5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming A Music Producer Full Time

In this video I share some realistic insight on what it means to be a full time music producer by sharing 5 things I wish I knew before I started.

00:00 Why you should even listen to me
01:04 Number 1
02:33 Number 2
03:58 Number 3
06:08 Number 4
08:12 Number 5
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[LLusion]

my guy, you are a gem to the producer community. we need more people to be transparent and honest like this. coming from someone who had a very similar career path around the same time period as you, i could not relate more man. you said it so perfectly too “making music is fun, but it’s not something i do FOR fun.” i miss the days where i’d be excited to make something with no purpose behind it. and i get it, boo hoo we sound like crying babies, but it’s just facts. the reward is extremely high mentally and financially (when something actually locks) but it’s a 24/7 job that never ends. your mental health is always out of wack due to worrying about numbers constantly. You can never really relax without feeling guilty or your mind racing of other stuff you could do to further your career. these are things nobody talks about. so i appreciate you spotting these things out as well as all the positives that come with it though. Huge respect to you bro!

[SOK]

Cut To The Chaise - Learn To Play/Keyboard - Learn Music Theory and Learn Any Daw of Your Choice Don't Expect To Succeed Fast it Will Take 3- 5 Years if You put The Right Effort to it. Wish You All The Luck Kings and Queens.

[markbergsound]

This definitely hits home, I struggled finding a balance in life when I was hustling music (which I have no regrets!) but as I got older the dream switched for me wanting a 9-5 and a consistent income as my brain was too all over the place to handle the business side of things. I decided to hustle the sound design route and I am now a full time audio artist working on video games at EA. Dreams can pivot and it doesn't mean you are giving up -- even though it felt like it when I made music my hobby instead.

[FifkaLofi]

My last beat made me realise that I was paying too much attention to ideas how can i make money from music while i just started. I remember how 4 years ago i was doing random thinks in FL studio and having fun, then I gave up on music for 3 years and finally I'm back. It is because of you, L.Dre, you inspired me with your music to start again in this genre and just play with it for now because everyone should live for today and don't be anxious about next month or year or even rest of the life.

[smartfacemusic]

Been working as a producer full time since 2017 and I agree with everything you say here. Especially number 4. I am in a bad place with music right now, I’m burnt out and lost so much passion and motivation for music by spending all my time in the studio. Really looking forward to getting back that energy I used to have. Thanks for this video brother

[jerzboybeats]

Man this was very helpful. It’s different perspective of looking at things. Thanks for posting.

[milesjordan]

Love the transparency in this video because I've felt the same way for a bit. Doing music as a business can make music seem dull & less exciting gradually over time. The constant need to be on work mode & searching for new opportunities can also be mentally exhausting. Most of the habits that I've seen from successful producers, such as not sleeping enough, sitting for excessive hours, & working 24/7 can lead to serious health issues in the future. After recently prioritizing my physical & mental health more, it's made me realize that there are more important things in life than trying to make 100s of beats/videos in a week. Thanks for pointing these things out!

[EDP_beats]

I'm almost 10years in and it is still a struggle... Mahalo for being real! 🤙

[niddysnoises]

The transparency about the gear/equipment! I've been producing for a hobby since around 2014 and if anyone had told me that 9 years on I'd be making music with a tiny midi controller I think I would've laughed in there face. It's about finding equiptment that works for you and how you want to produce your music!

[-adc]

FACTS. I've been SUPER selective / careful about how I approach illustration as a job or to make money - because it is also something I find therapeutic, relaxing...just something I truly love doing for fun. I know that if it ever became my livelihood, and I wasn't super careful, it could quickly become poisoned and a just end up a frustrating grind. At this point, that's ok. I still love my day job in the software design space, but I feel you on that sense that, if I make this thing I love doing = work...I'm not doing it for fun anymore.

[jjames]

I’m literally where you was at rn back in 2020, I been holding myself back from starting for months now but I’m glad I’m finally giving it a shot. Heavy on the “when you first start your beats are gonna be trash regardless” this is helpful to hear 😭😭

[codes]

First tip is amazing, I started djing while collaborating (ideas wise only) with my best mate about a year after he started producing.. all I had was a cheap af laptop another friend gifted me, I learnt to dj purely with keyboard hotcues before I ever bought any real equipment, I ended up playing support for my idols in the worldwide drum and bass scene in my small city 3-5 years in never buying anything even close to the equipment the club had.. took a long hiatus while pushing in my full time job but now I'm getting back into the scene with an emphasis on producing this time. I have a better computer now and some midrange headphones but I'm grinding towards creating my own unique sound.

the real magic happens inside you not in your equipment, and working to limitations unlocks more creativity than the freedom to do literally anything..

keep grinding yall, carve out your sound amongst the noise that is everything else ❤

[thenumberIX]

not a producer but a musician trying to figure out how to make it my full time. Very helpful video

[OriginalSlimLee]

Thank you for this video honestly. This is my second year doing this and it's been a struggle lately. But I won't give up. I'll be watching this video a lot more for sure. Saving this video.

[deepbeatz]

Man, thanks for this!! To even make any money from music you learn to not just do it for fun. This resonated with me on so many levels. I'm gonna be looking at this video quite often.

[finntwist]

Thank you for your honesty! Your struggles resonate with me and that's motivating.

[MusicalMaverick]

Ayeeee!!! I’ve been following you since 2021 and it’s been amazing your transformation and how much you’ve helped the music community. For reals man; you are in inspiration

[CeDel]

I appreciate the insight bro. I just started making beats, and I’m guilty of thinking it’s just a hobby. But I find myself thinking about it everyday and dedicating insane amounts of time going thru samples and loops just to make something unique. I keep telling myself that if it pans out cool, if not that’s fine too cuz I have a career but deep down I’d feel better about myself if I did well and succeeded at making it. Even if it’s just to a crowd of people who appreciate what I make, it’d be worth all the sweat and tears lol.

[SamTheDawn]

I have already decided to try to make it my career because it's something you can do from almost everywhere and I want to travel a lot once I finish school. Right now one of my goals is to make a beat with you when I improve a little since you're a big inspiration to me haha😁

[SamFocused]

Thank You for being so honest and transparent. Nr. 3 everybody can relate to it 💯💯💯
Nr. 4 is so important when you dont got a Business Manager next to You to realize How many Administration it Brings with it.