my guy, you are a gem to the producer community. we need more people to be transparent and honest like this. coming from someone who had a very similar career path around the same time period as you, i could not relate more man. you said it so perfectly too “making music is fun, but it’s not something i do FOR fun.” i miss the days where i’d be excited to make something with no purpose behind it. and i get it, boo hoo we sound like crying babies, but it’s just facts. the reward is extremely high mentally and financially (when something actually locks) but it’s a 24/7 job that never ends. your mental health is always out of wack due to worrying about numbers constantly. You can never really relax without feeling guilty or your mind racing of other stuff you could do to further your career. these are things nobody talks about. so i appreciate you spotting these things out as well as all the positives that come with it though. Huge respect to you bro!
I feel this way when getting into any hobby/potential career path. I know now to kinda mourn the loss of innocence and excitement to learn something new as it will become work and worry. It's like being a magician, you can inspire and awe people with your magic, or in this case, music, videos, art, etc - but at the end of the day, it's a craft. A craft that has hard working, tedious, time consuming investments behind the scene, and the better you get at it, the less exciting and awe inspiring a lot of stuff gets. However, I think thats precisely why it's important to keep optimistic, to enjoy the small and simple things, and to check out other peoples stuff to appreciate and enjoy human creativity and expression (but never to put yourself or anyone else down). At the end of the day, despite all the grind and heavy emotions, all this stuff can help us be better people and enjoy art even more. Best of luck to yall, really glad I came across this channel as well
This isn't just specific to music production. This is how it is with any business that you run yourself. You have to make time for yourself or you will just grind yourself into the ground working 24/7.
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen and I’ve just started learning how to make music on Ableton as a creative outlet to help me heal with a lot of childhood trauma, specifically when I lost my mom to suicide. Music got me through so much of my life but I just discovered the EDM community a year ago. In the last few days, I’ve gotten to do so much inner work, I’ve finally been able to start actually comprehending how to make chords and chord progressions and I don’t even know how I’m going to keep up with all the great influences I’ve just found on UA-cam today, aside from all my biggest previous inspirations. Thank you for being one of them, sharing some really great insight. It means a lot to people like myself
Cut To The Chaise - Learn To Play/Keyboard - Learn Music Theory and Learn Any Daw of Your Choice Don't Expect To Succeed Fast it Will Take 3- 5 Years if You put The Right Effort to it. Wish You All The Luck Kings and Queens.
This definitely hits home, I struggled finding a balance in life when I was hustling music (which I have no regrets!) but as I got older the dream switched for me wanting a 9-5 and a consistent income as my brain was too all over the place to handle the business side of things. I decided to hustle the sound design route and I am now a full time audio artist working on video games at EA. Dreams can pivot and it doesn't mean you are giving up -- even though it felt like it when I made music my hobby instead.
May I ask what steps you took to get into your job at EA? I love video games and hadn’t thought about making music for video games even though I love video games.
@@Hermiie Definitely! I took an online course for a year at “School of Video Game Audio” where I learned FMOD, Wwise, Unity and Unreal. Then spent another year building up my portfolio and networking with as many people as I could. It can be a rather competitive field but also I find the game audio community to be rather welcoming as well.
@@iamteao not gonna say specifics but the pay is very competitive and the benefits are some of the best at EA. I’m still entry level but there is a lot of room for growth within a large AAA company. I will say you have less artistic freedom then in small studios but the pay tends to be better.
Been working as a producer full time since 2017 and I agree with everything you say here. Especially number 4. I am in a bad place with music right now, I’m burnt out and lost so much passion and motivation for music by spending all my time in the studio. Really looking forward to getting back that energy I used to have. Thanks for this video brother
myself included I don't know anyone in music that can schedule well haha you ain't alone! you just do it 'til its done, and some days that takes far longer than others.
My last beat made me realise that I was paying too much attention to ideas how can i make money from music while i just started. I remember how 4 years ago i was doing random thinks in FL studio and having fun, then I gave up on music for 3 years and finally I'm back. It is because of you, L.Dre, you inspired me with your music to start again in this genre and just play with it for now because everyone should live for today and don't be anxious about next month or year or even rest of the life.
Man, thanks for this!! To even make any money from music you learn to not just do it for fun. This resonated with me on so many levels. I'm gonna be looking at this video quite often.
Love the transparency in this video because I've felt the same way for a bit. Doing music as a business can make music seem dull & less exciting gradually over time. The constant need to be on work mode & searching for new opportunities can also be mentally exhausting. Most of the habits that I've seen from successful producers, such as not sleeping enough, sitting for excessive hours, & working 24/7 can lead to serious health issues in the future. After recently prioritizing my physical & mental health more, it's made me realize that there are more important things in life than trying to make 100s of beats/videos in a week. Thanks for pointing these things out!
