If you’ve even considered making music of any kind, including electronic tunes, chances are it’s because you’re already deep into the scene in one way another. In fact, it would be very odd if you decided you wanted to be behind the scenes creating electro bops if you’re not already devoting a lot of time to listening to music from many different artists working in many different genres.

If you’re not already doing a lot of sonic exploring when it comes to listening to everything you can get your hands on (which should be pretty much everything, as streaming platforms like Spotify have made accessing songs easier than ever), you must. If you are, great! But it might be time to start organizing how you listen and thinking about what you’re hearing as well.

Take some time to create a list of everything you want to hear, and then slowly begin ticking items off. Look up lists that highlight the most innovative, most important, or simply the best electronic songs and albums of all time. Take note of what tracks have gone on to become big hits, or which records have won major awards. You might not get to everything worth hearing all at once, but these rankings and advice from experts can be great places to start.

While you’re listening, don’t just enjoy the tracks, think about them. What elements can you hear coming together in the background? If you’ve already started playing around with production software, can you tell what instruments and samples were used in the creation of a song? Also, think about the lyrics (if there are any). What makes them interesting, what hooks you as a listener, and what these tracks have that yours do not?

Experiencing a live performance from an artist is very different from simply pressing play on their biggest singles, and if you want to make music and eventually be up on a stage in front of a large crowd one day, you need to spend a lot of time seeing shows as well.

Electronic music is known for its amazing live events, and the best DJs and producers in the world spend huge sums of money on production and think about every aspect of their shows. Hopefully, you’ll get to a point where you need to do the same. Just as I suggested when it comes to listening to music, you should start thinking critically about the concerts and parties you attend.

Don’t just stand there and dance — use your head! What works about this show, and what doesn’t? Are the songs playing just as great, if not better, live? Is the artist giving you everything you want from this show, or is it missing something? Perhaps you can hear something different in this live setting that didn’t come through when the music played through your headphones…or maybe the opposite is true?

Going to see an artist perform live can be a transformative experience, and electronic shows can be especially transcendent. So, while you should absolutely go and have a wonderful time dancing along to the extremely loud beats, make sure you’re considering what this means for you as an up-and-coming artist as well.

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is a software application that offers a wide range of tools so that anyone can record, edit, and produce audio. It is an all-encompassing platform that has revolutionized the music production and audio editing industry.

DAWs are basically virtual recording studios where you can record tracks, layer beats, incorporate various instruments or vocal parts, apply effects, and mix the final product, all within one program. A DAW condenses the entire music production process into a single software application, making it convenient and accessible for anyone from bedroom producers to top industry professionals.

DAWs provide an efficient and seamless creative process that combines both the technical and creative aspects of music production. You can play around with different sounds and styles, giving you the flexibility to experiment as you create unique and innovative compositions.

Selecting the most suitable DAW for your music production needs is all about personal preference. The software you choose should feel instinctive and user-friendly to enhance your creativity and increase your productivity. This may take a while, but some could click quickly.

All DAWs offer a wide range of versatile and adaptable tools that cater to every aspect of the production process, allowing you to generate professional-grade audio with ease. Every producer has their favored software, and some may be completely devoted to one particular DAW and sing its praises.

When it comes time to choose which DAW you’ll learn first, you can download and experiment with various trial versions of different programs to find the one that resonates with you the most, sampling as you go.

Alternatively, you might choose to opt for one piece of software and start creating your own music from there. You might have chosen a tougher one, but if you’re deliberate with your learning and you don’t give up when things are difficult, you can be making music soon enough.

As is the case with any genre of music, there are a lot of words and phrases you’ll need to learn if you want to fully understand what you’re creating. It’s not enough to simply like the music and stick solely with your instincts.

On top of words that only seem to pop up when discussing EDM, there are plenty of other phrases you should familiarize yourself with if you’re going to be a musician (in any genre), so make sure you start with the most basic of the basics and work your way up from there.

There are perhaps many musicians who have found success working in the electronic music field without learning these terms, but why rely on luck? You will never hurt your chances by working to understand your world better, and too much education simply isn’t a thing.

When it comes to learning electronic music production, there’s no denying that there’s a vast amount of knowledge to be gained. But before you dive headfirst into classes and tutorials, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of the terminology associated with the genre.

There are hundreds of words that are specific to electronic dance music (EDM), and some of them can be quite technical and complex. But don’t let that intimidate you! Starting with a simple glossary of terms can be an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the language of EDM production.

This list is just a sample, but it’s a great starting point for anyone who is new to the world of electronic music.

Audio Interface – A hardware component that allows you to connect microphones, instruments, headphones, and monitors to your computer for the purpose of recording or playing music. Typically, it is connected via USB.

BPM – Stands for beats per minute, and it is a widely-used abbreviation to denote the tempo or speed of a musical composition. By measuring the number of beats that occur within a minute, BPM provides a standard unit of measurement for tempo, allowing musicians and producers to create and maintain consistent rhythms within their music.

Build – A musical technique characterized by the gradual increase of tension in a song, often accompanied by drum rolls and a rise in pitch, indicating an impending significant change.

