Overview
With a strong leaning towards electronic Music, this simple guide lays out the 7 best online courses for music production in 2022.
Regardless of what genre you’re into, or what software (DAW) you plan on using, these 7 course providers will undoubtedly have you covered.
We’ll better explain who the courses are suited to as we go through the list.
Note: To be clear, this list covers the best online course PROVIDERS – so they’re either a specific music production school or an online learning platform of some sort. They all have multiple courses, which we’ll talk about.
Content (the 7 course providers)
- 1. Point Blank Music School
- 2. Production Music Live (PML)
- 3. Noiselab
- 4. SkillShare
- 5. Virtuoso
- 6. FadorPro
- 7. Aulart
Getting started in music production is easier than ever
Mostly designed for beginners, this section provides a quick overview of what you’ll need to get started in Music Production. Once you have these fundamental components in place, ‘’adding in’’ the right online music production classes will speed up your progress dramatically.
The essentials
When it comes to making music, so much has changed in the last two decades. Gone are the days of needing bulky, expensive equipment and paying for studio time, etc. Literally, all you need to get started is a decent laptop along with your chosen music production software running on it.
Sure, you’ll also want to invest in a set of headphones, and perhaps some monitor speakers as the next priority, although it certainly won’t break the bank by historical comparison.
As part of a more comprehensive home studio setup, whilst they’re not essential, you might also consider getting a keyboard, an audio interface, and also a microphone.
What’s a ‘’decent’’ laptop?
To run most modern DAWs, then spending around $600 (US) on a laptop should be all you need to get started. However, you’ll probably need to spend upwards of $1,500 if you’ve got bigger plans. From a strictly ‘non-techy’ perspective, here are some basic spec recommendations to consider:
Note: Whilst most DAWS run on both PC and Mac, some are exclusive to a specific operating system.
- It should have at least 4 GB of RAM (6 – 8 would be great)
- Get one with a Solid State Drive (SSD), ideally with at least 500 GB of space
- Get one with a fast processor (note: a minimum spend should have this covered, although check out this article for a deeper dive)
- A minimum of two USB ports is preferable. Failing that, get an external USB hub
Choosing the right DAW
Whilst we won’t go into too much detail in this article, a ‘Digital Audio Workstation’ (DAW), is music production software that runs on your laptop. This is where you’ll record, edit and master your audio files.
For electronic music, popular DAWs include Ableton Live, FL Studio and Logic Pro to name just a couple. Which one you choose will depend on 1} Your music style/genre focus, 2} Your production work flow, and 3} Personal preference.
Once you’ve done some initial research and narrowed down potentials, YouTube is probably your best bet to check out the different workflows and to see which ones you like the look of. Then, once you’ve thoroughly done your homework, you might consider a free trial or two with your favourites.
Our methodology for this list
To find the best music production courses online,we literally turned the market upside down. Here’s the methodology we used to qualify and roughly rank them:
- WHO do the courses cater for? (with regards to skill-level and software types etc.)
- Overall substance and quality of the content
- Value for money and pricing structure
- Credibility in the market and qualifications of the tutors
- Social proof: Testimonials and social media comments, etc.
So then, here are the 7 best online courses for music production in 2022 (the best course providers)!
1. Point Blank Music School
Overview:
Representing one of the staples in the industry, Point Blank London started out as a commercial recording studio in 1994 and has since grown to become one of the world’s most popular music schools.
As well as physical premises located in Los Angeles, China, Ibiza and Mumbai, they also have some of the best music production courses online for electronic music producers – covering popular DAWs such as Logic Pro and Ableton Live.
| Number of courses: | 16 online offerings for music producers |
| Cost: | £680 (£210 per month for 3 months + £50 reg fee. Their Diploma’s cost more and typically last for 6 months) |
Popular Courses:
| Complete Electronic Music Production | Complete Ableton Live | Complete Logic Pro |
| Complete Mixing & Mastering | Complete Sound Design | Audio Mastering |
| DJ/Producer Career Development | Mixing Electronic Music |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| Best industry reputation | Easily the most expensive |
| Excellent testimonials | Scheduled start times |
| Best DJ/producer option |
More details/Conclusion:
Having famously put out graduates such as Pete Tong, Goldie and Claude VonStroke, Point Blank is undoubtedly one of the best places to study music production, sound engineering, and just the music business in general.
