Music production is not a single ability, but rather a set of abilities that must be practiced and refined through time. For a variety of reasons, learning music production takes a long time. There are several techniques and talents that must be learned via repetition rather than theory. Furthermore, training your ears takes time, especially when learning to mix and master your music.
It takes an average of 4-6 years to perfect music production to the point where you can produce to a professional grade. This time is determined by the number of hours you put in each day, as well as any relevant experience or abilities you may already have.
Time Management
A long-term goal is beneficial since it offers you something to strive towards. It’s okay to set a goal of becoming a signed artist in five years, but you’ll need to break it down into reasonable portions to see how you’re going.
Set a short-term goal, such as learning a new synth in one month or uploading your first completed music to Soundcloud in three months.
Goals should be quantifiable, attainable, and time-bound. Make a checklist or spreadsheet for yourself and pin it in your studio area to visibly track your progress.
Making time for music creation might be difficult with many conflicting demands. One solution is to schedule a regular fixed period each day or week when you may focus completely on work. Remember to be in a setting with as few distractions as possible. You should consider investing in some good-quality production headphones to help you focus only on your mix.
Make sure you spend time practicing all of the main abilities of music production, from early melody creation to the final mix. If you don’t, you will be leaving significant holes in your expertise, which will prevent you from becoming a great music producer.
Listening to your favorite performers may be a tremendous source of inspiration. Try to imitate a lead synth or bass sound in your DAW. Watching producing YouTube videos or listening to podcasts may also help you get your creative juices flowing.
The Fast Route
The fast route would require you to get committed. This means scheduling in time for producing and learning and sticking to it. You will learn more with each new song or session you complete, and if have a consistent time to work on music production and watch tutorials, you’ll advance very rapidly.
But repetition alone is not enough. You need to be intentional about it. Try figuring out your weak points and set aside time to master those specific areas.
Although not required, having a rudimentary understanding of keys, scales, and chords will greatly enhance your efficiency. Knowing why a note or chord sounds wrong in your recording, for example, will save you time and effort attempting to fix the problem.
Understanding the melodic structure and rhythms that drive your favorite artist’s work can enable you to create memorable melodies and percussion far faster than simply clicking random notes in your DAW until something sounds decent.
The Takeaway
How fast you learn music production really just depends on how much time and intentional practice you put in. With all the right elements in place, along with commitment, you can learn the fundamentals of music production in even a month.
