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Getting Started with Music Production

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Getting Started with Music Production

Info

Synthesized from newbie-questions Q&A pairs and expert advice. All quoted answers come from verified experts unless otherwise noted.

Source channel: newbie-questions (9,859 messages, Feb 2021 – Feb 2026)

What Gear Do I Need to Start?

The most common first question in newbie-questions. Expert consensus: start minimal and upgrade intentionally.

Discord Source — cian riordan (2022-01-01) — 23 reactions (pinned)

“Be critical of everything. Be critical of things that are expensive for the sake of being expensive. Things that are just instagram ads shilling to newbies.”

The Minimum Setup

  1. Computer — Any modern Mac or PC. See Computer Hardware for Audio
  2. Audio interface — Focusrite Scarlett or Audient iD4/iD14 for beginners. See Budget Gear Guide
  3. Headphones or monitors — Closed-back headphones for tracking, open-back or monitors for mixing. See Monitoring & Headphones
  4. DAW — Any major DAW works. See DAW Comparison
  5. Microphone — SM57/SM58 for versatility, or a budget condenser. See Microphone Selection

What to Buy First

Expert consensus is to prioritize in this order:

  1. Interface + headphones (you need to hear what you’re doing)
  2. One versatile microphone
  3. Basic acoustic treatment (even DIY panels help more than upgrading mics)
  4. Better monitors (once your room is somewhat treated)

Discord Source — BatMeckley (2025-08-20) — 18 reactions (pinned)

“Most decent mics CAN get you where you want to go, they just take a little different approach.”

What DAW Should I Use?

One of the most asked questions. Expert consensus: it doesn’t matter much — pick one and learn it deeply.

  • Pro Tools — Industry standard for recording studios and post-production. See Pro Tools
  • Logic Pro — Great value on Mac, strong built-in instruments. See Logic Pro
  • Ableton Live — Best for electronic music and live performance. See Ableton Live
  • Reaper — Free to try, extremely customizable. See Reaper
  • FL Studio — Popular for beat-making and hip-hop. See FL Studio
  • Cubase — Strong MIDI, popular in Europe. See Cubase

Discord Source — Ross Fortune (2024-07-18) — 8 reactions

“Solidarity with my pro tools brothers and sisters who find themselves in Logic and keep recording every time they try to zoom out.”

See DAW Comparison for detailed community discussion.

How Do I Learn Mixing?

Discord Source — cian riordan (2023-07-21) — 21 reactions

“Silly and obvious answer, but it’s the only one I think will really get you there: just do the reps. Mix your stuff, mix your friends’ stuff.”

Discord Source — hyanrarvey (2023-05-03) — 9 reactions

“You’ll learn more about mixing by recording an album and then mixing that album than any youtube video or class. Ya gotta do the thing.”

  1. Learn your DAW first — master the basics of recording, editing, and routing before worrying about mixing techniques
  2. Mix real music — your own recordings, friends’ bands, or multitracks from online sources
  3. Use reference tracks — compare your mixes to professional releases. See Reference Mixing and Translation
  4. Focus on fundamentals — Gain Staging, basic compression, and EQ before advanced techniques
  5. Get feedback — communities like this Discord provide honest, expert critique

Discord Source — NoahNeedleman (2023-09-22) — 5 reactions

“Everyone is actually self-taught. Curiosity and tenacity are the only skills required. Everything else is a google search away.”

Discord Source — Slow Hand (2022-05-18) — 9 reactions

“It comes down to ear training, lots of repetition (mixes), and focused practice. He’s very familiar with the characteristic sound that each frequency zone imparts on a given instrument.”

Do I Need Acoustic Treatment?

Yes, even basic treatment makes a bigger difference than upgrading gear. But don’t waste money on acoustic foam.

Discord Source — cian riordan (2022-01-01) — 23 reactions (pinned)

“Recommending a 4k converter based on ‘audible conversion quality’ isn’t helpful if the consumer doesn’t have a million other ducks in a row first — room treatment, adequate monitoring, proper gainstaging.”

What Actually Works

  • DIY panels with Rockwool/OC703 — far more effective than foam
  • Bass traps in corners — address the biggest room problems first
  • Reflection points — first reflections on side walls and ceiling

What Doesn’t Work

  • Acoustic foam — absorbs only high frequencies, creates unbalanced sound
  • Egg crate foam — does almost nothing
  • Mattresses and blankets — inconsistent absorption

See Acoustic Treatment Guide for comprehensive guidance.

What Sample Rate Should I Use?

This question is definitively answered by Nomograph Mastering’s pinned post — the single most-reacted message in newbie-questions (59 reactions).

