Deadmau5 MasterClass Review:
Unveiling the Secrets of Electronic Music Production

Last updated on: July 3, 2023, Written by:

Bill Tremlon

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Electronic music is phenomenal. Every beat of progressive house music unveils a magical energy, igniting dance and tremor. When you think of electronic dance music, songs like Lean On by DJ Snake Titanium by Sia, Animals by Martin Garrix, and Levels by Avicii. These incredible EDM chart-toppers took the world by storm.

One of the biggest names that consistently hits these charts is DEADMAU5. Does the secret to his success lie in DEADMAU5’s MasterClass? I will fill you in about this in this MasterClass review.

Deadmau5 MasterClass Outline

Led by Joel Zimmerman, popularly known as DEADMAU5, this MasterClass is a groundbreaking course into the mastery of electronic music. It teaches up-and-coming artists the ropes of electronic music production. From how to develop melodic structures to mastering intricate sound design. DEADMAU5 shares his expertise and insider tips that have made him a renowned producer.

Deadmau5 MasterClass review

Deadmau5 MasterClass Review In a Nutshell

⭐ Rating:9.2 ★★★★★
🥇 Category of class:Music
📈 Suits best for:Aspiring electronic music producers
🕒 Lenght:6 hours
⏳ Avg. Lesson Duration15 minutes
🛍️ Course Essentials:Digital audio workstation (DAW) software, passion for electronic music production, and creativity
💼 Complementary material:60-page class guide & 3-page fundamentals guide
📚 No. of Lessons:23 lessons
🛒 Payment options:Individual / Duo / Family
💵 Price:10 – 20 $ (billed annually)
🔄 Refund policy:30-day satisfaction guarantee
🎁 Free trial:

1.Introduction;
2.The deadmau5 Process: Theory;
3.The Deadmau5 Process: Practice;
4.Building Your Home Studio;
5.Developing Melodic Structures;
6.Turning Melodies Into Arrangements;
7.Introduction To Synthesized Sounds;
8.Experimenting With Modular Synths;
9.Digital synths Vs. Analog Synths;
10.Shaping Sounds With Effects And Processing;
11.Beats: Part 1;
12.Beats: Part 2;
13.Structuring Songs;
14.Remixes;
15.Mixing;
16.Mastering;
17.Mastering Case Study: Snowcone;
18.Starting Your Producing Career;
19.Understanding the Music Business;
20.On Stage: The Music;
21.On Stage: The Technical Side;
22.On Stage: The Show;
23.Closing.

Main Skills You’ll Learn

  • Experimenting with unique approaches to cool music creation;
  • Building a home studio;
  • Crafting good music: captivating beats and rhythmic patterns;
  • Remixes and mixing and mastering tracks;
  • Shaping sounds using effects and processing techniques;
  • Navigating the music business and promoting production value of your brand.

Is Deadmau5 MasterClass For Me?

The DEADMAU5 MasterClass review is designed for aspiring electronic music professionals and producers who want to delve into the world of electronic music production. So whether you are a beginner or have some skills up your sleeves, this course offers valuable lessons and technical tips from one of the greatest producers.

Our Evaluation

Total score: 9.2

Deadmau5 as an Instructor
90%
Uniqueness and Freshness
80%
Structure and Quality
90%
Student Engagement and Retention
90%
Value for the Money
80%

PROS

  • High-quality content
  • Engaging and entertaining instructions
  • Technical demonstrations

CONS

  • Limited Community Features
  • Not for absolute beginners

Deadmau5 MasterClass Teacher Review

Meet Deadmau5

Joel Thomas Zimmerman, widely known as DEADMAU5, is an eminent electronic music producer with an impressive career of over 20 years. Some of these iconic EDM tracks include “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” “Strobe,” and “I Remember,” These songs have become anthems of the electronic dance music scene. As a successful producer, DEADMAU5 has worked with renowned electronic music professionals such as Chris Lake, Kaskade, and Rod Swire.

Joel Zimmerman has received multiple Grammy nominations and prestigious awards, including five Beatport Music Awards. As an instructor in the DEADMAU5 MasterClass review, he imparts you his extensive knowledge and expertise, sharing insights from his remarkable success in the music industry.