I’m literally where you was at rn back in 2020, I been holding myself back from starting for months now but I’m glad I’m finally giving it a shot. Heavy on the “when you first start your beats are gonna be trash regardless” this is helpful to hear 😭😭
I have already decided to try to make it my career because it's something you can do from almost everywhere and I want to travel a lot once I finish school. Right now one of my goals is to make a beat with you when I improve a little since you're a big inspiration to me haha😁
Prolly said that before, but one of Your tips videos was the thing that made me go "that's it, im getting distrokid and starting to release my music!" Thanks so so so much for that ❤
Hello. I researched every information I could about becoming a producer. I became a music composer for movies, and television. I only use a laptop, headphones, and my midi keyboard. I have thousands of completed projects. I haven't released that many yet. Some of my music is being placed on videos. When that happens it does give you hope that what you do is meaningful to others. All I needed to begin my mission was my laptop, headphones, and my midi keyboard.
I appreciate the insight bro. I just started making beats, and I’m guilty of thinking it’s just a hobby. But I find myself thinking about it everyday and dedicating insane amounts of time going thru samples and loops just to make something unique. I keep telling myself that if it pans out cool, if not that’s fine too cuz I have a career but deep down I’d feel better about myself if I did well and succeeded at making it. Even if it’s just to a crowd of people who appreciate what I make, it’d be worth all the sweat and tears lol.
First tip is amazing, I started djing while collaborating (ideas wise only) with my best mate about a year after he started producing.. all I had was a cheap af laptop another friend gifted me, I learnt to dj purely with keyboard hotcues before I ever bought any real equipment, I ended up playing support for my idols in the worldwide drum and bass scene in my small city 3-5 years in never buying anything even close to the equipment the club had.. took a long hiatus while pushing in my full time job but now I'm getting back into the scene with an emphasis on producing this time. I have a better computer now and some midrange headphones but I'm grinding towards creating my own unique sound. the real magic happens inside you not in your equipment, and working to limitations unlocks more creativity than the freedom to do literally anything.. keep grinding yall, carve out your sound amongst the noise that is everything else ❤
I love your no-BS approach. And congrats on building your career in only 4 years! Fulfilment and a positive impact on people are the best things in this career path!
FACTS. I've been SUPER selective / careful about how I approach illustration as a job or to make money - because it is also something I find therapeutic, relaxing...just something I truly love doing for fun. I know that if it ever became my livelihood, and I wasn't super careful, it could quickly become poisoned and a just end up a frustrating grind. At this point, that's ok. I still love my day job in the software design space, but I feel you on that sense that, if I make this thing I love doing = work...I'm not doing it for fun anymore.
Bro thank you for talking about this. Its extremely important for people who are new to the game to know what they can expect if they wanted to pursue full time and this is the best explanation of what to expect.
Highly agree with point 3: no guaranteed 9-to-5 or guaranteed salary. Some days may be way more work, but then again your payment at times ends up being much bigger (or smaller) than anticipated. I have been an audio engineer for artists for 10 years now, completely self-made. It has taken SO much work, blood, sweat, and tears, and at times it hasn't been even fun, but it's all worth in the end. Sometimes I work way more than my 9-to-5 friends, but it does feel great sometimes taking a day or two off or finishing early.
The transparency about the gear/equipment! I've been producing for a hobby since around 2014 and if anyone had told me that 9 years on I'd be making music with a tiny midi controller I think I would've laughed in there face. It's about finding equiptment that works for you and how you want to produce your music!
Earned a sub. just starting my music production path, But music has helped me struggle thru homelessness and drugs. Gear has been a huge concern but I started doing it anyways on what I got. The fact you affirmed that as your first point then explained a lil bout your background gave me hope. Time to work
I really feel #3 man.. happens with anything we get into where we design our own schedule. gotta keep pushing and just get things done, but I myself like you, can definitely procrastinate and find myself falling into that cycle.
hey bro, i really just wanted to say how helpful and inspiring this video seemed to me as a young musician (i'm 16 years old). and even though yeah, of course, you were able to speak on some pretty harsh truths about being a fulltime working musician/producer, i like how you were not just completely blunt about it and made me feel like crap, but rather explained why that is the truth in a more positive and inspiring manner that makes the viewer (me in this case) feel rather uplifted instead of brought down by it, and i really appreciate you for doing that. also, i have started to learn how to produce music on my pc at home, and i'm still completely new to all of it, but i know that with the right mindset and attitude just like how you mentioned in this video, i can become successful too and learn to enjoy the journey of learning how to produce music, especially because producing music and beats for a living does seem like quite a fulfilling endeavor for my potential future career as a musician. i also have my own band and do other music related endeavors beside producing, which i think those would also be great for a fulltime career in my future. i really felt inspired by this video and i thank you so much for that bro! much love, shane
You’re right on point number 3. I’m at the point now I literally have to carry an instrument with me everywhere I go so I’m always ready to compose something at a whim. But I think that’s a natural thing, our ancestors in the past would work like that, your talent ends up becoming you, but it’s a good thing because making music is your natural energy and helps you contribute to society with it.
Thank you for this video honestly. This is my second year doing this and it's been a struggle lately. But I won't give up. I'll be watching this video a lot more for sure. Saving this video.
