Music is an art and therefore music production requires an artistic touch. But don't confuse being a music producer with being a musician. Musicians are pure artists. They create music. A music producer, on the other hand, is more of an engineer whose job is to properly record a musician's music. Without proper music production, a musician's music may never be heard by others in the best way possible because the recording process itself can degrade the original music if not performed properly. Since a music producer's job is to present a musician's music in the best way possible, a producer must understand how to communicate with and relate to musicians. This is where a thorough understanding of song structures, musical instruments and vocals comes into play.
A music producer's job is to properly record, process and mix the different parts of a musical arrangement into a finished piece that can be enjoyed by anyone who listens to it. The tools used to perform these tasks are highly technical in nature. Microphones, amplifiers, mixing consoles, equalizers and tape recorders are just a few of the tools used for music production. Understanding how to set these these pieces of equipment up and how to use them properly to achieve a successful recording and mix is central to a music producer's role.
With the prominence of computers and software in today's recording studio, a music producer must possess advanced computer skills. It is not enough to just know how to use applications. With so many different pieces of equipment that must interface with the computer, a music producer needs to understand how to deal with software drivers and hardware settings at the operating system level. Recording audio is one of the most demanding tasks for a computer so problems can and do arise that require an advanced understanding of computers to troubleshoot.
While some people learn all of these topics through years of practice and trial and error, the best way to perfect these skills is through an audio engineering educational or recording arts program. Not only will these programs teach you the knowledge you need to become a music producer, they will give you hands-on experience on professional recording equipment. A simple Internet search for "recording arts programs" or "audio engineering programs" will return many valuable programs.
Another way to learn the tricks of the trade and to get your foot in the door at a professional studio is to land an internship. Most audio engineering internships are unpaid but the experience is invaluable. You will need to demonstrate at least basic skills to land an internship, so if you don't have that, enrolling in a formal program is your best chance of making it as a music producer. Even after completing an audio engineering degree, an internship is still a great step to proving your skills and tanking your music production skills to the next level.