Music production is one of those dream jobs that everyone wishes they could have. You get to make music for a living, and millions of people listen to the songs you’ve worked on.
But becoming a music producer isn’t easy. There are tons of incredibly talented people trying to break into the industry and only a few ever succeed.
This insider guide breaks down how to become a music producer and what music production is really about. We’ll explore what producers do, the skills you’ll need to hone, and the concrete steps to get your music production career launched.
What exactly is a music producer?
A music producer oversees the creation of music – this includes everything from defining the vision of a piece of music, to recording, to mastering the track.
Music producers are very similar to movie directors. They take a bird’ s-eye view, guiding the performers toward the artistic vision for each piece of music.
Another way to think of music producers is that they’re like the coaches of the music business.
They watch over the recording process, provide guidance to the musicians, and offer their opinions about how songs are recorded and mixed.
What does a music producer do?
Music producers have to play many roles, and the job can look very different from project to project.
Traditionally, there are two kinds of music producers.
The Executive Producer manages the logistics and finances. They’re in charge of renting recording studios, hiring the right people, and managing schedules.
On the other hand, the Creative Producer is responsible for taking the artist’s musical vision and delivering a piece of music that realizes it.
However, it isn’t uncommon for producers to play both of these roles. And because of technological advancenment, many people now become their own music producers (as well as being the artist).
Here are some examples of roles you might play as a music producer:
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- Songwriting and composition. Music producers often recommend changes to the composition and contribute their songwriting skills before recording begins.
- Hiring musicians. Depending on the project, a music producer may have to hire performers to record the music or fill in parts not covered by the band.
- Recording. Music producers manage the tracking schedule and workflow. They also listen in on recording sessions, make adjustments where necessary, and provide feedback where neccessary.
- Sound design and editing. Many music producers work with sound engineers to manage the technical aspects of recording. They explain the sound they want and work with the recording engineer to make it happen.
- Mixing and mastering. Once recorded, music producers collaborate with mastering engineers to finalize how the piece is mixed and mastered into a final, sellable product.
- Distribution and licensing. Some music producers are also involved in creating artwork, making marketing material to promote the music to their target audience, and managing the legal side of things.
- Live music staging. Music producers might also be involved with the look and feel of a performance, overseeing the live music staging and execution.
What if I can’t play instruments? Can I still be a successful producer?
A record producer doesn’t need to have a formal degree in music production or a related field, such as music performance, music theory, or audio engineering to be successful. In fact, you don’t even need to know how to play a musical instrument.
But you do need is a deep understanding of the tools used to produce music and how to use them to achieve your artistic vision.
In other words, you don’t need to know music theory, but it helps a lot if you are a vocalist or at least have a musical ear and can play a bit of an instrument like the piano.
You also have to know how to work with musicians and direct them where they need to go.
In fact, many beat producers (like Diddy) don’t play instruments and have created incredibly successful career paths in music production.
Here’s a list of steps you can take to become a music producer:
- Train your ears and learn the fundamentals of music composition
- Learn an instrument (or multiple)
- Get a digital audio workstation (DAW) and learn how to use it
- Create a home studio (or hire one)
- Learn how to mix audio
- Network with other musicians
- Go to “music school” and take a music production course or get a Bachelor’s degree in music
- Take an internship to gain experience and improve your production skills
How much money can a music producer make?
Music producer salaries range from around $50,000-60,000 a year. Of course, this is an average. Some superstar producers earn millions, and an untold number of aspiring producers haven’t ever earned money from their music.
Generally speaking, there are four tiers of music producer:
- Top producers. These are some of the hottest music producers like MetroBoomin and Zaytoven. Producers at this level can command upwards of $100,000 per beat.
- Mid-career producers. This includes music producers who regularly get music placements, licensing deals, and earn royalties plus a flat fee for their beats. Producers at this level might charge $10,000 per beat – this is still very good! Typically, these producers will be signed to publishing companies or record labels.
- Early career producers. These are producers that are still trying to get on the scene. Generally, they’ll be working hard to make sales and get hired for projects and may try to make money via channels like Clickfunnels or YouTube views. Producers at this level might make $50,000 in a good year.
- Unknown producers. This includes everyone who is yet to make a sale. They’re generally lost and don’t know where to go or how to make money. Unfortunately, this makes up the vast majority of producers.
How to monetize your career as a music producer
There are many ways to make money as a music producer, but they all take hard work and dedication to succeed.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to make money just by selling beats these days. You need to think about all the other revenue streams you can create.
Take Gabe Schillinger as an example. He’d had a pretty successful decade working a music producer job. He’d even worked with people like Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar – but he was still broke.
So, he founded the online music production business, Legion Beats, and became one of the first industry professionals to pull off a six-figure launch in this space.
Here are a few ways you can make money as a music producer:
- Selling beats through online marketplaces
- Selling beats direct-to-consumer via your website or social media
- Buying ads on social media to attract new customers
- Getting newsletter opt-ins and trying to upsell through email sequences and offers
- Making affiliate revenue by doing beat tutorials on YouTube and plugging product placements
- Teaching music production online or in-person
- Subscribership to your special access community (for example, through Patreon)
- Get sponsored by audio production companies, software, and plugin makers
How much should you charge for a beat?
As a beat maker, what you charge can depend on:
- The music genre – different genres like Hip Hop and electronic music can pay differently
- Whether you’re an independent music producer or work for a company
- Who you work with
- How famous you are and how popular your other work has been
Here’s a general guideline if you’re just getting started:
If you’re selling exclusive beats (only one person or company can use it), you can charge more – somewhere in the range of $500 to $1,000 if you’re selling them online. For non-exclusive licensing, the range is usually from $30 to $200.
Do music producers need to get signed? Or is it better to stay independent?
