A man at the top of his game: Diplo has had great success as both a DJ and a producer. You can do the same if you put the work in where it counts.
In part one of this three-part mini-series, What Exactly Is A DJ/Producer?, we looked at what a DJ/producer actually does. Then in part two, Why Become A DJ/Producer?, we talked in a frank and honest way about why you may want to be a producer.
Assuming you read both of the above and are still dead set on becoming a “DJ/producer” rather than simply being a “DJ”, today’s final part give you five steps to getting your first work out there – be that a mashup, a re-edit, a remix or even your own production – and then building on that to finally achieve success as a DJ/producer…
Now we say five “proven” steps, but of course doing it is not going to be in any way easy. But we hope that this way you’ll be able to put your efforts in where they count, knowing that the steps themselves have been tried and tested by those before you…
Our five steps to production success
1. Get some basic musical stuff nailed
The big one here is harmonic mixing. It is important to understand how musical keys work and how major and minor scales are related but different.
You can't escape it - music theory will definitely help you if you want to get serious about music production.
Otherwise, you’re relying totally on your ears to decide if things work together or not, and thus you’re limiting your ability to place elements together that shouldn’t work together but somehow do (or to confidently spot the opposite).
Learning to play an instrument is not massively important, but being comfortable with how to use a keyboard can help. If you already play any instrument, that knowledge can inform your production skills, so even if it’s the recorder, don’t discount it…
2. Sharpen your sense of what goes with what
This means imagining sounds together. Basslines and drum loops. Vocals and piano lines. Playing one element off against another is a cornerstone of catchy productions.
This means imagining sounds together. Basslines and drum loops. Vocals and piano lines.
Luckily, as a DJ, you have a definite advantage over someone who reckons they’re musical and decides they want to be a producer, because you’re used to thinking about what will go well with something else – as DJs it’s what we do every time we pull a new tune out of the bag to go with the current one, every time we DJ, after all.
This is a skill, just as much as musical knowledge is a skill, and it’s something you can practise and get better at.
So try the most outlandish things – applied alongside the musical theory you learned in step one, you’re well on the way to creating something new from your tunes, loops, stems or virtual instruments.
3. Pick a weapon, any weapon
Even more so that with DJing, getting gear or software “paralysis” is a rabbit hole you really don’t want to go down when it comes to producing. The truth is that you can make a hit on practically any software that has a record button, and that incudes that free version of Virtual DJ you have there on your computer.
Mixed In Key's Mashup is one of the simplest ways to start making music from other people's tunes.
If you have Traktor 2.5 or above, you have “remix decks” which are a little like the way another program you may consider, Ableton Live, works. Ideal stuff.
Want simple production software? Many DJs have produced global hits using nothing more than FL Studio (formerly “FruityLoops”), which is really easy to get going on – try the demo from their website. Look at Reaper, another amazing digital audio workstation with a generously long free trial. Or just grab a copy of Mixed In Key’s Mashup, the simplest of the lot, to test the waters.
Point is, you probably already have something you can start on, and if not, you can choose something today. Once you’ve got it, stop looking for anything better. Don’t worry about your gear or your software – worry about making your first production instead.
4. Do the work!
Here’s where the rubber hits the road. It’s the scariest part of this, but also the most exhilarating. To get “in the zone”, commit the time and make sure you spend it, come what may. Turn up and do it. Dreamers dream. Doers do.
The stars will align in your favour when you get the discipline bit right…
If you decide on four hours a day for a week to produce your first track, then turn up at 10am and work till 2pm however you feel, for that week. It’s important you grasp that the end result is secondary to turning up – because it’s the discipline that will get you success.
Inspiration, being “in the zone”, making something that turns out to be worthwhile – that’s all in the stars. It’s beyond your control. But I can tell you for sure that those stars will align in your favour when you get the discipline bit right.
5. Get it out there
Here’s a simple formula. It’s only one formula, but I’ve seen it work again and again:
- Make a video for your tune – What to do for the video? Spend zero time worrying about it, that’s for sure. Film a turntable spinning. A waveform waving. Hang your iPhone out of your car window. What-ev-er. Just get something that moves recorded. That’ll do. Seriously
- Get your tune and video on YouTube – Don’t worry if your tune is a mashup containing other people’s music; YouTube will monetise it for the labels by slapping ads on it, or alternatively it will block it (especially if you live in Germany. Ouch.) But doing this won’t get you a criminal conviction and it won’t get you in trouble (I’m no lawyer by the way, just saying what I see, so don’t blame me if it does…) I would advise you use a YouTube account not connected to your primary Gmail address, though, just in case it gets turned off. Of course, if you’ve made a tune of your own, this isn’t an issue. Slap it on SoundCloud too, while you’re there
Earworm’s productions are hyper-professional nowadays, but they’re a still just mashups, and they get him huge gigs all over the world. - Promote your tune like hell – Not only on Facebook, either. Have you got a website for your DJing? A mailing list to tell people of future gigs? Has your club? Have you got a list of DJs you think may play your tune? Now’s the time to get your tune to all of these people and anyone else you can think of…
- If your tune is original, get it on sale… If your tune is something you’ve made from scratch, use a service like TuneCore or one of the others to get it in online stores like Beatport, iTunes and so on. It’s not likely anyone will buy it, but that’s not the important thing just yet, because maybe the most important part is the next bit…
Got all that? Now do it again and again!
