13 Top Music Production Courses and Schools
Today’s music producers not only have access to powerful tools and technology, but also a tremendous amount of high-quality educational materials – and nowadays, you don’t even need to leave home to study music production.
This post includes today’s top online music production courses as well as accredited and non-accredited music production schools and degrees.
Let’s get into it!
Studio
Studio (formerly Monthly.com) is an online course platform that launched with an interesting approach to learning music production: Follow a structured, highly immersive curriculum and complete three release-ready tracks in just 30 days. Studio currently offers music production courses created by the following professional producers:
- Kygo
- Andrew Huang
- Ryan Tedder
- Charlie Puth
- Louis Bell
- Blanks
Highlights
- Learn music production from top producers
- Create three polished tracks in just 30 days
- Classes are flexible (estimated 5-10 hours of work per week)
- Suitable for beginner to advanced music producers
- Be part of an active peer community
Loopmasters’ ProducerTech
Loopmasters is one of the top online marketplaces for sample libraries. They also offer a library of comprehensive video courses teaching a wide range of music production skills, including beat making, mixing and mastering, sound design, music theory, and vocal production. Their courses cover a range of electronic music genres, such as house music, dubstep, drum and bass, and chill trap.
Highlights
- Award-winning training by professional producers and certified trainers
- Courses include downloadable materials such as DAW files, samples, and presets
- Master today’s top music production software and hardware, including Logic Pro, Reason, and Ableton Push
- Earn rewards with many purchases and save money on courses and samples
- Lifetime streaming access
MasterClass
MasterClass is an online learning platform that features courses taught by the absolute best in the world at their craft. Their music production courses include:
- deadmau5 Teaches Electronic Music Production
- Timbaland Teaches Producing and Beatmaking
- Armin van Buuren Teaches Dance Music
- Questlove Teaches Music Curation and DJing
Highlights
- Full access to 100+ courses
- Learn secrets of the world’s best producers
- Watch classes on desktop, mobile, and TV, or watch courses offline (select plans)
- Courses include downloadable materials, including a workbook with each course
- MasterClass Sessions is a newer feature where you complete projects and share them with peers in a 30-day hands-on curriculum
Syntorial
Syntorial is interactive software that teaches you how to master synthesis so you can program your own patches by ear. It works like a video game, taking you step by step through almost 200 lessons while you practice programming patches on a soft synth (included with your purchase!). Electronic Musician Magazine states, “Syntorial is the most direct route between hearing a sound in your head and knowing how to bring it to life.”
Highlights
- 199 step-by-step lessons that progress from beginner to advanced
- Learn how to program 700+ patches and use popular synths, including Massive, Serum, Sylenth1, and more
- Download and keep the software for life
- Primer synth included with your purchase
- Compatible with Mac, PC, and iPad
Soundfly
Soundfly is is an e-learning website that hosts video courses (free and paid) in music production taught by award-winning music artists and educators. Their premium offering is the four-to-six-week mentorship program, where you’ll work with a mentor to achieve your musical goals through weekly video calls and guided activities. You can work with your mentor on whatever you want, from arranging for vocals to improving your DAW workflow.
Highlights
- Unlimited access to a complete catalog of music courses in topics like music production and music business
- Ask questions and get support via the community Slack group
- Courses include downloadable content like tracks and stems
- Optionally get one-on-one, guided support from a dedicated mentor on any musical goal you want to achieve
Coursera
Coursera is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. MOOCs are free higher education courses, open to everyone, taught by top institutions. Coursera also offers certificates and degrees at a far lower cost than many other universities. Berklee College of Music currently offers several music production and music business courses through Coursera, including a specialization program in Music Production.
Highlights
- Take free university-level courses with world-renowned music schools like Berklee College of Music
- Complete a certificate program in music production at a reduced cost
- Apply for a scholarship or other financial aid through the website
- Courses are available to watch offline using the Coursera mobile app
SoundGym
Soundgym is an audio ear training website used by music producers, audio engineers, and music schools. Using video game-like features, the tool teaches you how to create deep-sounding tracks and make professional mixing decisions. It includes reporting features so you can track your progress and compare your scores with other users of the app.
Highlights
- Develop advanced listening skills like compression and frequency detection in an accelerated and fun way
- Use the EQ Playground and BeatRace tools to improve your EQ and beat-making abilities
- Play against others in an active online community
- Compatible with your computer or mobile device
Berklee Online
Berklee Online, founded in 2002, offers fully accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificate programs, and courses, many of them taught by staff from Berklee College of Music’s Boston-based campus. Courses are offered four times a year, and there is no application required to enroll in a single course. Course materials include text, video, audio, interactive quizzes, graded homework assignments, and live classes.
Highlights
- Get a music production certificate or degree from one of the top music schools in the world
- Single courses can be taken for credit
- Each class is 12 weeks (estimated 5-10 hours per week of homework)
- Weekly live classes with your instructor and other students
- Each class includes weekly graded assignments and a final project
Point Blank Music School
Point Blank is an accredited music production school with locations in LA, London, China, Ibiza, and Mumbai. They also have a fully online music production school that includes live one-to-one instruction, weekly lectures, and studio lab time with instructors. The school offers internationally recognized bachelor degrees in music production and the music industry.
Highlights
- Courses, certificate programs, and bachelor degrees in music production, DJing, and the music industry
- Instructors include Grammy-winning producers and songwriters
- More hours of live instruction than any other online music production school
- Book studio lab sessions and receive feedback on your music and studio setup
- Career support team helps you find job opportunities in the industry
- Students are offered steep discounts on music production software
ThinkSpace Education
ThinkSpace Education is the only online film scoring school that offers fully accredited master’s degrees in music theory and technology. Course materials include text, videos, and live sessions with instructors who are working professionals in the industry.
Highlights
- Courses are accredited through University of Chichester in West Sussex, England
- Work on real-world film scoring projects under the supervision of working professionals
- Regular live sessions with instructors
- Take single courses in topics like orchestral mixing, sound design, and creating music for media
- Network with students around the world in an active online community
Icon Collective
Icon Collective is an LA-based music school that offers an 18-month online music production program using Ableton Live. In the program, you’ll learn skills like arranging, mixing and mastering, and synthesis. The school also offers programs in songwriting, vocal training, and the music business.
Highlights
- Course content includes video lessons, graded assignments, and weekly mentorship sessions with a producer working in the industry
- Get feedback on your music with weekly mentorship sessions guided by industry producers
- Programs are nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) in the U.S.
- Participate in online Q&A sessions with top music artists
The Los Angeles Film School
LA Film School is a for-profit private college that offers both online and on-campus programs, including an 18-month Associate of Science degree program and a 38-month Bachelor of Science degree program in music production. They also have an online Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business degree program.
Highlights
- Programs are accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency (the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges)
- Learn composition, production, recording, and mixing techniques
- Access instructors by phone, email, messaging, and one-on-one sessions
- Course content includes reading materials, quizzes, discussion boards, and other activities
- Network and collaborate in Facebooks groups with other students and alumni
- A career development team is available to review your resume and helps you prep for job interviews
In short …
There isn’t any single course that will teach you everything you ever need to know about music production. Every music producer and educator takes his or her own approach to music creation and instruction, and you can learn something from them all. At the end of the day, the best teacher is experience, so any course that inspires you to keep making music is good value for your money.