How to make dance tracks
How To Make EDM Music - A Quick Guide
Do you love Electronic Dance Music? Eager to learn how to make EDM?
We’ll walk you through what you need to know if you want to start producing EDM music! You’ll see that it’s really not impossible for your songs to sound as powerful as radio hits created by some of the biggest names in the industry. Your tracks can sound like ones played by Major Lazer, Calvin Harris, AVICII, etc.
Starting pointAs a beginner in the world of EDM, you’re most likely troubled by the following questions:
- Which equipment do I need to get?
- What’s the best software?
- Should I use PC or Mac?
- Desktop or laptop?
- What is a MIDI?
- What are key production guidelines to follow?
We’ll answer all of these questions in the text below! With some effort and will on your side, you’ll be able to sound as good as Skrillex soon enough. If you still feel uncomfortable to produce EDM songs on your own, even after reading our tips, you can always opt to hire a professional music producer.
This article is intended for beginners, yes, but it also contains very helpful tips for those who have already entered the world of electronic music production. So, without further ado, let’s get down to business!
Computer: The Most Important Musical Instrument of the EDM GenreNowadays, virtually anyone can produce music.
Back in the day, the entire process was really expensive and space-consuming. You needed a whole lot of gear that you had to fit in somewhere. That is probably why many music enthusiasts preferred electric guitars instead of heavyweight, yet fragile synthesizers.
Over the past couple of years, though, large studios packed with gear were replaced by a wide range of software that simulates it. That’s why computers are described as the main instrument for creating EDM. A producer puts together different sounds using the Digital Audio Workstation, which is similar to arranging the pieces of a puzzle. After finishing the track, the producer exports out their work to an audible file, e.
g. wav or mp3.
The Internet
A very important part of electronic music culture is the Internet. Artists paved their way to success by using services like Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube to upload their works. Their everyday routine also includes sharing samples among each other and downloading software provided for online purchases.
If you’re wondering how long it takes for an EDM producer to finish their track, there is really no unique answer. Depending on inspiration and skills, some artists can finish their songs in a matter of hours, and for others, it will take weeks or even months. But, thanks to advancements in technology, today’s producers have the convenience of being able to save their work and come back to it later.
Are EDM Artists Producers or DJs?People commonly use the terms “producer” and “DJ” as synonyms, but there’s a fundamental difference between the two.
A music producer is someone who plays hardware and software instruments, creates arrangements and records all that on a computer.
On the other hand, a DJ is a performer who plays tracks created by other people to a live audience. Of course, producers can also play music live, but they perform their original music and probably prefer not to be called DJs.
So, the next time someone asks you who your favorite EDM DJ is, they’ll most likely be thinking of a producer.
Where the Sounds Come From: The Story of MIDITo answer this question, you first need to understand what MIDI is. MIDI is short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It’s a technical standard which helps all the keyboards, pads, samplers and other musical gadgets in your nearby music equipment shop function.
What’s interesting about MIDI is that this standard was adopted in the early eighties and hasn’t changed to this very day. MIDI is a standardized language that allows communication between electronic instruments and computers. Every time you hit a key on your keyboard, it is recorded on your computer. That recording contains information about loudness and pitch.
However, the best part about it is that by using different software, you can translate these information into various sounds.
In other words, the same information is used for a wide range of colorful synths, beats, glitches, etc.
The HardwareIt’s really not that important whether you end up choosing a PC or Mac computer. With adequate knowledge, you can achieve the same quality for your final musical product. Performers that play live shows typically use laptops, simply because they are easy to carry with them when they’re on the road.
Generally speaking, computers produced by Apple are more reliable, and that is the reason why they are the “weapon of choice” of many famous EDM artists.
Things to have in mind when purchasing a computer for music production:
- plenty of RAM (16-32GB)
- a powerful processor (Intel i7, for example)
- a high-speed hard drive (SSD is ideal)
- a large display (if not two) with a high resolution.
Another piece of hardware that is essential to making music is the audio interface.
Many people popularly call it the “sound card”, but it is actually an expansion that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to use your MIDI controller or listen to your creation through the speakers. We recommend portable audio interfaces, such as Scarlett 2i2, that use a USB connection.
There is a large number of MIDI keyboard or pad controllers available on the market. If you aim to create melodic themes (like on a piano), a keyboard controller is the perfect device for you. The pad controllers are generally used for beats, breaks and sample-based tunes. Our recommendation is to buy a controller that features both keys and pads, by manufacturers such as Native Instruments, Korg, or Novation.
