What I Wish I Knew When I Started Producing Music

Written By Ben Elding

Learning music production takes a lot of time. If I could rewind the clock to when I first started, there are quite a few things I’d do differently. These lessons have come from years of producing, teaching, and running The Sound Lab, and I want to share them with you in the hope they’ll help you learn faster and more effectively.

Here are 4 thoughts from me on how to improve your music production skills, avoid common beginner mistakes, and ultimately make better music—faster.

1. Make Producing a Habit (Not Just a Hobby)

If you're serious about learning to produce music, the number one thing I’d tell you is: produce more than you learn.

When I first started, I’d spend hours binge-watching tutorials without really applying what I’d learned. The truth is, music production is all about doing. Yes, learning is important—but without practice, it doesn’t stick.

Here’s what I recommend:

  • Make music a daily habit, even if it’s just 30 minutes. This is way more effective than one big session every now and then.

  • Follow the 70/30 rule: Spend 70% of your time creating and finishing music, and 30% learning new techniques or theory.

  • Quantity before quality: Don’t chase perfection in your early tracks. Finish them, even if they’re rough. You’ll learn far more by finishing 10 average tracks than endlessly tweaking one.

  • Reflect and improve: Make a list of things that didn’t go well in your last track, and tackle one or two of them in your next one. That’s where the real growth happens.

This approach is something I embed into all our 1-on-1 lessons at The Sound Lab—because consistency and action beat passive learning every time.

2. Copy Your Favourite Artists (Strategically)

This one took me ages to get comfortable with. But copying other producers isn’t cheating—it’s smart learning. Especially in the early stages.

Here’s how to do it properly:

  • Follow start-to-finish tutorials, but don’t just copy blindly—ask why each move is being made. The mindset shift from steps to reasoning is huge.

  • Drop your reference track into your DAW and create empty MIDI clips that match each element (kick, clap, bass, lead, etc.). You’ll get a much better sense of arrangement, layering, and structure.

  • Recreate the ideas: Try rebuilding the track using your own sounds and samples. Focus on matching the rhythm and flow, not necessarily the sound design.

These exercises massively improved my arrangements and helped me break through creative blocks. If you struggle to get past 8 bars, this method will help you understand what needs to come next in your track.

3. Invest in Education Before Plugins

Here’s the hard truth: fancy plugins won’t fix your music. Trust me—I’ve been there, chasing the latest soft synth or FX chain hoping it would make my tracks sound pro.

But the real accelerator? Knowledge.

Instead of dropping £200 on a plugin bundle, I wish I’d put that into learning. If I could give you one piece of advice:

Invest in education 2–3x more than you invest in gear.

Here’s how:

  • Get hands-on with project files in your genre to reverse-engineer real tracks.

  • Take high-quality online courses (like PML or EDMPROD) or better yet, tailored 1-on-1 lessons.

  • Learn the fundamentals of music theory—even a basic understanding will help you write better melodies and harmonies.

  • Book private sessions with experienced producers. This is what we offer at The Sound Lab—and trust me, targeted feedback can shortcut your learning by months, if not years.

4. Master One Genre (Then Branch Out)

When you're learning music production, trying to produce every genre at once is like trying to learn French, German, and Japanese all at the same time—it’s going to slow you down.

Pick one genre you love—whether it’s melodic house, progressive, tech-house, whatever—and master it first.

Then, once you feel confident creating full tracks, explore ‘sister genres’. This is how I started expanding my sound. For example, producing progressive house helped me bring darker, more club-ready energy into my melodic tracks.

This approach:

  • Develops your unique sound

  • Makes you more versatile

  • Prepares you for trends and shifts in the scene

It also keeps things fresh—experimenting with other genres brings new ideas and techniques into your primary style.

Bonus Tips: How to Keep Improving (Even Faster)

  • Collaborate: Working with other producers is one of the quickest ways to grow. I learned how to properly sidechain just by collaborating with someone better than me!

  • Hire pros and compare: Get a track mixed and mastered professionally, then compare it to your own version. This will teach you more than any tutorial ever could.

  • Study everything: Don’t ignore arrangement, theory, mixing, or mastering. Even if you plan to outsource these tasks, understanding the basics will help you make better creative decisions.

Final Thoughts

At The Sound Lab, we help aspiring DJs and producers build real skills—not just collect plugins. Whether it’s through private lessons, project feedback, or hands-on workshops, our mission is to give you the education I wish I had when I started out.

So if you're ready to stop dabbling and start finishing music that sounds the way you imagine it in your head, come work with us.

And now, a question for you:
What’s one thing that helped you speed up your learning in music production?

Let me know in the comments—or message me directly if you want to take your learning further.

Interested in levelling up your music production?
We offer custom 1-on-1 lessons both online and in-person at The Sound Lab. Click [here] to book your free intro session.

Ben Elding
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Taking Your Music to the Next Level: What I’d Do If I Were You