This information was exactly what I needed to hear, number 4 was definitely hitting me but then I got a dose of number 5. I actually have people that believes in me and supports me, I'm not full time yet but I can see the light on the other end of the tunnel. 💎💎💎
Don't know if you read these from videos back, but I remember following you before you went a full time producer...mad respect to all the hard work you've done that brought you to this point. Just thought to send some encouragement your way!
Thanks for sharing. I’m a hobbyist turning music into a side thing, not my main source of income. So I’m in this transition kind of. Important stuff to consider.
this is exactly what i want i've been practicing & working constantly outside of my 9-5. now im at the point to where im actually releasing content on other social medias, setting up livestreams and etc. even if it becomes a 'job' as you say i know it's what i want. Appreciate the honesty too brother!
L. Dre. Thank you so much for the song Voyager. I appreciate that video and thank you for showing yourself scrap the original direction of the song. It be like that sometimes. Keep grinding, G
100 % truth. Being self employed puts us in 100% control of our income. I just quit my job a month and 1/2 ago and it’s been an adjustment. What ever we do as self employed requires us to create what our boss. Creates for us. Kind of like owning a home verses renting. We are the landlord when things break. Like you said, we control our income. Well said.
I started as a teenager on crappy keyboards, totally not suitable for what I had in mind back then. But it was an amazing path of discoveries and limitations. It got me extremely creative. Later, of course, I slowly got into more professional equipment. Bit by bit. First things first. Set priorities and goals. Hit them. According to gear I still would like to advice this: keep it tight, meaning your amount of equipment. Less is better. You'd better control a few tools 100% to adjust your creative flow as having a whole pile of gear which never will come to full glory. Stay creative!
Great honest video. 3 and 4 are real. You're definitely going to work harder if you work for yourself. There's no ceiling but there's also no safety net. You don't work you don't eat. Thanks for the honesty because most producers will sell you a dream (along with a course or sample pack 😂)
Great video. I think a great point to also add is that you should not get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to others. It's easy to get discouraged these days when you see 14 year old beatmakers blowing up on Instagram or Tik Tok or whatever, and thinking, is it too late for me? Everyone has a different path through all of this, but the key thing that will separate you from the rest is sheer will and determination and time. The vast majority of people get into fields, get pretty decent in a short amount of time, but never stick with it to really get past that plateau. You have to just put that "10,000 hours" into your craft to master it. Whether you get there by 15 years old or 50 years old, you have to just clock in that time. It's never too late. Put in what you can. If you have some months off or a bad year, it'll happen, but just keep going and pick it back up. 2 Chainz dropped his first album at 35 years old. He grinded as Tity Boi for awhile, but it's proof that it's never too late. Music is not a rat race. Just focus on you, and put in your hours, and you'll eventually be ready for when opportunity knocks.
honestly this is my biggest fear when i think about pursuing music. i'm 13 and it's discouraging seeing people who have been playing since they were like 5 and i feel like i'll never get as good as them.
I’ve been on the fence about this really for a while with this and honestly I wanna keep this mainly as a consistent hobby cause music in general has been a big part of my life and this video helped me figure that I wanna do it for fun and if I’m able to help someone chill out or relax with my beats would be cool. Thx Man Keep it going bro🔥
I finally started charging for music services this year, made like 3k from mixing, mastering and recording already and still got half the year to go. Im hyped for the future!!!
I appreciate you L. Dre for this video and your honesty on the career side of music production. I have a little under a year left in college and I’ll have my bachelors in Music Production and it has been a awesome and difficult journey with doing school full time and working full time as well but I feel in my heart it is completely worth pursuing you believe in than doing something you absolutely have no interest in! Thanks for the encouragement and definitely hope to work with you one day.
As a small producer I can agree with you 100%. I currently don't for fun and starting out I used to use LMMS the the free trial version of FL 😂😂 I'm not a full time producer and don't think I can be. I did the whole making a song every day for a while and you just get burnt out. Great video and thanks dmfoe what you do!!
Thank You for being so honest and transparent. Nr. 3 everybody can relate to it 💯💯💯 Nr. 4 is so important when you dont got a Business Manager next to You to realize How many Administration it Brings with it.
Table, lil bro… 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I became a subscriber right before you thought about quitting your job. Firstly, thank you. Not only for the follow-up but for also being an inspiration to an older producer with mental issues. I’m not gonna cap and say that I watch and listen with regular frequency. But what I am gonna tell you is that I have been watching and paying attention. Man, it has been a blessing to witness your greatness thus far. 🥃 Blessings 🫶🏾🖖🏾
It's been a while since your channel came across my YT timeline, and it's always good to know you're great and doing your stuff, literally im back since 2020
I was 13 when I got the craze of making music. And all I had back then was my iPod touch and earphones! Started off on Garageband , just like you! Watched few tutorials , listened to type beats all day, you know. I must say , I don't know what might happen in the future , but I'm 17 now , and I don't regret nothin! This video has clarified most of my doubts , and I wanna thank you for that , L.Dre. I'm glad I found out your channel. Be blessed!
