How to become a music producer?

How to Become a Dance Music Producer

• Answer:

  The Internet and affordable advanced music sequencing software for home computers have made it easier than ever to make professional sounding dance music and get it heard. Unfortunately though, these technological advances also mean there are thousands of wannabe producers out there vying for the attention of a contracting music industry. If you think you've got the creative talent to make it as a dance music producer, take your time and learn your craft before presenting your work to the people who matter. Difficulty: Moderately Challenging Instructions Immerse yourself in all types of music. Even if you're planning to just make one very specific genre of dance music, draw influences from wherever you can. Some of the most interesting ideas from some of the world's top dance producers have borrowed from genres ranging from heavy metal to opera. From Justice's use of distorted guitar samples to William Orbit's reinterpretation of classical pieces, a strength of dance music is the fact that you can borrow from almost anywhere. Listen to as much music as you can and get out to clubs to hear what's being played and how it works on a dance floor. Buy some decks and learn how to DJ. Many dance music producers started out as DJs and then moved into production. Mixing gives you the opportunity to learn about the structure of dance tracks and how an audience reacts to what you play. Experiment at home and offer to play at friends parties if you can't get any paid work as a DJ. Steve Smith from the British house music trio Death in Vegas has been quoted as saying that "good DJs naturally progress into being good producers." Learn how to play a musical instrument. Although you can make electronic music without doing so, you'll make a much better producer if you know music theory and can play. The more instruments, the better. Buy a MIDI keyboard and an audio sequencer and start experimenting at home on your computer. Learn how to use program's like Steinberg's Cubase, Ableton's Live or Propellerheads' Reason. These application accurately mimic a real studio setup and allow you to make professional sounding tracks on your PC. Sign up for a dance music production course. As well as teaching you about how to use popular audio sequencers and how to build a track, you'll learn about how to get your music in front of the right people and how to make the contacts you'll need to succeed. Look for a course that will also teach you how to master your work when you've finished your mix. Start producing. Be creative and put together as many tracks as you can. Experiment with new sounds and samples and don't be afraid to try out new ideas that don't necessarily conform to the rules of dance music. Create a press pack including a small bio about yourself and how you started making music and send your finished work to DJs and record labels. You should also set up social media accounts on services like MySpace, YouTube and SoundCloud to promote and showcase your work.