MUSIC & AUDIO PRODUCTION CLASSES
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Music & audio production class FAQs
How do beginners start making music?
If you’re new to music and have never had a formal education or experience in this creative process or the music production business, there are many options from which to start. Like anything new, it requires persistence, dedication, motivation and time investment. But like any other creative field, making music doesn’t necessarily require becoming a professional. Once you get your recording gear together, you can start exploring music theory, learning the basics of songwriting, music production, setting up your recording area, understanding the creative process and developing your own workflow style. You’ll soon be learning and practicing recording and editing midis, mixing and mastering, plus learning about how to promote and monetize your talent.
What career paths can I take with music production classes?
If you want to explore your career options in music production, creativelive.com is the right place to find out about the music business and where your next steps might take you through the right training, networking and different ways to monetize your newly gained skills. Becoming an Audio Director (aka ‘Audio Designer’ or ‘Senior Sound Designer’) in the video gaming industry is very popular, but if you’re looking at entry level jobs, Boom Operator is one to check out. If you want to train more extensively and combine your technical skills with your ear for music, you can become a Mastering Engineer. And if you also have managerial and performing experience you can be a Music Editor. Roles such as Live Sound Engineer, Concert Technician, Mixing Engineer, Production Sound Mixer and Sound Editor are other popular options.
What do I need for music production classes?
Once you decide to enroll in music production classes, you’ll want to have certain equipment in place. Luckily, producing music no longer requires hiring a studio and investing in many gadgets, so it’s entirely possible to do it from the comfort of your own home with only a few essentials. As a start, a laptop capable of running music production software is a must, followed closely by a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), a software with which to edit, record and create tracks and a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) for composing. An audio interface hardware (to connect your audio equipment to your computer) and a good mic are also great to have.
What is music production?
If you can imagine all of the music you’ve ever heard as a recording on digital or other media, then you’ll know what a music producer does. The process of producing music involves the creation, capture (recording), manipulation and preservation of music so it can reach a big audience and be enjoyed and popularized. All music that has ever been recorded has gone through the music production process, which as a profession is both technical, but also highly creative. You’ll need to possess musical, listening, project management and leadership skills as well as be proficient in recording tech, have musical experience and be able to bring an artist’s vision into fruition to be promoted, distributed and enjoyed by many.
What skills will I learn in music production classes?
The main skill you’ll learn when you join a music production class is how to record and edit audio tracks as a pro. You’ll also learn about the creative side of songwriting, music composition, sound design, mixing, how to use MIDI and DAW and other necessary music production tools and software. Ultimately, you’ll be able to bring all the elements together and produce a complete mix. Depending on what class you take, it will let you gain specialist skills in producing different styles (e.g. house, drum n’ bass, hip-hop) or using different ways to bring your production to the next level by adding special effects such as sequencing, sampling and others.
Which is the best software for music production?
There’s no one software that is best for all music production purposes, so it really depends on what you’ll be using it for and what your budget is, as well as how much you’ll be doing especially if you’re just a beginner in this business. But even the most experienced musician needs the proper tools and software to record and produce a great track so your choice matters. Pro Tools (which has become the industry standard for DAWs and best overall software for music production) and Ableton (great for DJs, EDMs and any electronic beat-makers) are usually the top two runners in any chart, followed closely by the most affordable, Logic Pro, with the X version being much more slimmed down and suitable for most budgets.
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PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER, SUNSET ENTHUSIAST & CREATIVELIVE INSTRUCTOR, ART WOLFE