One might say that there’s no mistakes when producing electronic music, as long as it sounds good. However, when giving feedback to fellow producers, I find myself noticing the same things I don’t like over and over. I thought I’d list these issues in an article, so that you guys make sure you’re not making these ”mistakes”. I’m also going to include techniques of dealing with these problems, which should greatly impact the sound of your tracks. Let’s get started! 1. Overproducing I’d say that the most frequent mistakes producers make is producing without a strong core idea. It could...

Your bass, always a hassle to get right. It lacks boominess, power and doesn't seem to fit right with your track. What can you do about it? For starters, just finding the right bass preset, or creating the right bass can be a hassle. The presets in your sound banks sounds great on their own, but just misplaced and too spaced-out in your track. And using a simple sinewave is boring, right? You want something beefier, heavier. Something that you know could blast the crowds out of their shoes on concerts. Struggling with the bass is a part of the learning curve...

The success of this track is indisputable. This track has been the Number 1 on the UK Official Trending Chart, and has topped the Spotify’s „Hit Dancefloor” Chart. Today I’m going to take a deeper look at it to find out what makes this remix so catchy and popular. The original track The original title of the track is L’Amour Tojours and you know it for sure. It’s one of these 2000s „guilty pleasure” tracks everyone secretly listens to. It’s a track with an iconic synth line in the chorus and a „not so interesting” melody in the verse. That’s...

A great vocal recording can make or break a song. Think of any decades-old classic or your favorite song, and chances are that it’s the vocal that stands out in your memory. In an ideal world, we would all be able to record vocal tracks in a state-of-the-art recording facility, with drawers full of expensive condenser and ribbon mics and racks and racks of high-end outboard gear. However, that’s not always the case, even among the pros. The good news is that getting decent vocal recordings at home is entirely possible, even with modest gear. With the following tips and...

Are you ready to make amazing mixes? What is mixing, anyway? Wikipedia explains the process perfectly: "Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and or enhanced. Also, effects such as reverberation and echo may be added. This practical, aesthetic, or otherwise creative treatment is done in order to produce a finished version that is appealing to listeners." Mixing is to combine several sounds into one source. Good mixing is doing this and getting a balanced result....

The beauty of live music lies in its imperfection. Even the most seasoned musician won’t be able to hit notes like a machine. While perfect quantization may sound good in theory, the actual result might be disappointing. Humanization can also be defined as “anti-robotization”, meaning that you try to emulate the imperfection that comes with playing instruments like a human being. Let’s see how you can give your tracks a human touch. 1. Reduce quantization amount Quantization is great - it allows you to correct mistakes you might have made while recording. However, too much of it makes your chords and...

 One of the reasons why Spotify is the most popular streaming service is because of its music discovery options. The quality of playlists on this platform beats all the competition. As a result, artists get a new possibility of promoting their music. Spotify offers two kinds of playlists: official and user-created. Official playlists are usually more popular, but user-generated playlists offer an even greater variety of genres. Let’s start from official playlists - like RapCaviar or New Music Friday. How do I get a track on an official playlist? There’s three ways. 1. Spotify For Artists This year Spotify...

Get that classic sound with these 5 free synths for Mac & Windows! 1. Steinberg Model E [Minimoog Model D] The Minimoog is probably the most important synth in history. It was the first compact synth which musicians could easily use on tour. Combined with an easy to use interface and warm sound it quickly became the top synth in the world. It was used in countless hits - for example in Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the bass. I was surprised by how good Steinberg's emulation sounds. It’s a nice free alternative to Arturia’s Mini V. Here’s the bassline from Thriller recreated...

Ears in music production are the same as feet in football. Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo would have come so far without training? It’s no different when it comes to producing. Let’s explore some ear training techniques to get you ready to play in the “big league”.  Critical listening vs analytical listening There are two listening perspectives that form the foundation of music production, each being important in its own way and essential for a professionally-sounding and expressive song. The aim of critical listening is to pinpoint the physical details of a mix. These can be the dynamic range, how...

Do you know the difference between a bootleg, VIP and Re-Edit? 1. Official remix An official remix is typically requested by an artist or label. The remixer gets the stems (audio bounce of each track) and sometimes the MIDI files. If the remix will help sell the artist’s record, the remixer gets a fee or profit share from the sales. Sometimes the remix ends up being more popular than the original track, such as Hippie Sabotage’s remix of Tove Lo’s “Stay High”. 2. Bootleg A bootleg is an unofficial remix (made without permission of the original artist). Most bootleggers don’t...