With various start months to choose from throughout the year, the courses are typically broken down into 2 key modules spanning either 3 or 6 months (or even 1 year in some cases). Obviously it depends on the course, although the first module will often give students a thorough grounding in all the essential music production skills – necessary for anyone that’s serious about becoming a professional producer or sound engineer.
In module 2 (or term 2) things really get ramped up, taking your skills to the next level as you learn advanced tips and techniques from professional music producers with real industry credentials.
Regardless of which course you take, you’ll get personal advice on your one-to-one tutorial sessions, industry tips, and also access to course materials – asking all the questions you want.
In case you were concerned, whilst the courses have scheduled start times throughout the year, you can still study at a time and place that suits you. Additionally, you also get access to the wider Point Blank community.
Based on the chunky price tag for the courses, Point Blank is only going to appeal to the more serious music producer looking to make a career from it (goes without saying!). And whilst their courses are EASILY the most expensive on this list, they’re also the most comprehensive. It’s literally an online university.
For more information, get the full run down of all 16 music production courses here. You can also get in touch with any questions at the bottom of each course page via live chat or email.
2. Production Music Live (PML)
Overview:
Next up, Production Music Live (or PML) is an online academy for music production focusing mostly on Ableton Live, although they also have courses centered on FL Studio and Logic Pro. It was founded by a guy called Francois – a classically trained musician and music producer from Germany.
Additionally, they also have tons of cool Sound Packs and Presets centered around underground electronic music!
| No. of courses: | 50+ |
| Cost/pricing structure: | Individual courses and packs start at around €40, working up to €297 for the top bundle. Everything you buy at PML is a one-time payment for lifetime access. |
Popular Courses:
| Ableton Live Start To Finish (Beginner course) | Ben Böhmer Masterclass | Melodic Techno Accelerator (see bundles) |
| Melodic House Accelerator (see bundles) | Melodic Techno Start To Finish | Deep House Start To Finish |
| Mixing Course Start To Finish | Mastering Course Start to Finish | How I Built My Home Studio |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| Niche-specific/clear objectives | Can work out expensive if you buy lots of things individually |
| Lots of great testimonials | Basic video production |
| Beginner friendly |
More details/Conclusion
PML’s courses mostly come under the umbrella of a ‘Start To Finish’ or a ‘Masterclass’ – although they also have skill-specific courses on things like Sound Design and Mixing & Mastering, etc.
If we look at their Start To Finish courses, as these as probably the most popular. These walk you through how to create a track within a specific genre.
How it works: Students basically get a folder with sound files so they can follow along step-by-step, achieving the same result as your course instructor. To keep the barrier of entry as low as possible, these courses require minimal amounts of software installed on the student’s end, which is great for beginners and early-stage producers.
Usually you’ll only need Ableton Live Standard plus together with a 3rd party plugin, like SERUM, for example.
To get the best bang-for-buck, we’d also recommend their bundles collection. These are hand-picked courses from industry-recognised producers bundled with their corresponding sounds, with popular bundles including “Melodic Techno Accelerator” and “Melodic House Accelerator”.
PML also have a decent following on YouTube and Instagram where they provide free music production tips on a daily basis, not to mention an excellent blog and impressive catalogue of testimonials.
To provide some balance here, there aren’t too many bells & whistles from a video production standpoint, although that’s really not a deal-breaker for us. At the end of the day, these guys really know their stuff, and their courses will certainly achieve the desired effect for the right student.
In summary, PML undoubably has some of the best ‘niche-specific’ music production courses online in our opinion. Visit their website here and use promo code ‘PML20’ to get 20% off any initial purchase.
3. Noiselab
Overview:
Once again tailored for beginners & intermediates, Noiselab is a subscription service for electronic music producers that use Ableton Live. Their content library contains over 50 different courses all led by Ableton-certified Trainers and successful music producers.
With new courses added every month, a subscription also gives you full access to Royalty Free Loops, Sample Packs, MIDI, One-Shots, and more.
| Number of courses: | 50+ |
| Cost: | Either $19 per month, $120 annually, or $300 for lifetime access |
Popular Courses:
| Electronic Music Production (levels 1, 2 & 3) | Music Theory for Electronic Music Musicians | Making a House Track (start to finish) |
| In The Studio with Patrick Collier | Mixing Essentials | DJing with Ableton Live |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| Small investment to get started | Not ideal for students that prefer a more targeted approach |
| Certified Ableton tutors | Lack of upkeep on their Social media pages and YouTube |
| Beginner friendly |
More details/Conclusion
Describing themselves as ‘’a community of Ableton producers and electronic musicians’’, Noiselab has an impressive list of expert tutors including Thavius Beck, Patrick Collier, Paul Laski, and STINT among others.