Last but not the least, you will need a good pair of headphones along with studio monitor speakers.
The monitor speakers are designed to provide an accurate reproduction of sound, unlike regular HI-FI speakers that are made to sound GOOD, not accurate. Manufacturers: PreSonus, ADAM, Yamaha, etc.
If you’re planning to record vocals and use the popular auto-tune effect, the best results are achieved with a quality condenser microphone, which is a very broad subject on its own that we’ll discuss on another occasion.
The SoftwareThe two most important software components of electronic music production are the DAW and virtual instruments.
The DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is used for recording, editing and producing audio files. This kind of application software supports devices that operate using the above-mentioned MIDI. The most popular DAWs for EDM music are Ableton Live, Logic Pro or FL Studio. There is a plenty of very useful online tutorials (on YouTube, for example), that can help you with your DAW of choice. Being a music producer requires a lot of proactive research, so don’t hesitate to do it!
Virtual instruments and effects operate inside DAWs, and in most cases they are installed separately.
They are used for instrument simulation, manipulating the color of the sound, and many other audio production-related tasks.
For example, Komplete 11 became very popular among EDM producers as of late. Apart from creating original synthesized sounds and rhythms, EDM artists often use sampling and looping of other songs.
As you may have already realized, audio production is an expensive kind of sport.
You don’t need to buy all the equipment as a beginner. A decent computer, sound card, MIDI controller, headphones and reliable speakers will be enough to start you off. Here are some advices about the important aspects of the EDM genre: recording and producing vocals, arrangements and mixing.
Creating Your First EDM TrackThe key to become an EDM producer lies in learning how to use your DAW.
As we said earlier, if you use a PC computer, FL Studio is an excellent choice. If you’re a Mac user, you should go with Logic Pro X. Ableton Live is also very popular, and its advantage is that it’s compatible with both Mac and PC.
The more DAWs you master, the better your skills and flexibility will get.
Making music means that you’ll have a lot of fun, but before you start, you’ll need to learn all the aspects of your DAW of choice. The best way to do that is to watch a lot of online video courses and tutorials. They also include examples that you can try to replicate while you watch them.
By saying learning to work in DAW, we also mean to get comfortable with using tons of different virtual instruments and effects that work inside of it. If you’re looking for something specific, like equalizing your synths, compressing or adding reverb, then we recommend to watch YouTube videos. There are literally thousands of videos available on the topic.
If you want to gain more systematic knowledge, which will cover the music production from start to finish, then we suggest you subscribe to some of the online video courses. Coursera contains a large collection of courses created by prestigious universities and educational institutions.
Surely you can find many courses related to EDM and music production, in general.
The vocals play a very important element in a track, if not the most important one. They are what makes music recognizable and memorable. So, if you decide to have singing parts in your EDM creations, then you should know there are many vocal sample packs available online.
Every serious producer has their own large bank of samples. However, if you use samples, make sure you alter them enough to become your original work, using previously described plugins. If you decide to record the vocals on your own, you’ll need an adequate microphone. Rode NT1A, would be a good choice.
The most common effects used for production of vocals are:
The equalizer — used to adjust the balance of frequencies, from the lowest to highest, in order to make the vocal “shine”.
The compressor — crucial for processing EDM vocals.
You want your singer to sound consistent and equally loud throughout the song. Compression flattens the signal by making quieter parts louder and vice versa.
Auto-tune — created by Antares Audio Technologies, auto-tune is a very popular tool in this genre. Almost everybody in the music production world uses it for vocal processing to some degree. It corrects the pitch of singing to create that recognizable, artificial sound.
Reverbs, delays — this is where the fun begins! The spatial effects that make your vocals sound bigger and more powerful.
Of course, it is possible to achieve good results in home conditions, too, but nothing is as good as recording and producing vocals in a professional studio. At Supreme Tracks, you have the opportunity to hire top session singers who will turn your vocal ideas into breathtaking tracks. We offer a full range of services to artists worldwide. From writing lyrics and arranging vocal melodies, to recording lead and backing vocals – we got you covered!
Tips for Advanced EDM Production Learners
In order to help those who are a little more versed in this matter, here are some advice regarding using VST or AU plugins.
This will also serve as a useful reminder for beginners after they master their first steps.
The general rule for equalizers — and for other effects, in general — is listen carefully and don’t overdo it. If your channel sounds good when you play it solo, doesn’t interfere with other channels in the mix, then it won’t have to be treated with an EQ.
The foundation of EDM is rhythm, so start from there.
