What Is Electronic Music Production and How To Get Started

Electronic music producers are among the most common types of record producers. They work with various software programs (DAWs), electronic instruments, and other equipment to shape and manipulate sounds, incorporate samples, create beats and loops, and apply a wide range of audio effects to produce songs. While sampling existing sounds is typical in electronic music production, many producers create their own sounds from scratch.

The role of an electronic music producer is widely versatile, as it involves both a creative and technical side. Producers get to use their blooming creativity while learning how to operate computer software and production equipment. They can work for themselves or produce the music of other artists. Those who create their own music and then take it to the stage are often called DJs/Producers.

So, now that we understand the role of an electronic music producer, let’s delve deeper into their creative process.

Initial inspiration plays an important role not only before producing a track but, generally, before pursuing a career as a producer. Identifying the kind of genre and songs one would want to produce should set them off on a clearer professional path.

In the initial stage, creativity, vision, and profound research are the main characters. They help the producer determine a track’s tempo, concept, and mood and decide what sounds and instruments to utilize. Oftentimes, random, unique sounds or melodies that one has heard or composed in one's mind can be the spark of inspiration that one needs. Overall, the inspiration stage lays the foundation for the whole production process.

Sound selection involves the process of searching for suitable sounds (e.g., presets, samples) and assembling them together. Sound design can be defined as the practice of developing, manipulating, or recording audio elements. During the selection, sound design, and sampling phase, a producer starts to transform their vision and concept into reality. This is where creativity intertwines with technical skills, with the producer using synthesizers, composition software, and other instruments to manipulate samples.

At the beginning of your production journey, you may experience more experimentation as you dive deeper into the wide variety of sounds that you can find or create. With time, the sound design process may turn more intentional, with you seeking after a particular sound. Every session, however, can result in brand-new and totally accidental sounds. And it is not rare that the most random sounds sometimes lead to the creation of the most iconic songs!

The unique sounds that you find or create during the sound design process will become the foundation of your future track. Once you have them, the next step is to compose the song. The act of composing includes writing the core elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics. Once written down – whether in the form of sheet music score, lead sheet, or directly in the DAW, as more common in electronic music — the outcome of this process, also simply called musical composition, becomes the songwriter’s intellectual property, meaning it is protected by copyright.

Depending on their prerequisites, a producer can compose their song using a variety of instruments. Those can include a piano, keyboard, guitar, or drums, and other equipment, such as a mouse and MIDI controller. There are generally no rules or limitations to composing a song. When it comes to the writing style, many electronic music producers opt for loop-based writing, which is based on short segments looped to create larger sections or even entire songs. The loop-based style often requires interesting transitions and the use of effects to make the song lively, unusual, and, if possible, thought-provoking.

Once the core of the songs is composed, the producer moves to the practice of arranging, which includes designing the broad structure and layout of the song. Unlike in genres like pop and rock, a typical electronic track doesn’t usually follow set boundaries or typical strong structure elements, such as first verse → pre-chorus → chorus → second verse –pre-chorus → chorus → bridge → chorus —> outro.

Electronic music producers traditionally focus more on the ‘dynamics’ of their songs, meaning the emotional, atmospheric, structural, and tonal swings. A key element of many electronic songs is drama and tension that gradually builds up into an eventual musical climax and release. Additionally, in electronic music, tracks are often arranged in a way that allows DJs to include them in their sets. This is one reason why tracks are usually lengthy and why many parts are extended.

Mixing and mastering are the final steps before reaching the ultimate version of a producer’s track. Mixing refers to the process of adjusting the levels and frequencies of each sound to create a cohesive, balanced, and pleasingly sounding blend. Mastering, then, involves enhancing the final mix and adding the last touches to ensure that the recording sounds good on various media and playback systems.

This phase requires a high level of technical expertise as well as a good ear for sound quality. It is also important to note that these activities don't necessarily need to be carried out by the producers themselves. Instead, they can be done by mixing and mastering engineer(s), who enhance and empower the track version created by the producer.

Once the track is complete, it usually needs to be distributed to make it available on various platforms (unless it’s a platform where you can upload your release on your own, like SoundCloud). You can choose from a range of distributors, like iMusician, to get your electronic track on music streaming and download services like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Beatport, and TraxSource.

However, distribution is not the last step in the track’s journey. To attract listeners and generate streams and downloads, you need to promote the track using various marketing strategies. These may include both offline and online methods, such as social media campaigns, sponsored ads, influencer marketing, and more.

Gathering the right musical arsenal (aka equipment) is key to electronic music production. After all, electronic music, in its foundation, revolves around digital technologies and artificial instruments and tools. Luckily, you don’t need much to begin your production journey.

A good computer (that runs smoothly), a digital audio workstation (DAW) of your choice, and a set of high-quality headphones will do. Remember that electronic music production is often about making the most out of the resources available, especially in one’s initial stages.

A well-running computer

The computer you use is the core of your production process. Again, it doesn’t have to be one of the newest models on the market — typically, the computer or laptop you already own is just good enough. Just make sure that it has a well-running CPU system, sufficient system storage and external memory, and optimum graphic processing software.

DAW of your choice

A DAW is the fundamental equipment for producing music. Put simply, it is the ultimate music creation suite, either an electronic device or software application used to record, edit, and produce audio files. There is an excellent variety of options available for which DAW to use.

For instance, FL Studio, developed by the Belgian company Image-Line, has been the go-to choice for Martin Garrix and was also strongly popularized by Avicii. The DAW is praised for being beginner-friendly and making music production fast and enjoyable.

Meanwhile, big stars like Skrillex, Diplo, and Deadmau5 have been using Ableton Live, which is considered an incredibly powerful, intuitive, and quality-sounding DAW.

