music production schools online

Last Updated on December 15, 2022

Berklee Online is the continuing education division of Berklee College of Music, delivering online access to Berklee’s acclaimed curriculum from anywhere in the world. We are the world’s largest online music school—30,000+ musicians from more than 140 countries have taken our courses—but classes never have more than 20 students per section. Our urgency is to help you get the best out of yourself, to open your mind and make your musical dreams a reality.

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Top 10 Best Online Music Production Schools – Universities Abroad

Music Production Schools Online

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Music production is more technical than ever — but it’s also more necessary than ever. Whether you’re an aspiring hip-hop beatmaker or electronic producer (or you’re simply looking to polish acoustic recordings), being able to make music digitally and use production software can seriously advance your career. Luckily, you don’t have to attend a fancy school or even leave the house to break into the biz. You can now enroll in some of the best online courses for music production right from your home.

Online courses for almost all disciplines (including music production) have blown-up recently. E-learning websites such as Masterclass, Coursera, and Udemy are now providing eager students with high-quality courses that involve lectures from professionals (sometimes celebrities), stimulating coursework and peer collaboration. And now that we’re all stuck at home, these courses are even more enticing, because you just need a laptop or even just a smartphone to get started. Plus, you can study as often as your schedule permits.

Five Courses to Take Online to Get You Started in the Music BusinessThe World’s Best Music Schools Are Making Classes Available Online to Everyone

How Do Online Music Production Courses Work?

So what do the best online courses for music production actually look like? Our favorites include beatmaking with Timberland, electronic music production through the Berklee College of Music, and complete guides to popular software like Logic Pro X.

We’ve rounded up courses from a few different websites (namely, Masterclass, Udemy and Coursera), so each might function a bit differently. But, in general, you’ll have a library of lectures from professionals in the field of music production. To supplement these lectures you’ll often have assignments (don’t worry, you’re not graded). In some cases, you’ll also get the chance to collaborate with peers on projects, ask questions and discuss. Overall, these websites offer a very comprehensive learning experience.

Related: The World’s Best Music Schools Are Making Online Courses Available to Everyone

As mentioned, you really only need a smart device to start these courses. Of course, you’ll also want a music production software, which might differ depending on the course.

The Best Online Courses for Music Production

Ready to pick up a new skill or bump up your resume? Whether you’re looking to break into the music industry or need a refresher, here are the best online courses for music production.

1. Timbaland Teaches Producing and Beatmaking

Now that hip-hop is one of the biggest genres in the world, many musicians are using their talents to produce beats. But, contrary to what some acoustic diehards think, beatmaking is incredibly difficult and requires a special set of skills – as well as a good ear. With this Masterclass, you can learn to make hits from a beatmaking legend: Timbaland.

Timbaland’s Masterclass includes 15 bite-sized lessons (about five to 30 minutes each). You’ll learn how to loop, mix, layer drums, add vocals and collaborate with other producers. But you also get some motivation and stories from the ground-breaking producer: For example, in one lesson Tim leads you through how he made produced “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” for Jay-Z.

Courtesy Masterclass

Buy: MasterClass Subscription at $180

2. Deadmau5 Teaches Electronic Music Production

The overwhelming detail in electronic music production can make learning the craft seem, well, overwhelming. Luckily, Joel Zimmerman – better known as deadmau5 – is here to help unpack fast-growing art of electronic music. The Grammy-winning house producer has removed his mouse head and donned his professor’s cap to teach this Masterclass course on electronic music production. Zimmerman’s course is very comprehensive, covering everything from theory to experimenting with synths to performing your music as a house DJ.

Courtesy Masterclass

Buy: MasterClass Subscription at $180

3. Coursera Electronic Music Production Specialization (via Berklee College)

Coursera offers online courses that are essentially the same as actual remote college courses. This specialization (as well as the one below) are offered through Berklee College of Music, one of the most prestigious music schools in the world. This specialization hones your talents as an electronic producer with four courses: The Technology of Music Production, Introduction to Ableton Live, Creating Sounds for Electronic Music and Electronic Music Performance Techniques. These are taught by actual Berklee College staff, and include real coursework to further your learning.

Nomad_Soul – stock.adobe.com

Buy: Coursera Plus Annual Subscription at $299

4. Coursera Music Production Specialization (via Berklee College)

Another specialization on Coursera through Berklee College is Music Production. This one is a little bit more broad than the Electronic Production specialization above. The instructors are, again, real Berklee faculty and the four included courses provide some serious material for studying and practicing. You’ll learn to create a vision for a project, efficiently manage a recording session, edit tracks to get the sound you want, and evaluate your end product.

