Armin van Buuren MasterClass Review

MasterClass is an online learning platform that offers courses from a range of talented people, including musicians. One of the most exciting MasterClass instructors is Armin van Buuren, a DJ, musician, and record producer known as the king of trance.

What’s the Armin van Buuren MasterClass about? This MasterClass teaches tips and techniques to aspiring DJs and musicians while providing insights into Armin’s personal approach to producing dance music.

Ready to hit the decks, learn how to process tracks, and gain some great advice on how to build a musical career? Here’s our Armin van Buuren MasterClass review so you can find out if it’s something that would interest you.

Who Is Armin van Buuren?

Armin van Buuren is a dance music DJ, record producer, and remixer from the Netherlands. Armin has been one of the world’s most successful and influential trance and progressive house musicians since the 1990s.

He’s released seven studio albums that have all become hits around the world. He also became popular for hosting a radio show called “A State of Trance.”

Armin’s mainstream success started in 1997 when he released his track “Blue Fear.” Two years later, his song “Communication” became a hit around the U.S., considered his musical breakthrough.

In 1999, Armin started his own record label called “Armind” with United Recordings. In the following year, he released several compilation albums.

In 2003, Armin released his first studio album entitled “76.” It reached the 38th spot on the Dutch Albums Top 100 list.

During his career, Armin has achieved a variety of awards. These include:

Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year – 2014
DJ Awards for Best International DJ – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Edison Pop Best Dance Album – 2020

He’s also been nominated for a Grammy Award. Moreover, Armin headlines over 150 shows yearly at popular music festivals, such as the Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland, and Ultra Music Festival.

Overview of the Class

The Armin van Buuren Teaches Dance Music MasterClass is a versatile course that covers many aspects of the music industry, such as how Armin produces, performs, and promotes his popular and groundbreaking dance music.

In this course, you’ll learn what technical processes Armin makes use of when mixing, sampling, using plug-ins, and recording vocals, as well as how to DJ.

The course contains 33 video lessons that are six hours and 50 minutes long in total.

Here’s what you can expect to learn from his video lessons.

Armin teaches his production process. You’ll learn how to make songs full of emotion and power.
He shows you how to set up your own home studio and what gear you need.
Armin teaches you how to organize your process so that it runs smoother, such as when it comes to streamlining DAW projects.
Armin teaches the importance of experimentation with musical ideas to find one’s creativity.
Armin shows you the skills you need to make your dance tracks impress a crowd by using bass and drum sounds.
Armin teaches the importance of adding percussion to tracks, which gives them greater complexity.
Some video lessons included that feature tips on mixing and mastering tracks so you can sculpt your sound.
Armin shows you exactly how he creates a track. He teams up with his producing partner Benno de Geoij to produce an exclusive track for MasterClass.
He takes you through his new psytrance-inspired music track, which gives you insights into how he arranges and mixes his songs.
Armin looks at the power of adding lyrics to your music to enhance it.
Armin collaborates with singer Josh Cumbee to track, edit, and manipulate live vocals.
He shows you how to edit and add effects to vocal tracks.
He provides step-by-step instructions on how to turn a pop song into a dance track.
Armin teaches his DJ philosophy of taking music to the stage.
Armin explains how he uses Ableton Live to make unique music mashups and shorten his songs.
He provides information about the gear he likes to use during his live sets.
He teaches performance tips, such as connecting with your audience and respecting your fellow DJs.
Armin talks about the radio show he’s hosted and gives tips on how to use radio to grow your fan base and grow as a musician.
Armin reflects on the early musical influences that made him such a success.
He gives aspiring musicians advice on how to get their careers started and earn a solid reputation as a DJ.

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As you can see from the above points, this course provides a blend of theory, technical strategies, practical tips, and some philosophies thrown in for good measure to give you a balanced approach to creating music.

Pros and Cons

Now that we’ve looked at the course outline and what you can expect from the video lessons, let’s explore some more specific pros and cons.

Pros

This course provides an in-depth tutorial on how to create and produce music.
There are valuable tips and advice all musicians will gain from this course, such as when it comes to setting up your home studio.
Armin is an engaging and fun instructor who peppers his instructions with humor to make them even more entertaining.
This course includes structured teaching and practical advice while also live collaboration, which makes the course stand out from other music courses.
You get to see Armin at work in his studio and his collaborations with other people.
The course comes with a 43-page workbook that contains more of his advice.
The way the MasterClass course is produced is professional and gripping.

Cons

This MasterClass course is mainly focused on trance and dance music, which might not appeal to all fans or aspiring musicians.
The content can be pretty technical and advanced for beginners.
You might feel that the information is spread over many aspects of music creation, which can overwhelm you.

Who Is This Class For?

While this MasterClass course might not be the best for you if you’re not a fan of making music or you’re more interested in watching documentaries of your favorite performers instead of getting in-depth technical insight into their music production, you will benefit from taking this MasterClass course if:

You’re an aspiring DJ.
You’re an aspiring musician and/or producer. (see also Alicia Keys MasterClass Review)
You want to learn how to make and produce music from a legend.
You’re a fan of Armin van Buuren’s work and would love to see him lay down tracks and gain insight into his philosophies.
You want to explore dance music and get exclusive tracks.
You want to feel inspired to make your own music.

Cost of the Class

If you want to take the Armin van Buuren MasterClass course, you’ll have to purchase an annual MasterClass subscription, which is $180 per year. You can learn more by reading “MasterClass Pricing”.

Once you subscribe to the online learning platform, you can take other courses. Currently, there are more than 150 classes led by renowned, famous instructors who are masters in their respective fields.

To learn more about MasterClass, read our “MasterClass Review”. It’s also a good idea to read “Best MasterClass Courses” so you can see what amazing courses are available for you to enjoy.

Users’ Experience

Let’s check out what people who’ve taken the Armin van Buuren MasterClass have had to say about it.

“If you have basic knowledge of music production, this course is worth it. If you don’t know a thing about it, the course might be difficult to follow”.
“This course is definitely worth it because Armin created a track from scratch”.
“I’ve just watched Armin’s MasterClass videos. Wow! So much useful information!”

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Conclusion

If you’re interested in trance and dance music, you should definitely consider taking the Armin van Buuren MasterClass.

We hope that our comprehensive overview of the class and detailing its pros and cons will help you decide whether to get a subscription or not. Ultimately, if you’re an aspiring musician or DJ, this course is nothing short of beneficial for you.

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