How did my music production journey begin? How can you start yours? It all started with a dream that began when I heard “Sadness” by Enigma. I was around 12 years old at the time, and that wonderful period in my youth inspired me to form a band. However, I didn’t know how to get started.
Fast forward to my 30s, and I encountered the term LMMS (Linux Multimedia Studio) when it was made available for Windows. I was surprised to learn it was free, but I hesitated to download it because I wanted a proper PC capable of running it. At the time, my PC was seriously underpowered; it was only used for basic tasks and playing simple games.
Thanks to YouTube, I did some research and discovered that a wide variety of good Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) existed. This realization opened the doors to pursuing my dream. When I felt ready, I downloaded LMMS and began experimenting with it. While LMMS is a capable DAW, I personally found its workflow limiting for the type of music I wanted to create.Due to financial constraints, I needed to think outside the box.
That’s when I found free DAWs like Cakewalk by BandLab and Tracktion Waveform, which can help you become a serious music producer. Cakewalk was free, traditional, linear, and capable of getting the job done effectively.
However, learning to operate a DAW is just one part of the equation; you also need a basic understanding of music theory. It’s even better if you know how to play an instrument. The best part about making music is that you can create your own rules. Whatever you produce should sound pleasing to the ear, which doesn’t mean you should create something that listeners can’t relate to. Good music is ultimately music that sounds good.
My story didn’t end with downloading Cakewalk. The traditional philosophy of the software meant I needed to build my library of samples and plugins.
**The Music Production Trap to Avoid:** After realizing that plugins are essential for music production, I began my search for free plugins. I spent a lot of time on YouTube and various websites, downloading them indiscriminately—even the ones I didn’t really need.
When you start producing music, you often cannot differentiate between the plugins you actually need and those you think you need. You only realize this after downloading a plethora of them, most of which you hardly use.
While Cakewalk’s stock plugins were sufficient to get started, I eventually wanted additional instruments and tools that better suited my workflow.
If I were to start over, I would do the following:
1. Download Cakewalk Sonar.
2. Fetch free samples online.
3. Understand the genre in which I want to create music.
4. Comprehend what’s necessary to produce that music.
5. Experiment and learn about sound design.
6. Only download necessary plugin effects and mastering plugins.
Now that we’ve clarified what is needed, you’ll notice I didn’t mention the type of system you need. DAWs can run on relatively low-powered systems, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter issues. The key component for running a DAW is the RAM; more RAM generally leads to better performance. So my advice is, if you’re starting on a very tight budget, prioritize boosting your RAM first. A minimum of 8 GB should suffice, but more is always better.
Once you have your system set up, what’s next? Your initial investment should focus on a good pair of studio monitor headphones. You can invest in studio monitor speakers and other essential gear later on.
In the early stages, your focus should be on minimal investment in the DAW and gear. The aim is to get started with whatever you have to avoid financial stress. There are other areas where you can allocate a little investment, which I will discuss later.
Learning is an ongoing process. The key to becoming a good music producer is to produce music regularly and release it consistently. This consistency helps build a catalogue that can showcase your career.
Documenting your work on social media is also beneficial. This is one of the ways to attract listeners and fans. Once you have a decent number of releases, consider investing in paid advertising. I’m still learning about this area and continue to experiment with organic traffic, albeit inconsistently.
When starting in music production, understanding the basics is crucial. This applies to both your DAW and music theory. Both areas require time and effort. It took me about five years to release my first song, which I accomplished while working a 9-to-5 job—something I still do while writing this.
You should know what you’re getting into: there will be hardships, failures, and critics along the way. Those who fear failure will never succeed. Your love for the art should be evident, and it’s the most persistent individuals who thrive.
Music production isn’t a race, and there are no shortcuts. You’ll make mistakes, download things you don’t need, and probably create a lot of songs that never see the light of day. That’s perfectly normal.
What matters is that you keep learning and keep creating.
I released my first song after five years while working a regular job, and I’m still learning today. There will be failures, frustrations and critics along the way, but those are simply part of the journey.
If you truly love the art, keep going. Persistence matters far more than perfection.