Getting Started Guide

Whether you are a traditional producer looking to transition into the digital world and become an Online Producer, or you understand the benefits of producing music online but are new to the concept, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know to get STARTED. Becoming an Online Producer is a journey, but it's one we have taken ourselves. We have also helped countless music producers start producing music online and build their fanbase through our program, Create 30 in 30, founded by Just Jared

Create 30 in 30 is a 30-day crash course from the traditional music production world, taking producers on a 5-week journey up the Digital Coast. Together, we will explore 8 checkpoints, each one teaching you the fundamental building blocks of producing music online. By the end of the journey, you will no longer live in the traditional production world. You will know how to produce for the digital world, and your entire music production trajectory will change forever.

Once you complete Create 30 in 30, there's no going back.

Everything we are about to share with you, we have tested, proven, and continue to use and teach every single day.

These are the fundamental principles and frameworks for producing music online and building a sustainable online music career.

Unfortunately, all beginner music producers face the same 10 overarching problems:

Distractions: "I need to organize my sample library" is a common one. So is, "I need to check my email" or "I've been scrolling through social media for too long." There are an infinite number of distractions, and producers tend to be masters at finding distractions to avoid working on their music.

Over-tweaking: Producers love endlessly tweaking their sounds, effects, and settings, debating, "Should I use this plugin or that one?" The short answer is: it doesn't matter. In fact, one of the first big principles we teach in Create 30 in 30 is that, in your early stages of producing music online, you shouldn't worry about perfection at all (and we'll explain why further in this guide).

Perfectionism: Ah, a music producer's favorite excuse. "It's not perfect yet." Okay, when will it be perfect, then? One of the biggest obstacles music producers need to overcome early on is realizing that "perfect" is an unattainable goal. Moreover, striving for perfection slows you down—so much so, that other music producers who aren't aiming for perfection end up surpassing you. (Here, we encourage music producers to create "rough drafts," and we'll explain what that means a bit later.)

Procrastination: "I'll start producing tomorrow." We have a saying in our program, and it goes like this: If you fall off the production train, that's fine, but just make sure you don't stay off for two days in a row (because your music production habit will wither and die). The secret to music production success is to train and nurture your Daily Music Production Habit. And in order to build a Daily Music Production Habit, that means you need to get back on the train every single day. If you miss a day, that's okay. Don't beat yourself up. But climb aboard and get back at it tomorrow. Otherwise, too many "tomorrows" will pass by.

Self-confidence: How do you build confidence in yourself as a music producer? You produce. It's so simple that it's complicated. The reason why music producers struggle with self-confidence at the beginning of their journey is because they are still hesitating, waiting, imagining. They haven't yet faced the reality that, once they start, they probably won't be great at producing. It's going to take practice. So in order to overcome this fear and START gaining self-confidence, you need to take the leap and start producing.

Generating ideas: Many music producers have the fear of someone "stealing their sound." But music producers who are afraid of others stealing their ideas are afraid because they don't know how to create more ideas. In other words, they value the ideas they have so much because they don't have the skill of creating more ideas on demand. Well, that's why we created an Endless Idea Generator for music producers to use anytime they feel stuck. (We still use the Endless Idea Generator every single day with our own production. Why? Because it works.)

Imposter syndrome: The reason music producers experience Imposter Syndrome is because we are taught that producing is all about "fitting in" where listeners already are. It's about becoming a "better" producer than the next person, which leads to the feeling of being an imposter. We don't believe this is a productive mindset for music producers, and instead, we are going to show you how you can CREATE your own unique sound as a producer (not compete against someone else in their style). After all, how can you be an imposter if you've created something entirely

Producing consistently: Consistency is the key to success as a music producer—and it's a cliché because it's true. Look at any successful producer, author, or even YouTuber, content creator, musician, artist, etc. Anyone who has stood the test of time did so because they were able to create prolifically over a prolonged period of time. Consistency, in itself, is a powerful differentiator. So if you have trouble being consistent, don't worry: we have plenty of exercises that will help you (and if you know yourself and feel like you need a community to help you stay motivated, then we encourage you to sign up for Create 30 in 30).‍‍

Choosing a platform: Where's the best place to put your music online? The honest answer to this question is: any platform as long as it's ONLY ONE. Why? Because you only have so much energy to put towards a platform. No one knows it exists, and you are 100% responsible for driving traffic there yourself. Instead of spreading yourself thin and trying to publish on every platform, it's better to concentrate your energy on a single platform and master it first. This way you can build deep relationships with those on the platform and learn together, rather than getting overwhelmed trying to learn them all at once. ‍

Finding time to make music: And of course, one of the biggest reasons music producers don't create is because they "don't have time." Well, here's the thing—not just about producing, but about anything in life: when it comes to making progress on things that are important to us, you don't "find" time. You make time. We call these hours your Creative Hours, and encourage music producers to make time where they are a) most likely to be productive, but b) least likely to be disturbed by the outside world. Your Creative Hours might be early in the morning, at lunch, or at night. But it's on you to pinpoint them, and then protect them.

If you resonate with any of the above, don't worry. You're not alone. In fact, you are part of the majority. These are the issues keeping MOST people from clarifying their music ideas, producing them, and releasing them. The good news is, they're all easy to fix—once you learn a few basic frameworks for producing in the digital age to grow a fanbase.

The question is, where are you in your journey?

1. Waiting To Start

Have you wanted to start producing online, but aren't sure the first step to take? Are you overwhelmed with the number of different platforms, topics, and strategies out there for producing online?

2. Releasing Music But Not Growing

Have you already started producing, but now feel stuck? Are you hacking away at content posts, releasing music into the void, and never gaining any traction?

3. Afraid To Release!

Or maybe you have plenty of ideas, but struggle to put yourself out there. Do you find stacking up unfinished tracks in a folder, never releasing them?

If you are feeling ready to start taking ACTION, there's no better way than to dive right into Create 30 in 30: our cohort-based online course & community teaching you the fundamentals of becoming a Digital Producer. But unlike other music courses, you will put your learnings into practice by producing and releasing content online every day for 30 days.

Otherwise, we have put together this master document for you to get started on your own.

This is the Ultimate Guide to START Producing Music Online.

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👉 Next up:
`Framework #1: Demolish The 7 Problems Holding You Back From Producing Online`⁠
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Did you find this framework useful?

If you want to continue to:

Learn ways to build up your audience

Release music consistently to raving fans

Create opportunities for yourself online

Be apart of a exclusive community of like minded producers working towards the same goals

Then here is your invitation to do exactly that with Create 30 in 30 below:

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Invitation To Create 30 in 30

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