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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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The LANDR Resource Hub

The LANDR Resource Hub: via LANDR Blog

Learning music is how you move forward with your creativity.

Whether you’re building your first beat or releasing your magnum opus there’s always something more to learn.

LANDR DAW Sessions

LANDR MIDI Packs

LANDR Printables

LANDR Samples

LANDR Presets

To help you on your journey we’ve published tutorials, explainers and in-depth guides on all the topics that matter in music creation.

But it doesn’t end there. Sometimes you need hands-on experience to break through a tough topic.

That’s why we’re providing direct access to the best tools, resources and raw materials to help you progress.

In this collection you’ll find the DAW Sessions, MIDI packs, Printables, Free Samples and Plugin Presets you need to follow along with our resources and keep growing your music.

LANDR DAW Sessions

The best way to learn music production is directly in your DAW.

When you’re working through a tutorial inside an actual DAW session you can see how every detail in a track fits together.

Here’s every DAW session included with LANDR tutorials.

Download How To Chop Samples Ableton Session

LANDR MIDI Packs

Chord progressions? Minor scales? Cadences?

If you’re just starting with music theory it’s easy to get stuck looking for the notes on your MIDI controller.

To make it faster we’ve created pre-built MIDI files to help you with concepts from music theory.

Here’s every MIDI Pack included with LANDR tutorials

Download 10 Powerful Chord Progressions MIDI Pack

Download How To Write A Song MIDI Pack

Download 10 Popular Drum Patterns MIDI Pack

LANDR Printables

It’s not always easy to keep the details at hand when you need them.

Sometimes the best solution is good old fashioned pen and paper.

That’s why we wrote the essential music cheat sheets to help you keep it all straight.

Here’s every printable resource included with LANDR tutorials

Download Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Guitar Chord Chart

Download Music Scales Cheat Sheet

Download Form and Structure Cheat Sheet

LANDR Samples

You can never have too many cool sounds for your tracks.

That’s why we include every sample you’ll need to follow along in your DAW with the exact same sounds—absolutely free.

Here’s every sample pack included with LANDR tutorials.

LANDR Presets

VST instruments are a major perk of modern music production.

You get access to tones and timbres that were once only found in expensive big budget studios.

Even so, many VSTs aren’t easy to use right out of the box.

Complex controls and endless parameters make creating presets from scratch difficult for beginners.

Use the custom presets we build for popular VST instruments and effects to get great sounds from your plugins instantly.

Here’s every preset included with LANDR tutorials.

Download 808 Bass Tips Simpler Preset

The post The LANDR Resource Hub appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/resource-hub/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/634612600377933824

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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Lo-fi Music: The Basics You Need To Start Making it

Lo-fi Music: The Basics You Need To Start Making it: via LANDR Blog

Lo-fi has taken on a lot of different meanings in recent years.

The term low-fidelity once referred only to the quality of a sound signal.

What is lo-fi music?

How to make lo-fi music

Common lo-fi production techniques

How to find lo-fi samples

Lo-fi music forever

Specifically, a sonic signal of a poorer quality—usually one produced by cassettes.

But today, the grainy, warbling sound that came from tape recordings and cassettes has given birth to an entire genre of music and production style.

Lo-fi music now refers to an entirely instrumental brand of sample-based hip-hop beat production—and its sprawling community of beatmakers, listeners and live streaming playlists.

The genre has exploded in popularity over the last few years, especially on YouTube.

So you might be interested in learning more about the new genre. Especially, if you want to create lo-fi tracks of your own.

In this article we’ll look at everything there’s to know about lo-fi music—the music theory behind it, the different production techniques used to make it and where to get the best lo-fi samples.

Make good music

How to get verified

How to get music press

How to build a fanbase

How to share new music

What is lo-fi music?

Lo-fi music refers to a genre of music produced with low-fidelity signals, typically re-creating the hiss, warble and saturation of recordings made with a tape machine. Most lo-fi music draws on hip-hop influences—especially its typical drum patterns.

Lo-fi vs. lo-fi music

While today the term lo-fi refers to an entire genre of music, lo-fi traditionally referred to low fidelity sound signals.

In the past, lo-fi was not a compliment. In fact, most producers worked their hardest stay away from a “lo-fi” sound.

But now, with the marvels of DAWs and digital music production, a certain nostalgia for the warbling sound of cassette recordings has returned.

