If you’re looking for a way to learn music production for free, you’ve come to the right place.
There are loads of free learning resources and programs out there, but not all of them will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need.
So we’ll show you the best free online music production courses that are worth checking out.
All of these courses are popular, well-rounded, and convenient.
And they won’t cost you a dime.
1. Coursera – Music Production Specialization
Coursera is a popular online learning website that offers a wide range of online courses.
And Coursera Specialization refers to a series of courses that helps you master a certain skill.
That said, their Music Production Specialization is ideal for people who want to delve deeper into music production and technology.
The Specialization is offered by Berklee College of Music, one of the best music schools in the world.
There are 4 courses in this Specialization:
- The Art of Music Production
- The Technology of Music Production
- Pro Tools Basics
- Music Production Capstone Project
Some of the things you’ll learn are how to identify and use reference tracks to establish a vision for your production, edit your tracks, evaluate your mix, and so on.
So, the whole program is designed to equip learners with the tools and knowledge needed for recording and producing professional-sounding music.
You can view the course content for free, and you can also apply for financial aid.
It should take you approximately 5 months to complete all the classes, and you earn a Certificate upon completion.
2. Udemy
Udemy is another popular online learning platform that offers online production classes.
One of the good Udemy music production courses you can check out is Music + Audio Production in Logic Pro X course.
Logic Pro X is a popular DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) used by many producers, and this Udemy course will tell you how it works.
In fact, you’ll learn how to record and edit audio to a professional standard, and you’ll learn how to write more music and edit more audio in less time.
Since Udemy offers a 7-day free trial, you can check out and learn the basics before deciding to purchase anything.
Udemy also offers a bunch of short tutorials and videos that can help you gain more knowledge about certain production techniques, DAWs, and so on.
3. Skillshare – Blueprint to Beatmaking
If you’re looking for free online music production lessons, you should also check out Skillshare.
This popular e-learning website offers a variety of cool courses, including the Blueprint to Beatmaking course.
This 3-hour course will introduce you to the basics of hip-hop music production and help you learn the fundamentals of beat-making in a quick and easy way.
Lessons are short, effective, and easy to understand, and if you want to get into hip-hop music production, completing them can be a good way to start.
You can easily complete the course within a month, and since Skillshare offers a 30-day free trial, you can do it for free.
The course also includes a hands-on class project that will allow you to create your first beats.
4. Berklee Online – Vocal Recording Technology
As we mentioned before, Berklee College of Music is one of the best music schools in the world.
And they also offer a variety of online music courses and degrees.
Berklee Online is indeed a great way to get quality online education and acquire valuable skills and knowledge.
And you can access their Vocal Recording Technology course for free.
The certificate is not free though, but it’s quite affordable compared to some other options.
The course will help you build a solid foundation – you’ll learn how to improve your music with vocal tracks and new technologies, and you’ll be able to test your knowledge through assignments and exams.
You can complete the course in 6 weeks (5-6 hours a week), but you can also progress at your own pace.
5. Noiselab
Noiselab is a community of Ableton producers and electronic musicians.
Ableton Live is by far one of the most popular and user-friendly DAWs out there, so this course is ideal for anyone starting with music production.
Noiselab’s Electronic Music Production Level 1 course will teach you everything you need to know about your DAW and provide you with practical tips on how to use Ableton in the most efficient way.
The course is taught by Thavius Beck, an experienced producer, and musician known for working with famous artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Skylar Grey, and Saul Williams.
This beginner music production course is completely free, but if you opt for a Noiselab membership, you’ll gain access to other courses as well.
6. Skillshare – Ableton Live 1
This is another online course focused on Ableton.
With the Skillshare course Ableton Live 1: The First Steps of Digital Music Production, you can learn how to navigate the program and produce your first track.
The course is taught by Brian Jackson, a well-known audio engineer and electronic musician and a Certified Ableton Trainer.
The course is 1 hour and 15 minutes long, so you can easily complete it in a day.
