If you think you’ve got what it takes to guest post on The Music Entrepreneur, click here find out how you can contribute.
Here’s Sujain!
Are you a music enthusiast looking to turn your exciting hobby into a rewarding career?
If you are interested in becoming a professional music producer or sound technician, you need to have adequate knowledge about the tricks of the trade.
And you’re probably wondering whether you should join a full-fledged music school or simply enroll in an online music institute that offers relevant music production courses – after all, online courses are relatively short, are less expensive, and still assure a high standard of education.
So is it better to go to school to learn sound engineering, or can you learn the required skills from home? Let’s take a look.
Is it Worth Going to a Formal School of Music to Learn Sound Engineering?
If you’re reading this, you probably have a deep passion and love for music production. The desire to take it from a hobby to a career is a natural progression.
But you’re not sure whether a formal music school is worth the effort to become a professional music producer or not.
Like many other professions, a degree is always nice as it demonstrates your knowledge and experience. It can also enhance your résumé.
And if you’re looking at going to school, you’re probably tempted by the thought of playing around with amazing mixing consoles, cutting-edge equipment and expensive microphones.
Here are a couple of thoughts that may help you in making up your mind about joining a music school or just enrolling in a reliable and comprehensive online music institute.
A Degree May Not be Essential to Make a Living in Sound Engineering
In the magical world of music, it is not always necessary to possess a degree to prove your worth or capability.
A degree is not really essential for making a living at recording, producing or mixing music.
If you do a background check on top level sound engineers, you might be surprised to find that most of them did not have a formal degree from an audio engineering school. Some of them might not have gone to college even.
Music production is purely a form of art. You can get an education about the business through online courses, and then with apprenticeship and experience become a master of your trade.
You could request someone in a music studio absorb you as an unpaid intern. You would be required to do many menial jobs before you even get a chance to edit in Pro Tools.
This is the way most established music producers started their careers, and it is not always necessary to possess a degree to start this process.
Can You Afford to Go to School?
If you can afford to go to a music school for a degree in music production, it may be worth considering, though it is often best to stay away from student loans.
Otherwise, there is no point going into debt just for an audio degree. The reality is that even with a full-fledged audio degree, you would have to do an internship at a renowned studio to gain experience anyway. Why spend so much money and time?
If you are really inclined toward getting formal knowledge, you could opt for some reliable music production courses online at a more affordable fee. The fact is you have to start your music production career as an intern or freelancer even if you are fully qualified.
Experience counts for a lot in this profession, and it is believed that expertise is acquired through experience. If you have the talent and the tenacity, music production could truly be a rewarding and profitable career for you.