- Use a high-pass filter to achieve clarity on kick drum or bass, by cutting everything below 40-50 Hz — this rule also applies to a whole mix!
- To emphasize the low-end, make a shelving boost of about 80-100 Hz. This is also a frequency that is important for the bass line, which is why many producers use side-chain compression, so that the bass and kick drum can be heard clearly at the same time.
- In case your mix sounds too “boomy” or “muddy”, you should consider lowering the range around 200-250 Hz.
- The range between 300 and 600 Hz can sound a little bit “boxy” if you boost it, so be careful with that.
- If you want your bass line to stand out, boost its channel around 700-800 Hz.
- Bringing out the range between 1 and 4 kHz will give presence to your keyboard or synth parts, add clarity to vocals, as well as the higher harmonics of your kick drum and snare.
- Cutting 5 kHz makes your sounds appear more distant, so it can be useful if you want to achieve that. Boosting this range will make percussive instruments really stand out.
- When you mix vocals, chances are that, in some stage, you will probably have to cut between 6–8 kHz to reduce sibilance.
- Everything above 10 kHz adds “air” to your channels or mix.
Reducing dynamics (the difference between loud and quiet parts of the track) is probably what you want to achieve with your compressor of choice. After all, it’s one of the main characteristics of EDM production approach. Compressors are widely used on effect chains of individual tracks, and on final mixes during the mastering process.
Be careful with attack and release time. if you set your compressor to attack fast, you will lose some of the transients on your beats. The ratio function serves to apply the amount of compression. For example, if you set it to 4:1, every 4 dB of your signal will be reduced to 1 dB—when the signal reaches above the set threshold.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the threshold function. If you set it too low, it will cause the “pumping” of your track. But maybe that is what you want to achieve: excessive compression, which was considered undesirable in the past, is now a very popular effect in electronic music.
3. Using Spatial EffectsThere are no rigid rules and dogmas when it comes to using reverbs and delays. It’s a matter of your taste. You are the one who gets to decide what kind of “reflection” suits your track the best, but you should always have one thing in mind. The spatial effects are generally inserted at the end of your effect chain (after the compressor and/or equalizer).
Play with the “wet/dry” function to decide how much room, hall or plate reverb you will add to the track.
To create interesting, rhythmic effects using delay, experiment with the tempo function. If your song is 140 RPM, set the half-tempo or maybe double tempo (280 RPM) to see what will happen.
If you are in need of VST and AU plug-in packages, check out Waves or FabFilter (in case you haven’t already).
4. Mixing Your TracksYour first EDM creations probably won’t sound as loud, powerful, colorful and crisp as those hits played on dance floors. You need to practice in order to master the art of finding the perfect levels for your beats, basses and synths, especially when you mix at home.
5. Explore Different OptionsAnother important thing regarding electronic music is experimenting. You will be surprised how much the atmosphere of a song can change with simple edits. Throw in a different kick or snare drum, change the color of the leading theme, or slow down the song’s tempo.
We hope this article helps you learn how to make electronic music and improve your EDM production skills. Let us know your experience in the comments below.
If you prefer that an experienced team of music production services work on producing your EDM track – check out some of the work we’ve done.
How to make electronic dance music in minutes - Tutorials
Tutorials / 22 August 2018
The North of England. An epicentre of the Northern Soul movement in the 60s and early 70s, venues like Wigan Casino became iconic for not only for the music, but for the dancing that went on inside. People would travel from far and wide to hear the music being played, but mostly to show off their moves on the dance floor.
Fast forward to the 80s in Manchester and Tony Wilson, a news reporter, music lover and Factory Records owner would open a new venue inside an old factory – which many cite as the birthplace of modern DJ culture, The Hacienda.
Recognised as the first place where people faced the DJ and praised them for the music they were playing, the trend quickly spread worldwide and dance music was born. 4/4 Beats made the music easy to predict and therefore to dance to, and DJs spliced tapes and mixed records together so there was never a break in the music, from opening, right through to the clubs closing time. The music influenced people dancing, and people dancing, influenced the music.
Today, Electronic Dance Music has taken on many forms and is influenced by a wide range of other genres. Subgenres include House, Techno, Trance, French Disco, Deep House, Funky, Latin House, Afro and EDM (yes it’s a sub-genre all on its own!) to name but a few. But whatever the sub-genre and style, the fundamentals of the music are always the same. It’s the predictable nature of the music that is what makes it easy to dance to. The 4/4 beat, the break, the build, the drop, all employed by the various subgenres, all of which stress different importance to different elements.