One thing’s for sure: What I just told you won’t get you success instantly. So here’s the final piece to the jigsaw: Do it again. And again.
That’s why the “discipline” part is so important. It may take two, three, five years. But unless you choose to stop doing this, it’s not a question of if, but when. Blind faith is a prerequisite here.
What happens when it happens…
In the end, you’ll have 50 videos on YouTube, a following of a few thousand on Facebook, a load of stuff for sale (that nobody buys) in online stores, and then – bam! Something you do hits gold.
Only you know the exact formula that got you here. And the best bit? You’ve earned it.
Suddenly, people are buying not only your new tunes, but all your back catalogue. Suddenly, you’re making a bit of money. Suddenly, you’re getting a few DJ bookings out of town. And suddenly, everything you dreamed of may just start to come true.
Of course, your success has been anything but overnight, but only you know the exact formula that got you here. And the best bit? You’ve earned it. You’re now good enough. You’re now a successful DJ/producer.
Good luck, and do remember to enjoy the journey; in the end, that’s really what it’s all about.
Have we inspired you to have a go at making your own material, of any type? Have you already been doing this? How’s it working for you? I’d love you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Now go to:
What Exactly Is A DJ/Producer?
Why Become A DJ/Producer?
5 Self Motivation Tips for DJs, Producers & Artists
Want to escape the bedroom and play in public - fast?
Our 1000s-selling How To Digital DJ Fast video course shows you how.
Learn to DJ Free - email course plus bonus PDF book
Sign up for our weekly email course for beginners now...
Trouble choosing a controller? Visit the web's #1 guide!
DJ Controllers: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2013.
Tags: DJ/producer tips, making mashups, promoting your music
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Hey Phil, I already produce etc, definitely agree with your points! Maybe you could do a article on some music blogs to send produced music to or so? To get it “out there” ?
[ link ]I would disagree with the notion that you should be selling your tunes. If anything, you should be putting them out there for free. No one is going to buy stuff from someone they don’t know, but if DJs hear a tune they like, and can get the Full Quality file for free, you’ve got a good chance of sneaking your way into sets, getting yourself follows on soundcloud/facebook and really building from there. Then once you start to produce stuff that is next level, you can put it on sale, and really run away, or a label may see a tune you’ve put out for free, because a DJ they know has played it, and decide to sign that tune from you. Reach is the key, and you get the best reach (initially at least) by being free.
[ link ]It’s all about opportunity, timing and having a plan. We all produce music these days, some of us have been doing it a lot longer than others. The question is how to get your name out there.
As stated in the article, a great way to promote yourself is with a music video. Here in Philadelphia, we just produced a track in 8 hours and in the last two weeks its received over 2000 views on soundcloud. With that momentum we have decided to film a music video in Pittsburgh with the all of our friends involved.
In October we will be renting out a industrial warehouse, filling it with artwork, themes from the song itself, lights and of course bands and djs we know. The goal is extend your artwork out into the world and get as many people involved and talking about you as possible.
Personally, I disagree with having 50 youtube videos and a variety of other beats posted that you’ve been sitting on for the last few years. Instead, I am in favor of a nice, affordable, time efficient process.
Release 1 song that you’ve been sitting on and are completely sure it’s going to be a banger and blow it up. Play it at clubs or in our case festivals that you are booked at. Play it on the radio or during your home podcasts. Send it to a dozen record labels, post updates about the song and progress regarding developments of remixes, refix’s or in our case a legit music video. (not filmed on a iphone)
Most importantly, continue to listen to your work over and over again to make sure that you are confident in the track’s marketability and freshness. Get all your cover art taken care of ahead of time then release it into the wild an see where it takes you.
After you do that then you might consider “releasing the song for free” after its already has 53,000 youtube views and your getting phone calls from promoters in different cities. (By this time you should have secured a booking agent, promoter or have a good friend help you with blowing your name up and helping you secure those gigs in different cities)
Remember to be real..dont produce something people have heard over and over again..be fresh, innovative and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
[ link ]Thanks for these valuable additions to the post, lovely to hear of your success so far.
[ link ]No problem.
[ link ]Great article! Im a rookie producer and i always love reading what you have to say. I will definitely take this to heart as i hope many will and i will give you credit when i go big!
[ link ]I look forward to it!
[ link ]“If you decide on four hours a day for a week to produce your first track, then turn up at 10am and work till 2pm however you feel, for that week. It’s important you grasp that the end result is secondary to turning up – because it’s the discipline that will get you success.”
Truth. I need to focus on being patient with my craft and honing my skills and rather than showing off my basses/drums/synths in some half-assed songs.
It’s a lot of work coming up with something super fresh in Ableton/Reason/Razor.
