How I Became A Professional Producer [+ Tips on Getting More Paying Projects] 💰 | Make Pop Music

In today's video, Austin talks about his journey to becoming a professional producer. In this video, we also go over some tips, tricks, and advice for aspiring producers looking to gain more paying projects, make the jump to full time, and have a self-sustaining career without the help of a label or publisher.
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Make Pop Music is the #1 resource for independent pop producers, writers, and artists. Thank you for being a subscriber!
My Gear:
DAW: Cubase 11 Pro
Desk: AZ Studio Workstations
Monitors: Focal Shape 65s with Focal Sub6
Interface: UAD Apollo Twin USB
MIDI Keyboard: M-Audio Code 61
Keyboards: Roland Juno DS88, Roland Juno 106, Arturia PolyBrute
Guitars: Fender American Professional Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Taylor 214 CE Plus
Preamps: Heritage Audio HA81A & Audient ASP800
Microphones: Advanced Audio 251, Slate ML-1, Shure SM7B, JZ BH-1, JZ V67, Lauten Audio LA-320, Lauten Audio LA-220, Lauten Audio LA-120, AKG P170, Sterling ST59
Camera: Panasonic G7
Lens: Panasonic 25mm f1.7
Camera Lights: Neewer LED Light Panels
Timestamps:
Intro 0:00
Announcement 1:04
My Super Villain Origin Story 1:47
First "Rockstar" Experience 2:42
Intro Into Making Slaparoonis 3:30
First Free Tip 5:30
Someone Finally Offered Me Some Cash 5:57
Switching Lanes 6:40
Collab Bro 7:25
Starting a Cult..... I Mean Community* 8:10
Diving Headfirst Into Being Full Time 9:30
Making Some Cheddar 10:25
Passive Income is Massive Income 11:16
Rebranding Into The MPM EMPIRE 12:18
Starting to "Pop" Off 13:04
Bringing My Wife Onboard 13:47
Going All In On MPM 14:58
The Year It All Changed 15:30
My Production Projects 16:26
Where I'm At Now 17:03
Getting Lucky 17:34
If You Want More Details 18:35
Tips For Budding Producers 18:52
Tips For My Pro Peeps 22:15
Outro 24:32
*for legal purposes, the cult bit is a joke

[@harithani5768]

Austin speaking with tempo 106 😉

[@LYN4X]

probably if you quantize it

[@busyworksbeats]

You're a BEAST

[@MakePopMusic]

Thank you! You’re a GEM 🙌🏻

[@RishavBaruah]

You are probably my first teacher....

[@vadimmartynyuk]

I've been producing and mixing music for over 20 years and still found this video very useful

[@akilperez6353]

You do it full time?

[@ariston111]

@@akilperez6353 No, he doesn't.

[@JustinGamana]

What a supportive wife!! Wow! That's the best definition of growing together!

[@athomesongwriting]

Going full time when your income is low is very smart. Once you have too much income, it becomes really hard to replace.

[@IamQrock]

I always love to see these types of videos since I'm newly into the fulltime space. It helps me to kind gage where I'm at and or if I'm able to apply some of these tactics that i'm not currently utilizing at the moment and I always come away with something! Thanks Austin!

[@krizjr5746]

Was feeling down a little bit . Thank you so much Austin much needed . I needed this

[@Sergio-ee8xd]

Just saw this video tonight! Wow you’re such a good guy and that’s more impressive than just being good at what you do in my book. You’re content is always wholesome, accurate, and really sophisticated. Well done man. More of this type of content too! Really encouraging

[@gtavo.studios]

Love you Austin, thank you for all that you do for your community (that I'm lucky enough to be a part of) and just pushing truth out into KZbin and other socials. If anyone deserves to work with huge names, it's you. Thank you for giving me, hope man.

[@bhaveshtochabbra6853]

This is the post i truly wanted. I was just gonna ask for... but then saw this notification. #blessed

[@SausyNathanGonzales]

Thank you so much for sharing your story Austin! This was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. I actually watched this entire video twice because it was that good. I just made the decision to take a gap year in college and dive head first into my music career and knowing that you were in a fairly similar position as me as a college student is really comforting. Thanks again for all the incredible content you've put out. I think I speak for everyone on this, but all the stuff you put out is SO greatly appreciated and you're truly making an impact on the music production community!

[@darklabelmusic]

You're a champ, man! Honored to be a small part of your story and always impressed by your continued work ethic and growth. Keep crushing it!

[@teko5773]

Love the video man! Recently got my first client that I'm producing a track for and couldn't be more thankful. Felt amazing when he told me he almost cried listened to the demo I sent. I just absolutely love making music and helping others make great music. I can tell you're the exact same and I think that's why a lot of people connect with your videos! Keep it up!