Today lo-fi producers use a slurry of modern production techniques to bend samples into hip-hop tracks that evoke the sounds of 90s car stereos.

How to make lo-fi music

Making lo-fi music is surprisingly simple—even if it relies on some slightly more complicated jazz theory.

That’s because it’s sample-based. You don’t necessarily have to know how to play certain chords on the piano or guitar when you can just sample them.

Today’s lo-fi producers bend samples into tracks that evoke the sounds of 90s car stereos.

Pretty much anyone can get started making lo-fi beats with a handful of samples and a free DAW like GarageBand.

Let’s explore a few of the most basic elements behind making lo-fi music.

1. Sample in a DAW

The first step is to learn how to sample in your DAW.

There’s a few techniques you can use, and we’ve created tons of content around the subject before.

But as a basic start, you’ll either want to drop samples directly into the timeline of your DAW project or you’ll use a sampling plugin to chop the sample according to its transients.

Of course, you’ll need some good samples to work with—let’s take a look at the kinds of sounds you should be looking for.

2. Hip-hop drum loops

Lo-fi music is based on hip-hop. Specifically, it almost entirely borrows the style of drum production found in 90s and early 2000s hip-hop.

Hip-hop loops with snappy snares, thuddy kicks and hissing hi-hats are staples in this genre.

But snares, kicks and hi-hats aren’t all you should focus on. There’s plenty of lo-fi music out there that uses samples of bottles, pots and pans, stick clicks and pretty much any odd percussion you can imagine.

There’s plenty of lo-fi music out there that uses samples of bottles, pots and pans, stick clicks and pretty much any odd percussion you can imagine.

Lo-fi lends itself towards recorded samples of live percussion elements, even if some sub-genres like lo-fi trap lean towards electronically produced samples.

Live recorded samples are more popular since they’re easy to manipulate and break down into lo-fi territory and because recorded drums just sound jazzier.

Speaking of jazz…

Lo-fi chord progressions

Lo-fi chord progressions are mostly just simplified jazz chord progressions.

You’ll hear many lo-fi producers applying jazzy two-five-one chord progressions with more complicated 7th and 9th voicings in their lo-fi tracks.

We’ve written about chord progressions before, including jazz chords. So take some time to brush up on your basic music theory if you want to write a really good lo-fi track.

Even if you don’t play guitar or piano, knowing a little theory will help you know what to look for when searching for the right jazzy samples.

Lo-fi instruments

When you’re writing a lo-fi track, think like a jazz composer.

Lo-fi music crosses over with jazz in many ways— but with a lot of loops. So you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the instruments that jazz music commonly uses.

Most jazz is built on top of a rhythm section that consists of drums, double bass and piano. So these instruments should absolutely be part of any lo-fi arrangement you create.

Of course, you can always add some spice with saxophone, trumpet, guitar, trombone, harp… just listen to a couple classic jazz records and you’ll get the idea.

Common lo-fi production techniques

Okay now comes the fun part. The production side of lo-fi music is really what defines the genre.

The production side of lo-fi music is really what defines the genre.

Here’s four basic production techniques that almost every lo-fi producer uses.

Tape saturation

Tape saturation is the main effect that gives lo-fi its sonic qualities. Really, you should read up on how tape machines work.

But in short, tape saturation is the main effect that tape machines are still beloved for. In short, it’s what happens as you add more audio to a tape.

Tape saturation is caused by the physical limitations of cassette tape.

When you record more and more audio to tape it compounds subtle distortion, compression, phasing, small irregularities in pitch, roll-off of high and low frequencies and general changes in resonance across the frequency spectrum to create a “saturated” effect.

Essentially, tape saturation is that thin, warbling sound you associate with lo-fi.

Of course, if you don’t need a tape machine to get a tape saturation effect, there’s tons of tape saturation plugins out there that effectively emulate the effect of recording on a tape machine.

Sidechaining

The next production technique you hear all the time in lo-fi music is sidechaining.

You can dive deep into how it works in one of our previous articles, but the sonic effect is easy to explain.

Next time you listen to a lo-fi playlist, pay attention to a certain pulsing rhythmic effect that makes the entire track duck in volume every time the kick drum is struck—that’s sidechaining!

