The music industry is a vast field that is filled with a lot of opportunities and niches. There is no shortage of artists trying to get by, managers striking deals, and labels dominating the market. This makes the music field a very tough one for those who want to make a name for themselves. Sometimes, talent may not be enough to get you the attention you deserve, which is true for many different fields of artistic nature. The commercialization of music as a commodity has led to both complications and benefits that can overwhelm new musicians. From marketing techniques to essential music production tools, it can take a while to find the right tools that you can be comfortable using. To help you along your journey, we've assembled a list of the 4 best tools that everyone in the music industry should be using.
1. A DAW
DAW is short for Digital Audio Workstation, and it's used by nearly all producers and professionals to create music. There are a lot of factors at play when it comes to choosing a DAW, not to mention that there is no one DAW that's right for everyone. Expect the process of choosing a DAW to take some time because you'll be experimenting with different software to find the best one for you. You can always start with the famous and popular options and see where that leads you.
It shouldn't be hard to fit a DAW into your budget because they're not expensive, and most of them offer a free trial, which allows you to try more than one if you're still on the fence about which one you want to use. The type of music you produce can affect your choices as well. If you're producing music, then getting a DAW that focuses on controlling waveforms and plugins should go well. If it's mastering or mixing pre-made tracks, then you'll want to focus on DAWs that work best with mixers and controllers Like Ableton. SoundHalo made a list of the best controllers for Ableton to simplify your selection process even further.
2. Music Samples
Sampling is the reusing of already-produced music or sounds in a new and original project There are a lot of modern and royalty-free samples in the market that you can use for free as you're starting. But you'll want to pay attention to the legality of samples you're using because it can get you into trouble if you publish your tracks for monetary purposes without the correct permissions in place. You'll find more than one website out there that provides high-quality presets, loops, drum kits, and other samples that can make your job much easier. Utilizing such resources will help you improve your production techniques, especially when you're first getting started.
3. A Strong PC
Whether you produce music from scratch or mix it, you don't want your projects to stagnate because you have a weak computer. While you'll find ways to get by with an old computer, you shouldn't depend on it too much. A computer with a good and new processor will make you able to run different music-related applications simultaneously without having to compromise. If you're recording something that involves many plugins and instruments, your CPU should be powerful enough to run it smoothly, a processor with at least 4 cores is recommended.
The RAM of your computer can make a huge difference when it comes to increasing the number of tracks and plugins you're allowed to use at the same time. While 8 GB can work smoothly for small projects, it's recommended not to go below 16 GB of RAM if you're planning on playing multiple tracks simultaneously. The OS you choose to go with, whether Windows or Mac, should be according to your preferences and comfort with it.
4. Studio Monitors
As someone who makes music, you want to make sure that you hear the exact musical notes and all the subtle details in your tracks. While you can still use normal headphones to hear your music, it's not even close to the quality studio monitors provide. You'll start noticing details that you had never noticed after you mastered your tracks. You can also use it as a reference to see the differences between the sound heard on casual speakers and the detailed one you hear on your high-quality monitors. Try not to spend too much at first on your monitor to get a good idea of the type of monitors that would suit you more later on.
The tools used in the music industry can drastically vary according to the different needs of every musician. These 4 essential tools should help you get a good standing when you're still starting, but eventually, you'll have to upgrade these tools to suit the new and evolving requirements of your musical style.