[@garye.2502]

You know your stuff , communicate very well and seem like a nice guy - the ideal recipe for success.

[@Will.Ketz760]

Massive Respect for sharing your story and keeping it to your genuine self! You’re a good dude, I enjoy watching and learning from your videos 💯 Continued Success & Blessings!

[@singerofthenight6736]

thanks for all your information!! great content.

[@tskolits]

Great video Austin. Very helpful. I appreciate your honesty!

[@andrewcurriermusic]

Literally every video you’ve done has been so incredibly helpful! Thank-you!

[@williecolonmusic]

Dude you are an Awesome Human being. You really send out positive vibes. Your successful because you're an honest, Loving and a relatable person. You're hard not to like as a person. My dream is to work with you someday. It would be an Honor!!!!

[@henzbeats]

How great you are Austin ,you are very honest and that is something very important these days , thanks for all the information brother !

[@user-ci3ti4ts4t]

Glad to se your new video. The idea for video like this: use street-location or any other loc. It can be like you're going on the streets of your town and talking about stuff. Love the way you working! As always)

[@dafingaz]

Congratulations man! Your story is definitely inspirational! Let's go!

[@JansleyMusic]

Massively inspirational, thanks Austin! Time to start churning out tracks!

[@miheehan5724]

Thanks for sharing your story! It's giving me direction to what I have to think about for my music career. BTW Your videos help me a lot to create my music!🙏 keep going Austin! 😁

[@aleksamrkela831]

Great video, and the free e-book is a real treat. Thanks!

[@angelocast]

Love this video and your sharing. Big heart and smart giving stuff. Best wishes! Will keep learning from you. Music for the New World!

[@lukescapee1234]

I remember when you were the new guy in NNS hahaha. Crazy to see how far you’ve come. All of my friends watch your videos these days. Proud of you dude.

[@hanneshannes7766]

I am a full time producer since 2002 and found this very useful.

[@JohnnyCrump]

Thanks for making this! Its useful _and_ inspiring.

[@surgekush]

Amazing story. And great job Miranda!

[@Roczamillion7777]

Nice hair cut lol. You’re always blessing us with the best content, thanks man

[@lionoathabhishek6133]

You are inspiring Austin. God bless you. ❤

[@JacobFrishOFFICIAL]

Great perspective thanks man!

[@robertshamansky1912]

Totally solid, realistic advice. Thank you!

[@frfrfr751]

Thanks for sharing your story! 🙏😀 I agree that being honest and transparent with the clients is the best way to succeed. Clients (artists) do not necessarily expect the absolute best for their music because they know that if they want this, they may need to pay 1000$ per project instead of 300$. They simply need to get what they expect at their own actual level, where they are at presently. And there is such a mass of artists at every levels that it makes it possible to live from music production while being at any level as a producer or engineer. Kindest Regards! 🎼🃏🎵🎶🙏😀🌠

[@gordeev6781]

Thank you for sharing, great video! 👍🏽

[@b9dger54]

Loved this 😊

[@HRLDmusic]

you are an education graduate too, I majored in Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health. Your story is inspirational.

[@bahadaofficial]

Great content Austin. Thanks for all the insight! I picked up the Wave last night, it slaps 🙌🏻

[@MakePopMusic]

Thank you!!

[@frankgatsbybeats3999]

The advice on this channel helped me improve my beats so much

[@MO-fb8oh]

So inspiring, thanks!

[@m.i.stapes]

It seems like that’s the trick for so many small businesses. Just start doing something with all of your free time and at some point people will start paying you to do it for them! Thanks for sharing! Useful ebook too 👌

[@MakePopMusic]

Bingo! Start doing it because YOU love doing it. The money may come, but it may never come. You will never feel like you wasted time learning something if you're doing it for the right reasons. And MAYBE, you can get lucky and start making some cash one day!

[@lightvtproductions]

you have no idea how much this video helped me

[@xenofi1128]

Thank you for this video, Austin, I'm currently in the middle of my rising phase and taking on as many projects as possible, continuing to learn and sleeping very little. But your talk about mental health is on point. My biggest fear which keeps me from going to full time producing is the fact, that all my artists/clients could just jump off the boat tomorrow and I'd stand there without any monthly income. Another full time producer told me that's just a risk I have to take, nothing in this industry is 100% secure, but at least one has more control of the situations.

[@MakePopMusic]

Scarcity mindset will definitely come into play. You just need to be prepared to have backup options and outlets that you can always make work. I will say, having passive income or multiple revenue streams can really offset that stress. In the beginning, graphic design helped pay the bills if artists weren’t beating down the door for productions and mixes.