Thank you for your perspective and insights in this video. I've been watching the channel since the beat flip days and it's been really cool to see your growth and takeaways. This video has given me a lot to think about with my own music journey 🙏🏽❤️
We can tell that everything comes from your heart bro, and we appreciate your no BS approach. It's inspirational, even for old cats like me. Thanks. ;-)
I struggled with this as well I’ve had music on so many tv shows from licensing but I have to work my 9-5 to keep my health benefits because I’m a diabetic which sucks lol but up until my son was born I stopped for 2 years cause that was my priority. but I am getting back into it trying to find the passion again lol so I appreciate this video cause it is hard at times but have to make it work!
i’m not an producer but i try my best to grind on youtube, has been like 7 months i don’t upload and this kind of videos makes me understand what i want from it, thanks for the perspectives man!
This was just what i wanted to hear, im 35 and ive been using logic since 07. I lost a lot of years to drugs and prison, but its not like im trying to become a rapper. I think a producer can be any age, they are mostly behind the scenes, and if a beat is hard whos going to give a f how old the producer was. I have a nice studio now and ice been clean 5 years, i just need to get over the fear of what people will make of the mix when i upload a beat. Thanks.v
This is amazing. I'm a full time software developer and I've always thought "what if I'd made it in music" Would be just another set of problems and I'm not sure they're better!! You've made my day, month, year, decade, life!
This is how i felt when i went to university to study music and audio technology. I went to learn how to make sick tunes but it completely sucked the joy out of the creative endevour for me. So now my stategy is building my gardening business and small sized raves to develop my income, while in my free time, im working on my production skills and the other insturments i play so that when i can afford to take time off work in the not too far future, i can really be involved with the creative process and have complete freedom. The thing that worried me before was: if i got s regular job, my skills in music and production would halt in their growth and wither away. But now i have a pretty disciplined weekly routine and my production skills are steadily progressing and i still find it fun: while im self employed as a gardener and soon will be doing events also. For me, the process of making music is a way to connect with my deepest emotions and unconsious mind. I find it deeply therapuetic. I wouldnt sacrifice that for the sake of making money from the process. I hope you do truly believe that what you're doing feels right for your soul, and that you are making good money 🙏 God bless x
Ayeeee!!! I’ve been following you since 2021 and it’s been amazing your transformation and how much you’ve helped the music community. For reals man; you are in inspiration
dude there is nothing more true than this, especially your last two points. i'll also add that people don't really talk about how heavy the weight of expectation can be sometimes. once you get to a certain level of success, it actually becomes harder and harder to make stuff, because now you have an audience and you want whatever you make to be good. the bigger you get, the harder it is to create. this is starkly different from when you make stuff because you're having a good time. another thing is that this job can be incredibly lonely sometimes. producers tend to be introverts, but when your 9 to 5 is at home and the only people you're interacting with are the ones you live with, that can make your life very one dimensional. still one of the best jobs I could've ever asked for, but I think it's important to keep these things in mind
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
my guy, you are a gem to the producer community. we need more people to be transparent and honest like this. coming from someone who had a very similar career path around the same time period as you, i could not relate more man. you said it so perfectly too “making music is fun, but it’s not something i do FOR fun.” i miss the days where i’d be excited to make something with no purpose behind it. and i get it, boo hoo we sound like crying babies, but it’s just facts. the reward is extremely high mentally and financially (when something actually locks) but it’s a 24/7 job that never ends. your mental health is always out of wack due to worrying about numbers constantly. You can never really relax without feeling guilty or your mind racing of other stuff you could do to further your career. these are things nobody talks about. so i appreciate you spotting these things out as well as all the positives that come with it though. Huge respect to you bro!
People gotta know bro!! Much love 🙏🏾❤️
Even i can relate to you & l.dre
We got to find a balance
I feel this way when getting into any hobby/potential career path. I know now to kinda mourn the loss of innocence and excitement to learn something new as it will become work and worry. It's like being a magician, you can inspire and awe people with your magic, or in this case, music, videos, art, etc - but at the end of the day, it's a craft. A craft that has hard working, tedious, time consuming investments behind the scene, and the better you get at it, the less exciting and awe inspiring a lot of stuff gets.
However, I think thats precisely why it's important to keep optimistic, to enjoy the small and simple things, and to check out other peoples stuff to appreciate and enjoy human creativity and expression (but never to put yourself or anyone else down). At the end of the day, despite all the grind and heavy emotions, all this stuff can help us be better people and enjoy art even more. Best of luck to yall, really glad I came across this channel as well
This isn't just specific to music production. This is how it is with any business that you run yourself. You have to make time for yourself or you will just grind yourself into the ground working 24/7.
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen and I’ve just started learning how to make music on Ableton as a creative outlet to help me heal with a lot of childhood trauma, specifically when I lost my mom to suicide. Music got me through so much of my life but I just discovered the EDM community a year ago. In the last few days, I’ve gotten to do so much inner work, I’ve finally been able to start actually comprehending how to make chords and chord progressions and I don’t even know how I’m going to keep up with all the great influences I’ve just found on UA-cam today, aside from all my biggest previous inspirations. Thank you for being one of them, sharing some really great insight. It means a lot to people like myself
Cut To The Chaise - Learn To Play/Keyboard - Learn Music Theory and Learn Any Daw of Your Choice Don't Expect To Succeed Fast it Will Take 3- 5 Years if You put The Right Effort to it. Wish You All The Luck Kings and Queens.