Photoboyko – stock.adobe.com

Buy: Coursera Plus Annual Subscription at $299

5. Udemy Music & Audio Production in Logic Pro X

Apple’s Logic Pro X is one of the more attainable music production softwares, and it’s great for beginners to platinum-producing pros. But, if you’re just getting started, you will need some guidance. This extensive Udemy course details every function of Logic Pro X so you can comfortably use the software to create, record edit and mix music. The course includes 40 hours of on-demand videos, allowing you to jump in when you’ve got the time and return to the course when needed.

boyhey – stock.adobe.com

Buy: Udemy Music Production Course at $139

These are just five out of hundreds of music production courses you can find online. See the full course selection on the Masterclass, Coursera, and Udemy websites.

music production schools online free

Music production refers to the process of planning, developing, recording, and refining a piece of music of any genre. Music production exists in all types of music and is required for any kind of track, whether it’s EDM, rap, pop, or country. The great thing about learning music production is that it’s all-encompassing, and music production can refer to the entire life cycle of a song all the way up until its release. 

Production can include songwriting, recording, mixing, mastering, and more. Learning music production can open up various doors for you, including even making your own music if that’s something you’re interested in. 

Nowadays, a lot of music is made on computers, or at least mixed there. You can make and record an entire song or album solely from your computer and post it to a streaming platform or music-sharing website like Bandcamp. Music production is extremely accessible if you own a computer, therefore it’s incredibly straightforward to learn online, too. If you have ever wondered about what it would be like to take a music production class online, whether it’s just for fun or for your career, look no further than this list of 10 free courses in music production

1. Vocal Recording Technology 

Hosted by edX, offered by Berklee College of Music 

Berklee College of Music is one of the most difficult music schools to get into, and you need to be incredibly intelligent and versed in music to be admitted. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help those who are interested in music but have never pursued it. Luckily, edX has partnered with Berklee to bring students this exciting vocal recording technology course completely for free. The course takes approximately 6 weeks to complete if you work at a pace of about 5 to 6 hours a week, and you can purchase a verified certificate from the university for only $49, much less than it costs to take a college course. 

During this class, you will learn about the explosion of musical creativity as a result of accessibility and digitization. This class will be beneficial to you whether you want to sing, produce, mix, or more, and you will gain a well-rounded understanding of vocal technologies. Not only will you learn about the voice, but you will also learn about the environment that alters it, which includes microphones, compressors, conversion, listening environment, and more. By the end of the course, you will understand how to enhance your music with vocals, and how to use emerging techniques to perfect these vocals. 

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes (with $49 fee)

Time to Complete: Approximately 6 weeks

Curriculum: Beginner    

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

  • Start anytime and go at your own pace
  • Offered by one of the world’s most prestigious music schools
  • Learn how to enhance your tracks with pristine vocals

Cons:

  • Certificate of achievement costs $49

2. Music Production Specialization

Hosted by Coursera, offered by Berklee College of Music 

One of the great things about Coursera is that outside of offering impeccable individual free online courses, they also often group these courses together to create proprietary specializations for students. This specialization also comes from Berklee College of Music, which is great as you can be connected to one of the most prestigious music schools for free. This specialization contains four courses that include a major capstone project, and it takes about 5 months to complete if you work at a pace of about 3 hours a week. Upon completion of the specialization, you will earn a shareable certificate to present to employers or add to your LinkedIn profile. 

During these courses, you will learn both the art and technology behind music production, and you will also learn about all of the tools the pros use. The specialization will finish with a capstone project that entails you creating, producing, and submitting a fully finalized song. The class uses a peer-reviewing style, so you will always be able to get feedback from your classmates and instructors on your work. 

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Approximately 5 months

Curriculum: Beginner    

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

  • Start anytime and go at your own pace
  • Offered by one of the world’s most prestigious music schools
  • Create your own song in a final capstone project

Cons:

  • Longer course, takes 5 months to complete

3. Become a Music Producer

Hosted by LinkedIn Learning, offered by several instructors

Most professionals that you talk to are familiar with LinkedIn, especially in our increasingly digital age. LinkedIn is one of the world’s most popular professional networking sites where people can connect and find new jobs. Their sister website, LinkedIn Learning, is one that fewer people know about and more people should. The site is a MOOC (massive open online course) platform that has thousands of professional courses to help people move their careers forward. While it would typically require a flat, subscription-based fee to access all of the site’s content, new users can currently get a one-month free trial of the content. One month is plenty of time to get started on this music production path, which takes 33 hours to fully complete. 