[@joeburreaux7953]

Who's the most well-known artist you've produced for?

[@heinrichsmit7045]

I noticed that he was listed on the credits for "Gone In The Morning" by Liam Ferrari. It said something like Produced by Austin Hull.

[@lukescapee1234]

I saw a video the other day with 3 million views and Austin was in the credits. It seems his friend Grayson though is poppin off

[@IlliaGrabar]

Love your channel !!! I'm fan

[@jitendradewangan9485]

Thank You Austin 👍🔥☺️

[@alainpatry]

Love the chapter titles :)

[@SongsByTYLER]

This is awesome man thank you

[@niamousai]

Amazing story very inspirational 🎧🤍

[@t_radks]

Your story sounds same as mine. I am a English and Literature student but I music production is my thing. I've learnt many things from Make Pop Music besides being a pro producer. 😊

[@WadeHarris919]

I’d be super interested in hearing some the metal stuff you’ve done. Very beginning or recent past. I started following you because of your production tutorials - I’m a metal musician/producer for my own stuff as well as a few locals. I am a big fan of the production and ear candy that comes with the sort of alt pop that you do in your own music. I’m not a vocalist, nor do I know any in the genre so I don’t really have a way to do such a vocally driven genre but I like to incorporate the process in with the way I do rock and metal productions. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on how I could get more into the alt pop realm for someone in my situation. I think I have the skills and mindset to make some really cool pop stuff but how do I address the lack of vocal talent?

[@jamespark5842]

Your a great teacher Well done 👌

[@kadometer]

Love the story !!

[@samg6518]

What a gem

[@fredthebasspro2256]

cool, very insightful

[@atlantaguitar9689]

Kudos for getting paid on the front end. No need to get into situations that defer payment until after some milestone or event. Working on spec, unless it's a major artist, and there is some legal protection, is bad for morale and the pocketbook. When they start with the "hey fam, we'll hook you up big time when the track drops", I know it's time to go. Also, avoiding having a boss is good (unless it's like reporting directly to someone like David Geffen) since they will happily exhaust you make them more money. Some people have agents or attorneys which can sometimes be useful if they are getting you mad money but they don't get paid unless you are working so sometimes they throw more work your way than you might like.

[@playmakersmusic]

You could've been like some of the successful producers keeping all the secrets for themselves, but you're always sharing your knowledge with us. Thank you as always Austin! If I ever made a successful song in my country, I would name drop you as one of my inspiration and sauce of knowledge!

[@stianthijsen4784]

sauce of knowledge! sounds like a tasty recepy ;)

[@playmakersmusic]

@@stianthijsen4784 Yes! Music production is like cooking after all!

[@AcousticDipankar]

Man you're awesome ❤️

[@Beveryexcited]

A great topic!

[@Beveryexcited]

I really like your story. I had big transitions in my career path too, so I know it is never a thing that would happen overnight.

[@user-rd5ps8xy8ss]

U were the Metalhead!? wow !

[@theinkredibo]

"Tips For my pro peeps"🔥🔥🔥

[@KordTaylor]

Metal->Pop? I would have never thought. 😂 But yeah I think there is a LOT of metal from Florida, yeah? Thank you so much for letting us know your journey. So cool!

[@MakePopMusic]

There is! And I’ve seen soooo many metal to pop pipelines!

[@baroufess]

Hard work usually pays off.I am glad things are working for you and thanks for the knowledge

[@JoelDavidGonzalez]

Austin Let me know about your period in the Metal please, Some band or song I can listen?

[@gellertgrindelwald5834]

Hi, Austin! Do you remember, did you have a video about the style like a Imagine Dragons?

[@firuzrajab9218]

Hello. Please make a video for more details about mix & master vocals. Thanks in advance.

[@MakePopMusic]

We have quite a few vocal mixing vocals on the channel 😁

[@DesignerFangs]

You should post that metal EP

[@DLCxOdin]

You are gemstone 🥰

[@atlantaguitar9689]

Also wanted to say I would be interested in seeing a vid on your production techniques for rock and metal - I think you had mentioned that you worked with that kind of music in your formative years. I realize it might not be what you are focusing on these days and I would understand if you didn't have time for something like that but would nice to see how you deal with rock guitars, drums, and bass.

[@MakePopMusic]

I've done a few on Pop Rock stuff but maybe I need to do a metal video!

[@atlantaguitar9689]

@@MakePopMusic Thx I'll check in on the pop rock vids. And I, for one, would LOVE to see a metal production video. Great channel, Sir

[@revoxed93]

How many hours a week on average are you working? Are you able to separate your work life and home, or is it all one big ball of crazy? :) Keep up the good work!

