20 Music Production Tips You Should Know

1. CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE KEY IN WHICH YOU WRITTEN YOUR MUSIC.

Do not follow this advice if you want complete artistic independence. This advice isn’t necessary, especially if you’re just getting started with music production and experimenting with what you like and don’t like. In such situations, just concentrate on what sounds good and figure out where you need to improve. When you first start making music, experimenting is key, as is making music that you enjoy. Pay attention to your heart and create what you desire.

However, traveling musicians and anybody trying to put together a live performance with 100 percent unique songs, especially ones that mix effortlessly, may rapidly discover that not all of their music works together. This is at the top of our priority list — especially if you aren’t paying attention to the keys you’re using.

Hear me out: the more you create music in the same key, the simpler and more fluid your sets will become, as will your transitions. Not to mention that all of your kicks will be perfectly calibrated, and recycling specific components will be a breeze. Writing in complementary keys will provide melodic variety while yet flowing smoothly. When you begin to perform at gigs and festivals, keep this in mind while you compose music. More information about this may be found here.

2. TUNE YOUR KICKS/SNARES

It is essential to tune your drums as an instrument aficionado. The difference between a rhythm that seems like it belongs to a track, and one that sounds like a dying camel is actually rather minor. It has a lot to do with the Kick/Snare.

It’s not always about tuning the drums to the precise root note of your track, but rather about taking the effort to locate drum samples that go well with your music.

Learn more about mixing drums: 5 Tips for Drum Mixing You Need to Know

3. The music is created by the producer, not the equipment

Even with the greatest gear on the globe, a producer who doesn’t know what he’s doing won’t be able to make a golden sound. Even if a great producer is just given adequate equipment, he will still be able to create excellent outcomes.

What’s the point? New equipment will not improve your performance. First, practice your super-ninja manufacturing abilities! Learn how to use the equipment you have, as well as different mic methods, acoustics, and computer recording and mixing. Apply everything you’ve learned so far and tweak it as you go.

4. Garbage In, Garbage Out

You’ve undoubtedly heard of the ‘fix-it-in-the-mix’ mindset by now, and you’re presumably also aware that you should never think like that. Using a lot of effects or compressing a track to death at the mixing stage won’t give you the thick sound you want.

When you’re tracking, keep in mind to always write down what you’ll need. Yes, add some compression, but leave room in the mix for more afterwards. If you believe it’s necessary, eliminate some rumbling, but don’t delete the full sound.

What’s the point? When recording, always try to acquire the best signal possible. Don’t settle for mediocre results.

5. Review your first mixes

If you’re not pleased with what you’ve been making, several experts recommend going back to your initial mixes. It’s common to have hundreds of mixdown versions of a single track, and you’ll often find that the finest one is still the first—and that’s fine.

There are tools like Vollume Control that allow you to have all your music synced on all your devices, so it’s good to carry your music with you all the time so that you can check it out on different sound systems as references.

Also read: 3 tips to referencing your mix on multiple playback systems

6. Be receptive to comments and constructive criticism

Receiving frequent, dependable feedback on your music will be one of the most crucial aspects of honing your sound. Progress is incredibly difficult to achieve without that magical mix of input and real implementation. It’s difficult at first, but learn to not take constructive criticism personally. If someone writes “this sucks” on your social media, on the other hand, you have every right to troll them (but I would recommend ignoring them).

It is also important to send your tracks to a network of professionals you know and trust. Use Vollume Control to securely share your tracks with individuals and get comments on different parts of it.

7. Listen to a wide variety of music

Listening to music that isn’t related to your electrical expertise is not only beneficial, but also essential when it comes to maintaining your creativity and generating new ideas.

If electronic music isn’t inspired by a range of genres, it might become boring. It may even be tedious. Mix and blend your favorite elements from many genres to create something completely unique.

8. Collaboration is everything

Allowing another intellect to assist you in the creation of music is critical. This is not only beneficial to your skill set, but it is also incredibly satisfying and even enjoyable.

That’s the reason why we’ve prepared all the essential features for remote music collaboration in Vollume Control.

Also read: 5 Benefits Of Collaboration

9. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself

It may be soul-sucking to sit in the same room every day, staring at the same computer screen. Regardless of how enthusiastic you are about music creation, be sure you continue to live life.

Consider this: it was your passion for life that inspired you to pursue a career in music production in the first place. Continue to make friends, travel, learn about different cultures, enjoy and absorb the arts, and do anything else that will get you out of that miserable room and keep you enthusiastic about life.

Also read: Passion is the key to success

10. Less is more

More layers do not equal better sound, and numerous poor layers do not equal a fantastic end sound. Ensure that each layer serves a different purpose, as you will seldom require two levels to perform the same function.

