Why YouTube (Alone) Won’t Make You a Successful Music Producer
YouTube is a great place to start learning music production — but if you’re serious about turning it into a career, a structured program is probably your best bet. Here are 4 reasons why we don’t recommend relying on YouTube alone to learn music, and how formal education can help:
1.Structured, Personalised Learning
YouTube content, by nature, isn’t personalised or organised in the same way that a formal program is. The algorithm will, more often than not, serve you videos with the most views or engagement, rather than what you need at that moment, meaning that you may learn tricks before you nail down the fundamentals. On the other hand, a formal program will follow a clear path — from the basics to the advanced — so you build strong foundations & expertise. It will also provide tailored feedback, helping you grow faster than if you did everything yourself.
For example, a YouTube search may show you videos teaching mixing and mastering before you’ve understood basic arrangement on a DAW. A formal program, conversely, will ensure you’ve understood how to create & complete a track before mastering it – something you may not realise is standard professional practice without formal guidance.
2. Content Overload
YouTube is host to a wealth of information, meaning you’re not only going to encounter a lot of repetition, but also varying opinions on the same topic. As a new producer or musician, it will be difficult to discern what’s true from a sea of subjective experiences, leaving you more confused & demotivated than if you had some formal guidance. This is where a structured program shines – curating the latest & most accurate industry and academic resources to give you the best guidance for your growth & development.
To witness this YouTube “content overload” first hand, search the website or app for the “best production tips” for a genre of your choice. You’ll not only see multiple videos on the topic, but you’ll also notice varying video lengths and differing recommendations. Without an understanding of how to navigate this information, you’re likely to be overwhelmed, which, ultimately, wastes your time & leaves you with more questions than answers.
3. “Tool Overload”
Similar to “Content Overload”, YouTube is also a minefield of plugin, gear & tool reviews and recommendations. Without a proper understanding of what these tools do, you may feel tempted to install and/or purchase them, with the expectation that they’ll improve your music and musicianship. The reality is that, more often than not, the tools themselves aren’t going to “fix” your music or make you a better producer.
The best way to understand this is to think of producing like cooking. You might have the best quality ingredients – Wagyu beef, Shitake Mushrooms, Himalayan Salt – you name it, but without a proper sense of how to cook them and blend them into a dish, your steak & mushroom meal is going to taste far better in your head. This is where a formal education helps – teaching you the right process & methodology so that you can get the best from any plugin or gear that pops up on your feed. an
4. Developing Thinking Skills
You might think that figuring things out by yourself is a true hallmark of talent and potential. You’re not wrong, but sometimes you need to know how to figure things out, which is where – you guessed it – learning from a structured curriculum pays dividends. Learning how to think enables you to adapt to your situation, which, in the context of music production, often means making the best creative or technical decisions for the track you’re currently working on.
With YouTube videos, the knowledge you get is often confined to the experience and circumstances of the person imparting it. In other words, the knowledge is contextual, meaning you’ll need to know how best to apply it to your situation. Guidance from the tried and tested – whether in the form of academic knowledge or a teacher’s expertise – will be the key to understanding how to get the best out of what you’re taught.
