Very short course that is even shorter considering the fact that 90% of it is basically pure water. Even a beginer could hardly find any useful info here, but will probably be stopped by submition tasks which ask you to record you own music, which is kinda odd considering that this is the first recomended course in specialisation that does not require any background knowledge.

Really enjoyed this and got a lot out of it.

Great curriculum, great delivery. Meaningful assignments, great community. Highly recommend if you want to reflect on and hone your artistic vision.

i live in yemen and there is a war going on right know

i was really mad at life and i had a big motivation to make music

i realized after i started this course that really my problem is that i was listening technically

that i started to hate music .. i couldn't even enjoy the music i used to love

i just started the first course

but let me tell you after i just watch

the first three videos(listening like a producer)

it really helped me alot thank you so much

I found this course in the suggestions list after taking Introduction to Music Production with Loudon Stearns. I audited it, so I couldn't/didn't do the assignments but I found it really interesting so I binge-watched the lectures in the space of a day. The way the course is set up as compared to Intro to Music Prod. it is a lot less detailed technical instruction and more of a broad look at the artistic/aesthetic/philosophical components of various aspects of music production. And since Loudon touches upon this in the other course, I would say the two courses nicely complement each other and are both worth watching all the way through. I think they could be taken in any order, but personally, even though Intro is more technical, I think I got more out of this one having already taken Intro. Even as someone who considers myself pretty good as far as lyrics/songwriting/composition, I still got something new and useful out of those parts and liked the way the instructor put these "creative" parameters in concrete terms. The way he talked about and clarified Vision, Identity, and Intention I personally found very empowering, interesting, and practically useful. I feel like some of these ideas had been floating around in my mind before, but it validated that they were valuable things to be thinking about. There are a couple specific things that popped up in the course that are really cool and useful: for example, the rule of threes, and the information on panning, delay, mixing, etc. Very glad I found it! I hope these keep being offered for free because I find them more efficient for learning than some YouTube videos, and at some point I would consider doing one not just audited but "for real."

I appreciate the high-level discussion of artistry as an introduction to the Music Production specialization, but I found that the assignments assumed that I would have pieces that I wanted to compose and develop, and this isn't the case for me. I came to this specialization to learn how to use this technology so that I can assist students in developing their own skills, not necessarily to develop my own artistry. Moreover, to the degree that I am a composer I write mostly in a "classical" style so a lot of the discussion of form, overdubbing, etc. didn't really apply to my style.

Lectures are excellent but the peer review process doesn't really work.

A lot of students created assignments like they hadn't read the course material and didn't know how to answer simple questions.

Some reviews were one word responses or at best they didn't take the time to really put in the time to give supportive feedback.

I understand you have a lot of people taking this course but some assignment quality control is needed here!

Thanks

Do not let this short 4 week class fool you, there is a lot great info. The class is short because Stephen Webber gets to the point and gets the important information out there, no nonsense. This class gets you writing and recording, that is the focus. If you are interested in music production, this class will get your feet off the ground quick!

Exceptional and essential guide for music producers. This course really makes you think of music production from a holistic perspective. I'll never listen to music the same superficial way anymore...

After decades dabbling in bedroom recording, this course's crucial lesson for me was the need for artistic focus, i.e. a clear identity as an artist and a vision for my work.

The homework did at least a couple of great things for me. First, it disciplined me to actually finish writing a song! The First Commandment for aspiring writers is, "Write every day!" Now I see why. Striving for creativity even when inspiration was ebbing was a revelation. Having a completed song is icing.

Second, the homework not only gave me a new perspective on music and art, it gave me a new perspective on myself and my music. In trying to determine my artistic identity and vision, I was struck by how little I knew myself as an artist. My influences didn't show up in the homework the way I expected, and I actually sound more like some artists I don't listen to. Disconcerting but really good to know!