This definitely hits home, I struggled finding a balance in life when I was hustling music (which I have no regrets!) but as I got older the dream switched for me wanting a 9-5 and a consistent income as my brain was too all over the place to handle the business side of things. I decided to hustle the sound design route and I am now a full time audio artist working on video games at EA. Dreams can pivot and it doesn't mean you are giving up -- even though it felt like it when I made music my hobby instead.
May I ask what steps you took to get into your job at EA? I love video games and hadn’t thought about making music for video games even though I love video games.
@@Hermiie Definitely! I took an online course for a year at “School of Video Game Audio” where I learned FMOD, Wwise, Unity and Unreal. Then spent another year building up my portfolio and networking with as many people as I could. It can be a rather competitive field but also I find the game audio community to be rather welcoming as well.
@@markbergsound thank you, I wish you the best in your career
If you don't mind me asking: what is the pay like working as an audio artist at an EA or similar company?
@@iamteao not gonna say specifics but the pay is very competitive and the benefits are some of the best at EA. I’m still entry level but there is a lot of room for growth within a large AAA company. I will say you have less artistic freedom then in small studios but the pay tends to be better.
You always give me hope not to give up
Been working as a producer full time since 2017 and I agree with everything you say here. Especially number 4. I am in a bad place with music right now, I’m burnt out and lost so much passion and motivation for music by spending all my time in the studio. Really looking forward to getting back that energy I used to have. Thanks for this video brother
Start socializing and exploring the world more, being in nature or just outside in general helps loosen myself
Because u r making what everyone else is making
i really need some love on my music!!
I agree with getting out and doing more!
Gotta have experiences to make experiences.
Man this was very helpful. It’s different perspective of looking at things. Thanks for posting.
I'm almost 10years in and it is still a struggle... Mahalo for being real! 🤙
myself included I don't know anyone in music that can schedule well haha you ain't alone! you just do it 'til its done, and some days that takes far longer than others.
My last beat made me realise that I was paying too much attention to ideas how can i make money from music while i just started. I remember how 4 years ago i was doing random thinks in FL studio and having fun, then I gave up on music for 3 years and finally I'm back. It is because of you, L.Dre, you inspired me with your music to start again in this genre and just play with it for now because everyone should live for today and don't be anxious about next month or year or even rest of the life.
i really need some love on my music!!
feefef
Been missing these kinds of videos glad to see you're getting back to it!!
More to come!
Man, thanks for this!! To even make any money from music you learn to not just do it for fun. This resonated with me on so many levels. I'm gonna be looking at this video quite often.
Glad it was helpful!
Bro, your tracks are bomb! Can't get enough! Keep the beats coming! 🎵💣
Love the transparency in this video because I've felt the same way for a bit. Doing music as a business can make music seem dull & less exciting gradually over time. The constant need to be on work mode & searching for new opportunities can also be mentally exhausting. Most of the habits that I've seen from successful producers, such as not sleeping enough, sitting for excessive hours, & working 24/7 can lead to serious health issues in the future. After recently prioritizing my physical & mental health more, it's made me realize that there are more important things in life than trying to make 100s of beats/videos in a week. Thanks for pointing these things out!
i really need some love on my music!!
I’m literally where you was at rn back in 2020, I been holding myself back from starting for months now but I’m glad I’m finally giving it a shot. Heavy on the “when you first start your beats are gonna be trash regardless” this is helpful to hear 😭😭
I always appreciate your honesty.
I have already decided to try to make it my career because it's something you can do from almost everywhere and I want to travel a lot once I finish school. Right now one of my goals is to make a beat with you when I improve a little since you're a big inspiration to me haha😁
Thanks!
Thank you!
Prolly said that before, but one of Your tips videos was the thing that made me go "that's it, im getting distrokid and starting to release my music!"
Thanks so so so much for that ❤
Happy to hear that 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
This was a great video, keep up the greatness!
great advice from the lofi king himself as always
Thanks for sharing your experience on this. I’ve been getting closer to being a full time photographer/videographer and what you said resonates.
i really need some love on my music!!
Absolutely love this guy. I just discovered this channel the other day, and I’m really impressed with how genuine he is.
I appreciate that 🙏🏾
This is the deepest one you ever made. Number 3 is so accurate!!
Thank you for making this bro, love watching these
Hello. I researched every information I could about becoming a producer. I became a music composer for movies, and television. I only use a laptop, headphones, and my midi keyboard. I have thousands of completed projects. I haven't released that many yet. Some of my music is being placed on videos. When that happens it does give you hope that what you do is meaningful to others. All I needed to begin my mission was my laptop, headphones, and my midi keyboard.
I am still trying to get into music licenses for tv. Any advice? I already tried music libraries.