I feel a lot of producers trying to come up just upload tons and tons of snippets and nothing ever comes of it because they didn’t discipline themselves in terms of making a fully produced, high quality track.
[ link ]Definitely true… one of the biggest pitfalls w/ production is not finishing songs you start.
[ link ]You are right, but I want to add this.
I produce full blown tracks, but to get to this point I produce a lot of snippets, loops etc. It’s part of the proces to produce music, a painting also starts with some sketches and studies of the painted object.
You have to finish your songs, to train yourself. But stop working on a project that doesn’t sound good, dull or simply doesn’t work, it is a waste of energy.
[ link ]There might be some good elements in the track that doesn’t work which you can use in a new one.
I just want to say thank you guys for writing this article. I began my “DJ career” producing. Landing weekly club gigs and working a FULL time “corporate job” that pays well kind of took me down the DJ ONLY road. But this just put the fire under my @$$ that I needed to get back in producer/remix mode. We often think some guy just got lucky and became big over-night but it really isnt the case. Hard work, dedication and preparation go a LONG way. THANK YOU THANK YOU! And I will be signing up for the OD music production course. I respect Chris’s philosophy.
[ link ]i’v been a music producer since 2004 age of 14 , but i stoped 2 years ago due to frustration and depression , when i stoped producing i begun learning djing , and now im fully motivated to get my ass* back to music production , now im working on producing a remix , and looking for gigs to deejay xD
now i feel like im in the right road with 2 weapons in hand like HITMAN :p
i feel that i have some advantages bcz i play piano since 8 yrs old , and guitar 2 years now and i have some music theory knowledge that im proud of
im always learning and i’l never stop learning , if i stoped… pray on my soul .
[ link ]Thanks for these powerful three parts mini series of article
[ link ]I’ve been producing tunes and putting em up on my soundcloud for the past 3 years. I recently got signed to a few labels and have releases set to drop in the next two months. I took up DJing after producing on Ableton for a year or so. I moved to Traktor because I found it easier to just mix tracks with little or no preparation. Thanks to the knowledge I learned on this site I am now getting gigs in my local city and when my E.P.’s come out I foresee myself getting out of town gigs more regularly! Learning how to mix songs and produce at the same time has really helped me understand how to make good mixable tracks. This article is all win imo!
[ link ]Glad to hear of your success Otter, long may it continue!
[ link ]SO true about the discipline and enjoy the journey. Solid method to follow INCLUDING the leap of faith and leave it for the stars to align.
[ link ]I had off tonight and went to the club I work at to hang. I got so much inspiration listening to the other DJ (he happens to be a personal friend for over 20yrs). This is because I am following this 3 part article. These articles have really shown me to keep it simple and more importantly just do it! A wise friend once said to me “when all is said and done, there is a lot more being said than done”
“When all is said and done, there is a lot more being said than done” – I absolutely love that!
[ link ]Great article & great series. I sort of disagree with the notion that you can set a schedule like a day job. Electronic music production is basically songwriting which is an artistic process & every artist knows you can’t just turn creativity on/off like a switch. Now once you get to mastering & tweaking, yeah I can agree that you can be more disciplined and power through. I’ve had times where I crank out 4 complete tracks in a month & other times can’t complete 10 seconds of quality music in a month.
This statement doesn’t necessarily hold true for other musical genres because e.g. in rock music the band is primarily writing & the producer is primarily producing. However in electronic music the term producer also implies songwriter.
[ link ]I think his point is that if you wait for inspiration to come, it won’t. Inspiration comes when you’re sitting in your studio, messing around with stuff in your DAW. You can control that, so even if you can’t control inspiration you can control the events that make it more likely. Someone, I think it was Mark Twain (I can’t find the quote) was asked if he waited for inspiration to strike, and he replied something to the effect of, “Yes, but fortunately it always strikes at 9:00 sharp!”
[ link ]One of my favourite inspiration quotes, and it’s very true.
[ link ]Well, I enjoyed the DJ fast course, so if its creator is recommending this, it’s worth a shot.
I checked the demos, and he does lay things out in a rather concise method.
However, it is designed around Reason.
Silly side question, though:
It looks like you could potentially use Reason in the similar fashion that people use Ableton for live sets (e.g. on the fly cutting and pasting/mixes) fairly easily. And it seems to be the stated case in these articles.
Confirm or deny?
Thanks for this article.
[ link ]It’s actually designed around a piece of software called Reaper, which is different from Reason. Chris chose it because it has a perpetual free trial period meaning while you may end up buying it, you can do so when you’re ready (and it’s also cheap).
[ link ]My bad, Phil. I’m not sure why I was thinking Reason. Maybe the whole ‘Rea’ thing.
Thanks for clearing that up.
[ link ]I always have a problem with promoting. I put my stuff up on several sites, staggering it a little bit to get some extra life out of it, but then afterwards I don’t know what to do. Should I send it to individual people? I always feel intrusive when I do that and it feels like it might turn people away if they see it too much.
[ link ]