With techno, the is more sub sounds, less breaks and it’s often more industrial. House often has more open hi-hats and groove and the sound is more positive in nature.
If you consider yourself the next Richie Hawtin, Derrick Carter, Seth Troxler or Dixon, just know that on BandLab, we’ve got you covered. As well as having your own Digital Audio Workstation to take with you anywhere which is accessible via the cloud on your laptop, here you have full access to sound packs, midi loops, drum machines, and loads of features and FX to get you on your way to making your very first bomb for the dance floor. Here we’re going to show you a few…
Learn How to Recreate that Alan Walker drop on BandLab
The LooperIf you have little or zero knowledge of how dance music stars put their music together, then that’s ok, you can start with the Looper. The Looper is accessible on mobile and has built-in sound packs in loads of different genres and the tool never goes out of time or key! Just select looper, choose your favourite sound pack and away you go.
Sound packs include:
- Tropical House
- Atmospheric Dub Techno
- Classic Disco
- EDM Starter
- Indie Electro
- Electronic Fusion
- Pop Funk
- Techno Dub
- Minimal Techno
- Minimal
- Progressive House
The Looper is It’s a great way to generate ideas quickly. Record on the go and make edits later in the bedroom when you have access to your speakers.
LoopsFor greater control over what you are producing, check out the mix editor on your laptop. Loops give you a lot of creative freedom to select, drag and create your sound from a library of beats all made by our in-house professional sound team. Again, there are loads to choose from and for Electronic music, here are just a few of our favourites…
- Classic House
- Synthwave Ultra
- Progressive House
- EDM Express MIDI Pack
- Classic Acid
- Deep House Essentials
- Nu Disco
- EDM Megapack 1 & 2
- Minimal Masters
Where would Dance Music be without the drum machine? The Roland 909 was, and still is an absolute signature of the dance music sound, forming the basis of almost all dance music through the 90s.
Use the Techno Throwback kit to emulate that sound and then get playful with other elements. Maybe you like it afro and percussive, or maybe you want elements of Prince’s sound.
Whatever your take on Electronic Dance Music might be, there are loads for you to play around with on BandLab, so give some of our awesome tools and loops a try and who knows, maybe we’ll see you sharing a stage with the stars real soon!
Read more: How to produce a beat like Avicii on BandLab
How I learned to write dance music and started releasing on labels — Music on DTF
A big story about finding yourself in creativity. With pictures and music.
15033 views
Hi, I'm Muchkin. I write music. I make money with soundtracks for indie games, and for my soul and career I also make tracks in the genre of melodic house and techno. About how I came to composing, I wrote in a recent text. Now let me tell you about my path in dance music.
Screenshot of my latest project so far
Beginning
Somewhere in the ninth grade, I first heard Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix) as part of a mix from DJ Stroitel. I got crazy and started to get interested in drum and bass. I listened to Pendulum, Noisia, Spor, danced drum and bass dance, which we called drumstep.
Then I thought that I also want to write the same energetic cool music with rich drum parts. I had no idea how it was done, and the search led me first to some kind of MIDI editor, in which I made a couple of songs. And then I found FL Studio, a sequencer that I've been using for over a decade. nine0003
The first tracks were terrible.
I shared them under a shameful pseudonym on PromoDJ, in an active community of fellow beginners. We intelligently criticized each other's tracks, not knowing anything at all about how music is created. But it's always like that when you start.
nine0002 Toward the end of school, a dream began to form in me: I will learn how to make cool music for the university, and by the end of the fourth year I will become, if not a world star, then certainly a professional and respected music producer (a person who earns money by creating and performing electronic music ).I once read the idea that you need to make the first 100 songs as quickly as possible, because after them normal music will follow.
In my experience, yes, something like this is
University
In fact, for four years at university, I basically did only three things: studied (albeit well), played video games and suffered from fears and anxieties. Despite the fact that the dream still lived somewhere on the border of consciousness, and I considered myself a music producer, writing tracks faded into the background. nine0003
It wasn't because I was lazy or because I didn't want to make music. Just because I thought of a great success in advance, creativity turned into a hard and painful task. High anxiety, disorders, traumas, and just the peculiarities of the psyche (which I realized only ten years later thanks to psychotherapy) exacerbated the situation.
For example, I wrote this track for a whole year and spent more than hundred hours on it . That was the pace at which I produced finished works at that time. nine0003
Funny story. Born in Space found some cunning guy on PromoDJ and wrote me, they say, let's release it on my label. I went nuts from the word "label" and agreed. We even signed some kind of contract through the Proton system. After that, the man disappeared. Until now, the composition can be found on streaming services - he released it ten times, probably, and all under different "labels".
