Music production, or beat making as it’s often called, is an art that takes many years of practice to get good at. Although every artist has their own unique way of doing things, over the years producers have developed and employed particular techniques to get that familiar sound listeners like. This article will reveal a few of these methods so you can also get that high-quality professional sound with your productions.

Layering

The key to getting a unique sound that’s different from what everyone else is using sounds that are not the same as what everyone else uses. You will find that this isn’t easy to do since no matter what DAW or machine you use the sample kits, plug-ins and sounds you have, they’ve probably been used many times before. Further, EQ and compression can only change something so much. Instead of relying solely on pre-made sounds from drum kits, an easy way to make new sounds of your own is by layering many sounds together. For example, you can blend a boomy sub kick and a kick with more high end so that you end up with a punchier sound. If you want to give your snare a bit more crunch you can try layering it with a clap or another snare. But you don’t have to stop at layering drum samples. You can also layer multiple synths together to get a richer more unique sound. For example, try layering a piano with another electric keyboard or a pad—the blend of different instruments will add more substance to the track without making the song busier. Make sure to find a proper balance of your sounds and be cautious not to add too many layers because it can make things start to sound flat. You can also try saving your sounds and creating original drum kits out of them that you can use for future songs.

Collaborate

Although it can be rewarding to do things all on your own, it’s also beneficial to get together with other talented producers and collaborate on projects together. Most producers have a strong suit or a weakness. If you’re not good at playing keyboard and or coming up with chord progressions then getting together with a talented keyboardist can take things to the next level. If you are great at playing instruments but your drum programming isn’t great, then collaborating with a great drum programmer is an ideal strategy for improving on that in your own productions. Having someone else’s creative energy in the mix is a way to keep the whole process fun and inspired.

Less Is More

Always keep in mind the potential to overproduce a song. There are only a handful of instruments and patterns a person can perceive at once before the rest of it starts to sound like noise. In order to avoid the song sounding too busy, it’s always best to keep it simple. Make sure to leave enough space in the mix for a voice to be added later. Don’t flood the song with a bunch of different sounds all playing different melodies and chords. Try not to overdo the sound effects and fills; place them strategically throughout the song every few bars. Most importantly, do not get aggressive with the mixing—the final product can end up sounding overdone if you do too much processing to the mix too early. It’s better to leave things mostly untouched to give the engineer as much room as possible to do what is needed once the song is recorded and ready for mixing.

Tell a story

Just like there is a beginning, middle and end to a book, so it should be with your instrumental. The structure you use depends on the genre of music you’re trying to create. If you’re making RnB, things should start off simple and quiet for the verse and then build up in the pre-chorus to a climax in the hook. For hip-hop, you can start off the song with a high energy chorus section and then drop out a few drums and the main melody for a softer section where a verse can be put. There are other arrangements you can play around with but the idea is the same—create sections with varying energies and patterns so that the listener doesn’t get tired of listening to the same patterns and volume levels for three to four minutes straight.

Want to read more advice for producers? Check out 5 Tips For Building Your Name As A Beat Producer