[@MakePopMusic]

35-40 hours a week now. Never more than 40. At one point I was working 60-70 and it really fucked up my mental health. Now, when I’m off work, I’m off. I don’t return emails, phone calls, send stems, etc. if it’s out of my work hours, it’s not my problem until tomorrow. Having a planner and schedule, and making sure I don’t overbook myself is KEY.

[@jimmyjay977]

Hey Austin, I’m gonna buy your courses pack soon. But a quick question. Do you only use stock plugins or do a need any third party plugins for the courses? ☺️

[@MakePopMusic]

We use third party plugins but we teach the techniques, not the tools! You should be able to follow along with whatever plugins and DAW you have available.

[@jimmyjay977]

@@MakePopMusic I’ve Cubase pro 11. Can you maybe give me a list of the third party plugins, please?

[@ZANNKImusic]

thx~bro~

[@S1LVERGUITAR]

What would be your advice for people who are still in the learning stage of producing?

[@MakePopMusic]

Take your time, try everything, find your own sound and your own tools and techniques. 😁

[@boppin_tic]

Yes

[@DeanLondonSwift]

i saw posted 34sec ago and i never clicked so fast

[@sasakisakupanda331]

Me too

[@CHRISTIANBLAKEMUSIC]

same hahaha

[@squattermelon.]

shiiieet, same!

[@barryzito5721]

Turned down pub deals. Gangster!

[@rosegoldenbeats7960]

i dont see my guy produce metal hahaha nice video love from México

[@HagineshStudiosSwift]

I love your videos....you inspire me so much!!! I make remixes of Taylor Swift. You influence me to make better music everyday😭😭😭

[@bassbuzzmusic6681]

Hello i want to know that How i can fix phase issue in mixing

[@MakePopMusic]

What is causing the phase issues?

[@bassbuzzmusic6681]

@@MakePopMusic i made a piano melody and Reese bass they clashing in phase

[@bhaveshtochabbra6853]

@@bassbuzzmusic6681 look for frequencies which are dominating. Remove some frequencies of piano or sidechain it to reese bass.

[@bassbuzzmusic6681]

@@bhaveshtochabbra6853 does it work

[@bhaveshtochabbra6853]

@@bassbuzzmusic6681 I'm beginner to mixing and mastering. But yeah to find where instruments are sitting in the mix by frequency I would recommend using a spectrum analyzer (a good one is Voxengo span, it is FREE).

[@KordTaylor]

GREAT wife!!!

[@mrik6303]

Austin will be a big time guy. Pin 📌 this comment. He's too good with production as well as songwriting. A full package. Love from India

[@lincolnjeanmarie]

I really like Austin's channel and have purchased a few pack from MPM which are great. However, I have some positive criticism.....Austin, please please, please speak slower. Great content but the speed at which you speak is so fast it hurts my mind.

[@ThePoorMusician]

See, this is the problem I have with these types of videos today. And that's giving the advice AFTER you've become successful. I have decided to document my journey on KZbin from the beginning so I don't think it's being done. But great advice. And good promoting your product too. I love Capitalism also. LOL

[@MakePopMusic]

When I started the group and this channel I was still a beginner so people that have been here from the start grew with me. But that was years ago now 😁

[@Quant-Beat]

Hello Austin, you are selling service and products. I am willing to buy a consultation over Skype.

[@donassociation2519]

bro where do you live

[@MakePopMusic]

Orlandooo 😁

[@donassociation2519]

@@MakePopMusic Wow

[@vadimmartynyuk]

is it just me or the "Join Our Private Community" doesn't work ?

[@MakePopMusic]

We can check it out! Just search make pop music on Facebook and the group should come up!

[@anthonyrulz12]

this guy is such a cutie

[@EmmettFlo7]

Hold up. You were already married at 18???

[@MakePopMusic]

Yep! My wife and I started dating at 14, got married at 18, and now we’re both 27!

[@neerajyaduvanshi3575]

Your videos are too long please try to short videos

[@josephkirubakaran7083]

Some of us appreciate the information. So please do not do shorter. As long as it needs to be is perfectly fine 😁

[@MakePopMusic]

Dawg, I just gave you 26 years of a life story in 20 minutes. How much quicker could it be? That’s why we do time stamps so you can skip to the areas you want 😁

[@Marchuevoreal]

I agree, not in this one but the others one

[@AnastasiaSaff]

I can relate to being exhausted and overwhelmed with taking on too many projects so much! Taking care of your mental health is really important especially in such a tricky industry where there is always a ton of pressure and being creative isn't easy. Social media presence is crucial as well. I've also taken this path and created a youtube channel. That's the best way to network, meet awesome people and make connections. Thanks for sharing the advice! You're a big inspiration Austin.