I didn't make a dime from it, of course. I suspect that he is also
nine0025Among my other works during this time, one can single out this psychedelic “neurofunk”, in which everything that is possible is not in tonality. When I wrote it, I did not yet know what tonality was.
This was supposed to be an intro for my friend's YouTube show, but it never launched.
At the university, I wrote little music, but this does not mean that I did not develop creatively. I listened and analyzed bass genres a lot and sometimes through suffering I made tracks. Many did not finish. So there was progress, but very slow.
This composition also took about a year and 60-80 hours of work.
My music from this period seems to meet some minimal requirements of the genres (the structure is readable, the sounds are more or less intelligible, the kick and snare give some kind of energy, sometimes there is even a sub-bass), but they are crooked, poorly thought out and uninteresting .
I just used samples, notes and instruments that seemed appropriate and didn't think about the big picture, melody or atmosphere. And, I suspect, for the better. If I had been worried about this as well, then anxiety would have completely crushed me. nine0003
By the way, my suffering also had some advantages. From the very beginning of working in FL Studio, I decided that I needed to create all the presets for the synths myself, and so I did.
By the time I received my diploma, I had a good knowledge of the standard synths of the program and even a small library of presets.
By the way, about the diploma: I wrote this experimental composition dedicated to a headache closer to the defense, which is symbolic.
Work
After my bachelor's degree, I went to the master's program and at the same time started looking for a job. For a year and a half, I was doing all sorts of small jobs (once I even made the whole foley for a short film). I didn’t do much music, although I was able to complete a couple of projects. nine0003
For example, this future beats track inspired by Ivy Lab and Noisia Radio selections.
And an old school drum and bass remix for Dorn (there was a PromoDJ contest).
I was looking for ways to make money on music: I applied to local game and recording studios, I tried my luck in creating beats and stock tracks. In vain. As I studied the market and read the stories of more successful producers, an unbearable, terrible thought formed in my head.
To achieve something, you have to work very hard
That explained a lot.
At the beginning of 2017, I was accepted to DTF. Since childhood, I loved games, I read LKI, the Land of Games and Igromania, so I was very happy with this opportunity.
I was part of the editorial staff for almost two years. At this time it was difficult to find the strength and time for music. I watched tutorials, analyzed other people's tracks, replenished my database of samples and presets, but completed projects during this time can be counted on the fingers of one hand. nine0003
Weird downtempo project - time.
Dubstep with the voice of YouTuber Jacksepticeye - two.
Gloomy base house - three.
Drum and bass, started back in 2016, four.
I tried to send each of these tracks to labels, but they were not taken anywhere. I was surprised: how is it that they have everything. And powerful basses, and cool drums, even some interesting effects.
Isn't that enough?
Oh, how little I understood.
nine0002 Composing
In the spring of 2019, I started building a career as an indie game composer. A few months later, this occupation even began to bring in some money and soon became the main one for me. (You can read about this path here.)
I found a way to make money with music and immersed myself in creativity. A little bit not the direction that I dreamed of, but still it was progress. Working on the soundtracks, I learned to feel the music better, learned new techniques and added to my own libraries even more. nine0003
As for dance tracks, at the end of 2019, aggressive and fast base house was popular, and I tried to sit on this hype train.
But no labels took the track, so I released it myself through distributor DistroKid. It was my first "adult" release - the one that appeared on streaming services. So far, I have earned exactly $0.03 on it. That's 17 auditions.
Back in the beginning of 2020, I made time for the LEAVEMEALONE halftime track.
nine0002 The flops over the past couple of years made me wonder: what is wrong with my music? Why doesn't anyone want to take it? Reflection and reflection led me to an important conclusion: in the first place, I do not make the music that I really want.
I became interested in making music thanks to drum and bass, then I started listening to dubstep and electro house, and for some reason I always felt that these genres were what I needed to work on. But as soon as I listened to myself a little (which I had never done before), it turned out that I had nothing to express through bass music. nine0003
Therefore, I spent the following months looking for genres that would most accurately reflect my inner state. They were melodic house and techno.
Brute force
Since April 2020, I have decided to get into dance music properly. Since I used to be able to create compositions only through force, I came up with a challenge for myself: to finish one track every month.
