Explore the art of record production and how to make recordings that other people will love listening to. This course will teach you how to make emotionally moving recordings on almost any recording equipment, including your phone or laptop. The emphasis is on mastering tangible artistic concepts; the gear you use is up to you. You will learn to develop the most important tool in the recording studio: your ears. You will learn to enhance every aspect of your own productions, both sonically and musically, by employing deeper listening skills.
The Art of Music Production
The Art of Music Production
This course is part of multiple programs.
Instructor: Stephen Webber
107,547 already enrolled
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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8
(2,029 reviews)
Intermediate level
Recommended experience
Flexible schedule
Approx. 13 hours
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course
What you'll learn
Discuss why one musical recording is more compelling than another and identify the unique elements of the recording that contribute to it
Begin to assess and establish your identity, vision, and intention as an artist and producer
Write and develop a compelling piece of music by utilizing various tools
Establish the sonic signature of your production by utilizing specific production techniques
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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Assessments
9 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 5 modules in this course
Welcome to The Art of Music Production! Before you begin the course, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.
What's included
1 video4 readings1 assignment
By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand the concepts of listening to music emotionally and technically. Strategies for maintaining objectivity and using kinesthetic observations to discover musical effectiveness will be internalized. You’ll train yourself to make distinctions on what works and what doesn’t work, rather than just passively listening as a fan.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
In this lesson, you’ll hone in on your identity as a recording artist: who are you, and what are you meaning to convey through your music? You’ll work on refining your vision and intention for the recordings you’ll make employing these skills, and record and post a “work tape” of a new piece of music.
What's included
6 videos2 readings3 assignments1 peer review3 discussion prompts
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to employ several useful techniques for strengthening your songs and instrumental tracks. You’ll acquire skills in prosody, focus, and an intelligent approach to repetition. You’ll also learn to craft better melodies, write better lyrics, and construct a musical form that best suits the emotional contour you are trying to accomplish with your recording. You’ll understand the principles of getting the most out of feedback on your recordings, in order to gather valuable perspective to better convey your intended response. You’ll incorporate notes from your colleagues to further refine your recording and re-post an updated version.
What's included
10 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
By the end of this lesson, you will address the sonic signature as it relates to your intention and vision, as well as your technology resources and acoustic space. You’ll learn about microphone techniques, getting good levels, and mixing with reverb, EQ and compression. You will record your material, having made some deliberate decisions about the sound of your record, and post your recording for peer review according to specific criteria.
What's included
10 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.9 (346 ratings)Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Music and Art
Berklee
Berklee
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4.8
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Showing 3 of 2029
AF
5
Reviewed on Jan 22, 2019
In this section I've learned a great deal about music as art form. I can now appreciate music much better and challenge myself while listening to a song or watching a singer or performance.
PC
4
Reviewed on Jul 21, 2016
Definitely stretched me to think of myself as an artist rather than just a musician. This course is a great starting point for someone who wants to get into the nitty gritty of the creative process!
RM
5
Reviewed on Jul 28, 2020
I really enjoyed this course. I learned how to create my very first music song all on my own using an interface. I am independent and ready to make lots more music in my home on my own time by myself.
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Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. You will be writing new pieces and making new recordings that will incorporate specific elements in order to learn new skills. The assignments in this course require you to submit your own, original work.
During the course, you will be asked to submit recorded examples of your song ideas. You may also use your smartphone or tablet. You may also use your computer's built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built-in ports or an external audio interface), in addition to basic audio recording software, such as Audacity, that will allow you to record yourself and save the recording in MP3 format.
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.