Thanks as always L Dre
I appreciate the insight bro. I just started making beats, and I’m guilty of thinking it’s just a hobby. But I find myself thinking about it everyday and dedicating insane amounts of time going thru samples and loops just to make something unique. I keep telling myself that if it pans out cool, if not that’s fine too cuz I have a career but deep down I’d feel better about myself if I did well and succeeded at making it. Even if it’s just to a crowd of people who appreciate what I make, it’d be worth all the sweat and tears lol.
Nice video! I'd still like to be a full-time producer one day
You can do it!
First tip is amazing, I started djing while collaborating (ideas wise only) with my best mate about a year after he started producing.. all I had was a cheap af laptop another friend gifted me, I learnt to dj purely with keyboard hotcues before I ever bought any real equipment, I ended up playing support for my idols in the worldwide drum and bass scene in my small city 3-5 years in never buying anything even close to the equipment the club had.. took a long hiatus while pushing in my full time job but now I'm getting back into the scene with an emphasis on producing this time. I have a better computer now and some midrange headphones but I'm grinding towards creating my own unique sound.
the real magic happens inside you not in your equipment, and working to limitations unlocks more creativity than the freedom to do literally anything..
keep grinding yall, carve out your sound amongst the noise that is everything else ❤
I love your no-BS approach. And congrats on building your career in only 4 years! Fulfilment and a positive impact on people are the best things in this career path!
#4 is killer bro… thank you for this video!!
FACTS. I've been SUPER selective / careful about how I approach illustration as a job or to make money - because it is also something I find therapeutic, relaxing...just something I truly love doing for fun. I know that if it ever became my livelihood, and I wasn't super careful, it could quickly become poisoned and a just end up a frustrating grind. At this point, that's ok. I still love my day job in the software design space, but I feel you on that sense that, if I make this thing I love doing = work...I'm not doing it for fun anymore.
Bro thank you for talking about this. Its extremely important for people who are new to the game to know what they can expect if they wanted to pursue full time and this is the best explanation of what to expect.
Happy to help 🙏🏽
Highly agree with point 3: no guaranteed 9-to-5 or guaranteed salary. Some days may be way more work, but then again your payment at times ends up being much bigger (or smaller) than anticipated. I have been an audio engineer for artists for 10 years now, completely self-made. It has taken SO much work, blood, sweat, and tears, and at times it hasn't been even fun, but it's all worth in the end. Sometimes I work way more than my 9-to-5 friends, but it does feel great sometimes taking a day or two off or finishing early.
The transparency about the gear/equipment! I've been producing for a hobby since around 2014 and if anyone had told me that 9 years on I'd be making music with a tiny midi controller I think I would've laughed in there face. It's about finding equiptment that works for you and how you want to produce your music!
thanks good
I dig your vibe, bro, and you seem very genuine and transparent with everything you say.
Thank you 🙏🏾
appreciate you my boy.
Earned a sub. just starting my music production path, But music has helped me struggle thru homelessness and drugs. Gear has been a huge concern but I started doing it anyways on what I got. The fact you affirmed that as your first point then explained a lil bout your background gave me hope. Time to work
I really feel #3 man.. happens with anything we get into where we design our own schedule. gotta keep pushing and just get things done, but I myself like you, can definitely procrastinate and find myself falling into that cycle.
hey bro, i really just wanted to say how helpful and inspiring this video seemed to me as a young musician (i'm 16 years old). and even though yeah, of course, you were able to speak on some pretty harsh truths about being a fulltime working musician/producer, i like how you were not just completely blunt about it and made me feel like crap, but rather explained why that is the truth in a more positive and inspiring manner that makes the viewer (me in this case) feel rather uplifted instead of brought down by it, and i really appreciate you for doing that. also, i have started to learn how to produce music on my pc at home, and i'm still completely new to all of it, but i know that with the right mindset and attitude just like how you mentioned in this video, i can become successful too and learn to enjoy the journey of learning how to produce music, especially because producing music and beats for a living does seem like quite a fulfilling endeavor for my potential future career as a musician. i also have my own band and do other music related endeavors beside producing, which i think those would also be great for a fulltime career in my future. i really felt inspired by this video and i thank you so much for that bro!
much love,
shane
You’re right on point number 3. I’m at the point now I literally have to carry an instrument with me everywhere I go so I’m always ready to compose something at a whim. But I think that’s a natural thing, our ancestors in the past would work like that, your talent ends up becoming you, but it’s a good thing because making music is your natural energy and helps you contribute to society with it.
Thanks guy
Thank you for this video honestly. This is my second year doing this and it's been a struggle lately. But I won't give up. I'll be watching this video a lot more for sure. Saving this video.
These gems fam thank you for your honesty
Ofcourse much love 🙏🏾
This information was exactly what I needed to hear, number 4 was definitely hitting me but then I got a dose of number 5. I actually have people that believes in me and supports me, I'm not full time yet but I can see the light on the other end of the tunnel. 💎💎💎
Don't know if you read these from videos back, but I remember following you before you went a full time producer...mad respect to all the hard work you've done that brought you to this point. Just thought to send some encouragement your way!
i really need some love on my music!!
