EDU Portal
How to Make Music in 5 Easy Steps
September 14, 2022When most people think about making music, they imagine an artist engrossed in their creative process for hours on end, constantly revising their work until they actualize their vision of perfection.
While it’s true that learning to create music requires a blend of knowledge, skill, and artistic talent, beginners have a unique advantage over seasoned professionals. Those new to making music have no preconceived notions about how to create a musical project. Since beginners lack the self-imposed creative limitations of an expert, they are more open to experimentation.
However, beginner songwriters need access to tools and knowledge that enable them to hone their raw talent. Once artists understand which listeners they would like to attract, they will need to choose a digital audio workstation that allows them to bring their vision to life. Artists can begin composing a song with a clear idea of their ideal listeners and the right tools. From there, all you’ll need to do is put the finishing touches on your project and share it with the world.
Experience is the best teacher, so what are you waiting for? Unleash your creativity and start making music today with these five easy steps.
1. Find Your Niche
Who do you envision driving around town with the windows down, singing along to your latest track? Keep the image of this person in your mind’s eye when you’re ready to create a song. This is the person to whom you’re writing.
Most musicians dream about the day they will play their songs for packed stadiums, but they often fail to consider that their audience is composed of people who fall within a specific demographic. To know who is in this demographic, artists must first understand themselves.
Before composing a song, musicians must understand how each project encompasses their unique voice while ensuring that their ideal listener is pleased with the final project. Even the most prolific songwriter understands that it is impossible to create a song that appeals to the hearts and minds of everyone. Songwriters who project a distinct image through their body of work can cultivate a loyal fanbase that will support their artistic endeavors for years to come.
2. Choose a DAW
The most important tool you will use when creating a song is your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Simply put, a DAW is computer software that allows songwriters to control every component of their project, whether it’s recording, mixing, or mastering your audio.
If you’re new to music production, you’ll want to choose a DAW that’s relatively straightforward and intuitive. Ultimately, choosing the best DAW is a matter of personal preference because you will need to select an option tailored to the type of music you’re interested in creating. If you’re a student or teacher interested in bringing the power of artistic expression into the classroom, Soundtrap for Education is the DAW you’ve been waiting for.
Soundtrap’s DAW
Soundtrap empowers students and teachers with the ability to create and edit audio recordings. This intuitive, cloud-based audio recording studio allows students and teachers to make music in a safe, secure digital environment. With Soundtrap, students can master the intricacies of creating professional projects in a safe place.
Creating powerful music is all about connecting with others. Soundtrap simplifies the collaborative process with its ability to integrate seamlessly with any wifi-connected device. Never miss a beat with advanced collaboration features that allow students to work on group projects together in real-time. Since Soundtrap is cloud-based, students can begin their creative project in the classroom and put the finishing touches on their project in the comfort of their own homes.
If students need a little guidance with their projects, teachers can easily provide feedback, track student progress, and even create new assignments. In an educational setting, security and safety are top priorities. Due to this, Soundtrap for Education is complete with a secure, walled environment where creativity reigns supreme. The platform also allows students and teachers to access unlimited projects, along with thousands of loops, sound effects, presets, and more for a polished project every time.
3. Write the Lyrics and Compose a Melody
When inspiration strikes, you may find yourself humming the melody before you have lyrics or vice-versa. One method of songwriting is not inherently better than the other. However, the concept for virtually every song begins with understanding the emotion you wish to evoke. After finding the emotion, begin fleshing out the rest of the concept for a polished final project.
If you’re starting with the melody, give yourself the time to feel the emotion it suggests. At this point in the project, allow your creative juices to flow. Write down any emotions, words, phrases, or even colors that you associate with the feelings that the melody evokes.
Once you find a line that encompasses the song’s overall feeling, you can make this your title. Most people know what it’s like to have a catchy chorus stuck in their heads. Which part of the song do you imagine people singing along with or humming while they stroll through the grocery store? This is your chorus. From here, you can flesh out the rest of your project and create a vivid, memorable story with the power of music.
After creating a memorable hook, support your creative vision with verses that tie each song’s component together. In most songs, the verse comes before and after the chorus, but some songwriters choose to experiment with alternative song structures. Ultimately, the verses provide a way for listeners to connect with the chorus with the broader themes and emotions that songwriters attempt to convey. Once the song’s basic structure is established, you can tighten and polish the overall sound for a sonically pleasing musical experience.
4. Mix and Master
Even experienced songwriters may struggle with mixing and mastering because it takes years to train your years to identify specific frequency ranges. Moreover, fixing a problem with a frequency can be even more challenging. Over time, you will discern which parts of the song to bring forward or backward for a balanced end result.
There are several primary components in mixing, which include the following:
- Gain staging
- Level balancing
- EQ
- Ambiance
- Compression
- Panning
In the past, mastering music was a process that people used to ensure that their songs were ready to be on vinyl. Today, people master their songs. Mastering prepares music for release on digital music platforms like Spotify. Essentially, mastering is the final step in creating a song. During the mastering process, you will need to identify the frequencies of your song so that you hear which components could be boosted or cut for a balanced sound.
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re struggling with mixing and mastering! Learning to make music is an ongoing journey. As a beginner, it’s important to focus on learning one specific skill at a time. Over time, understand how each component works with one another.
5. Publish Your Music
In the digital era, it’s easier than ever for artists to record, mix, and release their own music with intuitive music production software and digital streaming platforms. After putting the final touches on your masterpiece, it’s time to share your music with the world. Since Spotify is the world’s most popular music streaming platform, it’s the perfect place to start.
To publish your music on Spotify, you’ll need to use a Digital Service Provider (DSP), which is a company that distributes media to streaming platforms. While some DSPs are invitation-only, others require artists to complete an application that they may accept or deny.
However, most music is approved as long as it’s a quality production and people are willing to stream it. Spotify recommends that artists use DistroKid because artists only need to pay a small annual fee for unlimited uploads. What’s even better is that DistroKid allows artists to collect 100% of the revenue generated from their streams. And that’s all there is to it! You’re officially a published musical artist at the touch of a button.
Unleash Your Musical Talent with Soundtrap for Education
Aspiring music artists may believe that writing, creating, and publishing music is more complex than it actually is, but modern music production tools and streaming platforms have made it easier than ever before to share your artistic vision with the world. If you’re a student or teacher ready to share the power of music with the classroom, Soundtrap for Education is the audio production platform of your dreams.
Soundtrap for Education is the ultimate audio production platform for students and teachers to create and edit audio recordings unlike any other. This innovative platform provides users with thousands of instruments, sounds, loops, and more for an engaging sonic experience. Students and teachers can easily tap into their artistic side with this intuitive audio platform that facilitates a creative learning environment for every subject, regardless of the student’s age or experience level.
With Soundtrap for Education, students and teachers can collaborate at any time and any place. In addition, the platform is equipped with a robust resource portal for teachers, students, and administrators, complete with tutorials, external curricula, and lesson plans to complete the educational experience. Teachers can ensure that student collaboration is safe and secure with invite-only groups in Sountrap’s versatile digital environment.
If you’re ready to enhance your educational experience with an intuitive cloud-based audio production platform, get started today with Soundtrap for Education!