Introduction to DEADMAU5 music MasterClass

Deadmau5 as a Teacher

DEADMAU5 is an engaging and entertaining instructor in MasterClass. He effectively demonstrates his practical knowledge in a detailed manner. Even though he is not a professional teacher, Joel Zimmerman delivers his lessons with a down-to-detail technique. His passion for producing music and ability to break down complex subjects into understandable terms ensure you get the most out of his production courses.

About MasterClass

Since 2015, MasterClass brings 180+ online classes from top-tier instructors in almost any field. It includes pre-recorded video lessons from masters such as Richard Branson, Martin Scorsese, Aaron Sorkin, Gordon Ramsay, and many others.

The video quality equals Hollywood movies, and every MasterClass course is carefully structured. But that’s not all. There are interactive assignments, MasterClass community activities, and an ever-growing video library to enjoy. The sheer amount of content can make it hard to begin. Cursums will help you to choose wisely.

Originality and Novelty of the Content

There are many sources, such as YouTube, online forums and communities, and social media platforms, where you can gather instructional advice from DEADMAU5. However, all these sources have one this in common – the information is trivial and does not meet the comprehensiveness of a full course.

MasterClass lesson offers you a solution to this limitation. It provides a comprehensive and well-structured course taught by Joel Thomas Zimmerman himself. The instructor covers over 20 topics in this course, providing a holistic understanding of electronic dance music and music production. With MasterClass, you’ll not have to source for information from other sources.

While there are other courses available, MasterClass stands out as your best option. Its high-quality video lessons are taught by music industry experts, such as music producer Timbaland’s course and musician Tom Morello’s electric guitar lessons. There are also downloadable resources and interactive exercises that enhance the learning experience. Additionally, with the MasterClass platform, you are not limited to music alone, as you can learn other disciplines as well.

Content and Structure of the Deadmau5 MasterClass

The DEADMAU5 MasterClass review is a comprehensive learning course on electronic music production. The course has 23 video lessons, each lasting about 15 minutes on the overage. The lessons are concise and focused on allowing you to onboard the content effectively.

The shortest lesson is lesson 23, ‘Closing,’ which lasts about 1 minute and 39 seconds. The longest is lesson 8, ‘Experimenting With Modular Synths,’ which lasts 21 minutes and 41 seconds. In this lesson, DEADMAU5 demonstrates how he builds and tweaks his patches from scratch.

You’ll only need 6 hours to complete the entire course. However, this timeline is not fixed, as it can vary depending on your learning pace and dedication to synthesized sounds experimenting. While most early MasterClass videos are instructional, some assignments allow you to apply the concepts you’ve learned.

Setting up a Studio

2-4 Lessons Summary

DEADMAU5 starts you off with a brief introduction to the course. After this, the delves into the foundations of EDM production in lessons 2-4. Lesson 2 primarily focuses on the theoretical aspects of DEADMAU5 cool music creation process, time management, and experimentation.

The fourth lesson in which DEADMAU5 covers making albums at home

Joel Zimmerman then provides a hands-on demonstration of this entire process in lesson 3. He lets you witness his creative process, workflow, project organization, and arrangement techniques. Once you’ve had a good feel of this, you’ll be guided through setting up your home studio, optimizing it, and designing your EDM work.

Developing Melodic Structures and Arrangements

5-6 Lessons Summary

Lessons 5 to 10 delve deeper into the critical aspects of music production. At the beginning of lesson 5, you explore the art of developing melodic structures and creating captivating melodies that form the core of their tracks.

introduction video on creating a melody

With this, DEADMAU5 will guide you on turning melodies into full-fledged arrangements and adding depth to the melody in lesson 6.

Sound Design and Synthesis Exploration

7-10 Lessons Summary

In these lessons, DEADMAU5 immerses you in sound design and synthesis. Lessons 7 and 8 introduce you to the world of synthesized sounds, exploring techniques and tools of sound design.

DEADMAU5 helps create unique sounds

You can also experiment with modular synths and synthetic sounds for sonic exploration. Lesson 9 is about gears focusing on digital and analog synths. The lessons offer valuable insights to help you decide when choosing gear for making music.

This section ends with lesson 10, where you learn about shaping sounds with effects. DEADMAU5 shares his wisdom on adding unique sounds, textures, sonic signatures and other technical details to your productions by utilizing effects to enhance sounds.

