The best online music courses can teach you everything from how to read music and produce your own songs to the history of music and the different genres that exist.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician, music courses available online can help you improve your skills and knowledge.
Of course, there’s no shortage of online music courses and lessons, but not all of them are created equal.
To help you find the best online music courses, we’ve compiled a list of our favorites, ranking them based on a variety of key factors like price, content, instructor experience, and course length.
What are the Best Online Music Courses?
Here are our picks for the top online music classes you can take in 2023…
1. Understanding the Fundamentals of Music (The Great Courses)
Understanding the Fundamentals of Music (The Great Courses)
Learn the "language" and theory of music in this exceptional online course.
Price
- Instant Video: $234.95
- Instant Audio: $149.95
- DVD: $269.95
- Subscribe & Stream 500+ Great Courses Starting At $7.50/month (Free 14-Day Trial)
Duration
13 Hours
Beneath the music we all love is a complex language and theory that goes into how it’s written and produced.
This comprehensive course from The Great Courses, taught by Professor Robert Greenberg, will introduce you to the nuts and bolts of music so that you can better understand and appreciate the tunes you love.
These lectures can help you understand how certain musical effects and compositions were achieved so you can gain inspiration when it comes to your own songwriting.
They give students the chance to experience a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of music theory in a manner that is neither overly challenging technically nor gives them a solid foundation in the subject.
By learning to “speak” the language of music, you can enhance your ability to enjoy, engage, and produce any kind of music, from pop to classical.
What You Will Learn
- How to help musicians who don’t play keyboard instruments.
- How to understand complex notions in music.
- To understand the principal syntactic components of musical language.
- To investigate the function of time in music.
- How did Pythagoras discover the overtone series?
2. How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, the 3rd Edition (The Great Courses)
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music (The Great Courses)
Learning how truly to listen to and appreciate music can help you better enjoy the art you already love.
Price
- Instant Video: $599.95
- DVD: $699.95
- Subscribe & Stream 500+ Great Courses Starting At $7.50/month (Free 14-Day Trial)
Duration
37 Hours
Nearly all of the significant composers are discussed in this course. To make their music more approachable, however, one of Professor Greenberg’s goals is to reminisce about the composers’ artwork and their lifestyle. Professor Greenberg emphasizes how social context has a significant impact on musical composition.
In a piece for Inc. magazine, best-selling author James Collins explains that in the Greenberg series the history of Western culture is combined with a history of outstanding audio from Greek Culture to the 20th century.
Greenberg’s 48 lectures are filled with enthusiasm and wisdom.
The course provides a unique viewpoint on the thrust of changes brought by the early twentieth century and demonstrates how innovation and societal change interact.
The lectures in this course demonstrate the creativity and spirituality music has brought, which is an expression of social and political forces.
What You Will Learn
- How to imagine non-concrete and abstract thinking.
- How to access the sociocultural and elegant traditions of various cultures and historical periods through music.
- How Renaissance affected art and music
- What are the two themes of Renaissance-Humanism and Classicism
- Difference between Renaissance music and Baroque music
- The Lutheran perspective of music
- How to instill spirituality in music
3. Music as a Mirror of History (The Great Courses)
Music as a Mirror of History (The Great Courses)
In this captivating course, you'll discover how some of the most influential works of Western concert music are intertwined to the historical times that surrounded them.
Price
- Instant Video: $54.95
- DVD: $84.95
- Subscribe & Stream 500+ Great Courses Starting At $7.50/month (Free 14-Day Trial)
Duration
24 lectures, 46 minutes each
Music is a “mirror” of the historical context in which it was created, claims The Great Courses personal favorite professor, Robert Greenberg, of San Francisco’s performances.
This course will give you an insight into how some musical compositions can explicitly invoke particular historical events and reflect the general passion of their location and time.
Moreover, you will also get a glimpse of the investigation into how significant compositions have reacted to—and even inspired—important events that will fascinate music fans and history buffs.
If you’re someone who loves creating music or is just an avid listener, this course will give you a deeper appreciation for the music you enjoy and how it came to be.
What You Will Learn
- How to conduct a thorough examination of musical compositions.
- How did historical events in music carry forward their effect today?
- Understand the direct influence on the composers’ lives and the documents in question.
- To understand the rich scope of interpersonal, institutional, cultural, and spiritual information that is all rooted in the life experiences of the composer.
