5 Easy (But Effective) Steps to Mastering Music Production

Music Making is in our DNA

From The Beatles to Dr. Dre to Beyonce, musical artists and producers have always been at the apex of popular culture. But the art form of music-making goes much deeper than mere popularity. Indeed, many artists will describe their desire to make music as something innate and irrepressible. Only, where the aforementioned artists made their way into the industry with studio backing, in the modern music business, artists like Billie Eilish can emerge from nowhere, garnering impressive followings by simply releasing their home recorded music independently online.

Broadly speaking, we are now in an era in which artists can produce, record, and release music completely solo, without the need for studio backing or extensive education. With the rise of computers, DAWs, and endless amounts of software, music production has never been more accessible.

So how should you get started?

1. Get Started: Pick a Genre

Before getting started, it might be worth considering what type of music you’d like to create. Of course, this is not a check-box exercise and more a natural process in which a producer simply delves into the style or genre that they feel most drawn to. Additionally, one’s genre can change and develop in line with their interests. Indeed, many major artists have enjoyed critical acclaim by fusing genres together. That being said, the genre you choose will probably have some bearing on the equipment and software you should buy.

For example, if you’re an aspiring hip-hop producer, after choosing the right DAW, you may want to buy some drum pads, a keyboard, and a good sampler. Alternatively, if you want to make rock music, you’ll want some guitars, some real drums, a home studio set-up, and a recording-oriented DAW.

2. The Tools you Need

Computer
For any aspiring producer, a computer has become a vital requirement. For everything from production to publishing to promotion to collaboration, your computer will be your primary piece of kit.

DAW
A DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation. In other words, it’s a digital space through which one can produce, record, mix, and master music. If the computer is an easel, consider the DAW a canvas. However, how do you pick the right DAW? Each DAW will be slightly more suitable for different types of music. For example, Ableton Live is preferred by hip-hop and electronic producers while Logic Pro is widely used by producers who utilize recorded instrumentation. Though many of these DAWs cost a substantial amount of money, there is a free online DAW called Bandlab.

Audio Interface
An audio interface is a fairly small box that acts as the connecting hub through which most elements of your music production will run. They will usually contain MIDI ports (for your MIDI devices), audio outputs (for your monitor speakers), audio inputs (for guitars, basses, etc.), microphone XLR inputs (for your microphones), and a USB input (for your computer). You also have controls for the audio input volume and for the audio output volume. You’ll want to choose an audio interface according to the complexity of your setup. If you want to record lots of instruments at once with their own inputs, you will need an interface with many audio inputs. For beatmakers and electronic artists, an interface with just two should suffice. When you go to your audio settings in your DAW, you will want to choose your audio interface as your output and input device.

Headphones or Monitor Speakers
Music production requires an enormous amount of listening back to your own work. Producers go through an often-strenuous cycle of composing, recording, re-recording, tweaking, and listening back that can be incredibly tiring. Thus, in order to hear the intricacies of your sound—and to avoid a crippling headache—producers will need either a pair of headphones or some high-quality studio monitors (or speakers). Try and avoid the bad habit of listening through computer speakers.

Microphone
This is not a universal necessity but if you are a singer or would like to record acoustic instrumentation in your compositions, you will need a microphone. These can come in many shapes. Large diaphragm condenser mics are used for vocals while pencil mics are suitable for quiet instrumentation. Dynamic mics are less sensitive and thus suited to louder surroundings (i.e. a live concert or a very loud singer). Finally, ribbon microphones are occasionally used to create a vintage, warm sound. Unfortunately, these are particularly rare and expensive.

3. Find your musical voice

Often you will hear musicians and producers talk about "finding their voice." Though this is usually a slow and ill-defined process, many would describe it as the period of musical experimentation and exploration that precedes the discovery of their own unique style. Thus, for young producers, it’s worth experimenting and continually producing until you find a sound that feels like your own.

4. Record Music

How to Make Music with DAW Software
After choosing a DAW, you will now have to learn the ins and outs of the software. This is made easier by utilizing the help tool available on most DAWs. Familiarising oneself with the interface might include watching YouTube tutorial videos, reading online guides, and more generally, playing around with the myriad features of the application. Indeed, often it’s a long period of trial and error before attaining the desired level of fluency.

To record your first piece of audio, you will have to choose an audio or MIDI input for an instrumental track (usually arranged in rows), press record and then perform your tune. After this specific track is recorded, you may want to edit it, apply effects to it, and adjust the intricacies of its sound. Some of these details will be outlined below.

Mixing
Mixing refers to the adjustment, optimization, and fine-tuning of the levels of each track within a larger composition. In other words, in order to achieve a professional sound, you’ll want to make sure that each track’s levels are mixed properly (i.e. the drums aren’t too loud, the bass guitar’s low-end isn’t too muddy, the vocals aren’t too thin). It’s essentially the technical side of music production. Along with metrics like volume, mixing also encompasses equalization (the levels of certain frequencies), compression (the adjustment of the high and low extremes of volume), and even stereo pan (the distribution of the sound across a stereo output).

EQ
Equalization, or EQing, refers to the process of adjusting the volume of a specific frequency within a track’s sound. For example, sometimes the bass guitar can emit such a strong low-end tone that the bass sound becomes distorted and muddy. If you’d like to avoid this, a producer can adjust the lower “bands” of their EQ plugin in order to lessen the impact of that frequency. Similarly, often producers, mixers, and audio technicians will cut out or turn down certain frequencies that have a harsh, distracting tone.