This pathway contains 13 different courses, each of them covering a different aspect of music production. Some of the topics of these courses include techniques for recording audio, EQ and filters, mixing, reverb, delay and modulation, the business of songwriting, and more. By the time you’ve finished, you will feel fully confident creating your own songs or moving into the music business. 

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Approximately 33 hours

Curriculum: Beginner    

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

  • Start anytime and go at your own pace
  • Learn about various different topics within music production
  • Taught by various qualified instructors

Cons:

  • Longer course, takes 33 hours to complete
  • Content is locked behind paywall after free trial
Best Online Music Production Course 2022: Masterclass, Udemy, Coursera -  Rolling Stone

4. LOFI FUNDAMENTALS: Make CHILL Hip-Hop Beats – Music Production For Beginners

Hosted by Skillshare, offered by Kia Orion

This course from Skillshare is more focused on one specific type of music rather than production overall, which is really great if you know you want to focus on LoFi music. Skillshare, similar to LinkedIn Learning, operates on a subscription-based fee system where you pay a monthly rate in order to access all of the site’s content. For right now, however, new users can access a 14-day trial of Skillshare Premium for free, which is plenty of time to get working on this 3.5-hour course from Kia Orion. The course has 30 different units that tell you how to take your LoFi production to the next level, and also suggests what you can do next. 

If you listen to chill hip-hop beats when you study or relax and wonder how they’re made, this course is perfect for you. During the course, you’ll learn how to get that gritty hip-hop sound that producers have mastered, trading in years of trial-and-error for a few hours of a crash course. Class projects allow you to collaborate with other students and get feedback on your work, sharing your newfound skill for making beats with your classmates.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Approximately 3.5 hours

Curriculum: Beginner    

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

  • Start anytime and go at your own pace
  • Learn how to make gritty, bouncy LoFi beats 
  • Only takes a few hours to complete 

Cons:

  • No certificate of achievement 

5. Music Producer Masterclass: Making Electronic Music

Hosted by Alison, offered by Chester Sky

In this professional-level course, you will learn how to effectively use FL Studio, which is a digital audio workspace application designed for music producers. Alison is a MOOC platform that has thousands of free courses designed to push students to go further in their careers, and their site is mostly composed of courses meant for professionals. Alison is free to join and most of the courses are free to access, many of them offering the opportunity for certification upon completion. This course allows you to get a CPD (continued professional development) certification, which you can purchase once you’ve finished. 

Alison describes this music production course as a “one-stop shop,” meaning that you won’t need to go anywhere else to learn more music production skills, you’ll be ready to go! The course takes between 4 and 5 hours to complete and has been given a high rating on the site by nearly 7,000 students. Once you’ve finished the course, you will feel like a master of FL Studio and be ready to take on your own musical challenges. 

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes (With accreditation)

Time to Complete: Approximately 4-5 hours

Curriculum: Beginner    

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

  • Start anytime and go at your own pace
  • Learn how to work with the FL Studio application
  • Become a master of music production

Cons:

  • Certification requires additional effort / cost

music production courses for beginners

9 BEST MUSIC PRODUCTION COURSES FOR BEGINNERS

ROWAN FRIZELLLEARN MUSIC PRODUCTIONDisclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. Read our full affiliate disclosure here.

  • We round up the best music production courses for beginners.
  • Up your music production game with these 9 courses.
  • Synthesis, EQ, compression, mixing, mastering and more.

THE BEST BEGINNER MUSIC PRODUCTION COURSES

Starting out as a music producer can often be an overwhelming and confusing leap to take. A lot of people often find themselves unsure of which digital audio workstation (DAW) to use, what skills they should learn first, and are left to figure out what tools they actually need. 

There are many other common questions regarding more specific topics like EQ, compression, mixing and arrangement. We here at PH have tried to compile a list of what we think are the 9 best music production courses for beginners.

THE PRODUCER HIVE PODCAST

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This list should cover nearly everything you need to know and help point you in the right direction as you get started on your personal journey with making music.

