Am I Too Old To Be A Music Producer? An Honest Reframing Of Expectations And End Goals

With DJs and music producers being the modern-age superstars, it can be tempting to look at artists like Fred Again, Skrillex, Four Tet, and even Swedish House Mafia and some of those more commercial-leaning artists in the electronic music industry and want to follow in their footsteps. But it can also be intimidating to look at the mountain of work that separates where you are likely at now from where these titans of music production are.

And it begs the question, am I too old to start producing music? Am I too old to become a music producer? Has that ship set sail? This is a pretty easy question to assume the answer to, but shallow words of encouragement don’t do the community discourse justice. Quick wins of Reddit-based validation don’t support sustaining goals over the years it takes to achieve them, but hopefully, a thoughtful redirection of mindset and intentions can.

And so I wanted to take this opportunity to use the platform you’re reading right now, to share my own thoughts about music production, becoming a music producer, and the assumptions and expectations that many would-be producers have that prevent them from even getting started making beats in the first place.

The Short (And Sappy) Answer

I’m not going to waste too much time on this short and sappy answer to this question, so here is a quick bullet list of all of the assumed and expected answers that you can pretty much read on any Reddit thread or ChatGPT-written website.

• It’s never too late…
• Age is just a number…
• Follow your dreams…

Woof.

I’m glad we got that short and sappy answer out of the way because anyone’s grandma could have given an answer that offers as much encouragement and wisdom as those.

And while the world is filled with gumdrops and sugar-coated tweets like that, you’re probably here for a deeper kind of explanation on this. And I think one like this is required because there is a lot of assumptions that outsiders have about music production, and a lot of false expectations that many aspiring and would-be music producers have about the goals that they’re chasing and the lifestyles that they so desperately think that they crave.

And hey, if you’re looking for some extra musings on how to fast-track your way through the earliest and arguably toughest stages of your production career, I wrote a great eBook that you can snag off amazing for only $4!

A Word About Intention

Music production and becoming a music producer have never been more accessible than it is right now.

All you need to do is find a digital audio workstation (DAW) and start experimenting with some of the built-in effects and VSTs, and you are technically a music producer. You create music; therefore, you are a music producer (albeit a new one). Bingo! You’re there. Well done. Welcome to the party.

So, if you’re wondering whether you are too old to become a music producer, the answer is no. Anyone, even my seventy-five-year-old dad, could potentially and technically become a music producer and make music.

Understanding Goals and Intentions

The real question behind whether someone is too old to become a music producer is about their goals and what they want to achieve on this journey. Many people get confused about their intentions in this scene. Are you too old to start producing music and work your way up to becoming the next Skrillex? I don’t know your age, but remember that this journey often requires a lifetime of practice, dedication, a bit of luck, and certain traits that make these superstars who they are. I will discuss this more later when we discuss the realities of reaching your goals, but let’s not rush ahead.

Am I too old to become a music producer? No, you are not as long as you’re looking to get the right things out of the journey and from the chase.

It’s not like parents push their kids to start playing piano at six because they want them to be the next Chopin or headline Coachella as the next Ben Folds. Sure, some parents indeed exist and put that much pressure on their kids, but they are rare. Most parents encourage their kids to learn an instrument because it teaches discipline, provides an extracurricular activity, helps them connect with a community, and gives them a skill to pursue.

Music production is, and should be, exactly the same: Full Stop.

The Truth About Modern Producer Goals

It seems that almost everyone who pursues music production has, at least in some corner of their mind, the main goal of becoming the next Skrillex or comparable superstar. Many think that if they don’t reach those goals, they feel they haven’t succeeded as music producers.

But let’s take a minute to reframe this because your intentions behind why you want to start making music entirely and utterly depend on having the right mindset here. Being a music producer is as much a lifestyle as it is a job title, and living the producer lifestyle brings so much good and value to yourself outside of the fame and fortune our favorite DJs flex about on social media.

Those who commit to the producer lifestyle wholeheartedly will likely reap many of the same benefits in their life as those who adhere to the codes and teachings of various religions (but I’ll talk about music production as a religion at the end, I don’t want to bury the lead here).

