Learning to produce music can be done anywhere and in many different ways. You can teach yourself on YouTube, buy production courses, take lessons, go to university, or figure out another way to educate yourself. The music industry is constantly changing and evolving and the best way to keep up to speed with everything is to be self driven in educating yourself whether that’s in school or on your own. Let’s break this down a little bit.
Learning Music Production In University Vs. On Your Own
Is formal education necessary to be a successful music producer? The short answer: NO! I have plenty of colleagues who have had successful careers in music production regardless of how they educated themselves. Many of my colleagues have gone the university route and say that looking back it was good for learning technical mastery, but not 100% necessary to learn how to produce music. University is good for networking and skills development, but it’s not absolutely necessary to have a successful career.
So Spike, why go to university then?
University exposes you to new styles of music that you otherwise wouldn’t choose to learn on your own. It’s great for connecting you with people who are at the same stage of your career as you are, as well as others who are actively working in the field of music. You’ll have a huge pool of professionals to learn from and to make connections with. The problem with that, though, is 99% of people who go to university don’t take advantage of having access to hundreds of industry professionals. We get it! It’s hard work to put in hours outside of classes and homework investing in a career that can feel lucrative and distant. University is a great opportunity to advance your career ahead a few years, but you have to put in the work to educate yourself!
That sounds great! I’m sold! But wait… what’s the downside to all of this?
Well… in addition to racking up a bunch of student debt, university only teaches you how to function in an organised educational environment. It doesn’t prepare you for the chaos of the real world. A majority of music schools will teach you everything you need to know about advanced music theory, modal interchange, serialism, and a bunch of other fancy words that you’ll forget the moment you graduate, but they won’t teach you how to form a business around yourself.
University will show you how to be a great freelancer, but it won’t show you how to be a good entrepreneur.
University will show you how to play really cool sounding fusion jazz, but it won’t teach you how to make simple songs that connect with your audience.
These are things you’ll need to teach yourself or find a business mentor to teach you. Being a music producer doesn’t just mean that you make art all day. There’s a business side to it as well, and university won’t teach you that. A good mentor will help you set and reach goals as well as teach you peripheral skills that you’ll need to be successful.
So What Do I Do About It?
If you decide to go to university, find a two year program that focuses solely on music. This program should have a major that emphasizes the field you want to go into, but also exposes you to other fields and genres (who knows, you might decide you really like techno polka and completely revamp your life goals!). Also, choose a program that works for you and don’t worry about if it’s accredited or not. In all my years of doing music and producing for clients, not once have I been asked for my university degree. If you go to university, choose a program for its practical benefits, not what it’s going to say on your degree.
What if I choose to teach myself?
Teaching yourself is a great option and the same principles apply. Find courses and mentors that will teach you practical skills and not suck your money into a black hole of obscurity. If you have any questions about this, I would love to help you find some good resources to educate yourself. You’ll need to cover a lot of different sides of your education
Technical Skills
Recording Skills
Arranging and Orchestration Skills
Business Skills
On top of that, music production should be the foundation of your career, but not the only thing you’re able to do. Learn how to become better at your instrument in addition to the production side of things. This will set you apart from a lot of other producers who only understand how to program music and not how to play it. Find musicians and producers you respect and take lessons from them. If you’re interested, I offer lessons at my studio and would love to hop on a call with you about helping you reach your goals! Overall, the biggest thing you can do to give yourself an edge is to pursue educating yourself in a holistic way. Listen hard to the stuff you enjoy, expose to stuff that you don’t enjoy, and challenge yourself constantly.
A Few Last Words For You
The industry is hard to navigate. Find a good mentor to help you develop yourself as an artist and producer; find a community to encourage and challenge you; and finally, start diving in and finding work immediately. You might not be amazing at what you want to be doing, but the fastest way to grow is to apply everything you learn practically. Working or collaborating with an artist who is making content at the same level as your production skills is the quickest way to learn how everything actually works and to level up your game as fast as possible!