The logic was like this. By forcing myself to work on dance compositions month after month, sooner or later I had to develop all the necessary skills needed to create cool music. nine0003
I was going to basically brute force my creative powers
The first track turned out to be clumsy. The mixing is murky, there is not much development, both drops are arranged as if it were a summer banger, although a soulful melodic techno was conceived. But for starters, it will.
This track (and several others) I released again via DistroKid. Even tried to buy ads for him through Facebook. There were still few auditions (39 to date), but I was resentful of the label system after so many rejections and was determined to make a name for myself. nine0003
The next composition in May, Pasturage, was much softer. Birds, forest, nice sound design and summer rain atmosphere.
For this track, I also purchased advertising.
This time I set up the ad better and invested more money, so the output was more tangible. Now he has 138 plays.
The June track Arcane turned out to be mysterious and attractive, like a Celtic forest. Hence the name.
I did not commission advertising for him, because the determination to promote myself in the music industry began to fade. I didn’t pour so much money into advertising tracks, but there was no more extra money. nine0003
The conclusion was that you can break through on your own only in two cases: if you have a lot of money for advertising (I didn’t), or if you know how to do cool PR in social networks (I didn’t know how). So I started looking towards
labels again.Arcane was not taken to the labels (I did not even hope), but they took Autarca - the July track. Here's a snippet of it, and you can listen to it in full here.
It was released as a compilation on the sub-label of a small St. Petersburg publishing house Polyptych.
I knew perfectly well that this would not bring me any money or popularity, but I signed the contract anyway. You have to start somewhere. nine0003
The next track was a bit hooligan Help a Robot. I didn't send it anywhere, because big labels wouldn't take it, and it was long and tedious to look for small labels with such music. How do you even google them? "Labels with frivolous electro-house"?
In autumn I decided to make a three-track mini-album. For some reason it seemed to me that labels were more willing to take EPs than singles.
Even by this moment I had heard a lot of music in the selected genres and realized that in melodic house and techno, few people make tracks shorter than six minutes. So from now on, all my new compositions slowly fade in and out. nine0003
In general, the music has become less hasty and more conducive to immersion and thoughtful listening
As you might expect, my plan to boost my chances with labels with the EP didn't work out very well.
The release was eventually taken to the same Polyptych Limited (it will be released on July 5), but I was hoping for something bigger.
In December I finished the new track Rewired and decided to take a break. Working non-stop for nine months (and I also did soundtracks) without tangible results led to the fact that I just burned out. nine0003
Rest helped me rethink my priorities and figure out which way to go. I stopped caring too much about labels and started focusing more on creativity and self-expression. Plus, psychotherapy helped (and still helps) to listen to yourself better.
Rewired was included in the compilation for the Moscow label ONESUN (will be released sort of like in the summer).
Opening
I wrote the next composition at a more relaxed pace: burnout forced me to abandon the "one track per month" mode. Simultaneously with the work on the track, I was doing research. He carefully studied music in the chosen genres, pestered successful producers with questions, whom he could reach.
nine0003
The result was the biggest takeaway of all time: major labels need unique music first and foremost. One that has not yet been
Within the genre, of course, although the boundaries between melodic house and techno are blurred.
How to achieve uniqueness? For me, the answer is simple: it comes from the uniqueness of the psyche. If you learn to listen well and express yourself adequately, then creativity will be unique. Therefore, when creating Bird Law in January 2020, I tried to listen as often as possible to what melodies, sounds, effects and just decisions resonate with me. nine0003
This track doesn't just meet some technical requirements, it's undeniably my . For example, the title is taken from a comic book that I really like.
It's the law
And the theme of birds in it is not only because of the name, but also because these animals (but not all) touch me and my wife very much.
And also partly a track about the love that I feel for my wife, and this has something in common with the comic book. In general, a warm work about good things. The ones in me. nine0003
I don't know how noticeable this is to the outside listener, but I see a massive improvement over the previous compositions. He was even taken to a more serious label - the Italian Natura Viva. They promised to release it as part of a compilation. I don't know when exactly: for some reason, labels rarely notify me about such things, and I myself don't really care. I'm more focused on future works.
The last track so far is called You're Not What Your Mind Tells You. It's about my many battles with my own brain. It is a little sad, but with a light undertone, because no matter how scary the battles are, there is always a possibility to win. At least I can. nine0003
The other day I signed him to the Belgian label Sound Avenue. It will first be released exclusively on Spotify to try and push it into the platform's playlists, and will be released as part of a sub-label compilation in August.