- To understand the method of composers to convey additional details, evoking particular mental states and giving a platform to widespread emotions
4. Timbaland Teaches Producing and Beatmaking (Masterclass)
Price
Masterclass pricing is $15 per month (billed annually)
Duration
3 Hours 2 Minutes
Grammy-winning music producer, Timbaland, shows you the behind-the-scenes work he does when working with composers like Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, and Aaliyah to create timeless songs.
Every video lesson in the Timbaland MasterClass is supplemented by a 47-page class workbook that gives students additional tasks to complete.
What You Will Learn
- How to work with famous artists, original layer songs, and make hooks
- How to make dope rhythms feasible with a CPU, a recording device, and some downtime for creativity
- How to record vocals
- How to build the structure of a melody
5. deadmau5 Teaches Electronic Music Production (Masterclass)
Price
$15 per month (billed annually)
Duration
5 Hours 25 Minutes
Learning the craft can seem overwhelming due to the excessive detail in producing electronic music.
Fortunately, Joel Zimmerman, also known as deadmau5, is here to help explain the rapidly expanding field of electronic music. This course essentially helps with music production.
The Grammy-winning house producer has removed his mouse head and put on his professor’s cap. The material in Zimmerman’s course is comprehensive and ranges from theory to synthesizer experimentation to house DJ performance.
What You Will Learn
- Find out how Joel approaches the process of making music and how to make the most of your studio time.
- Join deadmau5 in the studio and see how a track develops from a vacant project to its beginnings.
- Start bringing synths into your DAW and making loops that resolve using these deadmau5 techniques.
- To understand the construction of distinctive melodies.
- Â How to bring power and personality to the song created.
- How deadmau5 uses connector and effects processing power to breathe new life into stale templates, create expansive imagery, and fatten his basses.
- To look closely at the drum tracks in Snow Cone and learn kick drum sounds on eadmau5’s rhythmic methods.
- How does deadmau5 approach remixing other musicians, and what does he do?
6. Music Production Specialization (Coursera)
Price
Duration
Approximately five months
Isn’t it great that you can connect to one of the most esteemed music schools for free? Thanks to this Music Production specialization, offered by Berklee College of Music.
If you’re organized and can work at least 3 hours per week, it will take approximately five months to finish the four courses in this specialization, including a significant capstone project.
You’ll receive a shareable certificate once you’ve finished the specialization, which you can present to prospective employers or list on your LinkedIn profile.
The technology and art of music production are covered in these courses with all the equipment professionals use.
You will produce, deliver, and submit a fully finished song as part of the capstone project that marks the end of the specialization.
Since the class is taught in a peer-review format, you can always get opinions on your work from your fellow students and teachers.
What You Will Learn
- How to find reference tracks and use them to develop a concept for your production.
- How to conduct a practical and well-developed session of recording by using the production checklist.
- How to edit your tracks while utilizing your reference tracks, emotional timelines, and dynamic productions to achieve your production goals.
- How sound is translated into audio signals
- Different recording techniques: reverb, delay, and compression
- How to use various digital tools such as Digital Audio Workstation, Pro Tools
- How to critique your mix by listening to it on various audio systems such as in the car, full-flesh sound system, earbuds, computer, laptop, etc.Â
7. Music + Audio Production in Logic Pro X – The Complete Guide (Udemy)
Price
Varies
Duration
40 Hours
As an Apple-owned DAW, Logic Pro X only functions under Mac OS. The course Music + Audio Production in Logic Pro X on Udemy teaches you the ins and outs of the program so you can maneuver the tool like a pro and concentrate on creating music rather than fixing technical issues.
Intending to assist you in producing music of a professional caliber, the course instructs you on the quickest and simplest directions for writing music in Logic Pro.
The course shows you how to use MIDI and Apple Loops to put together some songs in 120 seconds, even if you’ve never written one before.
Additionally, the website generally provides a 90% rebate on the first review.
What You Will Learn
- How to record and modify audio to a professional standard using DAW.
- Using stock plugins to consistently create mixes that sound potent, clear, and competent.
- Getting familiar with Logic Pro’s lesser-known features.
- How to write and edit music in a short time.
- How to spend more time concentrating on the music and less arguing with the DAW.
- Understanding the process of writing music in Logic Pro quickly and easily.
- How to use MIDI and Apple Loops combined in a song in under 120 seconds, without having any prior musical training.
