Sharing My Honest Review of Armin Buuren MasterClass (2024)

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a DJ? Well, I have. Hear me out.

I mean, the power to control an entire crowd in a club, from doing slow dances with their partners to dancing their asses off for groovy music by simply mixing beats.

It would be amusing to be a DJ at a club or even learn how to make music; hence decided it was high time to stop wasting my free time and spend it productively, even if it is about learning how to produce music or creating beats.

Having loved the idea of music production, in my research, I found a course on dance music by Armin Van Buuren on MasterClass, which I felt apt to enroll in.

I took the course, and there were some significant takeaways, so I decided to write a review about Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass right away.

In this article, you’ll learn everything about Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass, how the lessons are categorized, who it is best suited to, the pricing, what I liked, etc.

I also answer the verdict – “Is Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass worth it?” in the end.

A Short Summary:

Here is a short summary of Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass if you have no time.

You’ll be able to learn the following:

• How to take inspiration from melody
• Editing vocals with samples
• How to work with pads
• Creating a studio at home
• Insightful tips on improving
• How to become a DJ/ music producer
• How to take inspiration from melody
• Editing vocals with samples
• How to work with pads
• Creating a studio at home
• Insightful tips on improving
• How to become a DJ/ music producer

Suitable for: Wanna-be DJs who’d like to be guided by a professional, music producers with less experience who want to learn music in-depth, and casual musicians who want to explore dance music with exclusive tracks.

The number of lessons: 33 lessons

Duration: Around 7 hours

Quick verdict: Being a music lover, I would say that Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass was worth it for a couple of reasons, like instructive teaching, a different approach, and insightful advice on building up a career in music production in general. Armin did not constrain himself under the “dance music” category and decided to cover all the relevant topics in music for an overall understanding of the subject.

An Overview of Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass:

Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass has a mix of every aspect of learning dance music. You are exposed to a knowledge thread of 33 lessons, which takes around 7 hours to complete entirely. Don’t worry about the number of lessons, let me tell you.

Each lesson has at least one value as a takeaway, which means you are promised to gain 33 great tips from the legend Armin Van Buuren.

You also get an exclusive workbook prepared by Armin Van Buuren for easy understanding of complicated concepts in a simplified format, which is excellent.

Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass Lessons Explained:

The lessons in Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass are well-structured and have a proper flow of teaching from start to finish, which is excellent for learning smoothly.

Before diverting into something else, let me quickly dive into the review part of each lesson clubbed together so that you’ll get an idea of how the lessons are.

1. Knowing Armin Van Buuren

Armin Van Buuren delivers a basic introduction.

"It's not love for music, it's a passion, and it goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it's about a way of living... Music is essential for my life."

He initiates the course by welcoming his students into his studio, where he spends most of his time and even life. He also dissects the factors you’ll be learning ahead.

Buuren also reminds me that you’ll be able to take some great advice from him by the end of his MasterClass, which got me all excited about the following lessons.

2. Taking Inspiration From Melody

Lesson 2:

"Don't be a prisoner of your own style!"

I was able to learn ideas on how to find inspiration, even from chords. 

This was a hack recommended by Armin Van Buuren in his MasterClass, which will be of great help. This lesson feels like icing on a cake because you get to know what else you can be expected in the following lessons.

He also suggests tips on dealing with blocks.

3. Studio at home

Although not everyone would want a studio right away, most of us are only looking for courses to learn the basics and get going with the craft, but Armin still shows.

"Everyone's connected but no one is connecting."

Armin takes you through the basic criteria of making a space for your music and the importance of having a master keyboard. He also talks about Sine Wave tests.

He also shares some ways to avoid audio bounces, which is a great tip to note. I figured that the lesson was prepared as a foundation in creating a musical vibe.

4. Pads & Leads

In Lesson 6-8, things get a bit technical, which might seem foreign to beginners, but you can survive through the terms with Armin’s unique teaching.