After You're Not What Your Mind Tells You, I again rethought my creative process. Now I try to treat music less as a series of separate projects and more just as a field for experiments, from which cool completed projects will grow. Let's see where this takes me. nine0003
Such things. Thanks for reading. By the way, I will soon launch a course on creating electronic music from scratch. If interested, you can read the details here.
If you like my music, you can subscribe to Soundcloud, YouTube or Spotify. All my future tracks will appear there as well. Also here are my social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch.
7 Rules for Making Dance Music DJs Who Love to Play : Ask.Audio
I was a DJ before I ever got good at writing music. Because of this, I have always thought about how to make music DJs like to play. (Starting with yourself!)
Obviously the rule here is to make great music. But theres more than that. Especially in genres where DJs are mixing tracks on top of each other in abundance.
The fastest way for a track to never get played again is for it to be a pain to shuffle. The last thing a dj wants is a train-wreck mixand if playing your track results in a lot of bad mixes, get outta here!
That's why I've put together these seven rules to help make your great music also music that DJs want to play over and over again. nine0003
One quick note before we dive into. As you read, some of these rules may seem very simple if you've been mixing or doing dance tracks for a long time. But, in my experience as a DJ, they are mistakes that are more likely to get your track moved from the gig box to the trash heap. So it pays to be reminded!
While allowing you to dive into
1. Be careful of overlap
Firstly, if you're making music in the genres of house, EDM, dubstep, drum and bass, techno, trance, or any other genre where the DJ will try to beat the mixing of the tracks, you need to be mindful of how the tracks intersect ,
Getting real basic here, the DJ will play the last part of one track at the beginning of the next.
(How long this overlap is highly dependent on the genre).
And so when you look at the first 15 seconds to 2 minutes of your track, you have to think about how well it layers with what it's mixed into. In general, for most genres, the beginning should be fairly simple, and beat-driven. I like to stick to the main tonic note in whatever key I'm playing in (A in the key of A, C in the key of C, etc.) and perhaps the dominant or 5th note. You can tease melodic elements, but remember, this is the part of your song most often played mixed with another track. Keep it simple and its easy for the DJ to mix it up. nine0003
This bass is the whole melodic content of the intro of one of my tracks.
The same rule applies for the last 15 seconds to 2 minutes of your track. Another track will be mixed under it, and you should keep that in mind. Yes, you can save your tunes over through this final section. Although the track should grow simpler and beat driven as it reaches its completion.
Remember, the last thing a DJ wants is to end up with a mix where two songs start to clash, creating havoc in the mix. While some what about a DJ knowing their tracks, its also your responsibility as a producer to help them out. nine0003
2. Work in multiples of four Bars
Almost every dance musical genre is built in groups of four bars and multiples of four. 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, even 64 bar. And so almost every change in music takes place on the fourth or eighth line. Big changes most often occur after 16, 24, or 32 a bar.
When youre starting to structure your trackespecially at the beginning and at the end where the mixing is taking placeyou want to think in groups of four. At the beginning of a track, you can start entering items after 4 or 8 bars. More changeslike what a lead synth or basslineoften work best in 16 bar increments. nine0003
Main track instrument during the first 32 bars of my song. The note changes every 8 bars, with both bass tracks coming in after 16 bars.
Automation adds to the feeling of movement.
At 128 BPM, the tempo standard for mass house music, every 8 bars is 15 seconds. What Im seeing today is in many of the main tracks of the 24-bar intro. Usually the first eight bars are very simple, meant primarily for the DJ. The next 16 (bars) 9-24 begin to introduce distinctive elements. After bar 25, the track is meant to be played alone. nine0003
Some more progressive or minimal genres can have as much as a 2 minute mix overlap, so you can keep up on breakages or other major changes all the way up to 64-bars. It pays to explore your favorite tracks in the genre to see how they do it.
3. Know the Rhythm Structure for Your Genre
There's no quicker way to get a track dropped off the rotation than for a track to have a rhythm that just doesn't fit the song it's being mixed with. Know the genre! nine0003
House, trance, techno and have a beat on every quarter bar, with snare or clap on two and four.
Standard (if simple) house beat.
Breakbeat genres more often have the same snare or clap at two and four, with feet on one plus on eighths between two and four.
Standard (if simple) breakbeat.
Other percussive values, but you must have the basic rhythm down. Because otherwise, when your blending track is on top of another, the mixture of two very different beats creates a mess. nine0003
When it comes time for other percussive elements (including synth or bass), you have to be mindful of where their hits fall, too. Most dance music is based around 4/4, with some percussion elements on eighths and sixteenths.