The website is easy-to-navigate and broadly broken down into two main tabs: ‘courses’ and ‘sounds’. Once you click on these, you can then use the robust search functionality to filter by category or tutor, viewing a full breakdown of each course’s content by clicking into it.
With various different content formats such as ‘In the studio with’, and their ‘song deconstruction’ series, in short, their tutorials are packed with all sorts or tips, techniques and concepts that every Ableton producer needs to know.
Additionally, Noiselab also has a nice selection of sample packs in genres like Techno, Electronica, Pop, Hip Hop, Trap and Jazz, along with countless skill-specific classes on Sound Design, Arrangement, Synthesis, Mixing, Sampling, Music theory, and so on.
On the down side, unfortunately they don’t update their social media pages or YouTube very often, and they don’t have a blog or anything like that – although for the price, that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
In summary… if you’re a beginner or early-stage producer on a tight budget that wants to get started with Ableton Live, and you want a DAW-specific ‘’content buffet’’, then Noiselab is a good choice.
They even have a couple of free courses if you want to try before you buy, such as ‘Electronic Music Production Level 1’ –a beginner’s crash course on getting started with Ableton Live.
To sign up and get full access to all 500+ lessons for $19/month, head over to their website here.
4. Skillshare
Overview:
With over a dozen umbrella topics, Skillshare is a ‘one-for-all’ online learning platform where you pay an annual subscription to access their entire library.
There are literally ten’s of thousands of courses, all for about $100 (US) a year. In the music production niche alone, there are well over 1000 courses.
| Music production courses: | 1000+ |
| Cost: | $100 (US) a year + a free 7-day trial |
Popular Keywords:
| Music Production | Music Theory | Audio Engineering |
| Ableton Live | FL Studio | Logic Pro |
| GarageBand | Songwriting | Piano |
| Guitar | Music Composition | DJ Courses |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| Amazing value for money | Analysis paralysis (lack of focus) |
| Covers most conceivable DAWs | Billed annually |
| Courses for musicians & sing-songwriters, etc |
More details/Conclusion
Now typically we don’t like including ‘one-for-all’ online learning platforms on a list like this, although on closer inspection, we really think the value you get with a Skillshare subscription is significant.
The courses can last anywhere between 10 minutes and 15 hours (or even longer, such as this complete electronic music production course), and they’re all broken down into smaller bite-size videos, as you’d expect.
As far as the different DAWs are concerned, they’ve got most bases covered – with countless courses on Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, GarageBand, and many others.
To best understand the sheer volume of content on there, we’d recommend heading to this page. Here you can filter by keywords like ‘Sound Design’, ‘Music Theory’, or ‘Mixing’, etc., or even type in the specific DAW you use, for example. You can also filter by skill-level and class-length.
Who is Skillshare BEST suited to? Well, if you’re still in the discovery phase but you know for sure that the music industry is your end game, it’s a great place to start (note: you’ll also get access to numerous DJ courses, music business courses, songwriting courses, and the list goes on). You could even use it as a support mechanism in addition to a more specific one-off course.
Visit their website here to start a free 7-day trial. Obviously every course isn’t going to be amazing, although most of them are led by industry professionals.
5. Virtuoso
Overview:
Having only launched in 2022, and based out of the UK, Virtuoso is an online learning platform and subscription service that specializes in content for aspiring music producers and DJs looking to get started in the music business.
With a growing library of courses, they partner with some of the best artists and creators in electronic music – including Carl Cox, Joris Voorn, Eats Everything and loads more.
| Music production courses: | 25+ |
| Total courses: | 50+ |
| Cost: | Roughly £80 a year (works out at £6.67 per month and includes a free 7-day trial) |
Popular Courses:
| How to Reebeef records (Eats Everything) | Master your mindset (with Carl Cox) | UK Bass & breaks (with Flava D) |
| Melodic methods (with Joris Voorn) | Foundations: Ableton Live (with Poppy Roberts) | Beats for bars (with Plastician) |
| Hooks & grooves (with Archie Hamilton) | Learn to DJ (with Flava D) |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| A-list tutors | Billed annually |
| Includes music industry & DJ courses | Not a silver bullet to success |
| Beginner friendly |
More details/Conclusion:
With new courses added all the time, there are currently more than 30 courses in the Virtuoso library relevant to DJing and music production. In addition to lots of big-name tutors, these are all led by established industry professionals, which is great.
