University study of music production is not absolutely necessary, but it can help you learn only the right techniques. Youtube for example, has had a combination of the best and worst advice on music/audio production since it started, and the same goes for forums. Regardless of where you learn, make sure that you are using your ears and not solely listening to somebody else's opinion and treating it as fact. As someone who goes to school for audio and has also spent about a decade researching these topics, I know that both have been very helpful for learning, though most importantly, my ears have been more important than anything else.
The most productive way to learn is to try things for yourself, but also listen to the experts when needed. Never underestimate how important room acoustics are. In my opinion,
Room acoustics are the most important aspect of music production besides your ears, because if a bad room ends up in a recording it is impossible to fix later on. I would also recommend listening to records from every decade rather than just modern top 40 recordings. You can instantly hear the differences between each recording and start to understand the artistic side of record production, as well as how gear and production styles have changed over the years. So overall, use your ears, make sure your room is optimal, listen to other people's work, and don't listen to amateurs on the internet.
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