Thank you for realness.
Thanks for sharing. I’m a hobbyist turning music into a side thing, not my main source of income. So I’m in this transition kind of. Important stuff to consider.
this is exactly what i want i've been practicing & working constantly outside of my 9-5. now im at the point to where im actually releasing content on other social medias, setting up livestreams and etc. even if it becomes a 'job' as you say i know it's what i want. Appreciate the honesty too brother!
i really need some love on my music!!
Dude you’re fantastic man .. thank you for your humble honesty .. it’s truly refreshing
L. Dre. Thank you so much for the song Voyager. I appreciate that video and thank you for showing yourself scrap the original direction of the song. It be like that sometimes. Keep grinding, G
I appreciate that 🙏🏾
Good stuff! Especially number One! Work on the craft and practice at first is most important.
Thank you for your honesty! Your struggles resonate with me and that's motivating.
100 % truth. Being self employed puts us in 100% control of our income. I just quit my job a month and 1/2 ago and it’s been an adjustment. What ever we do as self employed requires us to create what our boss. Creates for us. Kind of like owning a home verses renting. We are the landlord when things break. Like you said, we control our income. Well said.
Thank you so much Dre for the video and the tips. You rock!
Happy to help!
I started as a teenager on crappy keyboards, totally not suitable for what I had in mind back then. But it was an amazing path of discoveries and limitations. It got me extremely creative. Later, of course, I slowly got into more professional equipment. Bit by bit. First things first. Set priorities and goals. Hit them.
According to gear I still would like to advice this: keep it tight, meaning your amount of equipment. Less is better. You'd better control a few tools 100% to adjust your creative flow as having a whole pile of gear which never will come to full glory.
Stay creative!
Great honest video. 3 and 4 are real. You're definitely going to work harder if you work for yourself. There's no ceiling but there's also no safety net. You don't work you don't eat.
Thanks for the honesty because most producers will sell you a dream (along with a course or sample pack 😂)
Facts in the last part 😂
Thank you. I'm in school to get better at my production, your videos help solidify my career choice
Thankyou so much bro! it worked! finally
Great video. I think a great point to also add is that you should not get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to others. It's easy to get discouraged these days when you see 14 year old beatmakers blowing up on Instagram or Tik Tok or whatever, and thinking, is it too late for me?
Everyone has a different path through all of this, but the key thing that will separate you from the rest is sheer will and determination and time. The vast majority of people get into fields, get pretty decent in a short amount of time, but never stick with it to really get past that plateau. You have to just put that "10,000 hours" into your craft to master it. Whether you get there by 15 years old or 50 years old, you have to just clock in that time. It's never too late. Put in what you can. If you have some months off or a bad year, it'll happen, but just keep going and pick it back up.
2 Chainz dropped his first album at 35 years old. He grinded as Tity Boi for awhile, but it's proof that it's never too late. Music is not a rat race. Just focus on you, and put in your hours, and you'll eventually be ready for when opportunity knocks.
i really need some love on my music!!
honestly this is my biggest fear when i think about pursuing music. i'm 13 and it's discouraging seeing people who have been playing since they were like 5 and i feel like i'll never get as good as them.
I’ve been on the fence about this really for a while with this and honestly I wanna keep this mainly as a consistent hobby cause music in general has been a big part of my life and this video helped me figure that I wanna do it for fun and if I’m able to help someone chill out or relax with my beats would be cool. Thx Man Keep it going bro🔥
I finally started charging for music services this year, made like 3k from mixing, mastering and recording already and still got half the year to go. Im hyped for the future!!!
I appreciate you L. Dre for this video and your honesty on the career side of music production. I have a little under a year left in college and I’ll have my bachelors in Music Production and it has been a awesome and difficult journey with doing school full time and working full time as well but I feel in my heart it is completely worth pursuing you believe in than doing something you absolutely have no interest in! Thanks for the encouragement and definitely hope to work with you one day.
i really need some love on my music!!
Just started my music production full time, it’s not gonna be easy but we staying consistent 💯
gl, brother!
Lessssgo bro 🔥
nailed it #flgang
Thank you so much! This means a lot
As a small producer I can agree with you 100%. I currently don't for fun and starting out I used to use LMMS the the free trial version of FL 😂😂
I'm not a full time producer and don't think I can be. I did the whole making a song every day for a while and you just get burnt out.
Great video and thanks dmfoe what you do!!
Thank You for being so honest and transparent. Nr. 3 everybody can relate to it 💯💯💯
Nr. 4 is so important when you dont got a Business Manager next to You to realize How many Administration it Brings with it.
Thank you bro ! love ❤
Thanks L.Dre 👌 Appreciate the perspective
Table, lil bro… 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I became a subscriber right before you thought about quitting your job. Firstly, thank you. Not only for the follow-up but for also being an inspiration to an older producer with mental issues. I’m not gonna cap and say that I watch and listen with regular frequency. But what I am gonna tell you is that I have been watching and paying attention. Man, it has been a blessing to witness your greatness thus far. 🥃 Blessings 🫶🏾🖖🏾
number 2 is huge, no one’s path is the same but use those skills! Also being involved in a community helps , online or in person.