Essentially that’s what sidechain compression does—every time a specific sound occurs (in most cases a kick), the entire track ducks to make the kicks more audible adding a rhythmic element to the track.

You can easily learn how to set up a sidechain effect in your DAW if you follow this tutorial.

DAW swing

Like jazz, lo-fi music doesn’t strictly adhere to a grid-like understanding of rhythm like rock or electronic music.

Instead, notes are loose and slightly off-kilter.

In jazz, this rhythmic feel is called swing.

But lo-fi music isn’t swung exactly. Rhythms are instead played “in the cracks”—meaning the beat isn’t perfectly straight but nor is it perfectly swung.

This effect was pioneered by beatmaking legend J Dilla, who learned how to use his MPC to place notes off the rhythmic grid to create a rhythmic feel called MPC Swing.

Later, with the introduction of DAWs, the term became known as DAW swing.

With any DAW you can add the exact swing feel you want in your track, whether you want a classic MPC swing pattern or your own custom swing pattern.

Adding DAW swing in your DAW is easy and we’ve written about it in-depth in other articles.

Lo-fi audio effects and lo-fi VSTs

Lo-fi music makes use of a ton of audio effects.

You’ll hear phaser, reverb, pitch bending, chorus, delay… the list goes on and on.

Getting acquainted with exactly what each audio effect does is a great way to level up your production skills and improve your tracks.

We’ve written a lot about different ways to use audio effects in your music production, so dive in a play with some knobs!

And of course, there are so many lo-fi VST plugins out there to help you hone your sound.

How to find lo-fi samples

Be careful when hunting for samples to use in your lo-fi tracks.

Sampling copyright is still a murky area and your tracks might get taken down if you haven’t cleared your tracks before release.

Your best bet is to use royalty-free sample markets like LANDR Samples, where you can freely use any of the samples you download.

There are so many amazing lo-fi sample packs out there to sift through.

I guarantee you’ll find something amazing, especially because these sample packs are formatted to be easy to arrange, chopped and crafted in your DAW.

Lo-fi music forever

Lo-fi is a music trend that isn’t going away.

Just a simple YouTube search will provide you with so many playlists that your tracks could be featured on.

There’s a huge community of lo-fi music lovers out there, so if you feel called to write some lo-fi tracks there’s tons of support out there for you.

Get out there and make a lo-fi beat to chill out to!

The post Lo-fi Music: The Basics You Need To Start Making it appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/lofi/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/634593711626584064

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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The 10 Best VST Instruments Every Producer Needs

The 10 Best VST Instruments Every Producer Needs: via LANDR Blog

Ever since the VST first made its way into the music production world, VST instruments dramatically increased the capabilities of DAWs.

It’s truly incredible how this technology that remains relatively unchanged from its first versions in the late 90s, continues to shape modern music production as we know.

There are 1000s of VST instruments on the market today, including some great free ones.

But freeware plugins can only take you so far. The top tone tools for music production are still commercial products that come with a price tag.

When it comes to paid synth plugins, knowing where to put your money is hard. Which is why LANDR now offers rent-to-own plugins—to bring you the tools you need at affordable prices.

With all the options out there, it doesn’t have to be scary or expensive if you’re able to pick the best synth plugin that’s right for your music production needs.

Let’s take a look at VST instruments that are responsible for iconic tracks and sounds you can’t get anywhere else.

Here’s the essential list of the best VST instruments and synth plugins

Lethal Audio

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Xfer Serum

Native Instruments Massive

Native Instruments FM8

Arturia V Collection

Native Instruments Kontakt 6

Reveal Sound Spire

u-he Hive

REFX Nexus 2

Use this list to choose the best synth plugins from the cream of the crop.

1. Lethal Audio Lethal

Price: $199

Lethal by Lethal Audio is a ROM based powerhouse that includes thousands of sounds and presets and 24 genre-specific expansions.

It’s also the first rent-to-own plugin from LANDR…

We know, we know: we’re a bit biased. But we had to put it first on this list because we’ve been enjoying it so much in our own productions lately.

Lethal by Lethal Audio is a ROM based powerhouse that includes thousands of sounds and presets 24 genre-specific expansions.

This soft synth puts some of the most in-demand tones in modern production right at your fingertips with it’s easy to use preset browser.

From there’s plenty of room to sculpt them with effects and powerful synthesis features.

