As it becomes increasingly common to record music at home, both amateurs and professionals are able to reap the benefits of a simple production setup. However, even though a reasonable home recording studio is possible without breaking the bank, learning how to make your tracks sound great requires instruction and time.

Fortunately, there are several robust websites that offer free instruction for music production enthusiasts.

1. Alison

The Alison website is an incredible resource, providing massive quantities of free instructional materials across a range of subjects. The music production category features many different engaging courses that are available at no cost. Participants simply need to register and let the learning begin.

Mastering the Art of Creating a Deadmau5-Style Track is a fantastic three-module course for those who want to learn how to use FL Studio to create electronic music tracks. The first module takes participants through various plugins to learn the details of creating vibrant rhythms.

Module two expands on the first section to teach users how to create an overall track, including filling out spaces and blending sounds to create a cool song. The final module is a course assessment.

Music Producer Masterclass is a ten-module offering that provides users with a wealth of information. Participants learn how to develop musical ideas before moving forward to delve into mixing tracks. By module five, the course demonstrates some simple song ideas.

Module six focuses on vocal processing techniques, including pitch correction and editing vocal takes, to create an ideal singing part for a song. But wait, that's not it!

This course also touches on techniques for mastering tracks, which is the final post-production stage of recorded music. And finally, participants will learn how to publish music online for sale, thereby teaching you to make money from your music even though the course was completely free!

These are two of the many music production courses available on the Alison website, making it an extremely worthwhile resource for those who want to learn how to make their songs sound amazing.

2. Education & Bass

Education & Bass requires users to register to take its courses. Once registered, the offerings are free, and there's a lot to choose from on this exceptional website.

Jungle Production: Fundamentals is an in-depth course offering 4 hours of instructional materials. Featuring Nomine aka Outrage as the teacher, participants get access to his wealth of experience to gain a deep understanding of the jungle/drum and bass sounds that form the basis for several popular genres of electronic music.

Organized over 26 modules, completing this course is certain to bring insightful tips and comprehensive knowledge to users.

As the name implies, Vocal Comping and Arrangement focuses on the details of capturing and refining high-quality vocals for your recordings. Participants will learn how to secure an ideal vocal take before moving forward to working with multiple vocal recordings to combine them into a top-quality track.

Additionally, this course teaches users to effectively use the Flex Pitch and Flex Rhythm features of Logic to ensure that vocals are in time and in perfect pitch.

Virtually everyone understands the basics of how microphones work, but those who want to produce top-quality music recordings would be wise to take their knowledge to a high level. Microphones: How to Use Them begins with describing various types of microphones before diving into polar patterns and testing methodologies.

The course also delves into distinct methods for using microphones during the recording process and provides insights into the mixing stage.

There are many different programs that can used for recording music, and each one has its own features and advantages. Pro Tools is an industry standard, making it an ideal choice for anyone who's interested in recording music. Pro Tools: Introduction is a relatively short course while still providing a lot of important information for users who are new to using this software.

Recording a drum set is often one of the more challenging aspects of music production. With so many different components, it can be difficult to know how to best capture the various drums and cymbals.

The Micing and Recording a Drum Kit course is an excellent resource to help enthusiasts make the most of their recording setup, even if it's fairly basic. Participants will learn how to utilize different microphones and placements to achieve a high-quality drum set recording.

One of the keys to this course is the instructor's advice that it's possible to develop good quality recordings without having access to a professional collection of microphones. Another fantastic component of this course is the lesson that it's important to learn the rules before breaking them, which is a foundational element of being a successful music producer.

3. Noiselab

Noiselab is an outstanding website for those who want to learn about Ableton Live, a popular digital audio workstation (DAW). Participants can jump right in with a free introductory course, and those who want to take their knowledge further can sign up for additional paid offerings too.

The free course starts with teaching the basics about the Ableton Live interface and settings. Participants will gain an understanding of working with both midi instruments and audio files, leading to the development of full compositions.

For an introductory course, the material is remarkably robust, providing detailed information about clip launch quantization, clip envelopes, and a variety of editing and automation techniques.

Students will gain a deep understanding of Ableton Live at absolutely no cost, as the introductory section provides a wealth of information about a range of recording techniques for this DAW.

The Next Level of Recording Quality

Making music is a wonderful activity, whether you're an amateur or a seasoned musician. Recording songs can be an extraordinarily fulfilling experience, enabling one to capture their music forever and possibly even sell it to others to make some money and share their creativity.

There's always something new to learn in music production, and for those who record vocals, it's advisable to spend a significant amount of time gaining knowledge about using the right effects to be certain that the words and melody shine.