It's been a while since your channel came across my YT timeline, and it's always good to know you're great and doing your stuff, literally im back since 2020
I was 13 when I got the craze of making music. And all I had back then was my iPod touch and earphones! Started off on Garageband , just like you! Watched few tutorials , listened to type beats all day, you know. I must say , I don't know what might happen in the future , but I'm 17 now , and I don't regret nothin! This video has clarified most of my doubts , and I wanna thank you for that , L.Dre. I'm glad I found out your channel. Be blessed!
As someone who wants to do similar things as you, this was very helpful. Thank you! Imma keep working hard :)
Appreciate this video my dude!
dude first video i've seen from you. You seem like a real honest nice guy. Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you !
BRO, THANK YOUUU!🙏🙏
Thank you for your perspective and insights in this video. I've been watching the channel since the beat flip days and it's been really cool to see your growth and takeaways. This video has given me a lot to think about with my own music journey 🙏🏽❤️
My pleasure 🙏🏾
i really need some love on my music!!
We can tell that everything comes from your heart bro, and we appreciate your no BS approach. It's inspirational, even for old cats like me. Thanks. ;-)
I struggled with this as well I’ve had music on so many tv shows from licensing but I have to work my 9-5 to keep my health benefits because I’m a diabetic which sucks lol but up until my son was born I stopped for 2 years cause that was my priority. but I am getting back into it trying to find the passion again lol so I appreciate this video cause it is hard at times but have to make it work!
Any tips on getting into sync?
Good Luck !!!!
i really need some love on my music!!
The fact u from the city u got my sub. U definitely dropped some 💎s tho!
Great perspective 💯
Thank you just have me believe in my self and have just done my first beat thanks so much for this video ❤
I love your genuiness, thank you for inspiring us! ❤❤❤
Thank you so much!
i’m not an producer but i try my best to grind on youtube, has been like 7 months i don’t upload and this kind of videos makes me understand what i want from it, thanks for the perspectives man!
You got in the industry at the perfect time. Glad it paid off for you! Nice video.
This was just what i wanted to hear, im 35 and ive been using logic since 07. I lost a lot of years to drugs and prison, but its not like im trying to become a rapper. I think a producer can be any age, they are mostly behind the scenes, and if a beat is hard whos going to give a f how old the producer was. I have a nice studio now and ice been clean 5 years, i just need to get over the fear of what people will make of the mix when i upload a beat. Thanks.v
Same problem, gotta get it out there and be heard (when it's ready ofc but not too long).
Respect and good luck with your journey + sobriety!
Amen...I am a 9 to 5 but I never stopped playing and creating. Getting too old for the fluff but the joy is insperational. Transparent.
Great vid bro I love your pure honesty
Thank you !
This is amazing. I'm a full time software developer and I've always thought "what if I'd made it in music"
Would be just another set of problems and I'm not sure they're better!!
You've made my day, month, year, decade, life!
Thanks for your insight and honesty. I appreciate you!!
This is how i felt when i went to university to study music and audio technology. I went to learn how to make sick tunes but it completely sucked the joy out of the creative endevour for me.
So now my stategy is building my gardening business and small sized raves to develop my income, while in my free time, im working on my production skills and the other insturments i play so that when i can afford to take time off work in the not too far future, i can really be involved with the creative process and have complete freedom.
The thing that worried me before was: if i got s regular job, my skills in music and production would halt in their growth and wither away.
But now i have a pretty disciplined weekly routine and my production skills are steadily progressing and i still find it fun: while im self employed as a gardener and soon will be doing events also.
For me, the process of making music is a way to connect with my deepest emotions and unconsious mind. I find it deeply therapuetic.
I wouldnt sacrifice that for the sake of making money from the process.
I hope you do truly believe that what you're doing feels right for your soul, and that you are making good money 🙏
God bless x
Ayeeee!!! I’ve been following you since 2021 and it’s been amazing your transformation and how much you’ve helped the music community. For reals man; you are in inspiration
Thank you bro, you are real ❤
the most inspiring vid i've seen for whole my life bro, your vibes is right
Appreciate you for keeping it real with us ✊🏼
The honesty in this video was refreshing. Respect to you bro!
dude there is nothing more true than this, especially your last two points. i'll also add that people don't really talk about how heavy the weight of expectation can be sometimes. once you get to a certain level of success, it actually becomes harder and harder to make stuff, because now you have an audience and you want whatever you make to be good. the bigger you get, the harder it is to create. this is starkly different from when you make stuff because you're having a good time.
another thing is that this job can be incredibly lonely sometimes. producers tend to be introverts, but when your 9 to 5 is at home and the only people you're interacting with are the ones you live with, that can make your life very one dimensional.
still one of the best jobs I could've ever asked for, but I think it's important to keep these things in mind
Great video. On my first year full time. Definitely felt this!