1. PRODUCERTECH’S “EQ FUNDAMENTALS”

SUITED FOR ANYONE STRUGGLING TO ACHIEVE A WELL-DEFINED MIXDOWN, AND WANTS TO LEARN THE INS AND OUTS OF HOW TO PROPERLY EQ.

First up we will begin with a topic that any producer will want to get their head around as early as possible and that EQ’ing.

This course is brought to you via Producertech and is hosted by Rob Jones,  who boasts over two decades of industry experience and has been actively involved in creating and curating a wide selection of Ableton-certified deep-dives on the topic of music production.

This course will take you through all the fundamentals of EQ and cover everything from the basic interface of an EQ unit/plugin and how to apply EQ to a variety of different instruments and sounds to create a better overall mix.

For more in-depth information on this course and its entirety, click here.

2. PRODUCERTECH’S “COMPLETE GUIDE TO COMPRESSION”

SUITED FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF AUDIO SIGNAL COMPRESSION TO IMPROVE THEIR MIXING AND MASTERING SKILLS.

The compressor is a well known but rarely well-used tool which can be a powerful weapon in any producers arsenal.

When looking for a compressor plugin, it might be worth noting what sort of hardware compressor it has been made on, as some compressors will favour some sonic applications more than others.

This lesson will run you through the nitty-gritty of audio compression and all of its majestic mystery.

Keep in mind that this lesson will primarily use the Ableton Live native compressor plugin for demonstrative purposes, but all the information learned through this tutorial can be used in a transferrable manner and applied to any other compressor.

This course will teach you how to use a sidechain, how to use attack and release settings appropriately, how to compress drums, vocals and even do things such as de-ess a vocal recording.

For more info on this absolute necessity of a course, click here.

3. NOISELAB

SUITED FOR BEGINNERS WHO HAVE DECIDED TO COMMIT TO LEARNING THE INS AND OUTS OF ABLETON LIVE.

Use code PRODUCERHIVE at checkout to receive 20% off your membership!

Noiselab is a relative newcomer as a provider of online music production courses, but one that caught my attention as their mission is to be the very best Ableton Live music production course out there.

What makes them unique is that instead of focusing on a variety of digital audio workstations (DAWs), they have set out to create the most comprehensive online tutorial platform specifically for Ableton Live users.

This does mean you get a fewer number of tutorials compared to other online courses, but it also means that all 300+ Noiselab tutorials you gain access to are lazer-focused on equipping you with the practical and theoretical skills in order to truly master Ableton Live.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COURSE CONTENT FOR ME INCLUDED:

  • Ableton Live ‘Hacks’ — a lot of ‘out of the box’ techniques like using multiband compression to open up space to a track. Had never thought to try this upwards compression technique!
  • ‘Deconstructing Hit Songs’ — an insightful category of lessons where tutors would break down drum techniques and concepts used in popular songs by Skrillex, Kendrick Lamar, Carl Cox and a few others. These are goldmines of info!
  • Learning how to actually finish songs — arguably the hardest part of music production for many!

Read our full review of Noiselab’s course here.

Remember to use code PRODUCERHIVE at checkout and receive 20% off your membership!

4. PRODUCERTECH’S “COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LOGIC PRO 9″

SUITED FOR THOSE LOOKING TO GET THEIR HEADS AROUND LOGIC PRO 9, WITH A FREE EXTENDED TRIAL AND A BUNCH OF SOUNDS AND SAMPLES TOSSED IN FROM LOOPMASTERS TO BOOT.

This course from Producer Tech will go from the very first introduction of Logic as a DAW and cover all of its basic features and functionality – helping you to get used to the interface, before taking you beneath the surface to explore looping, using the piano roll, creating; editing and using midi, arrangement, recording, compression and filtering and building a beat.

You will be taken all the way through the process of creation right up to and including the process of mixing and mastering your own track.

It is also worth noting that Logic Pro X currently has a free 90-day full trial, giving you 3 months to roll up your sleeves and see if this DAW is ‘the one’ for you. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also get a free 1GB sample pack from Loopmasters if you purchase this course from Producer Tech.

This course from Producer Tech will go from the very first introduction of Logic as a DAW and cover all of its basic features and functionality – helping you to get used to the interface, before taking you beneath the surface to explore:

  • Looping
  • Using the piano roll
  • Creating, editing and using MIDI
  • Arrangement
  • Recording
  • Compression
  • Filtering

Click here to find out more information regarding this specific course and to download an ‘obligation free information pack’.

