10 tips for women & non-binary artists wanting to get started in music production

Saffron has turned 10! With a decade under their belt in supporting aspiring women, trans and non-binary producers and DJs to get their start in music, the non-profit Bristol-based collective has a pretty encyclopaedic knowledge of how to get your journey in the industry off the ground. 

Started in 2015 with the mission of making music production and DJing more accessible, Saffron has mentored and championed thousands of women, trans and non-binary people through its range of courses, mentorship schemes and its trademark "mix nights", which encourage budding DJs to try their hand without needing to shell out for pricey equipment.

Despite their tireless work, the Saffron team reiterates the need to keep pushing, sharing that women, non-binary and trans people still make up less than 5% of the professional music tech industry; less than 1% identify as Black, Asian or ethnically diverse. 

“Mentoring with Saffron has been game-changing for shaping my creative direction and being able to reframe every challenge I encounter as opportunities to learn, grow, and pivot,” says Mix Nights graduate and mentee, Vanessa.

Read this next: Saffron founder Laura Lewis-Paul: "We're looking at white, male spaces and making them more diverse"

Angelica, who has been part of Saffron's Artist Development Programme, says: “It has meant a lot to me to be around fellow Black and brown folks that are trying to change the world through their artistry. We don’t get that representation enough and to see it in motion is incredible."

To mark the collective's 10-year milestone, we asked Saffron community members and mentors Yushh, Lara Jones, Medis, minMel, and Jo-Elle to give us 10 tips for women and non-binary artists wanting to get started in music production below.

If you want even more tutoring from the team, Saffron will kick off their run of short courses in music production, DJing and sound engineering from November 24, with tutoring available in London, Bristol and online. You can find more information on Saffron's courses here.

There is a lot of technical info to take in when learning production, but training your ears is one of the most important skills. Break down tracks you like, understand what moves you, compare with references, and sharpen your listening skills.

Learning production (like an instrument) and training your ear takes time; especially when you're starting out, the learning curve is so steep but also so rewarding.

You don’t need lots of new expensive gear. If you're struggling to finish tracks or even start one, just focus on one thing, whether that's just playing around with making cool sounds, finding new samples, or making a slapping 8 bar drum loop, you never know what that might inspire you to do next. Setting small, clear, limited tasks can avoid overwhelm.

Understand the map of the DAW you're using. Learning where everything is and a few keyboard shortcuts is key to not getting frustrated when wanting to get down an idea. Take the time to learn how it works so that when you're in a creative flow you're not held back by the practicalities of what and where!

Push tools, sounds, and techniques to their limits; record and manipulate sounds around you and go wild with it -  it's an amazing way to learn what plugins are doing and how sound works so you can harness it into something controlled and deliberate later on. 

It’s hard at first, but get used to sharing your music with supportive peers early on. Getting feedback is a really important part of learning and is also something we all need to learn how to ask for and receive. 

Find your people. Learning from and with fellow women, trans, non-binary, and POC creators can make the process more inspiring and affirming.

Pay attention to what you like/dislike in tracks you’re into and how they make you feel - What is it about the bass that makes you want to dance, what is it about the melody that makes you emotional. Are there common threads connecting music you like? That can help guide you toward your unique style.

Make music firstly for yourself, for healing, catharsis, and connection, rather than for external validation or comparison.

Don’t be afraid to make “bad” music as part of growth. Don’t stress about being perfect; experimentation and playfulness are essential. Coming into production from the DJ world can be hard because you feel there’s an expectation to make similar music to the stuff you DJ, and for it to be as good as that straight away. This mentality can hold you back from just playing around, experimenting, and allowing yourself to be a beginner and make shit music… it has to be a bit shit before it can get good!

This list was compiled by Saffron community members and metors Yushh, Lara Jones, Medis, minMel and Jo-Elle. For more information on Saffron, click here.