HOW TO BECOME A MUSIC PRODUCER
Here’s a little known fact…
There are over 22 million songs uploaded to Spotify every year.
Seems like a lot right?
A large chunk of these songs are uploaded by everyday people who have a passion for creating their own music. Like myself, I’ve had the ability to showcase my music to the world! Anyone with a phone can log onto their favorite streaming platform and listen to my music with the touch of a button. Given the age of technology and rapid pace of the world, it’s becoming more and more accessible for anyone to create and post their music. Even recording a voice memo and posting directly to Spotify: which is exactly what Chloe George did. You have the tools and capabilities to kickstart your music career.
You might ask yourself… How do I get started?
The process of creating music from scratch can seem like a daunting task. From recording yourself sing/rap to creating an instrumental that sounds good can be a painstaking and frustrating experience: welcome to being a musician ;). With the rise of home studios (aka bedroom studios), there are hundreds of applications, tools, and programs aimed to making music production as painless as possible. Here are the ones I recommend you check out:
*these are all suggestions assuming you have a computer, DAW, and a decent pair of headphones!
Splice ($9.99. per month, offers 100 free credits)
For anyone interested in music, Splice is a MUST. The array of samples from various well-known creators, weekly music production articles, and easy-to-use desktop application makes it a no brainer. Each month you are given credits that can be used to download samples and presets from some of your favorite producers and artists. Regardless of what genre you produce, Splice is an essential asset to any producer since it can kickstart a project by giving you inspiration through its sounds. My personal favorite packs are from the That Sound series and any of the Sounds of KSHMR packs.
While there are other sample-based subscription services like Loopcloud, Noiiz, and Sounds, Splice has been able to dominate this space as it continues to evolve and cater to the everyday music producer. I would still recommend checking out Splice’s competitors to see if you prefer one service over the other. Not to mention they all offer free trials - the more free sounds the better!
Serum ($189, offers educational discounts)
For those interested in making hip-hop or EDM, Serum should be the first software synth you buy. For those who don’t know, software synths are virtual instruments that allow you to create sounds you can use in your beats and songs. Think of a piano that can play any instrument that you can make!
While Serum is on the pricier side for people just starting out, Splice offers a “Rent to Own” program where you can pay a monthly amount instead of a one-time payment. After your monthly payments have paid the full amount, you own the synth! No strings attached.
Given Serum’s impact in the music producer community, it’s highly unlikely that this synth will become outdated, which is great news! There are tons of sound designers and producers creating preset packs for Serum that you can download and use to introduce yourself to the infinite possibilities of Serum. I would highly recommend checking out some presets by Oversampled and XLNTSOUND - really solid for those interested in EDM/Dance music.
Native Instruments Kontakt Start (FREE)
Native Instruments is a keystone for anyone creating music. Need a real guitar sound? Native Instruments has it. Need a Japanese-sounding harp that sounds like it’s from Tekken? Native Instruments has it. This introductory Kontakt Start offers some decent software synths and organic instruments you can utilize in your production. The Kontakt Player that’s included can be used to resample and play user-generated instruments as well! Think of it like the Ableton Sampler with internet access.
The other reason is that Kontakt is very good at replicating real instruments and giving access to hundreds of them with a few clicks. The only other library that I’ve used that’s been close is Omnisphere (which is $500!). I’ve found myself using Kontakt more often due to its versatility and the organic sounds it provides.
NOW YOU HAVE THE TOOLS…
I would highly recommend learning and using one tool before moving onto the next one. This prevents confusion and can allow you to discover parts of the tool you might’ve not found. Starting off with Kontakt and Splice will provide you with everything to get started! Serum can be a difficult tool to master so start small! Downloading and sorting the new sounds and synths you’ve obtained only does so much, it’s time to start creating!