And with Skillshare’s 1-month free trial, you do it for free.
Skillshare Ableton Live 1 is undoubtedly one of the best online music production courses for beginners, and it’s ideal for anyone interested in learning more about Ableton Live.
7. LinkedIn Learning – Explore Music Production
LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of professional online courses that can help you advance your career.
And you can explore their music production classes for free with their 1-month trial.
The Explore Music Production course will help you learn basic audio and music concepts and introduce you to Pro Tools, the industry-standard software for music.
The course also explains the role of a music producer and provides insights into the music business.
Once you finish the course, you will earn the badge of completion.
LinkedIn Learning also provides more advanced training courses for producers who want to learn more about specific production techniques, tools, and concepts.
So, you can choose a course based on your level of experience, goals, and interests.
8. Point Blank Music School
Founded in 1994, Point Blank Music School is a global network of music production schools offering a variety of courses in electronic music production, audio engineering, music business, and so on.
Generally, Point Blank’s most popular courses include Complete Electronic Music Production, Complete Mixing & Mastering, and DJ/Producer Career Development.
The school also offers online classes and free music production tutorials.
There’s also a series of Logic Pro and Ableton Live courses as well as music industry classes that can help you learn more about the business side of music.
Their courses are well-structured and taught by industry experts, so you’ll undoubtedly gain useful skills and knowledge.
All things considered, Point Blank Music School is a great resource for aspiring music producers and anyone who wants to improve their music-making skills for free.
9. Alison’s Music Production
Alison is a platform that offers thousands of free courses that can help you improve your career prospects.
And Alison’s Music Producer Masterclass is ideal for people who want to gain the skills and knowledge needed to enter the field.
This professional-level online course is completely free and it covers a variety of relevant topics.
Through the course modules, you’ll learn more about FL Studio (a popular DAW), mixing, vocal processing, mastering, publishing, and selling music online.
In other words, the course will walk you through the whole process of creating and distributing music.
The course includes 4-5 hours of learning and offers the possibility to earn a certificate of completion.
To earn the certificate and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment.
10. YouTube Audio Production Course by Envato Tuts
When thinking about the best online music production courses, you probably wouldn’t think of YouTube right away.
But YouTube can be a great learning source – you just need to find the right channel.
And Envato Tuts’ audio production course for beginners is worthy of consideration.
It’s clear, informative, and well-structured, and it will teach you the fundamentals of audio recording in less than 2 hours.
The course is taught by Dave Bode, an experienced audio producer and a very personable teacher who is easy to understand.
The tutorial is very useful, and since it’s on YouTube, you can watch it for free and come back to it whenever you want.
Can You Teach Yourself Music Production?
Being a music producer requires a special set of skills, so if you want to become one, you’ll have to put the work in.
Music production is a multi-stage process that involves songwriting, arranging, recording, mixing, and mastering music.
That said, if you want to learn how to produce music, you’ll have to become familiar with DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), recording equipment and techniques, editing tools, and basic music theory.
But music producers are also managers – they lead and oversee the whole production process, and they often advise musicians artistically.
It’s a demanding role, but it’s also a very exciting and rewarding one.
Essentially, a good music producer needs to be creative, artistic, administrative, communicative, and business-minded.
Therefore, if you want to get into music production, you need to start improving your skills and expanding your knowledge.
And if you want to do it in a convenient and easy way, taking an online music production course might be a great idea.
The thing is, it’s possible to learn to produce music by yourself, but you need a reliable learning source and/or someone to guide you through the whole process.
And all of the programs we mentioned today are well-structured and taught by industry experts who can help you get started with music production.
Best Free Online Music Production Courses – Final Thoughts
Learning how to produce music by yourself is not easy, and it takes time and practice to gain all the necessary skills.
However, with the free online music production courses we overviewed today, you can build a solid foundation quite easily.
You just need to choose the program based on your goals, skill level, and learning habits.
And since all of these courses are convenient and free, why not start learning today?
You may also like: How to Become a Music Producer