You will likely find more fulfillment, happiness, and enjoyment in producing music and in yourself if you approach it with the right intentions. This mindset will likely lead to greater success, whatever that means to you specifically, in the long run.

The Advantages Of Age

There are no real downsides to starting to produce music at any age. There is no official time when that ship sets sail. In fact, there are many benefits to starting later in life. I am not suggesting that you procrastinate. If you are serious about becoming a music producer, or even if you are just curious, it has never been easier to start. So start now! You can bookmark this aritcle and come back later if you want.

The only thing you are too late for is to be a music producer who started yesterday. If you are 25 years old and reading this, it is too late to become a 24-year-old music producer, but it is not too late to be the 25-year-old music producer you are today.

As you get older, you actually gain more advantages, which I will discuss shortly. The best part is that these advantages often compound as you age. Many of them can be key factors that shape your journey, direction, and enjoyment in music, helping you get the most out of your experience as a music producer.

The Value Of Time

A large part of the online discussion about whether it’s too late to become a music producer focuses on the idea that as you age, you have less time. You might have a family or a career that you need to balance with your music production goals. While this is true, much of the conversation frames it negatively. It suggests you have less time and may not have enough to become a “real” music producer.

However, I believe this is not the right way to think about it at all and I’ve had a ton of A-Ha moments on this topic in the past two years since my first child was born.

One of my biggest fears was losing time for music production due to my responsibilities with this website, the record label connected to it, another record label I manage, and my job as a music production teacher as all these would be playing second fiddle to fatherhood and music production itself brings in the least acutal money so it would be first on the presumed chopping block.

I stressed about when I would have time for my own music.

But I was amazed to find that as my available time shrunk, I have come to value it even more.

As you get older, you start to value time more and look for ways to make the most of it. This can make music production more enjoyable and the time you invest in making music feel more meaningful. On the other hand, younger music producers, like I was in my early 20s, often feel they have all the time in the world. They may spend a lot of time exploring different paths and ideas in music production, but much of that can feel like treading water without making real progress in their careers like burning an entire studio day recouperating from a late-night afterparty “networking” with other producers.

Respecting your time can help you move more quickly toward your goals and intentions as a music producer.

More Money

Ideally, as you get older, you progress further in your work life or professional career. This often means you have more disposable income to invest in your hobbies, passions, and side projects. This can be invaluable in helping you reach your goal as a music producer.

You could create a better studio and invest in high-quality audio interfaces, studio speakers, and subwoofers. These improvements can greatly enhance the sound quality of your music and the details you hear in your mixes. With more money, you can also invest in your education, attend masterclasses, and go to events like ADE to expand your network and engage in other opportunities and experiences that younger producers simply don’t have the resources to access.

Having more disposable income allows you to invest in your hobby in ways that younger individuals, who may not be as far along in their careers, cannot. They might have to take a more DIY approach to education, which can take longer. With more disposable income, you can skip some of the time-consuming DIY methods, significantly speeding up your progress as an artist and producer.

You Know Yourself Better

But after all this, I believe the most important thing that comes with age and life experience simply comes from knowing yourself better. If you are getting older and still feel curious or unsure about starting music production, remember that you understand your wants, needs, and desires much more than a teenager or a younger adult does. This self-awareness in invaluable in establishing clear goals that are stable, unlike the changing dreams and aspirations of someone in their twenties.

It will also help you understand how you learn, how you take in information, and how you apply that knowledge to your work.

When I was in my early twenties trying to learn music production, I was throwing everything at the wall because I didn’t know myself well enough to “optimize” my learning process. I didn’t understand how I absorbed information or turned it into studio habits and workflows. Now, I know that I learn best through collaboration and hands-on experience. I realize that just watching YouTube tutorials on using a synthesizer isn’t enough for me; I need to get my hands on it to truly learn. Otherwise, I’m just going in circles without making real progress.

I know myself better now because I am ten years older than when I started. I don’t regret my time learning, even if it felt frustrating. That experience was a valuable part of my journey and opened doors to new opportunities and skills that brought me to where I am today. However, if I were to start now, I would take a different approach and focus on things that align more with who I am today.

