32 Music Production Tips by 9th Wonder, Boi-1da, Timbaland

Here are over 32 helpful music production tips by successful music producers 9th Wonder, Boi-1da, Just Blaze, Timbaland, and DJ Pain 1.

Table of Contents

1. 9th Wonder – 10 Track Commandments
2. Boi-1da – 5 Music Producer Do’s & Don’ts
3. Just Blaze – 5 Track Commandments
4. DJ Pain 1 – 10 Tips for Music Producers
5. Timbaland Producer Tips

9th Wonder – 10 Track Commandments

9th Wonder has worked with Jay-Z, Little Brother, Kendrick Lamar, and more.

10 Track Commandments for Music Producers

# 10. Unless it’s a rare sample don’t sample the first 10 seconds. Don’t loop the first ten seconds of “Thriller.”

# 9. Do you. Which means if you sample, sample. If you play keyboards, do that.

# 8. Always make beats with the music artists in mind. Ask yourself, “Does this sound like Busta joint or a Nas joint?” That’s the best way to build up your catalog.

# 7. Don’t put more than 10 beats on a beat CD. I put 30 on one once and MCs can’t absorb all of that at once. I learned the hard way.

# 6. Flippin’ Bob James’ “Nautilus” at least once is a right way of passage, even if you don’t play it for anybody.

# 5. If you make beats on a computer, don’t have Limewire or something similar on it. You’ll get viruses and lose everything.

# 4. Some people don’t like to record with a lot of people in the studio, but I like to record with a lot of different people there because you get a lot of different feedback on the record.

# 3. If you want longevity in this game, align yourself with a larger entity and be the main producer like Marley Marl, The RZA, The Neptunes, Mannie Fresh, Organized Noize, The Bomb Squad, Dr. Dre. They don’t just make beats, they provided the landscapes for a whole crew for years.

# 2. Forget reading the manual. You gotta break something to figure out how it works. Peter Jennings didn’t graduate from high school. It’s about natural ability.

# 1. Stick to your equipment. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t make beats on a bucket with some sticks. This is hip-hop. If you can drop 40 points a night in Chuck Taylor’s, do it. You don’t need Nike Shox.

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Boi-1da – 5 Music Producer Do’s & Don’ts

Boi-1da who has worked with Drake, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, & more.

5 Music Producer Do’s & Don’ts

1. Don’t follow trends.

Create your own sound to stand out. Be original.

2. Don’t give the same beat to 2 music artists.

Do this to avoid problems.

3. Don’t forget the name of samples you use.

You don’t want to get sued.

4. Don’t sample.

That is if you would like to avoid paying royalties.

5. Don’t hold off on your beats.

Try to work with all artists, because you don’t know where it will take you.

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Just Blaze – 5 Track Commandments

Just Blaze has worked with Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, & more.

Here are Just Blaze’s 5 Track Commandments for music producers.

1. Have Signature Sounds

“Come up with a signature so people know it’s your beat. Then you can annoy people as much as I have, but they never forget your name.”

2. Get Paid

“Always get money before you track the beat or hand over the ProTools disk. If you don’t you’ll probably hear your joint on a mixtape and get no money when it flops (most do).”

3. Put Your Best Tracks First

“If you get the opportunity to play beats for an artist, play your best 10 and that’s it! Otherwise, you might as well pass them a 40oz. of NyQuil.”

4. Be Seen

“If you land a single, make sure you’re there when they shoot the video, even if you have to fly out yourself. You think Kanye paid for my 2.5-second cameo in “Touch the Sky”?

5. Go to Events

“Go to every industry events. You wouldn’t believe how many washed-up, non-talent folks revive their careers by connin’ some fool on their fifth Hennessy and Coke.”

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DJ Pain 1 – 10 Tips for Music Producers

DJ Pain 1 has worked with Wiz Khalifa, Royce da 5’9, Ludacris, Joe Budden, & more.

1. View yourself as a small business.
2. Research topics you don’t know. Educate yourself.
3. Plan smarter and work harder.
4. Work with people with similar goals.
5. Start working on full projects from start to finish.
6. Learn to read contract agreements.
7. Build an online brand.
8. Don’t believe everything you hear.
9. Set fair beat prices.
10. Get an entertainment lawyer.

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Timbaland Producer Tips

Timbaland has produced for Jay-Z, Drake, Missy Elliott, Rihanna, & more.

1. Hum Your Ideas – Use humming as as a way to get your music ideas out.
2. Listen to Different Music – Listen from different cultures music to get inspired by different types of music. Timbaland has voiced that he has been inspired by Arabic music.

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Which of these are your favorite music production tips?

I hope you found these music production tips helpful.