Logic Pro is another popular DAW used by musicians like David Guetta, Calvin Harris, and Armin van Buuren. The software developed by Apple has a simple, user-friendly interface and delivers powerful, professional-sounding results.

Whichever option you choose — from these three or the many other existing DAWs — thoroughly research and get familiar with the tool’s features and pros and cons before investing in it. Many software programs also offer free trials, which is a perfect chance for you to get some first-hand experience.

That said, it’s essential to acknowledge that any DAW is capable of creating good music. Therefore, don’t get stuck for weeks trying to select the ‘best one.’ If you’re unsure and feel overwhelmed, feel free to go for a cheaper DAW. Once you get more experience and knowledge, you can simply switch to a different one.

Headphones

Even if you have a stellar computer and the best software out there, producing music will not be possible without quality-sounding headphones. Only this way can you hear and listen to an audio file in a controlled environment, which gives you a more accurate and clearer sound reproduction. This, as a result, allows you to make more precise audio mix decisions.

MIDI controller

A MIDI controller is a type of input device that’s used to send and receive MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data to and from a computer. It essentially allows you to control musical hardware or software in a way similar to using your keyboard or a mouse to control a computer. While it is not a fundamental part of your music suite, it will make your music production substantially easier and less tedious.

MIDI controllers come in various forms and shapes, such as a keyboards, knob controllers, or drum pads, and their prices range from around $60 to $300+.

Both sound design and music theory play a fundamental role in music production. While sound design refers to the art of creating a desired sonic landscape (using a variety of tools and techniques), music theory is concerned with the principles of music-making and composition.

In the past, we’ve already explored the question of how much music theory a music producer needs to know. While it’s definitely not a must to master music theory in order to become a good music producer, some elements are good to comprehend to streamline your production process.

Overall, a solid understanding of music theory and sound design will help you build chord progressions and melodies more easily, achieve your desired expression in tracks, make informed decisions in your music composition, improve your listening skills, and craft a unique style as an artist, among other things.

Electronic music encompasses a vibrant and diverse range of genres and subgenres, which can be overwhelming when deciding what style to create. Now, we’re not insinuating that you choose a style or a specific genre and stick with it throughout your entire producing journey. However, focusing on genres and styles you are passionate about can provide direction in the early phases before you develop your own signature sound.

If you’re at the stage where you’re not yet sure about what you like, listening to all kinds of electronic music, exploring genres, and discovering new artists is a great way to go about it. Once you’ve found a few styles you like, you can dig deeper into their characteristics and arrangements and apply this knowledge to your production process.

Focusing on specific genres and styles can provide valuable guidance when you start producing music, but it’s important not to limit yourself. In fact, bottlenecking yourself with one or two genres can constrain your skills, knowledge, and creativity. Producing music, particularly in the realm of electronic music generally known for its non-linear structure, offers endless possibilities for creating unique and magical compositions.

To fully harness these possibilities, it’s vital you embrace your curiosity, which will then open the doors to experimentation. Having a relentless and boundless thirst for exploration and musical adventure is great for pushing beyond familiar boundaries and crafting sounds beyond your wildest imagination.

1. Master your DAW. While choosing a DAW is the first step, learning how to use it is essential. As we’ve outlined before, any DAW can help you make decent music, but only if you have the skills to use it.

2. Be consistent and build habits that will push you to grow. Consistency is key to making continuous progress and growing as an artist. What’s also beneficial is to develop habits to further promote your growth and boost your confidence. These habits might include active listening, educating yourself regularly through reading or tutorials, creating a schedule for yourself, and setting monthly goals for progress. It’s important to realize that while you might be excited and motivated at the start of your production journey, motivation and inspiration will not always be there to support you. In those times, consistency can keep you moving forward.

3. Collaborate with other artists (if possible). Working with other artists and producers, especially in person, is a great way to learn something new, level up your skills, and expose yourself to a new source of ideas and creativity. It can also be lots of fun!

4. Train your ears. We haven’t covered this yet, but your ears are an incredibly powerful tool that can determine the quality of your production. Therefore, it’s important to train them. You can practice active listening and use reference tracks to help with this or consider the so-called ‘gym for your ears’ for additional ear training provided by SoundGym.

5. Balance learning and practicing. Active learning is essential for enhancing your skills and knowledge, whether through reading relevant books or articles, watching tutorials, or taking courses. Equally important is spending time in your DAW to apply what you’ve learned. Finding a balance between learning and practicing is crucial for your growth as an artist. Some suggest an 80/20 split — spending 80% of your time practicing and 20% learning new material — but we believe a balance tailored to your personal needs may be more beneficial.

6. You won’t find everything in tutorials. Focusing on problem-solving is big in music production. With endless possibilities for creating unique compositions and the large number of tools and features in your software, you’ll inevitably encounter issues and hitches that tutorials don’t discuss. Embrace figuring things out on your own. This approach will help you learn faster and ultimately become a better producer.

7. At first, focus on quantity over quality. For the sake of learning and enhancing your skills, it is important that you prioritize creating a large number of tracks over perfecting each one. While not everything may sound great, it’s more beneficial for your progress to work quickly and finish your projects, regardless of quality, rather than spending weeks or months on fine-tuning a single track. For instance, a common beginner mistake is spending hours trying to find the perfect kick, clap, or hi-hat. This form of perfectionism, however, can lead to ear fatigue and slow down your learning process.

8. Don’t ever delete your work. You might think that since quality isn’t the focus, your finished work doesn’t have much importance, especially those early tracks or ones you don’t consider very good. However, even in these tracks, you might discover great ideas worth revisiting in the future.