"We, as a people, we have a strong need to categorize everything. We put labels on everything and its a totally understandable need because we are animals and we need to understand order and where to fit in."

You get to learn what pads are and how important it is in making music. Along with it, he also teaches layering of leads with a fantastic example, which was interesting.

Some technical music terms like LFO, DAW, and EQ are used and explained in detail. Later, you’ll learn about creating a sound with a pad and going crazy with it.

Buuren talks about the difference of beats in dance music and creating multiple mixes with the same beat, which was a brilliant technique to follow.

5. How to create a groove

Groove is something that gets you on the dance floor without you actually walking towards the floor. I mean, the way music pulls you in and gets you dancing in a club.

"I recommend everyone who DJs to do it as a hobby and make sure you have a day job or are going to school. Only 100 DJs in the world make a living doing this, by that I mean making a good, comfortable living."

That is something every DJ/music producer should focus on. Armin talks about creating a vibe with music, which includes some twisted beats and tunes.

He also teaches adding percussion, sampling drums, and an exclusive trick to bring all the people to the dance floor, which are really helpful.

6. Editing of a vocal

"As a DJ, people expect a certain sound and a certain danceability for the music. As a producer, I really like to let go of any rules that may exist."

The editing includes adding reverbs, mixing tracks, and removing clicks, which are some basic editing that you can instantly try after taking his MasterClass.

Would you believe it if I told you that the vocals of a pop singer can be turned into a jamming song in a club? Well, Armin teaches you how you can do it quickly.

The impact of tweaking an acapella by adding layers to it and exclusive radio edits is another key takeaway from this lesson.

He knows his way of teaching and covers all the parts of editing in music.

7. Effective Tips & Techniques

Although Armin shares countless tips and techniques throughout his MasterClass, in Lesson 28-29, he brings down some of the best techniques.

"My stage name has always been 'Armin van Buuren.' When I really started DJ'ing professionally, I already had a few U.K. hits under my belt under the name 'Armin', so I couldn't really change that anymore."

Few techniques include changing tempos, overlapping tracks, and doubling channels, followed by small tips for music production.

Mashups bring the best crowds, and he also teaches that in the course with a demonstration of how to do it with one of his works, which was groovy.

Another great tip he mentioned was combining various song elements from multiple tracks, which is something to keep in mind.

8. How to Become a DJ/Music Producer

Towards the end, Armin also gives impeccable advice on growing as a music producer, which I feel can be incredibly helpful if you are struggling to grow.

"I don't try to be someone I'm not - I've always followed my heart and trance has always been my main sound."

Although he firmly believes that success comes only with hard work, he suggests a few hacks follow while working towards the goals.

It was an inspirational class on becoming a star in the music industry with great insights into his journey.

What did I like about Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass?

While taking up Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass, there were a few things that I really loved. They are:

Instructive Teaching 🎧

Although their life experience and workflow overlook most of the courses handled by celebrities, Armin Van Buuren takes the majority of his MasterClass. He dedicates it to only teaching, giving tips, and great and insightful advice.

The breakdown of his equipment, tools, and software really helped me understand the use of an instrument in creating music.

Even curating an exclusive track is explained with clear instructions in his MasterClass, which is handy for music producers trying to improve.

Advice From a Legend 💡

It is essential to lend an ear to someone who has achieved in life because you learn various strategies, avoid common errors, and make it big in life.

I was glad that Armin decided to talk about it in his MasterClass because it was as important as learning about the technical aspect of making dance music.

He also included some insights from his career, which was pretty intense.

Different Approach 🎶

A lot was happening in Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass. The structured teaching, live collaboration, and breakdown of equipment and tools were all unique from other learning courses on the internet.

Also, he did not stick to a particular format that might bore students along the way. Hence, he became versatile and kept changing his tone and energy accordingly.

• Learn 💃 Dance Music From One of the Best DJ
• Learn To Create Your Own Beats
• Easy To Understand Lessons
• Learn 💃 Dance Music From One of the Best DJ
• Learn To Create Your Own Beats
• Easy To Understand Lessons

What I feel could be improved in Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass?