The courses typically last between 60 and 90 minutes and are broken down into smaller bite-size videos (as you’d expect), and each course has its own dedicated page breaking down exactly what you’ll learn together with a short video trailer – all of which you can see before you subscribe.
You might think of it more like a ‘content buffet’, and it’s perhaps best used as a support mechanism in addition to a more specific music production course rather than a silver bullet to success.
In summary, if you’re more in the discovery phase as a DJ/producer, and you know for sure the music industry is your end game (similar to Skillshare in that sense), then Virtuoso is definitely a punt!
The courses can be purchased individually for £30, although it’s best getting an annual subscription for £80. Visit their website here to start a free 7-day trial.
6. FaderPro
Overview:
FaderPro is a relatively new-to-market online learning platform for electronic music producers. They literally have hundreds of courses led by the biggest names in dance music, such as Ferry Corsten, Harry Romero, Mark Knight, Roger Sanchez, and others.
Catering for all skill-levels, their courses cover off a wide range of DAWS for users of Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton Live, Pro Tools and FL Studio to name a few.
| Music production courses: | Aprox. 200 |
| Cost: | Pay-per-course from $11.99 / $29.99 per month for full access (prices in US dollars) |
Popular Courses:
| In The Studio w/ Ferry Corsten | Digital Music Masterclass w/ Nicky Romero | Making Minimal Tech & Garage w/ Jason Herd |
| DJ Masterclass w/ Roger Sanchez | Track from Scratch w/ Piero Pirupa | Must-Know Production Tips w/ Jason Herd |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| Excellent range of DAWs | The monthly subscription might be considered a bit pricey |
| A-list tutors | |
| Affiliated with major record labels |
More details/Conclusion
As well as being affiliated with major labels such as Toolroom, Armada, CR2 and Hospital Records (which is great if you’re looking for a specific sound), another one of FaderPro’s selling points is their varied approach content formats (or ‘Series’, as they’re called).
A couple of these include their ‘Foundations series’, designed mostly for beginners; their ‘Masterclasses’, which offer specific deep dives for more seasoned producers; their ‘In-studio’ series; and their ‘Track deconstruction’ series (hover over the main ‘courses’ tab to view all 10 of them). If you prefer, you can also filter a search by Record label, DAW, or Genre.
In summary, at $29.99 per month for a subscription (that’s the ‘FaderPro Producers Club’) it’s not the cheapest, although they do offer discounted rates for 3-month, 6-month, and annual subscriptions. And you can also build your own bundle if you’re not into subscriptions.
As we get more direct feedback from FaderPro users looking into 2023, they may well be moving up higher on this list. Visit their website here to sign up.
7. Aulart
Overview:
Using predominantly Ableton Live and Logic Pro, Aulart is an online learning platform catering for beginner, intermediate and advanced-level music producers.
With fresh content added each month, their content (mostly high-quality masterclass sessions) has a significant amount of crossover that would suit DJ/producers, singer-songwriters, and just anyone interested in learning about the music business.
| Masterclasses: | 35+ |
| Cost: | Either €275 annually for ‘Essential’ plan / €335 for ‘Connect’ plan (prices in Euros, monthly installments available). |
Popular Courses:
| Beatmaking & Sampling for Hip Hop (The Alchemist) | Making a Melodic Techno Track (Matador) | Navigating The Music Business (Steve Lobel) |
| Customize Your Live Performance (Henrik Schwarz) | My DJ Techniques & Vision of Techno (Chris Liebing) | Beginner’s Guide: Entering The Music Scene (Anfisa Letyago) |
| Fundamentals of Electronic Music (Aulart Originals) | Creativity, Song Writing & Vocal Processing (Kittin) | Music Production & Professional Networking (Danny Avila) |
Pros & Cons:
| PRO’S | CON’S |
|---|---|
| Great for DJ/producers | Annual lock in with subscription |
| Tons of benefits on the top plan | knowing where to start could cause problems for some |
| Includes music business/entrepreneurial content |
More details/Conclusion
Aulart masterclasses cover a wide variety of topics – from sound design, arrangement & mixing, the music business & networking, live performance, DJ techniques (good for users of Traktor and Ableton), and so on.