Crossfader – A tool used in audio production that allows for a seamless transition between two pieces of audio. It operates by reducing the volume of one track while simultaneously increasing the volume of the other, resulting in a smooth fade. At the midpoint of the crossfade, both tracks are at equal volume, creating a balanced transition between the two.

Drum Machine – An electronic musical instrument capable of replicating the sounds of a traditional drum kit. It can be programmed to create a variety of rhythm patterns and beats. In modern music production, most DAWs offer software versions of drum machines that can be used to create and edit drum tracks within a project.

Jack – An audio connector that is frequently used to output audio from audio interfaces and connect high-end headphones to audio devices. It is a widely recognized audio interface that allows for a reliable and efficient connection between commonly used devices.

Loop – A fundamental building block in modern music production, allowing for the creation of repetitive and catchy melodies, beats, and rhythms. It is a section of a song that is repeated continuously, usually consisting of a short musical phrase or sample that is played in a cyclical manner. They are often created by sampling a particular section of a recording and looping it to create a new and unique sound.

Mastering – The final stage in the music production process, where a song is polished and refined to achieve its highest sonic potential. It involves applying subtle effects to the final mix, such as compression, equalization, and limiting, in order to balance and enhance the overall sound.

The purpose of mastering is to ensure that the final mix sounds consistent and cohesive across different playback systems and platforms, while also preparing it for distribution. Typically, the volume of the track is maximized during mastering, ensuring that it sounds loud and punchy without distorting or clipping.

MIDI – An acronym that stands for musical instrument digital interface. It refers to a digital communication protocol that enables musical instruments and devices to send data to a computer. That data can then be used to trigger sounds or control various parameters within a DAW or music software. They are typically connected to a computer via USB.

Plugins – In the world of music production, plugins refer to self-contained units of code that can be seamlessly integrated into DAWs to expand their capabilities. Plugins are designed to enhance and customize the production process.

Typically, plugins fall into one of the following categories: audio signal processing, analysis, or sound synthesis. Audio signal processing plugins allow producers to manipulate audio signals in various ways, such as adding effects, adjusting levels, or applying filters. Analysis plugins provide valuable information about audio signals, such as the frequency spectrum, dynamic range, or pitch. Sound synthesis plugins generate new sounds and textures, enabling producers to create unique and complex sonic landscapes.

While there are actual classes where people who have experience in this genre will teach you how to create your own electronic jams, chances are if you’re an aspiring DJ or Producer, you’re not investing in those programs. That’s okay!

While they are helpful, and a degree won’t hurt you, it’s understandable you might not want to sink lots of money into such an education. Instead, why not devote a large chunk of time to teaching yourself how to work both software and hardware by watching others do it online?

There are thousands of tutorials on YouTube available for anyone to watch wherever and whenever they want, and all of them have something valuable to provide. These videos can show you everything from how to get started to how to finish mastering your latest masterpiece, as well as everything in between.

It might take you a while to find which instructors speak your language and which videos are the easiest to follow, but if you stick with it, you can learn quite a lot from these YouTubers…and for many people, this is one of the best ways to get started.

Learning to produce electronic music is not the same as, say, studying the violin or the piano. Unlike those more classical instruments, the vast majority of people who are creating EDM taught themselves. Sure, some have gone to schools with classes or even entire programs focused on these programs and this genre, but it’s more common to see a DJ who figured it all out by doing, not quitting, and perhaps learning online via articles and YouTube tutorials.

But with so many different options out there–and there are likely thousands of videos from hundreds of channels–how do you know which tutorial series are worth investing your time and attention in?

According to the experts at DJ Mag, here are 10 of the best YouTube tutorial series or learning to produce electronic music:

• Accurate Beats
• Andrew Huang
• DJ Mag
• Hobo
• Jay Cactus TV
• Loopop
• Pensado’s Place
• Point Blank Music School
• Rachel K Collier
• You Suck at Producing

You’re going to need to spend weeks, and probably even months, simply learning the ins and outs of whatever program you decide to run with first. (I suggest you kick off with one and make sure you really understand it before you dive headfirst into something else).

There are a million and one things you can do with these software options, and until you investigate every knob, button, and drop-down menu, you won’t be able to consider all your options as you are crafting your first few tunes.

Spend time both dabbling and messing around on your own, as well as listening to tutors, teachers, and YouTubers, who can all direct you to where you should go to find popular editing tools and the like. You might be anxious to create something the world can consume, but don’t rush in this process.

There’s no getting around putting in the time and work to learn your instrument and your craft, and if you do, people will be able to hear the rushing in your work.

Okay, so you’ve been tooling around with your software program, learning everything you can, and editing the songs you’ve created over and over again. At some point, you’ll feel you have at least a few pieces you’re happy with. So, now what?

It might be scary to do at first, but if you’re creating music and never sharing it with anyone…what’s the point? Letting others hear your tunes can be terrifying and thrilling, all at the same time. I suggest with your first bunch of tracks, you don’t pay a distribution service to upload them to every streaming platform and online store, as they might not be as ready for public consumption as you think.

A better route to go when you’re just getting started is to let friends, family, and other musicians listen first and then give you some feedback. If it’s all good, you might be in a place to set about sharing your cuts with the world…but more likely than not, your songs will need some work, which is totally normal! This is all part of the process when it comes to how to make electronic music.