In this article you'll learn...
- Why artists choose to produce their own music
- The pros and cons of DIY music production
- How long it realistically takes to get good
- A simple framework to decide what’s right for you
The perfect instrumental dilemma
At some point, every artist runs into the same problem.
You have a clear idea in your head.
A hook. A melody. A direction.
Now you need the right instrumental to bring it to life.
Maybe you scroll through beats online.
Maybe you reach out to a producer.
But sooner or later, the same question comes up:
Should I learn to produce my own music?
Options to get your music produced
You’ve most likely considered or tried the following already:
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Hiring a producer
If you’ve been writing and recording songs for a while, you’ve probably worked with a producer or considered it.
A good producer can shape your ideas, build the instrumental, and help turn the song into a finished record.
But this route has tradeoffs. Quality producers often charge several hundred to several thousand dollars per track. And if you hire a lower-budget producer, they may not fully capture the sound you’re going for.
For many artists, this makes producing your own music start to feel appealing.
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Buying beats online
Another common path is buying beats from online marketplaces like BeatStars or Airbit.
There are millions of high quality instrumentals available, and many successful songs start this way.
The challenge usually isn’t quality. It’s fit.
You might scroll through dozens of beats before finding one that matches the exact vibe in your head.
And even when you do, the beat may already be licensed to many other artists.
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Using AI to make beats
With AI beat generators out there like Suno and MusicGPT, it feels like you can just type a quick prompt and generate an amazing instrumental.
But you and I both know that this is hit or miss. Like sometimes you can generate a banger with an AI prompt, but most of the time, the outputs are lackluster.
Now I’m not one of those overly purist “AI takes the ‘soul’ out of music” type of people. Yes, I’m a creative at heart, but I’m also a pragmatist. If something works, it works.
Independent artists and labels now account for nearly half of the global recorded music market.
Based on MIDiA Research
Why are artists learning to produce their own music?
Independent artists and labels now account for nearly half of the global recorded music market, according to research from MIDiA. Creative control is no longer a niche mindset. It is the dominant direction of the industry.
I’m sure these days, you’ve encountered all sorts of artist-producer hybrids on Instagram and TikTok. I’m always entranced when I see an artist show their process of creating a beat and then recording vocals to it.
With software and hardware being more affordable than ever, many artists are gravitating towards creating their own instrumentals.
There are a number of reasons why:
Should I produce my own music?
With all that being said, there’s a big difference between “anyone can produce their own music” vs. “everyone should produce their own music”.
Not gonna sugar coat it. Producing quality music requires practice, patience and skill. Even with AI tools and royalty-free loops, you still need to put in the effort to creatively steer the production to sound the way you want it to.
Producing your own music makes the most sense if you already have a clear song concept in mind that you want to bring to life.
Here are some things to consider:
| Self-Produce | Hire Producer | |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Control | Full control | Shared |
| Monetary Cost | Low | High |
| Skill Requirement | High | Low |
| Speed | Slower initially | Faster |
Benefits of producing your own music
You should produce your own music if the following are true:
- You regularly have a specific sense of how your song instrumentals should sound.
- You’re willing to set aside time to get over the learning curve to get good at music production.
- You’re able to invest in the software and hardware for your home studio.
Reasons why you shouldn’t produce your own music
Producing your own music may not be for you if:
- You’re not very particular about the exact sound of the instrumental, as long as it fits the song.
- You prefer focusing on writing, singing, or rapping rather than learning production.
- You’re not interested in learning the technical side of music software and studio tools.
How long does it take to get good at music production?
Getting good at music production takes time and patience. I’ve been producing for over 20 years. That includes seasons of high output and real growth, but also long stretches of low activity and slow progress.
Looking back, with the right mentorship and focused guidance early on, I could have reached my current level in under five years.
You don’t need 10,000 hours
However, let’s not confuse “it takes time and patience” with “it takes 10,000 hours to get good”. That concept is often misunderstood. You don’t need world-class mastery to make music people actually want to listen to. You need focused, consistent reps.
For a quick breakdown on how long it may take, here’s what you can expect if you put in roughly 30 minutes per day of consistent effort:
What the learning timeline usually looks like
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Week 1-2: Learning the tools
After making your first beat, you might feel like you’re about to take over the game.
That’s normal. It probably isn’t as good as you think yet. That’s also normal.
At this stage you’re mainly learning how your DAW works. How to place sounds, adjust timing, experiment with drum patterns, and arrangement.
Real progress begins when you move beyond just stacking loops and start editing, refining, and shaping the sounds.
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Month 1-3: Beats that start to make sense
At this point you’re getting comfortable building a full beat from start to finish.
Your drum patterns feel more intentional. Your sounds work together better. Your beats start sounding cohesive instead of random.
You’ll still experiment with different genres and styles, but the process of turning an idea into a finished beat starts to feel natural.
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Month 4-6: Original beats you’re proud of
If you’ve been working at it consistently, your beats will sound really good and professional. The fastest path to progress is focusing on one specific style of music first.
For example:
- Jersey Club
- Dream Pop
- Boom Bap
From there, you can move into other subgenres and styles. Once you have a foundation, it becomes much easier to learn new styles.
The hybrid approach
The decision is not always either-or. Sometimes the smartest move is both.
You can learn to build ideas on your own, then bring in another producer to help refine, arrange, or elevate the track. A second producer can often bring fresh perspective and polish.
Learning production doesn’t mean you stop working with producers. It means you walk into those sessions with leverage. You can sketch ideas, communicate more clearly, and recognize when another producer is actually improving the record.
And who knows? You might even open up another lane for yourself by producing for other artists.
Verdict: Is it worth learning to produce your own music?
At the end of the day, learning production isn’t about replacing producers. It’s about strengthening your creative independence.
If you often hear specific instrumental ideas in your head, learning basic production will help you develop those ideas faster.
You don’t need to become a full-time producer. But understanding how music is built will make you a stronger artist in every situation.
If production isn’t something you want to pursue, that’s fine too. Many great artists focus on writing and performance while working with skilled producers.