Best Music Courses for Music Producers and Audio Engineers

Music courses can be helpful as they present knowledge in a structured and accessible way. Finding resources on your own can take much time and does not always guarantee you will find all vital information. They can also expose you to tips and tricks that might be less known or talked about online.

Additionally, any certificate can be helpful when applying for music-related jobs to support your career as a musician. While the only downside is that they usually cost money, they are still cheaper than formal education, which we previously discussed in our article on the necessity of music college.

Within the scope of 15 video lessons, Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland offers insight into different facets of his beatmaking process. Thanks to the course, you can learn how to work with chords, work with vocalists, use plugins, or what to pay attention to when selecting sounds. It is especially suitable for those who work within hip-hop music and who already possess basic knowledge of music production. You can access it via a Masterclass subscription, which starts at $10/month.

For those who make electronic music, the music production masterclass by world-famous artist deadmau5 might be highly beneficial. The class consists of 23 video lessons, thanks to which you can learn how to create a track from scratch, how to mix and master songs, how to write melodies, use modular synthesizers, and much more. It is suitable for beginners and intermediates alike, as deadmau5 offers insight into digital music production's basics and more advanced aspects.

Udemy is a learning and teaching platform, thanks to which professionals across all industries can share their knowledge online. It contains a music section that is divided into several subcategories, including music production, music software, and music fundamentals. Students can learn how to make music in Logic Pro X or Ableton Live 10 or make use of the platform’s mixing masterclass. Thanks to its rating function, customers can look into the pros and cons of a course before joining it.

For those who want to go a step further and learn from academic professionals, Coursera might be the right option. The platform works with universities and other organizations to offer courses, certificates, and degrees in various fields. Together with the renowned Berklee College of Music, the platform lets musicians join classes on music production, vocal production, or the music business and offers knowledge for DIY musicians.

While a course does not equal a Bachelor’s degree, participants get rewarded with a career certificate they can upload to LinkedIn or use in their job applications. From a financial point of view, each course comes with different costs. Extra: if you struggle with thinking patterns, self-motivation, or creating an action plan, Coursera also offers an exciting course on the science of success.

Fader Pro is a platform specialized in online courses in the electronic music realm. It offers broader knowledge, such as info on mixing and mastering, different DAWs, and more specific knowledge, such as how to use an EQ or reverb plugin. Thanks to its vast variety of courses, everyone should be able to find what they’re looking for — and discover more on their way. The prices depend on your subscription. However, Fader Pro offers free courses to explore before committing to anything long-term.

Soundfly is an online music education platform allowing aspiring musicians to join courses and request professional mentorship. Similarly to the other websites, Soundfly’s catalog includes resources on music production, lessons on chords, and genre-specific courses, such as its class on hip-hop music production. Some of their courses can be accessed for free, including one on music theory for producers.

Need some music training to strengthen your knowledge? Soundgym has the right solutions. The platform offers courses on electronic music production, sound design, mixing and mastering, and more. Additionally, musicians can benefit from its ear and EQ training products or beat training.

Although musicians rarely gravitate towards LinkedIn, they, too, can benefit from the resources it offers. One is LinkedIn Learning, a platform that offers certified courses for people across all industries. When it comes to music, it provides an audio mixing and mastering class with industry professional Bobby Owsinski. The course costs around $40 and comes with a verified certificate. Another course musicians can look into is “Music Production Secrety” with Larry Craine, which costs around $35.

As its name suggests, London- and LA-based Point Blank Music School offers various courses across all kinds of fields within music. The courses offered vary in their length and what certificate you can receive. For example, some are relatively short and come with a simple verification (such as this “Art of Mixing” course), while others take more time and come with a full diploma (such as the “Music Production Diploma” course). However, their classes tend to be more expensive, which is something that aspiring musicians should pay attention to before signing up.