Creating Beats and Structuring Songs

11-15 Lessons Summary

In lessons 11 to 15, DEADMAU5 takes you through beat creation and song structure. The lessons cover two parts of making beats, where you learn about processing beats, drum patterns, and rhythm.

Stephen Curry on different game situations

Joel Zimmerman then proceeds to the arrangements introduction, exploring the techniques for arranging musical elements to create beautiful compositions. In addition, DEADMAU5 shows you how to mix songs and how you can put your creative spins on existing progressive house music.

Mixing, Mastering, and Beyond

16-23 Lessons Summary

The final trek of the course availability covers the essential aspects of mixing and mastering music production. Here, you learn about balancing different audio elements, applying effects, and achieving professional sound in your songs remixes.

Music production courses with DEADMAU5

DEADMAU5 then teaches you mastering by guiding you through the mastering process of his EDM track ‘Snowcone.’ Here, you get a final polish and hear some valuable insights on starting your producing career.

He then explores areas such as starting a producing career, the most technical tips for performing on stage, and understanding the music business. He concludes the course with insights into live performance, show experience, and his final remarks.

Fast-Track Lesson Plan

Finish DEADMAU5 MasterClass in 3 hours, 18 minutes, and 57 seconds

No.LessonDuration
3.The Deadmau5 Process: Practice17:30
4.Building Your Home Studio13:39
5.Developing Melodic Structures16:54
6.Turning Melodies Into Arrangements15:08
8.Experimenting With Modular Synths21:41
10.Shaping Sounds With Effects And Processing19:25
11.Beats: Part 1 14:30
13.Structuring Songs12:03
15.Mixing20:10
16.Mastering18:33
19.Understanding the Music Business14:31
21.On Stage: The Technical Side14:53

Engagement and Retention of Deadmau5 MasterClass

Regarding lesson delivery, DEADMAU5 s MasterClass has effectively employed his skills as a producer. The lessons feature MasterClass incredibly aesthetically pleasing videos. DEADMAU5 MasterClass tracks and the use of gestures help to capture your attention and keep you engaged.

Joel’s personality as a great speaker and his ability to break down complex topics into easily digestible creative solutions keep you motivated to learn. Although DEADMAU5 curses and rants a lot in his videos, his course structure and explanations make up for this.

My Firsthand Experience With Deadmau5 MasterClass

What I liked About Deadmau5 MasterClass

Balanced Approach

DEADMAU5 takes on an original approach in his course, achieving an outstanding balance between the making of music and professionalism. I liked his emphasis on originality and artistic expression in music production, which goes beyond the most technical tips.

Incredible Workbook

DEADMAU5 Music MasterClass does not just deliver lessons. He ensures you’ll have enough resources to embark on your musical journey. With his downloadable 64-page guidebook and 3-page fundamentals guide, you can easily reference his teachings later. These guides provide practical assignments, charts, and worksheets for producing career understanding.

Encourages Writing

By taking you through his creative process in a clear and detailed manner, DEADMAU5 encourages you to create and produce your songs. His approach was motivating and fostered individual creativity in the EDM production process.

What I Didn’t Like about Deadmau5 MasterClass

Not Suitable for Absolute Beginners

While the DEADMAU5 MasterClass review is suitable for learners of all levels, there may be better fits for the absolute beginner. You must know about electronic music production to fully thrive through the course.

Limited Community Features

Lessons are more effective when up-and-coming artists can engage with and learn from each other. However, DEADMAU5 does not offer this. There’s limited community interaction and feedback. While the course’s primary focus is the expert’s practical guidance, a more interactive learning environment could deliver better results.

Is Deadmau5 MasterClass a Good purchase?

Price of Deadmau5 MasterClass

All the courses of MasterClass, including DEADMAU5, have standardized pricing. There are 3 annual plans available, which include:

PlanPrice
Individual (one device)$10 per month
Duo (two devices)$15 per month
Family (six devices)$20 per month

Of the three, MasterClass Family Plan offers the best as it provides you full access to over 180 courses and allows you to share the subscription with friends and family. What I liked most about this is how the MasterClass production team provides a list of courses related to DEADMAU5, such as producing songs with Mariah Carey or learning singing with Christina Aguilera. I can easily refer to them for an enhanced learning experience

Does the Class Live Up to the Hype?

