If you've ever watched music videos or listened to music and thought, "I could do that," this guide is for you. Whether your musical interests are hip hop, K-pop, country & western, rock 'n roll, or electronic music, there are a few steps that apply across all genres. 

You can't learn luck or talent from a blog, and there's no substitute for hard work. It's also important to absorb the kinds of media that inspire you. If you are hoping to launch a career in music and/or video production, you should be listening to music and watching films. You might be surprised by the types of media that inspire you - whether you watch Korean drama, movies by Martin Scorcese, or sitcoms from the 1970s. All of these can inspire and influence your overall aesthetic. Look at how the great filmmaker Quinten Tarantino was inspired by a range of movies to make the cutting edge films he has been making over the past 30 years, and imagine what an amazing music video he would make if he agreed to take on a project.

In addition to listening to music and becoming a student of video production, make time in your day to practice singing or recording techniques, study a musical instrument, or learn the software that you have access to. Study your favorite artists to find out "how they did that." Here are a few more tips to help you on your way.

Find a Like-Minded Partner

The odds might feel stacked against you, and it may be a long uphill climb to success as a music & video producer; you'll have a better chance if you're in the trenches with a partner who is as passionate about the dream to launch a career on a shoestring budget as you are. A partner can help hold you accountable to put in the work, and a partner can help you through setbacks and discouragement. An easy way to look for a person to join you in your work is to put an ad on Craigslist. For example, you could post something like this: "Wanted: A collaborative partner for a fledgling K-pop music production project." Or: "Aspiring music video director looking for creative partners. Interests include punk rock, Clint Eastwood westerns, and film noir." 

Use Available Resources First

Before you sink your life's savings and max out twenty different credit cards, you should first examine free and low-cost options that are available to you. For example, if you own an Apple computer or tablet, you can access the Garage Band application to help you record and mix tracks, or iMovie to help you edit music videos. Research open source software options for your operating system, and you'll likely find tools that you can use without breaking the bank. Another option is to enroll in classes at your local community college; you'll gain access to professional equipment, and you'll potentially meet like-minded collaborators.

Stay Inspired - Documentaries

Steve Jobs said, "If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time." Chances are, your rise to stardom in a music and video production career will be less of a meteor shot across the night sky and more of a sweat-soaked endurance race. Ask any marathon runner and they'll tell you that you need fuel to keep you going. One of the ways to stay inspired is to watch documentaries about other musical producers. One such film is "Tom Dowd & The Language of Music," released in 2004. Tom Dowd worked with everyone from Ray Charles to John Coltrane to The BeeGees to the Eagles. Another great documentary is called "Stones in Exile," a film about the tumultuous production of "Exile on Main Street," one of the best rock 'n roll albums of all time.

Stay Inspired - Books

While you may have to drop a few dollars to rent or buy documentaries, you should be able to borrow a steady stream of inspiration in the form of books from your local library. From practical instruction like "The Mixing Engineer's Handbook" by Bobby Owsinski to more general industry tomes like "All You Need to Know About the Music Business" by Donald S. Passman,  read these books on the bus, in the bathroom, and before you go to sleep at night.

In closing, remember that the number one way to launch a music and video production career is to write music and make videos. Do it every day, even if you think what you're creating is terrible. The important thing is that you'll learn from it.