Discord Source — Nomograph Mastering (2022-10-22) — 59 reactions (pinned)

“If I was asked ‘What sample rate should people make records at in 2022?’ And was forced to choose then the answer would be 48k. Film and TV prefer it, converters handle it efficiently, and there’s no audible benefit to higher rates for most record-making.”

See Sample Rate for the full community discussion.

Should I Work for Free?

A nuanced topic with strong expert opinions on both sides.

Discord Source — cian riordan (2023-02-01) — 16 reactions

“I would rather be slammed busy mixing below my ideal rate than making a higher rate doing less work. I realize it’s silly, but I take comfort in staying busy and keeping my ‘pirate ship’ afloat.”

Discord Source — Adam Thein (2024-06-24) — 6 reactions

“This doesn’t have to be an all in thing — challenge yourself to keep the 40 hour job and work on music for 15-20 hours a week on top of that.”

See Music Business Pricing and Rates for rates discussion and Marketing and Networking for Engineers for career building.

How Do I Deal with Imposter Syndrome?

A recurring emotional thread in newbie-questions that experts address with genuine compassion.

Discord Source — Slow Hand (2022-05-28) — 11 reactions

“When you were young and learning your native language, nobody put you in a room and expected you to learn the language by conversing with a bunch of inexperienced two year-olds who couldn’t speak. Instead, you were surrounded by expert speakers and learned through interactions with people who were leagues ahead of you.”

Discord Source — BatMeckley (2022-05-29) — 21 reactions

“No one gives you a plaque that says ‘you’re a producer’ or ‘you’re an artist.’ You just start doing it.”

What About Gain Staging?

Discord Source — Slow Hand (2022-10-31) — 11 reactions

“Gain staging is about finding the optimal amount of gain at every stage of the recording and mixing process. Good gain staging allows you to get the best fidelity out of a recording by preventing things from creating unwanted distortion or amplifying unwanted noise.”

See Gain Staging for the full explanation.

Songwriting as a Starting Point (from songwriting-talk)

songwriting-talk provides a crucial perspective for beginners: start with songwriting, not production.

Discord Source — oaklandmatt (2026-02-14) — songwriting-talk

“I would strongly advise people who want to learn how to be great songwriters to avoid any production at all when doing the practice we’re talking about. It’s so much easier (and time consuming) to play with snare drum sounds and production transitions than to stay focused on lyrics and melody. Almost everyone I know just needs to write lyrics and melody over and over and over.”

Daily Songwriting Practice

Discord Source — oaklandmatt (2022-06-25) — 14 reactions — songwriting-talk

“Learn classic songs and write a song a day for the next month or two. Repetition in the process with a great musical diet. It is rarely more complicated than these two things.”

Discord Source — oaklandmatt (2023-09-18) — 12 reactions — songwriting-talk

“When you make lots and lots more music, you’re doing the thing that will maximally help you get really good at it and give maximal shots at people hearing your music.”

The message for beginners: volume over perfection. Write many songs, learn many songs, and your craft will develop through repetition. See Creative Process and Songwriting Practice for detailed daily routines and Lyric Writing for the emotional honesty approach.

Production Philosophy (from production-talk)

production-talk adds a creative production perspective to the “getting started” journey:

Discord Source — NoahNeedleman (2023-10-31) — 14 reactions — production-talk

“1) make sure you can trust your monitoring. 2) if you’re recording real instruments, optimize your studio space for simplicity. 3) you don’t need as many elements in the recording if each sound/performance is excellent on its own. 4) Chase the joy. If you find the joy in each part you’re working on, that shines through performances. 5) remember that not everything needs to be done in a day.”

Discord Source — BatMeckley (2025-05-26) — 16 reactions — production-talk

“Benny Blanco became successful with a folder full of songs at 120 bpm cause he didn’t know how to change the tempo, and stacks of kick drums because he didn’t know how to eq. When I’d ask him why he pretty much did anything it was always ‘I dunno, man, it just sounds cool!‘”

The message for beginners: technical knowledge matters, but creative instinct and emotional impact matter more. Don’t let the pursuit of “doing it right” stifle the playfulness that makes music compelling.

See Also

Source Discussions

Discord Source

Channel: general-talk — Date Range: 2021-02 to 2026-02 Career & learning context: oaklandmatt (37 reactions): “People who really want to hunt to be great find us. And casual people won’t ever recognize me as a ‘podcaster.‘” Slow Hand (91 reactions): “It’s no overstatement to say that you are this server and the reason for its success.” Message volume: 486 learning/education messages, 1,652 career advice messages See also: Career Development for Audio Professionals, Learning Resources and Education, general-talk Channel Summary

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