The correct path

Hey DJ Spars,

I can understand your hesitation. I’m an 11th grade student (I think that is the Indian equivalent of Jr. College) with roughly the same aim as you.
If you ask me, I recommend taking up science and doing something which can later be a reliable source of income (Something like graphic design, advertising or similar). Through your course over the next 4-6 years, you’ll have to keep up this and your music production and build up a strong fan base.

Once you’ve come this far, congratulate yourself and then start looking at the ways you can earn from your music:
1) Composing for Films/Games
2) DJing
3) Writing Jingles
4) Working in a studio

All this while you work on your own music and get signed to a label to distribute it across stores. Please note, that there is no guarantee for success. You’ll just have to keep at it until you strike the right chord.

Though I wish you best of luck for an awesome career and a beautiful life ahead.
All the best,
Quicknight

I don’t agree with Quicknight. Surely you can learn to be successful in music production (the DJ-ing kind) on your own. But if you are looking for a profession (primary job style), getting a college-level degree can certainly increase your chances. Things like creating musical scores for movies, series, advertising and such. Or if you go into recording engineering.

Word of warning on the recording engineering, it’s a waning profession. In the old days every record had to be recorded in a studio, mixed down and mastered (all different specializations in the recording field btw), but most do that stuff at home these days. There is far less money available to make big productions, so less demand for engineers as well.

There are still good sound engineer/music production jobs out there, but you have to look a bit harder than back in the day.

Being a live sound engineer for bands (at least in Holland) is also not so interesting anymore. Money is way too tight and engineers end up working for very low wages while still being expected to bring their own gear. Only when you get “hitched” to a big name artist or band can you still make a decent living (still long hours, usually nights and weekends).

On the other hand, new jobs have appeared in sound engineering country. For example the guys that calculate the PA’s for large outdoor/indoor festivals. This is a highly specialized job, with highly qualified people. The days of just dropping a truckload of subs and speakers in front of the stage are over. In the digital sound processing era, flying speaker arrays and distributed sound, being able to determine what gear you need where and how to have it set up can get you a fun and rewarding job.

I would disagree there Arnaldi..

Whilst many jobs require a degree, many (notably more practical subjects) do not require a degree to work in that area – hence the huge uptake on apprenticeships at the minute in the UK. Music/Music technology is another area that often does not require a degree.

However, expanding your knowledge on a subject can never be a bad thing and you almost definitely learn new ways to use skills (and new skills) and learn the theory behind it all..

bob6397

Yes you need a course for music production.
There is a reason why 90% of the worlds top music producers have a degree or course certificate of a production school and over 50% of the worlds top producers come from places like Berkley Music School.