Typically either Techno, House or Hip Hop producers, these Masterclasses are led by A-list artists (that are often famous DJs as well), including Chris Liebing, Henrik Schwarz, Carl Craig, Paco Osuna, Andres Campo, Marco Faraone, and Danny Avila among others.
The two main plans are annual subscriptions. The ‘Connect’ membership includes everything you need, inclusive of software licenses, Plugins, Sample Packs, Projects, Templates, you name it – all for around €335 Euro per year or monthly installments of €27.99.
They also have a basic ‘Essentials’ plan at €275 which doesn’t include the software licenses and plugins, etc. Additionally, you can purchase classes individually for €40 – €150 Euro a piece, although you may as well get a subscription!
For a slightly bigger investment, Aulart also offer interactive (live) crash courses called ‘’Bootcamps’’. These are typically scheduled over 2-4 week periods. Visit their website here to learn more.
More Music Production Courses Online?
Whilst we’re confident our top 7 will cater for just about every conceivable electronic music producer, there still might be another course out there that offers something unique for your situation.
With that said, here are two more popular online learning platforms you may wish to consider:
Masterclass
You’ve likely heard of Masterclass. They’ve got tons of courses relating to music production, some of which are led by industry leaders such as Deadmau5 and Armin Van Buuren.
Whilst you can pay for the classes individually, a full subscription gives you access to over 100 online classes for about $200 a year, which is much better value. You also get a free 7-day trial. Check out all the music-related courses here.
UDEMY
Similar to Masterclass, UDEMY is another ‘multi-topic’ online learning platform, although it’s ‘pay per course’ only. Whilst the courses don’t always match up to some of the others on this list, you can still get some decent content for reasonable prices.
It’s not a bad option if there’s something specific you want to learn without the strings of a subscription. Check out their producer-relevant courses here.
Summary: Best Online Courses For Music Production
Just to recap, these were our 7 best online courses (course providers) for electronic music producers in 2022:
- Point Blank Music School
- Production Music Live (PML)
- Noiselab
- Skillshare
- Virtuoso
- FaderPro
- Aulart
Conclusion
We understand just how valuable time and money can be, which is why we did our very best to represent the market as accurately as possible.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to learning music production online. Just 20 years ago, none of these platforms (or anything similar) existed.
It’s now up to YOU to take advantage of the incredible learning opportunity of these times, and to take action on your dreams!
FAQs
Can I learn music production online?
Yes.All you really need to get started is a decent laptop along with your chosen music production software running on it. As we detail in this post, once you have these basics in place, there are tons of cost-effective online tutorials for music producers online. Alternatively, if the project is just for fun, then YouTube has you covered.
Are online music production courses worth it?
The right music production school (and/or tutor) can offer a clear direction, potentially saving you months or even years of messing around and watching random videos on YouTube. And considering just how affordable these things are nowadays, the right ‘paid’ tutorials are totally worth the investment if you’re half serious.
What is best music production course for beginners?
Nowadays, most music production courses online cater for beginners, so there’s no obvious answer to that. Better questions to ask yourself might be: ‘what DAW do I plan on using’; ‘how much can I sensibly afford to spend’; or even ‘what specific genres do I plan on producing’. Best thing to do is keep these questions top of mind as you go through our list of the 7 best course providers.
Can I produce music on a laptop?
Yes. Gone are the days of needing bulky, expensive equipment and paying for studio time, etc. Literally, all you need to get started is a decent laptop with your chosen music production software – also known as Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) – running on it.
What is the best online music production course?
Whilst there are tons of online course providers out there for aspiring music producers, and it really depends on what DAW you’re working with, some of our personal favourites include Point Blank Music School and Production Music Live (PML). For a broad range of DAW coverage, we’d also recommend Skillshare and FaderPro.
More resources for music producers
- Best BUDGET Monitor Speakers (for DJs & music producers)
- How To Brand Yourself (for DJs & music producers)
Affiliate Disclosure: To help fund the website, some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you choose to make a purchase we’ll make a small commission from it. This NEVER costs you any extra as a result!
Header image credit: Jan Makwela on Pexels.
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