Become A Media Composer Without Breaking The Bank
Becoming a professional media composer is expensive. Whether you go to a big music school or are self-taught like me, it takes a huge amount of time, money and practice to get up and running at a professional level.
So it’s good to have a clear idea if it’s what you really want before diving in. Here’s some ideas to help you get started without breaking the bank.
Start On An iPad - Really
Before you drop thousands of dollars outfitting your home studio, consider beginning your composer journey on a simple iPad using GarageBand or Logic Pro for iPad. I started on a Mac version of GarageBand about 15 years ago, and used it for several years before stepping up to Logic Pro.
But if I were starting over today, I would subscribe to Logic Pro for iPad for four bucks a month and get a small inexpensive MIDI controller like a Nanokey2 or a Launchkey Mini. That’s it.
I wouldn’t even bother with headphones at this point. Yes, there’s a bit of latency with wireless earbuds but it’s enough to start.
Even if you already own a DAW or have a small setup, consider doing this iPad challenge alongside it. The constraint forces you to focus on composition over production.
Logic Pro for iPad has an amazing library of sounds, and unlike GarageBand, it has a MIDI note editor. You definitely need this if you want to produce high quality music.
If you can read and write music, consider adding StaffPad or Notion to this very basic setup. These music-writing apps can help you visualize and hear arrangements and learn by transcribing existing music. While music theory knowledge is not required to become a media composer, it definitely helps.
Learn From Music You Love
Listen intensely to the kind of music you want to create. Make a playlist of 3-5 tracks you want to emulate and listen to them over and over.
Then reverse engineer them by making notes on how they’re made. What’s the structure? What are the chord progressions…what is the overall shape of the melody? What’s the rhythm and tempo? What instruments are used? How does the composer take you on a musical journey and what does that look like? You get the idea.
Get super-curious about how your favorite songs are made and they will teach you more than any online course or book ever could. Make detailed notes about how a particular effect or device is created in your own words. It definitely helps if you can read music and find the score, but it’s not required.
Do this enough and eventually what you learn will start to emerge in your own music. While it definitely takes time, this is how you discover your own voice.
Listen to as much music as possible on a daily basis. Make it automatic like brushing your teeth. It’s a practice I continue today and try to do as often as possible.
Write A Ton Of Music
Once you’ve been inspired by and studied lots of music you love, dig in and get to work writing your own original compositions. Start with 30 seconds and work your way up to a full 2-3 minute piece.
This is when it gets hard, which is why I say start with a simple setup. Writing music day in and day out takes lots of discipline. If you can’t get yourself to write 10 tracks in a few months using a simple iPad studio, what makes you think you’ll do it after spending thousands on a tricked-out home studio?
You’ll be surprised by the quality you can get from these tools. You won’t be able to compete with professional level music yet, but you will be able to write semi-pro hiphop, pop, EDM and tension cues using Logic Pro’s built-in drum designer and synths like Alchemy.
Set Yourself Up For Success
More importantly, you’ll discover early on if being a media composer is really for you without spending all your savings. It’s far better to dip your toes in the water than dive deep before you know how to swim.
And if you do decide the composer path is for you, you’ll have proof that you can show up and do the work. Those 10 practice tracks aren’t just exercises - they’re evidence that you’re ready for the next level.
So start small, write a lot, and let your consistency make the decision for you.