What kind of education do you need to have to produce music?

check out this link, it has a list of a few schools that offer degrees in Audio Engineering

Depending on your current education in music and the school, there might be a 2 year (or less) program out there. I would suggest googling Audio Engineering to learn more about it.

I’m sure you don’t necessarily have to have a degree, but it sure does help if you don’t know anything about music production and you don’t have any real experience.

You don’t need any if you have a talent for it. If you are wanting to work for a studio some training would be good check out “Full Sail”.

Like many applied arts fields, audio engineering and production is a discipline that requires a lot of training and experience. In any case, the path you choose is just that-a path. It takes years to perfect the skills, and most professionals practicing in the field will tell you that they too are still learning and evolving, as the technology changes pretty rapidly.

That said, if you are committed to pursuing this as a career, you need to take a look at what is “realistic” for you and your training versus what you see as a projected image in entertainment media. Sure there are a ton of “artists” out there promoting their work via MTV and other channels (I’m old but think of Kanye West for example), but remember that for the most part, that is all for show-the real work in the “industry” comes from studio production and touring (especially the latter for recording artists). Also, there are many behind the scenes careers that are necessary in order for a single “recording artist” to get out there and make a living.

One thing that is important for anyone starting out in an industry is to understand all of its facets and options. The great thing about audio production is that it has a wide variety of applications and there are several fields to choose from. One solid piece of advice I can give to you is to find a class somewhere (some community colleges offer this) that will expose you to the various aspects and applications of audio production. There are some pretty basic principles you need to have a firm grasp of in order to “chart your course” in the field:

-Basic audio theory-how sound works in and out of an audio system (especially in the digital domain);

-The basic concepts behind audio production workflows-not necessarily learning “how-to” for every form, but learn what techniques and technologies are used consistently in different situations (examples such as music production/recording, live audio and broadcast (TV/Radio/Web), Film/Video/Animation) sound (production, design, post-production), Multimedia (Internet, Gaming, media Authoring), and the “business” side of each of these areas as well; and

-Understanding the business and industries where audio is used (sometimes there are specific classes that are tailored to this, but in many cases, this component is one that requires hands-on exploration through internships and other career exploration opportunities).

Beyond that, (eventually) you should be able to choose or narrow down your specific field of interest. Find a mentor, an advisor, a business owner, or anyone working in that field that can give you advice on where to begin your training for your area-you may have luck finding someone (faculty) in a community college or institute setting who can advise you for little or no charge. In some cases, that will require you to relocate to a larger area or region where the “business” is happening. Good luck, feel free to PM me if you need more specific advice.

Full Sail is an excellent school, I almost went into it but decided it wasn’t what I was into, a friend of mine got into it and he’s huge into music, haven’t talked to him in a while but I’m sure he’s enjoying it, looks like a fun school.

I talked to a guy once out in Italy where he and his friends were playing digital music as like a garage band, although the times are changing, this is probably still a majority of where people come from is just getting recognition.

I don’t think it really takes a degree or anything unless you plan on being a recordist or whatever they are called, the owners of the businesses that actually sell out the recordings, but that actually is a business so it makes sense.

I’d say if you’re good enough, somehow get yourself out there and recognized, and soon enough one thing will lead to another.

One of the main things to get into producing is talent. Then, if you can get experience with a studio, or someone already established, would be great to. There are some audio engineering schools, but they can only teach you so much. No substitute for natural talent.