Along with the valid points, I noticed a few things in Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass as downsides. You might have to look for these before taking the course:

Too Much Content

This is one of the longest courses available on MasterClass; the run time of this course is around six hours and 50 minutes. It has 33 different video lessons, which can be too much for a beginner to comprehend completely. It is certainly not a con of this course because you can finish the course at your own pace.

But the main thing I am concerned about is that this course tries to teach you too many things simultaneously. As we all know, there are many genres of music already, and this course focuses on teaching dance music. It can be overwhelming at times. It would be best if the course focuses on only one section at a time so it will be easy for everyone to understand.

Not suitable for everyone

The lessons, the techniques, and the concepts were well-explained, but somewhere down the line, I felt that it would not resonate with an utter beginner as much as it resonates with an experienced or amateur student.

Few lessons needed prior knowledge, so I think beginners might struggle through some parts of their MasterClass, but they can survive.

Who is best-suited for Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass?

Are you wondering if you can take Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass? Don’t worry, I have taken his MasterClass and know exactly who I’d recommend it to:

• Wanna-be DJs who’d like to be guided by a professional.
• Music producers with less experience who want to learn music in-depth.
• Casual musicians who want to explore dance music with exclusive tracks.
• Wanna-be DJs who’d like to be guided by a professional.
• Music producers with less experience who want to learn music in-depth.
• Casual musicians who want to explore dance music with exclusive tracks.

I’d also say that the course can be helpful to beginners, but it is not ideal for them because there are heavy concepts that might be difficult to grasp.

What is the cost of Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass?

MasterClass has a different approach to its pricing, where users get multiple benefits out of it through a single plan where you can take 100+ courses simultaneously.

The All-Access Pass is priced at $180/- per year and billed at $15 per month, which gives access to different courses in 10+ creative niches. 

The best part is that all the courses are taught by celebrities worldwide, and there is no fooling because every instructor has prior experience in their respective fields.

In MasterClass, there is a 30-day refund policy that can be accessed risk-free.

How is the content in Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass unique?

You can expect the content in Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass as unique by taking only two lessons because the passion he has for making music is evident in his teaching of various aspects of dance music.

Also, the fact that you are getting an education on music directly from him is impressive because even if you go through YouTube tutorials, you won’t find the same kind of teaching that he does in his MasterClass.

Hence, it is only available in MasterClass.

The breakdown of concepts is easily the winning factor in his MasterClass. Also, you get a complete insight into his work, life, and an exclusive collaboration (watch out)

Alternatives to Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass:

Even if you are not convinced with Armin Van Buuren’s teaching or not entirely satisfied with the format of lessons, I have a collection of other brilliant options that I found before ending up with Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass.

Although some alternatives are not entirely about dance music, they cover the basic foundation of music and related concepts. They are:

Let me remind you about the All-Access Pass, with which you can take all the listed courses above without paying a single penny extra. Sounds insane, right?

You can take Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass and take these along with it so that you’ll learn from different instructors and get to know the subject entirely.

Final Verdict Of Armin Van Buuren MasterClass (2024)

Being a music lover, I would say that Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass was worth it for a couple of reasons, like instructive teaching, a different approach, and insightful advice on building up a career in music production in general.

Armin did not constrain himself under the “dance music” category and decided to cover all the relevant topics in music for an overall understanding of the subject.

Suppose you are looking forward to learning EDM. You’d still get lessons for those. That is why Armin Van Buuren’s MasterClass is the best.

You get a variety of teaching. You also get insights into Armin’s work culture, which can be quite intriguing to witness and explore.

The workbook provided along with the course felt perfect as there was a detailed explanation of the lessons, which I’d refer to if I had any doubts.

Overall, it was great technical learning from Armin Van Buuren in his MasterClass.

Note that the All-Access Pass gives access to 100+ courses in 10+ different niches.

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