What I wish I knew when I started producing dance music.
4 Tips to Improve Your Music Production Skills (and Avoid Beginner Mistakes)
Learning music production takes time – and lots of it. If I could rewind the clock to when I first started, there are plenty of things I’d do differently.
These lessons come from years of producing, teaching, and running The Sound Lab. My hope is that they’ll help you learn faster, make fewer mistakes, and create better music – sooner.
Here are 4 practical ways to level up your music production, whether you’re just starting out or already making tracks.
1. Make Producing a Habit – Not Just a Hobby
If you’re serious about learning music production, the number one rule is this: produce more than you learn.
When I first started, I spent hours binge-watching YouTube tutorials without applying what I’d learnt. The truth is, music production is all about doing. Knowledge only sticks when you practise.
Here’s what works:
Make it daily: Even 30 minutes a day is better than one big session every now and then.
Follow the 70/30 rule: Spend 70% of your time creating and finishing tracks – 30% on new tutorials or theory.
Quantity before quality: Don’t chase perfection early on. Finish 10 average tracks rather than endlessly tweaking one.
Reflect and improve: Write down what didn’t go well in your last project – then tackle one or two points in your next.
This approach is at the heart of all our 1-to-1 lessons at The Sound Lab – consistency and action always beat passive learning.
2. Copy Your Favourite Artists – Strategically
This one took me ages to accept: copying isn’t cheating – it’s smart learning. Especially for beginners.
The key is to do it with intention:
Follow start-to-finish tutorials but focus on why each step is being taken – not just the “how”.
Use reference tracks: Drop your favourite track into your DAW, then map out empty MIDI clips for each element (kick, clap, bass, lead, etc.). You’ll quickly see how arrangement and structure work.
Recreate the flow: Try rebuilding the track using your own samples. Focus on rhythm and arrangement – not identical sound design.
If you often get stuck after 8 bars, this method shows you exactly what comes next – helping you break through creative blocks.
3. Invest in Education Before Plugins
Here’s the hard truth: expensive plugins won’t fix your music. I wasted far too much time and money chasing the latest synths and effects.
What made the real difference? Education.
If I could start over, I’d put 2–3 times more budget into learning rather than software.
Here’s how you can do the same:
Reverse-engineer project files in your genre to see how pro tracks are built.
Take structured courses (like PML or EDMPROD) – or even better, personalised 1-to-1 lessons.
Learn the basics of theory: A little goes a long way when it comes to writing melodies and chords.
Book private feedback sessions: At The Sound Lab, we see students progress months faster simply by getting targeted feedback.
Education is the fastest way to shortcut years of trial and error.
4. Master One Genre – Then Branch Out
When you’re new to music production, trying to make house, drum & bass, techno and lo-fi all at once is like trying to learn French, German, and Japanese simultaneously – it slows everything down.
Pick one genre you love – melodic house, progressive, tech-house, whatever – and get comfortable making full tracks in that style.
Once you’ve built confidence, explore ‘sister genres’ to expand your sound. For me, producing progressive house helped me inject darker, more club-focused energy into my melodic tracks.
This approach:
Develops your unique sound
Builds versatility
Prepares you for shifts in music trends
It also keeps things exciting – experimenting with other genres introduces new ideas into your main style.
Bonus Tips to Speed Up Your Learning
Collaborate: You’ll pick up tricks far faster working with others. I learnt proper sidechaining during a collab!
Hire pros for comparison: Get a track mixed/mastered professionally – then compare it to your version. You’ll learn more than from any tutorial.
Study everything: Even if you plan to outsource mixing or mastering, understanding the basics makes you a better producer.
Final Thoughts
At The Sound Lab, we help aspiring DJs and producers in the UK build real skills – not just collect plugins. Whether it’s through 1-to-1 lessons, project feedback, or hands-on workshops, our goal is to provide the education I wish I’d had when I first started.
Ready to stop dabbling and start finishing tracks that sound the way you imagine them? Book your free intro session at The Sound Lab today.