10 Best Music Production Schools in the World - Siachen Studios

5. CREATIVELIVE’S “MASTERCLASS”

SUITED FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO MASTER SOUND DESIGN TECHNIQUES WITHIN FL STUDIO.

For those using FL Studio as their main DAW, you probably don’t want to miss this one. This lesson from SeamlessR (Stephen O’Leary) is a mammoth TWENTY THREE part class on how to synthesise sounds in FL Studio from scratch using nothing but the stock plugins available.

This particular class contains over 9 hours total of in-depth footage and detail which will aid you in your understanding of sound design and creation.

This particular class contains over 9 hours total of in-depth footage and detail which will aid you in your understanding of sound design and creation. 

This tutorial covers some (of my favourite) plugins including:

  • Harmor
  • Sytrus
  • Harmless
  • Sawer
  • Sakura, and more

Click here to view the course in full detail.

6. EDUCATION & BASS ONLINE

SUITED FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO MASTER THE STYLES OF UNDERGROUND BASS MUSIC ALA DNB + DUBSTEP.

Get a free 24 hour pass to the paid members area by clicking here.

Education & Bass Online’s content is best-suited for the modern bass music producer, i.e. DnB, dubstep, etc.

The lecturers are also delivered by some of the most prominent figures in the scene, such as Nomine/Outrage, Leon Switch, Nurve (Macabre Unit), Occult, LSN and DubApe to name a few.

The course content is a good balance of exploring native plugins (geared mostly towards Ableton, Logic & Cubase), but there are also a handful of courses that explore some popular, paid VSTs such as Omnisphere, Massive and Serum.

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Spending only just a week digesting the content of the course, I uncovered little nuggets of wisdom that made me go from “how did I never discover that feature before?” to “I have to try this right now”. There were moments where I had to pause the videos, just to open up Ableton and try out the techniques myself.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COURSE CONTENT FOR ME INCLUDED:

  • Learning how Leon Switch creates beautifully textured synth-leads in Ableton’s Analog
  • Learning how to program Nurve’s signature mid-bass growls in Serum
  • Being blown away by Cocktail Party Effect’s ‘no-input mixer hardware technique’

Read our full review of E&B Online’s course here.

Claim your free 24-hour pass to the paid members area by clicking here.

7. JASON ANTHONY’S “MUSIC COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES”

SUITED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TROUBLE CREATING MEANINGFUL CHORD PROGRESSIONS AND WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR MUSIC THEORY.

Your beats are getting better and better and you can feel yourself levelling up, but do you feel an invisible ceiling in your way, preventing you from ascending into greatness?

Often times, that ceiling is (in most cases) an understanding of music theory and composition.

That’s where Jason Allen comes in.

His course is designed from the ground up to help you get a fundamental understanding of music in both theory and application. Chord progressions, melody writing, music production analysis are all packed into this course, which is a one-stop-shop for those looking to better their understanding of music at its core. 

Skillshare offers a free all-access pass for new signups, click here to take advantage of the offer while it lasts!

8. BLUEPRINT TO BEATMAKING: A STEP-BY-STEP SYSTEM TO HIP HOP MUSIC PRODUCTION

SUITED FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO WRITE MODERN HIP HOP.

Next in our essential lesson-plan line up we have Kia Orion. Founder of Beat School and a swathe of other educational music-related programs and lessons, Kia has been teaching and helping people for years.

His specific class, “Blueprint to Beatmaking“, is curated and created specifically to help people who may perhaps be stuck on an idea or be suffering from writer’s block, and those trying to figure out a workflow or a way to manage their creative output.

The full breakdown of the lesson plan for the Blueprint to Beatmaking course is currently available here, along with a stack of other bits and bobs that anyone who gives a hoot about electronic music will most likely not want to miss out on.

Click here to view the course in full detail.

9. ALISON

Alison offer some great options for not only learning music production but venturing into the world of music theory that are perfect for beginners.

Their Music Producer Masterclass will take you through the basics in FL Studio through to composing, mixing and mastering your own songs. To add to this there is some great content on composing for film and games as well as piano improvisation.

Courses are free, however there are a range of additional paid options should you wish to upgrade (which include the ability to download a certificate on completion of your course – perfect for your resume!).

Head over to Alison’s website for more information on courses, prices and content.The socks nobody can get enough of in the World! Seniors don’t go anywhere without them…

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