- How to maintain your creative flow in music production.
8. Blueprint to Beatmaking: A Step-By-Step System to Hip Hop Music Production (Skillshare)Â
Price
Skillshare offers a 1-Month Free Trial. After that, the price is $13.75 per month billed annually at $165. Check our Skillshare pricing guide for more info.
Duration
5 Hour 4 Minute
This course contains an implementable 3-step system for reducing the level of difficulty, saving time, and producing dope beats.
By providing you with a step-by-step system you can use right away, the course is designed to teach by eliminating the trial and error process.
Complete beginners can pick it up without difficulty, and intermediate students can use it if they need the tools to get past any production-related problems.
What You Will Learn
- Fundamentals of hip-hop production
- How to write melodies
- How to Pitch and Reverse Samples
- How to transition walkthrough
- How to track the beat
- Different lessons on walkthrough: melody, drums, bass, and percussion
- Walking through drums and melody
9. Audio Mixing Master Class (LinkedIn Learning)
Price
One-month free trial, then $39.99/mo or $19.99/mo if you pay for one year upfront
Duration
9 Hours 14 Minutes
Bobby Owsinski, a well-known figure in the field, is the instructor of this Audio Mixing Masterclass, an intermediate-level course built around practical exercises that encourage you to try new tactics.
Some of the subjects covered in this course are from basic panning to compression. This masterclass is most suitable for individuals with some music production experience, whereas most of the other systems in this manual are designed for beginners.
The mini-lessons last five minutes or less and concentrate on particular aspects of music production, such as “the pitchy vocal cover-up trick” or “snappy snare.” The mini-lessons are interchangeable for intermediate students, who can select them based on their interests.
What You Will Learn
- How to take care of the essential bass-drum balance.
- How to use EQ on any instrument and on the right occasion.
- How to create the ideal effect for each unique mixing circumstance.
- How to use compression, the secret to mixes that sound fat and punchy.
- How to improve your monotonous pad tracks using pre-programmed hi-hats.
- Understanding the method behind gated drums.
- How to amplify your background vocal effort.
- Understanding additional explosive snare tricks.
- How to go beyond the speakers.
- What is a duck reverb?
10. Ableton Live I: The First Steps of Digital Music Production (Skillshare)
Price
Skillshare offers a 1-Month Free Trial. After that, the price is $13.75 per month billed annually at $165.
Duration
1 Hour 9 Minutes
In this course, Brian’s instructor takes you through the interfaces and their settings. The period begins with a 15-minute introduction followed by 13 lessons on the audio tracks, clips, musician, sound designer, etc.
The course is for beginners with five hands-on projects to learn music production. The course offers a free trial and an introduction to illustration and design.
What You Will Learn
- How to organize clips
- How to launch clips
- Difference between audio clips, scenes, and tracks
- Introduction to warping
- How can we match the tempos of different audio tracks
- How to work with the interface
11. Music Production Secrets (LinkedIn Learning)
Price
One-month free trial, then LinkedIn Learning pricing is $39.99/mo or $19.99/mo if you pay for one year upfront
Duration
10 Hours
Larry Crane, owner of Jackpot Recording Studio and founder of Tape Op magazine is the instructor of Music Production Secrets on LinkedIn Learning. Larry Crane, who has more than 20 years of experience, is an excellent resource for business advice on issues like auto panning guitars and keyboards.
The mini-lessons in this course share many similarities with those in the other LinkedIn Learning courses on music. Since it is not purely audio mixing, this course encompasses a broader spectrum of subjects. This course offers 10 hours of lectures in the form of mini-lessons of five minutes.
What You Will Learn
- How to have a fresh approach towards customizing your effects, taking control of your sound, and unleashing new creative possibilities while mixing and tracking.
- How to eliminate vocal Auto-Tune crossfades.
- How to use Pro Tools
- How to correct a lousy kick Diverse Band Splitter.
- How to make double tracking automatic.
- How to do EQ and compression for reverbs in locked content.
A Final Word on the Best Online Music Courses
Whether you’re someone who wants to learn music for fun or as a career, online courses offer a convenient, affordable, and comprehensive way to get started.
The courses we’ve listed above are some of the best online music courses available, but there are many others out there as well. Do some research and find the course that’s right for you.
So, what are you waiting for? Enroll in the above courses and follow your passion for learning music.
Have any questions about our guide to the best online music courses? Let us know by commenting below.