How to Become a Music Producer in Nigeria

As of today, music artists like Wizkid, Davido, Burnaboy, and other popular Nigerian artists have made a name for themselves all over the world not just because of the beautiful voices they possess but because of the music producers that have made good beats for them.

In this article, we will be looking at how you can become a music producer in Nigeria. In this article, we will explain how you can stand out in this business, make a name for yourself (become famous) and be rich. Becoming a music producer is beyond skills or talent.

To become successful in your craft you need to continue to learn and be persistent. You do not also need an elaborate studio or you can work with the little resources you have first.

How to Become a Music Producer in Nigeria

If you are serious about becoming a music producer in Nigeria, here are the steps to take.

1. Learn Music Production

The first step to successfully starting a music production business in Nigeria is to learn music. Because what you learn in music goes beyond playing musical instruments you need to learn from any good source available to you. If you can afford it, you can get some sort of formal education for your music.

This could be studying music production at the university or attending an online course for the recognized website Coursera. If you’re learning online you can register for 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months training and get certified. However, if you cannot afford it, you can still learn online and become a professional producer of songs.

There are many free resources online that you can access today. On YouTube alone, there are lots of resources in sound engineering and mixing. There are also educational articles online. All you need to do is find free time to watch videos.

2. Learn How to play Music Instruments

It is one thing to learn how to play musical instruments online, it is another thing to actually practice this. As a music producer, it is not a must for you to become a professional in this but you need to know the fundamentals. The world’s best music producers are not professionals in playing musical instruments.

However, they know how to play simple notes and beats that make good songs. You do not need to play all the instruments. As a music producer, the major instrument you need to learn how to play is the keyboard. Since it encompasses beats, bass, strings, trumpet, xylophone, piano, and more you will be able to make good beats with it in the studio.

3. Promote your Skills on Social Media

No matter what you have learned in music you still need social media to promote your skills. Popular music producers in Nigeria like Don Jazzy use social media to increase the publicity of the songs he produces for their artists.

All he needs to do is upload a 30 seconds clip of the song on Instagram and before you know the song is trending. You might not have millions of followers yet but you can start small. The first step is to create your social media accounts, particularly an Instagram and Twitter account.

After this, you can start uploading short clips of how you make beats and how you help music artists with their songs. When uploading these songs, you should add related hashtags and tag necessary celebrities preferably music artists that will love the song.

4. Get a Music Studio 

At this stage, you need to get a music studio where you can show your talent. If you can afford a studio, set it up. It does not have to be expensive as long as it contains all the major equipment. You can set it up in your home or somewhere else. If you cannot afford to set up your own studio, you can co-own a studio with another music producer or simply work for other music studios. 

Doing either of these will make you engage with the sound equipment making you more familiar with it and then be able to freely produce beats regularly. 

5. Remake Popular Hits 

One of the ways to prove that you are a good music producer is to remake popular hits songs and post these songs on social media for feedback. Top Nigerian producers are recognized for this. They remake songs that are worth listening to during their leisure time.

As an upcoming music producer in Nigeria, you cannot afford to joke about this step because it can make you become famous fast. To do this successfully, look for a trending song currently in Nigeria and remake the song by adding or removing some sounds. If this comes out well, upload it on social media to gain recognition.

6. Work with Artists and Upcoming Musicians

At this point, popular artists might not come to you because they are not sure of how good you are. This is why you need to start out by giving most of your attention to upcoming musicians. These sets of people are willing to risk it because they are not popular yet. You can make money producing beats for them.

When their songs gain attraction and it is well accepted, famous artists will start coming your way. When they come you can then increase how much you charge for studio time to start making good money from your skills.

How to Make Money from Music Production in Nigeria

There are many ways you can make money from music production in Nigeria but many do not know this.

1. Studio Time

The most common way you can make money as a music producer in Nigeria is to get paid for the studio time you spend with artists. During studio time you can be needed to do anything ranging from making beats to mixing or even sound engineering. It depends.

2. Making and Selling Beats

As a producer, aside from working with your artists, you can also make money by making and selling beats to artists far from your studio. Averagely, depending on your professionalism, you can make #20,000 – #100,000 on the sale of a single beat.

3. Make Money Mixing Songs

If you know how to mix songs you can make money from mixing the songs of artists. You can also make money mastering songs too.

4. Musical Instrumentalist

This is a good method of starting out as a music producer in Nigeria. Gospel artist and music producer Frank Edwards started out by becoming a keyboardist in his church. Depending on your professionalism you can be paid very well for this.

5. Sound Engineering 

Are there concerts in your area? You can actually make money by being the sound engineer at these concerts. This is another major source of income for you especially if you are just starting out.

6. Instruments and Equipment Rental

Do you own a studio? You can make money renting out your musical instruments and equipment. 

7. Record Label

You can start your own record label in Nigeria. You can make money by signing upcoming artists and making them a star. Many music producers prefer to own record labels so that they can be totally independent.

Conclusion 

Contrary to popular belief you do not need a formal education to become a legendary music producer in Nigeria. All you need is to be open and willing to make changes when necessary.

Recommended:

• How to Become a Video Vixen in Nigeria
• How to Become a Video Editor in Nigeria
• Top 10 Richest Musicians in Nigeria
• How to Become a Celebrity in Nigeria
• How to Start a Farming Business in Nigeria