The Realities Of The Finish Line

I want to take this opportunity to discuss the tough realities and some of the hard truths I’ve learned about becoming a music producer and the lifestyle that often comes with it. Many people assume that once you enter the music world and start making a living from your art, everything will be smooth sailing once you’ve “made it.”

However, that is far from the truth.

The life of a professioanal music producer has arguably more downsides than upsides (it’s just the upsides are really fun and cool, I won’t lie). If you’re a touring artist, you face strange sleep schedules, unhealthy eating habits, and the pressure of having your career depend on your popularity. Your entire career can also rely on the relationships and often fleeting reputation you have with the promoters who book you. There is a lot of turbulence to manage, which can take a toll on your personal health. It takes a special kind of person not only to succeed but also thrive in the music industry. You must work under challenging conditions while being friendly and approachable with both fans and industry professionals.

To reach the level of top-tier artists, like Hernan Catiano or Skrillex, you need to be more than just a great producer. You also need the right personality to handle that lifestyle. I share this not to discourage you but to help you set realistic expectations. The life of a professional artist and music producer is not all sunshine and glamour, as you might see on Instagram.

I want to reframe what the finish line looks like because again, I’m not trying to discourage you from starting. I think you should start right now. If you’re commited enough to get this far into this article, I think it’s an absolute requirement…

Suppose that hesitation is stopping you from starting. In that case, you’re letting some non-existant finish line stop you from even thinking about how valuable the journey can be, from the very first steps and throughout the many years that lie ahead of you. For me, music production is my guiding star in life, influencing much more than just the financial aspects that it brings into my life.

I myself have found that music production is really my north star in life, that it guides so much more of my life outside of just paying the bills. And while I am not a touring artist myself, I do consider myself a professional music producer, and as such, music production is much more akin to my religion than it is my career, which is the perfect segue into the closing sentiments that I most importantly want to stress about anyone wondering if they are too old, too young to start producing music.

The whole idea of music production as religion.

Closing Thoughts: Music As Religion

I came across a saying from Zen philosophy: “From one thing, know 1,000 things.” Around the same time, I was reading Rick Rubin’s latest book on creativity. He mentioned that to be a creative or an artist, it’s hard to be completely an atheist. Our ideas come from somewhere, and denying that they may come from a higher power seems a bit silly when you think about it. Inspiration doesn’t just strike us out of nowhere, and even if you don’t believe in God or Buddha, those ideas are out there. The fact that we are lucky enough to have them strike us is enough to prove that there’s SOMETHING out there even if I myself aren’t exactly sure what that something is exactly… I’ll have to get back to you on that when I find out.

Hearing these two ideas close together in time was a revelation for me. It perfectly aligns with how I view music and music production and this A-Ha moment reframed how I view everything in life, which all of the best things always seem to connect back to the studio in one way shape or form

• I drink less to keep a clear mind in the studio (…which also benefits my overall health).
• I meditate daily to improve my focus (…which allows me to be more present with my family)
• I try to eat healthily so I don’t waste time feeling sluggish on the couch (…which will give me a longer life)
• I’m more sociable to network and meet other artists (…which recharges my mental health)
• I prioritize sleep so that I’m as creative as possible in the studio (…which is vital for any parent with a toddler in the house)
• I read more in hopes to open new creative doors and thoughts on creativity (…which gives me a wide range of perspectives on philosophy, life, and the human condition).

An old mentor once told me that to create the best music, you need to be the best version of yourself and in my hunt to make the best music I can I’ve become a better friend, father and individual and I’m a long way away from getting signed to a major label or getting booked to headline festivals.

I believe this is one of the most valuable lessons I can share. You don’t need to be the biggest DJ or the next Four Tet. You don’t have to be as famous as Skrillex headlining Tomorrowland.

To answer your question straightforwardly: Are you too old to start music production?

Absolutely no, and I would go a step further to say that it would be a shame not to start now if for any other reason than the missed opportunity to bring value to your life and the lives of those around you. Embracing this journey can transform you and allow you to share something meaningful with the world, both in how you live and how your music connects with your fans waiting for you.

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