Also read: Good Artists Borrow Great Artists Steal

11. Don’t forget about silence

Silence may be used as a tool. Even some of the most violent and intense music I listen to incorporates quiet to add to the overall effect. Furthermore, the stillness between the notes, not the sounds themselves, is what matters most in melody. Silence adds to the stress.

The return to a full-frequency segment is made all the more remarkable by the absence of frequency gaps (ie. the drop).

12. Record Dry, Add Effects Later

This is one of the most basic music producing suggestions: In post-production, you can apply as many effects as you desire. It’s a lot more difficult to get rid of effects. If you need to get your effects down, do it on a separate channel.

What’s the point? Keep your recordings clean on the way in, and the mixing stage will open up a lot more creative options.

13. Be Aware of Distortion’s Importance

The term “distortion” may conjure up images of guitar overdrive or fuzz pedals. Note that these are apparent or strong distortions that might be beneficial in music production and mixing, but they are far from the only ones.

Distortion and its more subtle sibling, saturation, may be employed in a variety of ways by experienced producers to generate a better sounding track or mix.

The basic notion is that distortion adds additional harmonics to your sound, which in many situations helps you get a louder mix and better balance.

To add body or bite to a recording or instrument without ruining the original sound, use severe distortion or saturation in parallel. To obtain the sound you desire, EQ and compress your distorted channel before blending it in with the original channel.

What’s the point? One of the most essential techniques for making better and louder mixes is distortion. You’ll notice a difference in your tracks if you master the art of distortion.

14. The importance of branding and marketing cannot be overstated.

As a result, learn everything you can about them. But don’t get too hung up on getting your music out there until you’re certain it’s economically viable.

Also read: How to Market Yourself as a Creative

15. Low-volume mixing

When played loudly, even a mediocre mix sounds very decent. However, if it sounds nice when quiet, it will sound much better when amplified. An extra benefit is that it minimizes ear fatigue.

16. Pick a DAW and stick with it

Learning how to use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is similar to learning how to play an instrument. Spending 5 weeks studying the guitar, 3 weeks learning the saxophone, and 4 weeks learning the drums will not make you a better musician. You’ll only be able to stutter on three distinct instruments.

Choosing a DAW that is right for you is both crucial and difficult. There are several alternatives available at various price ranges, as well as a variety of festivities and attractions. Spending time studying before you begin might save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Before you choose a DAW, consider the following questions:

• Is it compatible with my laptop or desktop computer?

Logic and Garageband are simple and uncomplicated, but they don’t function on PCs, so don’t bother if you’re not a Mac user.

• Do I have any producers among my friends? What kind of equipment do they have?

• Collaborating and exchanging ideas with colleagues and friends is a fantastic approach to combine creating and socializing. It’s also a lot easier to manage when everyone is using the same DAW and platform.
• How important is money?

Top-tier DAWs are expensive, but there are much less expensive (and even free) options that can be just as good. Some are also offered on a monthly subscription basis, which may be more suitable for your budget. For a full examination of your alternatives, check out this comprehensive overview to today’s DAW market. There’s also a great guide from MusicRadar that you should check out.

• Are there many tutorials for this DAW available online?

One of the nicest aspects of today’s production scene is the abundance of lessons available. In this sense, the internet has been extremely beneficial to manufacturers.

• But, does the DAW you’re thinking about have enough on a broad enough range of subjects?
• Do I have any plans to perform or record with live instruments in the near future?

Although most DAWs can provide a good studio production workflow, not all of them are as capable when it comes to bringing in numerous sound sources, interfaces, MIDI controllers, FX units, and so on, or for live looping, sequencing, or other performance models.

17. Your volume faders are your finest mixing tool

Before you hurry to add an EQ, compressor, or other tool to your track, make sure it’s not just a volume issue.

Often, the greatest thing you can do is just increase or decrease the volume of anything in your mix. Then, to make it fit a bit better, apply EQ or compression.

18. Maintain a Clean Workspace

Working in a jumble may wreak havoc on your productivity and make you feel even more jumbled.

You can’t waste time hunting for that exact piece of equipment when you’re working with other people, especially paying clients! Furthermore, a cluttered workstation would seem unprofessional.

Also read: How to Speed up your Workflow

19. EQ first

You want a certain sound to stand out in the mix? Have you used your EQ to its full potential? Assuming you want your voice to pop, did you remove the frequencies required from pads, leads, guitars, or synths?

From each and every one of them? Did you do it? If that’s the case, then perhaps this will assist you in achieving your goal before using a compressor.

20. Make use of buss tracks

A layer of five synthesizers is playing your lead? As always, instead of opening up individual reverbs for each of them, route them to a bus and add some ‘verbs to it. The second option is, of course, to utilize send effects.