Traditional education has vastly evolved. Instead of spending hours in a building learning at a standardized pace, you can now take your schooling at your own pace with online coursework.
As social media apps like TikTok have shown us, Elearning unlocks creativity, allows people to demonstrate their knowledge, and engages students to learn what interests them the most.
In this article
- What Does an Audio Producer Do?
- How Do I Become an Audio Producer?
- Can I Teach Myself Audio Production?
- How Can I Learn Audio Production Fast?
- Best Elearning Tools for Audio Producers
- MasterClass
- Noiselab
- SkillShare
- Coursera
- Which Elearning Tools for Audio Producers Should I Use?
Audio producers have the same luxury. Instead of following along with a local accredited instructor, you can take courses from successful musicians online. Some advantages of Elearning are that you can learn at your own pace, pay less for the same quality of information, and complete your courses whenever and wherever you want.
It does have its drawbacks: you need to hold yourself accountable, have limited socialization, and lack hands-on learning with live feedback. Nevertheless, Elearning is a powerful tool to advance your audio production skills.
What Does an Audio Producer Do?
An audio producer works on recording, editing, mixing, synchronizing, and releasing sound. They can find jobs in music, broadcast, and film. Most of an audio producer’s duties involve computer software, but they also help supply, install, and operate recording equipment.
Some audio producer duties include:
- Coaching individuals on their sound
- Scheduling recording sessions
- Providing instruments and recording equipment
- Following budget guidelines
- Selecting performers for projects
- Mixing and mastering audio recordings
Audio producers differ from music producers. Music production involves the instruments used, the song’s composition, and the recording techniques. Audio production includes music producers and people who position equipment, mix, and master.
How Do I Become an Audio Producer?
There are many schools that offer an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in audio production. Typical coursework covers composition, equipment positioning, audio effects, recording software, music and sound theory, audio production history, studio maintenance, and editing.
You will most likely need experience in the field before getting hired as a producer, which is where an internship through your program would be beneficial.
Can I Teach Myself Audio Production?
The advent of Elearning has made it easier than ever to teach yourself audio production. You can learn most of what is covered in pricey college classes from the comfort of your home through educational podcasts, books, YouTube videos, articles, and dynamic online courses.
You can teach yourself essential audio production skills, such as:
- Writing songs
- Arranging and composing
- Recording and editing
- Mixing and mastering
How Can I Learn Audio Production Fast?
Thanks to the amount of resources on the Internet, you can complete audio production courses online. These range in length, but you can typically finish them on your own schedule within a few months. As long as you do the work and practice when possible, you can learn the foundations of audio production in months.
Best Elearning Tools for Audio Producers
Here are some of the best Elearning tools for audio producers.
MasterClass
MasterClass has access to courses from a handful of famous professional audio producers. You can learn the basics of songwriting, production, and beat making from individuals like Alicia Keys, Deadmau5, St. Vincent, and Timbaland.
Each course provides video lessons ranging from 5-12 minutes. In them, the instructor inputs educational and anecdotal insights you would use as an audio producer. You can also explore classes from instrumentalists and singers, giving you a full picture of all aspects of music creation.
Noiselab
As an audio production enthusiast, you may have heard of Ableton Live. Noiselab is a comprehensive course that teaches you the basics of Ableton Live for electronic music production.
You can start with a free introductory course to familiarize yourself with the platform. If you enjoy the content, you can take classes focused on higher-level production, DJing, music theory, performing, songwriting, mixing, effects, and more. They deconstruct hit songs and provide hacks to improve your track which is not a feature found on many platforms.
Every month, Noiselab releases new courses to teach you industry trends. For a fee, you can take individual classes or you can purchase a monthly student membership that gives you access to all of their lessons.
SkillShare
SkillShare is a platform with hundreds of courses that can teach you everything you want to know about music. Their courses range from under an hour to days in length, with guided video lessons.
You can find classes on music theory, mixing, instruments, digital audio workstations (DAWs), singing, and so much more. Anyone can publish a SkillShare course, so you may not get the highest quality education. Nevertheless, there is a high quantity of classes and users that you can find one that matches your interests.
One of the most popular courses is Learn How to Mix Music with Young Guru, a grammy-nominated audio engineer. Young Guru teaches you how to organize a mix, arrange levels, add effects, and create the perfect tonal balance. You also receive a downloadable audio file to work on throughout the lessons.
Coursera
An incredible resource to take free college courses is Coursera. They offer specializations and courses from accredited institutions that you can enroll in and receive a certificate of completion, for a fee.
You can learn about audio production, music theory, songwriting, instruments, genres, musicianship, vocal production, and even music psychology. Course statistics show that many people who complete the classes change their careers or get promotions.
While Coursera has access to actual college courses, you might struggle to complete them because the website crashes frequently. You will likely run into trouble signing up for and completing each class.
Which Elearning Tools for Audio Producers Should I Use?
While all of the above Elearning tools for audio producers have their own benefits, finding the right fit for your interests is essential.
If you want a broad overview of audio production from industry leaders, consider using MasterClass. You will benefit from having some prior knowledge, seeing as the videos are short and provide a big picture view. Regardless, you can learn about countless aspects of music from your favorite musicians.
If you are interested in electronic audio production, Noiselab is an excellent resource for in-depth courses. Paying for the monthly membership will give you all the information you need to stay current and knowledgeable as an audio producer.
SkillShare is a decent choice if you want to learn from both professionals and amateurs about audio production. They are affordable, accessible, and make for a fun few hours of learning.
Lastly, you will love Coursera if you always wanted to go to Berkeley or Yale. You may even get university credit!
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