YouTube is flooded with music production tutorials but honestly most of them are either too advanced or just trying to sell something. Can anyone recommend specific YouTube channels or playlists that are actually good for beginners? I'm looking for content that explains things clearly, doesn't use too much jargon, and actually helps you build skills step by step. Bonus if they cover different genres or have a structured learning path.
Andrew Huang" has a series called "4 Producers 1 Sample" that's amazing for seeing how different producers approach the same material. It's not exactly step-by-step tutorials, but you learn so much by watching their workflows and hearing their thought processes. His regular tutorials are great too - he explains complex concepts in simple terms.
Ned Rush" on YouTube does these incredible live stream recordings where he builds entire tracks from scratch in real time. He talks through every decision and makes mistakes and fixes them. It's messy and real, not polished tutorial content, which makes it way more educational for beginners. You see the actual process, not just the perfect end result.
You Suck at Producing" is my favorite for Ableton users. The humor might not be for everyone, but the information is solid gold. He has specific playlists for different skill levels, and his "Ableton Live 10 Beginner's Guide" is one of the most comprehensive free resources out there. What I appreciate is he explains the "why" behind everything, not just the "how".
In The Mix" is fantastic for mixing tutorials. The presenter has a really calm, clear teaching style and he structures his playlists logically. Start with his "Mixing 101" series, then move to specific topics like "EQ Fundamentals" or "Compression Explained". He uses visual aids really well to show what's happening to the audio.
Don't overlook smaller channels. Reid Stefan" does amazing arrangement and composition tutorials, "Underdog Electronic Music School" has fantastic music theory for producers content, and "Bthelick" does great genre-specific tutorials. Sometimes the smaller channels explain things better because they're not trying to appeal to the widest possible audience.