How to produce a song start to finish
There are many ways to create a complete piece of music. A common approach would be to begin by picking an idea, theme or mood, then compose chords, beats, melodies and lyrics.
Next the song needs to be arranged, after which you’ll likely want to make some tweaks to the mix. Finally the song can be mastered, using tools such as Ozone 11 Elements.
How to mix a song from start to finish
One common way to mix a song from start to finish is to first balance the levels of your tracks, so that nothing is too loud or too quiet. Next, effects such as EQ, dynamics processing, delay and reverb can be applied to ensure that each element sounds its best.
Some producers prefer to mix as they go rather than after the arrangement has been completed, and some like to reference against professional tracks to ensure that their mix sounds comparable.
How can I produce my own song?
Everything you need to produce your own song is included in Native Instruments 360 Essentials, including instruments, effects, and mixing and mastering tools. By following this tutorial you’ll be able to produce your first song, and this should give you the confidence and inspiration to make many more.
How to create a song from start to finish
1. Creating a concept
Many musicians start their projects by simply noodling with whatever instruments they have to hand, but let’s take a more organized approach.
Currently, crossover country tracks are popular, so let’s make a laid-back country/hip-hop hybrid. By making this decision we already know that our track’s tempo should probably be in the 80-100 BPM range, and that we’ll need a guitar instrument, a drum kit and a bass sound at the very least. Session Guitarist Strummed Acoustic, Empire Breaks and Massive X are all included in 360 Essentials, so we can use those to make the foundation of our track, then add other elements when we have a better idea of the track’s vibe.
Now, let’s begin making our track. Set the project tempo to 85 BPM.
