path in the early days your studio life.
Manage Your Expectations
Producer tip number one. CHILL. Producing electronic music is an art and takes a great deal of time to master. Whilst some might get success quicker than others when it comes to tackling the basic components, there are years of learning ahead. Those that are lucky to have experienced success have generally been at the top of their game for decades. They have literally lived in the studio for years, and are continually adapting their methods in order to remain relevant.
Remember that music production software packages are full of features, sounds, samples, and techniques to learn and use that will all seem overwhelming at first.
Don’t fret, you will slowly start to work out which things work for you and the sound you’re creating.
Be prepared for a long and steady learning curve rather than instant overnight success.
Running Before You Can Walk
It’s easy to get excited and carried away as you set out into the production world. You will feel the need to want every bit of the production kit and try every DAW, plugin, and sample pack known to mankind! When you feel this happen, just remember to slow down. The key is to really go deep into one DAW and get to understand how it works fully.
If you start spreading yourself too thin you will soon come unstuck and
Less is definitely more when it comes to your early production days. Definitely focus on getting a few sounds working together rather than, as we said earlier, trying to use every single plugin, sample and automation going. Not only will it make the initial learning experience more digestible and enjoyable for you, but the final sound you create will also be far cleaner and crisper as a result.
Take the same approach when it comes to channel management. Keep it simple. Each different sound in a track will require a new channel. Keeping multiple hi-hats, synths, basslines, vocals, and melodies organized will certainly make studio life far easier for you. Especially for newbie producers.
It’s another common reason that producers lose their drive to learn to do simple things well before taking on more advanced challenges.
Using Low-Quality Monitor Speakers
Music production is now a lot more accessible than it used to be. You can pick up decent entry-level equipment for production at affordable prices. There is no need to buy expensive analog synths and drum machines thanks to the incredible and intuitive Digital Audio Workstations (DWAs) that are now available.
The same can be said for keyboards.
There are dozens of lower-end models which will do you just fine during your initial baptism into music production. This will help to reduce the financial outlay where needed.
However, the one essential purchase that we recommend investing in is your monitor speakers.
There’s no point in producing sound and beats if the studio speaker you’re listening to them is not delivering the correct out sounds that are dominant in a particular frequency. Or monitor speakers that can’t maintain sound quality and distort at higher volume levels.
Get Proper Feedback
Probably the scariest producer tip out there, but a big one! When you’re working on a track for days or even weeks on end it can be very easy to become blinkered.
As you are so involved with the sound you are producing, self-analyzing what works and what doesn’t in a new track can actually be a super hard thing to do.
It is essential to get feedback on your latest efforts from outside of your friendship circle. This is critical if you’re aiming to improve as a producer, particularly when you’re just beginning to learn these skills..
Yes, it can be daunting and it is totally understandable that new producers are scared of criticism from people they don’t know. Trust us, you just have to be brave in this one.
A good way of doing this is to create a SoundCloud account on your studio computer. You’ll be able to engage with an entire community of DJs, producers, and electronic music fans. Ask them to listen to your latest production work. Also, reach out to the smaller record labels. Many try to listen to everything they’re sent and, quite possibly, will return some sort of feedback for you to consider. The worst that will happen is that they won’t reply at all, so there’s really nothing to lose by reaching out.
Do not Use Using Low-Quality Samples
Take note of this producer tip! This is a big no-no. Ripping low-quality samples from YouTube videos, Mixcloud and Soundcloud will potentially lead to a shockingly low level of sound quality, particularly at higher volumes. Yes, we’ve all done it, but carrying poor quality samples through into a finished track will ultimately weaken the standard of the whole and NOT go unnoticed.
There are also copyright legalities involved too and ripping music is just not cool. We recommend playing these types of files only:
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● .MP3
● .WAV
● .WL.MP3
● .ALAC/.FLAC
● .OGG
● .AAC
● .AIF
Do not SPAM. Ever.
Do not do this. It just looks rubbish and people will block you straight away. It’s simply not cool and certainly not professional. It is bordering on desperate if I am to be brutally honest.
Do not spam people via message or in the comments section on social media threads. Please, do not be that person. The internet will remember you. You are far better off actually communicating with people by showing an interest in them, their work, and building positivity.
Create relationships. By investing time into relationship building within the industry, the people that matter are far more likely to listen to your work and give you the time of day. You might even make some new lifelong friends from the process. I know I have.
Releasing Tracks Prematurely
It can be very tempting to start playing out a new track before it is fully finished. We get that you are excited and want everyone to hear it, especially if you have a big gig looming but do think twice.
You must ensure it’s been properly mastered and leveled. That can potentially make a huge difference in how other DJs perceive your work. A track with poor samples, as previously discussed will quickly get revealed in a mix over the top of a properly mastered track.
You don’t want to get egg on your face. In short, take time in finishing and mastering your tracks properly.
Come Up For Fresh Air
Spending too much time in one studio sitting working on a track can ultimately be massively detrimental to a creative flow. Do not be that producer who boasts of making ten tracks in a week! Where are those tracks now? Probably still on a hard drive somewhere completely forgotten about.
It will astonish you many times you’ll walk from the studio, only to come back and instantly spot areas of the track that need a tweak, improvement, or even an overhaul.
It is a very common practice for producers to lay down the bare bones of a tune, only to then leave it for days, weeks, months, or even years. Just don’t get into the destructive habit of overproducing and becoming a studio gremlin.
Again, just slow down. Also, don’t overdo studio time. This too is super counterproductive. Give your ears a break, your eyes some sunlight, and your body some quality nutrition regularly. You will be surprised how much you will benefit from doing that regularly.
Producer Tips: Summary
I hope that some of these producer tips will come in handy. They are pretty logical and will potentially make your life in the studio a little more relaxed/What works for one producer will not necessarily work for another. Producers are unique creatures. I think it is pretty safe to say that if you follow these simple guidelines you’ll save yourself an awful lot of time and energy in your studio adventures.
Good luck with your next tune! And remember, just take it slowly. Relax.