Compressor
A compressor is a useful tool for adjusting the extremities of a track’s volume. In short, if some parts of a track are too quiet the compressor can boost them and if some parts are too loud it can dampen them. Compressors allow the user to define certain values. I.e. what is too much or too little, how aggressive the effect should be, and a variety of other more detailed controls. This is a worthwhile tool for achieving a professional sound without distracting shifts in volume. On the other hand, overuse of the compressor can cause an instrument’s sound to become flat and characterless.

Reverb
Another means of adding character to a track is by using a reverb. Reverb, short for reverberation, is an effect that allows the sound to ring out over a longer period of time, as if being played in a wide, reflective space. Though this was historically achieved using the acoustic dynamics of any given recording space, now we have software plugins that allow the producer to fine-tune their reverbs. This enables precise control over the attack, decay, and tone of the reverberation. Reverb can be used to give a spacey feel or to subtly introduce a feeling of live performance.

Sampling
Sampling refers to the process of using elements of pre-existing songs and repurposing them into your track. For fans of hip-hop or electronic music, sampling will be a familiar art form. If you are interested in using some legal and affordable samples, take a look at Tracklib’s library.

Finessing The Mix
The aforementioned process of mixing is often done while producing the rest of the track. In other words, the producer will be constantly tweaking the levels of each track while making a song. However, once the song is fully recorded, it’s worth taking another look at the mix. Now, without the distraction of composition or recording, the producer can focus on the finer details of the sound. “Finessing the mix” encompasses a wide range of techniques including compression and EQing.

Mixdown, export, and share
The "mixdown" refers to the conversion of your multitracks into a single stereo file. Once you have this final track you can continue to make slight edits to the sound. You’ll then want to export the mix to an audio file outside of your DAW. These are usually MP3s, AIFFs, or WAVs. Finally, you have the option of sharing this finalized and exported track through a variety of streaming platforms.

5. Master Your Craft

Mastering is the final step in the music production process and the last chance to edit the sound of your mixed-down and exported track. This will usually involve techniques like EQing, compression, and limiting. In addition, audio technicians may make small edits to the audio file, and iron out any kinks in the track. In short, it’s a way of preparing and polishing your audio files to prepare them for distribution.

Bonus: Music Production Tips

Best practices for music production at home
Below are a few helpful practices for home music production. For more tips and tricks, check out our extensive rundown.

Position Your Speakers Correctly
As a general rule, the position of your two studio monitors should form an equilateral triangle with your average head position. In addition, as lower frequencies tend to spread out and higher frequencies are more directional, you’ll want your speakers to point at your head. If you get this wrong, you may hear excessive bass and not enough treble.

Avoid Ear Fatigue
After listening to the same track over and over again, many producers become numb to the intricacies of the sound. Thus, if you’re in a deadlock, take regular breaks to let your ears return to their normal capabilities.

Don’t Rely On Gear
Remember: music always starts with the ideas and execution of the producer. No amount of gear will make good music. Instead, plugins, equipment, and music software should be used as tools in your expression, not an end in and of themselves.

Produce As Much As Possible
This is enormously important. Like with any activity, practice is the central principle. In order to improve as a musician, an audio technician, and a producer, it’s vital to produce as much as possible on a regular basis. It might be helpful to set a goal or a daily target. For example, some beat makers have tried to make a beat every day. Tracklib’s Discord Community offers Chop Up Challenges and a Random Record Challenge to keep honing your skills on the regular.

Don’t Rush to Publishing Your Music
This is a principle that many amateur producers may wish they’d heard earlier. It’s easy to think that your finished songs are immediately worth spreading online. Instead, it might be worth practicing and keeping your first tracks to yourself until you feel 100% confident in your work. It’s often years before a producer achieves a “professional” sound.

Keep Your Tracks Simple
There is an understandable impulse for producers to overcomplicate and strive for a maximalist sound. But there is also value in keeping things simple, allowing the power of a simple melody or texture to take center stage without excessive ornamentation.

Sit on Your Music Before Uploading
Before publishing or uploading your work, it’s always worth taking a break and coming back to your track with fresh ears. Often producers will make numerous improvements after taking a break and returning to their production.

Get Other People to Listen to Your Music
A second pair of ears is a vital part of music production. As a producer, you can often get so immersed in your own musical ideas that you fail to see if they truly work. Thus, having a trusted, honest listener to give their opinion is a necessity.

Submit Your Music to Royalty-Free Sites
Royalty free sites are licensing websites that allow customers to use royalty-free music for their videos, films, advertisements, and such. The artists who contribute music to the site’s library retain ownership of the track (you can still publish the music independently) but are paid when the track is downloaded by customers. Thus, sites like Artlist, AudioJungle, or PremiumBeat are a neat way for artists to make some extra money.

Final Thoughts on Music Production for Commercial Use

The eternal problem for all creatives is how to monetize their work. There are a variety of ways, but most will take time, effort, and perseverance before making substantial money. Firstly, artists can release music to streaming platforms and earn money through streaming revenue. Secondly, you can submit your music to royalty-free sites like the aforementioned Artlist. And finally, you can sell your tracks on sites like BeatStars and decide your own prices. Keep in mind to always clear the samples you use if you want to sell beats, though.

Ultimately, there is no quick and easy way of making money through producing music. It can be a long and arduous process before making a sufficient income. But with practice, patience, perseverance, and time, skilled producers can earn a living by making music.