The answer is a firm YES! The DEADMAU5 MasterClass class list was worth my time and money. The way DEADMAU5 delivered his lessons and process of making music inspired me to embark on my musical journey. 

What is valued about how MasterClass DEADMAU5 teaches electronic music production is the practical approach. He did not just offer theory. He delivered more technical demonstrations of his expertise. However, you may have better options if you seek a strictly practical approach. Nevertheless, I found the theoretical aspect necessary for a holistic understanding of music production.

Deadmau5 MasterClass: Ratings from Around the Web

There are many online courses on EDM music production, but the DEADMAU5 MasterClass is a popular choice. As I sourced various reviews on platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, and Reddit, it became evident that the course resonated with students who already had a basic understanding of EDM music.

DEADMAU5 Masterclass Review on Reddit

On YouTube, Joel Zimmerman’s captivating beats and mesmerizing song remixes act as the final catalyst, enticing viewers to take his DEADMAU5 MasterClass class list. 

DEADMAU5's masterclass review on YouTube

On Instagram, DEADMAU5 masterclass gives aspiring electronic music professionals the resources they need to start their musical journey.

DEADMAU5's masterclass review on Instagram

“-Number one take-away from the class: I already knew 90% of what I thought I didn’t know I need to be doing. The class was awesome! Now it’s time to make some music”


Essentials Used in the Deadmau5 MasterClass

You can start making beats with a few essential items, such as a laptop, internet connection, headphones, and an insatiable desire to learn cool music production.

  • Digital audio workstation (DAW)
  • MIDI controller
  • Sample packs and sound libraries
  • Music theory knowledge

These essential items will significantly enhance your learning experience and allow you to explore and apply the creative solutions taught by DEADMAU5 entirely.

Courses Similar to Deadmau5 MasterClass

Other Courses of making music on MasterClass

  • Danny Elfman’s Masterclass on film scoring
  • Armin Van Buuren MasterClass on Dance Music
  • Timbaland MasterClass on Producing and Beatmaking
  • Questlove MasterClass on Curation and DJing
  • Christina Aguilera MasterClass on Singing
  • Usher MasterClass on the art of performance
  • Ringo Starr MasterClass on Drumming and Creative Collaboration
  • Metallica MasterClass on being a band
  • Carlos Santana MasterClass on The art and soul of Guitar
  • Tom Morello MasterClass on Electric Guitar
  • John Legend MasterClass on Songwriting

MasterClass Competitors

Udemy

Udemy is one of the most popular online learning providers, with a massive choice of various classes. The learning platform covers a range of Music courses for beginner and advanced learners.

Coursera

Coursera is another big name in the online courses market, with a lot to offer in music-related fields. It’s a great way to expand your knowledge of the field without spending much money on online learning.

Skillshare

Skillshare focuses on practical courses, with educational videos substituting expensive college courses. The aim is to provide users with marketable skills for finding a job. There are some courses related to creating your own Music as well.

Q&A about Deadmau5 MasterClass

DEADMAU5 uses his ‘Snowcone’ EDM track as a case study. With it, he teaches various EDM production aspects and techniques. This track serves as a practical example to demonstrate how he approaches production. You can gain insights into his music-making process and apply those techniques to your music production endeavors.

DEADMAU5 uses Ableton Live software for more technical demonstrations throughout the course. As recommended earlier, having Ableton Live or a similar DAW would be best to get the most out of the Joel Zimmerman course.  

There are 3 subscription plans available for DEADMAU5 Masterclass: Individual – $10 per month, duo – $15 per month, family – $20 per month. Choose a plan that best suits your needs and budget and allows you to get the most out of your time and money.

Enrolling for the DEADMAU5 MasterClass review is easy. You only need to visit the official MasterClass platform website, search for the Deadmau5 course, click on the course and select the desired subscription plan, create an account or log in if you already have one, provide the necessary payment details, complete the enrollment process.

Author: Bill Tremlon

Blogger | Life-long learner

Bill Tremlon

I’ve spent the last ten years passionately studying various online learning platforms. Udemy, MasterClass, Coursera, and Skillshare are the main ones, but I review lesser-known study tools as well. I test and analyze each course and lesson thoroughly before sharing my research.

9.2

Conclusion:

Deadmau5’s course strikes a perfect creative-professional balance.

Author: Bill Tremlon

Blogger | Life-long learner

Bill Tremlon