Again, against overlap. Especially at the beginning and end of a track, you should generally stick to convention and only place items on quarters, eighths, and sometimes sixteenths where the genre is appropriate.
If your genre or subgenre doesn't use heavy swings, triplets, or some other less-single rhythm, avoid them in areas of the track where the DJ will be doing the mixing.
Even if you have a mind-bending tune here's a strange mixture of triplets and 7/8ths of the time, don't hold back until the middle of the road! nine0003
Track length 4. Know and structure for your Genre
It's hard to admit, most of my first track arrangements are too long. Most DJ music these dayseven in progressive genresclocks in somewhere shy of six minutes. If a DJ plays a whole set of songs that are right around five minutes apiece, and you have an epic eleven minute drive, this probably won't fit into the set. Itll disrupt the flow and could damage the dancefloor revs. nine0003
For a track to get regular rotation, this will help it match the other tracks in the DJ set. So spend some time browsing lists at your favorite music store to get a feel for the track's length. And then use it as a general guide for your productions.
Also, remember the structure of the song in your genre. How long is that introduction and outro?
The signal on the Beatport tells you a lot about the structure of a track.
This is a recent Top 10 hit 4:50 long, at 126 BPM. An intro of about 45 seconds followed by a 1-minute melodic breakout, then 45 seconds of beats, another 1 minute of breakout, then a 1:15 beat/outro. nine0003
5. Be careful the tempo changes during the performance of the song
This can be somewhat controversial. But I'm going to say it anyway. Most DJs today don't want to beat a match. And you have to satisfy their laziness if you want your tracks to play.
My first DJ setup was a pair of Numark TT-1 turntables and a Numark 2-channel mixer. I know how to win a match. I enjoyed it on vinyl. I loved getting a good blending craft. But with a digital DJ, its unnecessary. And although I know how I do not want to do it. I want to focus on song selection, and enjoy the performance. nine0003
This brings me to one song I often think of to play in my sets. Intro and Outro tempos are standard house speeds, 128 BPM. But in the middle of the track, theres a change of tempo that throws the track offline into Traktor.
On vinyl, this wouldn't have been a problem. And if I say in effort, I could solve this problem in Traktor. But I don't. And so the song doesnt make its way into their sets.
If you're going to change speed in the middle of a track, find a way to ensure your track stays on the grid. Otherwise, think long and hard if you want to risk DJs without knowing how TOOR put in the extra effort to include a track in their mix. nine0003
Back in the good old days when DJs wore stripes, vinyl rolled around and were ready to work to match your track to their mix.
6. Be Careful of Your Key
One of the major improvements in digital DJing has brought us this dramatic increase in key mixing. Today, when you load a track into most DJ software, it is immediately analyzed on what musical key it is. If you know how to use this information as a DJ, it's easy to create mixes that sound good together, and even rise and fall in energy and emotion over the course of a few songs. Fine.
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For producers though, this just highlights the need to understand some pretty basic music theory, and to make thoughtful decisions around your use of musical keys.
Yes, you can put key changes in your music, but you must be aware of how this can affect the DJ. A major change in the breakdown of your song may sound incredible, for example. But its a good idea to go back to the original key for the outro without throwing the mix off. nine0003
Also, keep in mind randomness (no notes in the key of the song). Especially in the intro and outro. They may sound great in tune, but if layered from a different track in a different key, they can seem terribly dissonant.
Just think of a DJ who uses key mixing going on with him to handle. Especially if they're over-reliant on analysis software, and I'm sick of admitting that I am. If the software gets the key incorrectly because there are too many key changes or an accident, it can mess up the mix and the DJ may not be able to figure out why.
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Again, make great music. But be mindful of how decisions like this impact the DJ if you want your tracks to make regular rotations in your sets.
7. Make sure it sounds good
Finally, you have to be obsessed with the quality of the final mix.
Use good headphones and/or reference monitors instead of manufacturers. Then, when you think you have a good connection, listen on as many different systems as you can. Headphones. Your car turned out with bass. Big speakers. Small speakers. Everywhere. Get other producers and DJs to listen to your mix and give you their feedback. nine0003
I learned this the hard way. A few years ago, I had an Id track created on my Cerwin-Vega MX-400, with 15 bass. And I'd check it out on my DJ headphones. Neither were good for validating your mix. Back then, I was playing in a club, and the speakers went mud. It sounded terrible. Life is sucked out of the dance floor. You never wanted this to happen to your tracks
Since then, I've learned about aggressive EQ, managing the frequency spectrum, being very careful with the bass, using reference tracks to test your mix, and more.