I also enjoyed classmates' music, goals, influences, and perspectives. While grading classmates' work I'd listen to their influences, which exposed me to artists I'd never have even heard of otherwise. Even cooler was enjoying a classmate's music that was unlike anything I'd heard before.

Finally, Stephen Webber is a fantastic, engaging instructor. His enthusiasm was contagious.

For better or worse, I’m a self-taught recording artist (lookup “Don Manolo Frutorama” in Spotify if you’re into lo-fi psychedelic grooves) and I can attest that the lessons given in this course are truly valuable and empirically verifiable. On top of that, Stephen Webber is a super likeable guy who explains complex themes like reverberation, sound proofing or microphone types in a pretty straight-forward manner without ever being condescending. I especially liked his use of this famous quote attributed to Orson Welles: “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” and his advice on avoiding the pitfalls of digital audio. I also found very valuable the lessons about Identity, Vision and Intention and The Rule of Threes. If you’re new to the world of music production or just someone who wants to fill some knowledge gaps as in my case, you won’t regret taking up this excellent course! Cheers from Madrid! Don Manolo

I am Brazilian and, at the age of 31, the dream of be graduated at Berklee was already slept. However, our dear internet could make it possible bringing Coursera and Berklee world wide. I couldn't be more satisfied. I learned how really works the art of music production as the tools to accomplish the tasks given were gradually revealed. Now I know how a music producer may think to achieve an high level of good listener's responses to the song as well how to experiment and work on the skills to really make a diference. Thanks Berklee for the magnificent course, and thanks Coursera for make it possible.

I'm a singer/songwriter who's fairly new to music production, my goal is to be able to self-produce. I know my way around GarageBand enough to put something together, but I don't really know what I'm doing or how to make it sound good. This course is a great starting point and I'm excited to take the next one which seems more in depth. This course is also great for artists, it forces you to sit down and think about your vision and your intentions, and guides you through putting it into words. Overall I found it very helpful.

the course seemed to be more geared to artists/composers than technicians wishing to expand or futher their skill set

Not engaging or valuable. Stopped at week 3

I took this course to learn the processes involved in Music Production. It was exactly as I had expected. A step-by-step guide to producing good music with or without lyrics in 4-weeks. Such a beautiful compact course.

By the end of the course, I managed to write a full song in Verse-Chorus-Bridge form. I did the recordings and assignments using a cellphone, guitar and my voice, but people with better equipment will probably do more with the concepts and things taught in the course.

Thank you for this course. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This class was fantastic! I've been a full-time singer/songwriter for 10+ years. I've done a lot of recording, but I've never been the one pushing the buttons and thinking about all the technical, organizational stuff. This class was a way for me to test if I actually wanted to get into that part of the creative process and it turns out, I LOVE IT! If you are looking for a way to understand the basics of production while creating clear intentions around what you are trying to create, you will love this course.

This course offers an excellent introduction to methods that can be used to focus the creative process, with intention and purpose. It forced me to think about exactly what it is I wish to achieve with the music I make, how I want it to sound, and to what end, and also gave some basic information on how to achieve certain aesthetics in a recording. It is a well-structured course that encourages engagement with other participants, and exposes you to the ideas of other creative people around the globe.

My sincere Thanks to Stephen Webber for being such a great Mentor. His examples in the lesson are so much practical & relatable. This course helped me Re-define my Identity Vision & Intention as an Artist and as a Producer. The Tools and Strategies taught by Stephen and the approach towards them helped me strengthen my Production Skills. I think Learning will always help you acquire New Skills and Knowledge will always help you overcome your Limitations & Obstacles.

A very important course for those who are thinking to become professionals in the music production field. This course helped me to understand what I hear better, to not only listen to music but to be able to analyse it as well as a professional as a listener. For me, this course was the great starting point to my journey in getting the specialization of music production and this course convinced me that I have chosen the right path for my career.

I knew the basic concepts about Music Production, but I didn't expect to get a great understanding of it in depth. Thank You, Stephen, for such a qualitative workshop that was definitely worth my time!!!