Getting signed to a music publishing company or record label gives you access to resources that can help you become successful quicker.
But, getting signed is extremely rare these days – and the irony is that you need to already be popular to get a publisher to take a chance on you.
On the other hand, independent music producers have more control and ownership over their work and have more freedom to do what they like.
They also have the potential to earn much more, since they won’t need to share profits with a publisher.
However, it’ll likely take much longer to become popular as an independent producer.
At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong answer to this question – you need to choose what’s best for you.
The role of music publishers
When you’re signed to a music publisher, it’s their job to make sure you’re properly compensated for your work.
A music publisher will:
- Make sure your work is properly registered and copyrighted
- Help you negotiate and land synchronization deals and higher royalty rates
- Do the administrative work like collecting sync royalties and registering music
- Promote your music to the public
The trade-off is that the publisher will take a fixed percentage of any royalties that are generated through your music.
You’ll also lose some control over where and how your music gets published.
The role of record labels
Music producers can either be signed to a record company or work independently (or do a bit of both).
When you’re signed to a record label, it’s their job to handle the distribution and promotion of your music. They’ll do this in return for taking some ownership of your music – usually 50%.
Usually, it’s the more notable music producers that are signed to labels. For example, Timbaland was signed to Roc Nation, Epic, Interscope, and more before starting Mosley Music (his own label).
But these days, it’s more likely that a record label will hire an independent music producer on a contractual basis.
For example, you might be hired by the label on a project-by-project basis to help artists create music.
You’ll have a separate contract that lays out how you’ll be compensated for this work – either a set fee or a royalty contract.
This is why many music producers start their own labels and promote the artists they work with.
The role of performance rights organizations (PROs)
The role of PROs is to protect your copyrighted songs once they’re written and released to the public. They also collect and distribute certain types of royalties.
There are many PROs, but the three most popular are:
- The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). ASCAP represents over 700,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with a catalog of over 11 million songs.
- Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). With over 800,000 members and 15 million compositions, BMI is the largest PRO on the market today.
- The Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC). While ASCAP and BMI are non-profits, SESAC is a for-profit organization. They retain part of the royalties you collect. They also don’t have an open membership – you have to be selected.
Choosing between these is a personal matter. They all offer very similar services and benefits. For example, ASCAP is famous for hosting great events and providing discounts to its members.
Ways music producers can help upcoming artists
When you’re working with an aspiring music producer, there are plenty of things you can do to streamline the production process:
- Create a supportive atmosphere
- Write catchy hooks and lyrics for potential hit songs
- Help the artist fine-tune their lyrics
- Give hands-on advice on flow and delivery
- Help the artist choose the best beats and instrumentals
- Provide constructive feedback on lyrics, melodies, chord progressions, and beats
- Promote their work and play a part in its distribution
- Introduce them to some key contacts
- Be a fan and support their work
What kind of equipment do I need to be successful?
These days, it’s pretty easy to get started in music production. You no longer need a $25,000 budget – you can create a decent home studio for an investment of about $1,000.
Here’s the fundamental equipment you’ll need:
- Computer. Every audio recording software needs a computer to run. Today’s digital producers often use a digital synthesizer alongside their laptops. These synths allow you to experiment with different chords and discover new melodies and beats. You can then record and edit these creations directly on your computer. Many people choose MacBooks because of their performance, reliability, and the available software.
- Digital Audio Workstation. DAWs are the software you use to edit, record, and create music files. This includes Cubase, ProTools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and FL Studio. If you’re on a tight budget, you can get started for free on Garageband.
- MIDI Controller. These are the devices that help you make music in your DAW. Many people prefer small digital keyboard synthesizers like the Arturia Minilab MKII.
- Audio interface. Audio interfaces let you connect your instruments (like guitars and vocals) to your DAW. A popular example is the Apollo Twin MKII interface from Universal Audio.
- Headphones. Quality studio headphones help you listen to the intricacies of the music you’re making. You’ll need something designed for music, like Audio-Technica’s ATH-M30x.
How do I find artists to work with?
Once you’ve developed your skills as a producer, it’s time to find artists to work with. The trick is to be constantly putting yourself out there in every way possible.
Here are a few ideas:
- Create a personal website to attract clients
- Use social media to connect with like-minded artists
- Network at events and meetups
- Go to local gigs where musicians are performing
- Use online marketplaces
- Put ads online
How do I market myself online as a music producer?
It’s not easy to become a professional music producer because it takes a long time to build the skills and relationships necessary for a successful music career. Music is a complex art that requires a lot of practice, and the music industry is notoriously difficult to break into.
Here are some ways to get people to notice you:
- Social media. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are incredibly important for music producers – and they’re free. The video format is the latest and greatest thing, and posting to these platforms can get your music the views you need to succeed.
- Learn SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) is what gets your content to pop up on the first page of Google. Learning how to hack the algorithm with your website and social media content is the first step to blowing up.
- Be creative. You need to use creative strategies to make yourself more visible. You could remix popular songs, do beat “tear downs”, or make stitched collaborations on Instagram and TikTok. A great example is K Quick where he makes beats on the spot.
- Collaborate. Pursuing collaborations with other musicians and producers is a great way to expand your fanbase. One great way to do this is to get featured on popular YouTube channels that showcase up-and-coming music producers.
- Distribute your music properly. Make sure your music is out there in places people can find it – think YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, and so on.
Taking the next step toward your career in music
Making a career in music isn’t easy or fast, but if it’s your passion it’s a worthwhile goal to work toward.
It takes around 3-10 years to develop the skillset you need to become a successful music producer. The more time you spend learning music production each day, the faster you’ll reach the professional levels required for a music career.
You don’t need expensive recording equipment or training to get started. The key is consistency and dedication to learning all the different aspects of music production and perfecting your craft.