In this chapter, we’ll be using FL Studio. You can download a free trial version or a paid version of FL Studio from https://www.image-line.com/. So if you’re hesitant about paying, you can download and try out all of FL Studio’s features before buying. The difference is you won’t be able to open saved projects until you obtain a paid version, but you can still try out all the plugins.

Music production has changed significantly in the last two decades. Before, a musician required the assistance of a music producer. You’d go to a studio to meet with a series of technicians who’d play around with mixing equipment that cost as much as your car or house. Then, you’d sign a deal locking you into a music contract for the foreseeable future. The studio would control how your album got released and what royalties you got paid. You had very little negotiating power.

Digital Audio Workstations (known as DAWs) changed everything. Software came out that revolutionized the music playing field. It became possible to be a music producer in your bedroom using just your computer. Nowadays, most music producers create music on their own long before they venture into a recording studio (if they do at all).

Studios started to decrease their investment in developing artists from scratch. They preferred artists that already had success and popularity with fans before considering them. ITunes appeared, along with iPods and smartphones that could hold an entire music catalog in your pocket. Consumers wanted to get their music online instead of from physical stores so that they could download music directly onto their phones. Independent artists gained the ability to sell their music online on their own. Artists could now release their own music and collect their own royalties.

Music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube became mainstream. Why buy individual songs when you can access all of them, all the time, anywhere you go? Consumers now have their own personalized playlist recommendations, filled with songs that suit their own personal taste. New artists can find their way onto a playlist by accident, subject to the whims of mystical algorithms behind the scenes.

All of this poses a powerful opportunity for the independent artist. You can promote yourself using tools equivalent to what record companies use. You can produce a song on your own, get your music into households around the world, and market your own brand. That’s what this book is about. It’s a handbook to show you the ins and outs of music production and jump-start your musical career. By the end of this book, you will know how to compose, record vocals, mix, master, market your music, and sell it online. This can all be done from home on a minimal budget.

The DAW we’ll use in this book is FL Studio. FL Studio is a music software suite that contains all the tools you’ll need to produce music. It’s one of the, if not the, leading music production workstation software currently on the market and is used by professional musicians all around the world.

Many of you reading this book will be looking for guidance on how to begin your music career. You’ve come to the right place. Whether you are a musician, DJ, composer, or music producer, this book will provide you with a how-to guide to making music.

Let’s briefly look at your career path ahead. First, you’ll spend some time getting familiar with your DAW. You’ll come up with song ideas, record, and learn mixing techniques. You might invest in music plugins, synthesizers, hardware, and samples to play with.

At a certain point, you’ll feel comfortable with your tools. It’s here you’ll realize that knowing how to use your tools is only one part of coming up with music. You need to develop a unique sound for yourself. To do this, you’ll go out and listen to lots of music you like. You’ll watch successful musicians and learn how to create similar sounds. You’ll experiment with genres to find one or a combination that resonates with you. You’ll begin to come up with ideas of your own that combine many influences.

You’ll share your music with friends and colleagues. Likely, you’ll want feedback from people who have some experience in the music business. You’ll reach out to local musician groups in your community and attend their meetings. If you stay on course, this cycle of inventing and feedback will shift your music from amateurish to something that other people will enjoy listening to.

You’ll get a few songs under your belt, and perhaps have an album ready to go. You’ll post your music online and come to the realization that even though your music is amazing, you don’t have many fans yet. How come? People don’t know about you yet. You’ll need to cultivate a brand identity that fans can relate to and get excited about. You’ll need to spend time thinking about the type of brand persona that you want to be recognized for. You’ll look into artwork and visuals. You might make them yourself or outsource the art creation to a third party. You’ll spend time on social media and websites, researching what other musicians are doing, and trying out their marketing techniques yourself.

You’ll have to figure out what kind of equipment you need to perform live. You’ll also need to come up with something visually impressive to entertain audiences. This could include costumes or some sort of game or gimmick that can be repeated with different crowds.

You’ll spend time thinking about banter and jokes that you can use to tie the gap between your songs while performing. Once again, you’ll research what other musicians have done on stage and try out their techniques yourself. You’ll discover that in order to have success getting booked at venues, it helps to have associated acts with you. You’ll team up with other bands to create a whole packaged performance that you can present to a venue. Congratulations, you now have a show that you can take on the road! You’re now a working musician. We’ve seen the big picture. It might seem like a lot now, but the good news is that most of the steps along the way are small and easy to do.