Plus its light enough on your processor that you can create an entire track using just Lethal.

If you’re looking for simplicity and great value, Lethal is the perfect synth for you.

2. Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Price: $499 USD

Spectrasonics Omnisphere is one of the biggest names in software synthesizers. This massively powerful instrument packs an almost overwhelming amount of functionality.

There’s so much going on under the hood in Omnisphere that it might be a little intimidating to new users.

But there’s a super helpful community around this synth to guide you on your journey—and plenty of resources available if you’re feeling stuck.

If all else fails you could get lost in the sheer number of presets and discover some incredible sounds without ever once needing to do any tweaking.

Omnisphere is a powerful experience!

3. Xfer Serum

Price: $189 USD

Xfer Serum is usually next on the list of the most essential soft synths.

Serum is a wavetable synthesizer. Unlike the hardware synths of the past that rely on wavetable technology, Serum has no processing limitations—and it shows.

Serum’s wavetable tech is incredibly powerful. Even for simple waveforms, its expertly implemented wavetables sound ultra-clear and clean.

This gives the synth a crisp and clean sound that can be quite intense!

4. Native Instruments Massive

Price: $149 USD

Native Instruments’ Massive has been around since the early days of softsynths, but it’s an all-time favourite for a reason.

This synth is designed to make basses. Massive basses—and it works.

Its easy to use virtual-analog subtractive design will seem familiar and intuitive, even to new users.

Its extremely fat sound has defined a generation of producers and continues to be a great option for plugin synthesis.

Hot Tip: Massive has just received a significant update with NI Massive X.

Massive X is an entirely new synth plugin reimagined from the ground up to bring the classic VST into the modern era of music production. It just might end up being more legendary than the original!

5. Native Instruments FM8

Price: $149 USD

Native Instruments FM8 is another longtime favourite soft synth from the classic plugin manufacturer.

FM8 uses frequency modulation synthesis like the iconic Yamaha DX-7 that defined the sound of the 80s.

This method can seem complicated, but FM8 focuses on putting all the control you need at your fingertips.

Plus, FM8 takes FM synthesis much further than classic hardware.

All the delicate, crystalline bells and keys you might associate with FM are there, along with all kinds of inspiring new sounds and textures—FM is cool!

6. Arturia V Collection

Price: 499$

The Arturia V Collection is truly incredible because it gives you access to a library of legendary vintage synths.

It’s hard to express just how incredible it is that you can download and emulate genre-defining synths like the CS-80 or the ARP 2600.

Having access to a literal library of classic synths opens up your production capabilities to levels that producers of eras past could only dream about.

7. Native Instruments Kontakt 6

Price: $519

Kontakt 6 is a collection of sample-based instruments from Native Instruments.

It’s essentially a platform that plugs into your DAW and gives you access to its three Play Series synths, Retro Machines MK2 and its original Factory Library.

The Play Series synths come with three synth engines—Analog Dreams for classic analog-style synths, Ethereal Earth for atmospheric pads and Hybrid Keys for interesting Rhodes style sounds.

Retro Machines is Native Intstruments’ retro synth offering that gives access to 16 re-creations of classic vintage hardware.

And of course, the Factory Libary comes with 1000s of stock samples you can freely use in your tracks.

8. Reveal Sound Spire

Price: $189 USD

Reveal Sound Spire is a hybrid synthesizer that covers everything from analog modelling to “HardFM.”

Spire’s powerful unison modes allow for up to 9 unison voices per oscillator

And its internal effects system is like a built-in sound design tool, complete with its own LFOs and matrix slots.

Onboard mixing tools like EQ and compression make Spire a one-stop-shop for designing tones that work great in a mix.

9. u-he Hive

Price: €149 Euro

u-he Hive is a sleek and lightweight multipurpose synth with tons of functionality. Hive’s effective workflow can get you started creating great sounding patches right away.

It’s ability to support microtunings and unique mix of synthesis styles makes it unique and it’s extensive modulation matrix and function generators make it flexible.

But at heart Hive is a two oscillator subtractive synth. That means that even if you’re still getting comfortable with the basics of synthesis, there’s nothing here you can’t handle.

10. REFX Nexus2

Price: $249 USD

REFX Nexus2 is another ROM based plugin with an extensive library that’s fully loaded for EDM production.

Nexus has made its way into the studios of some pretty big names, but the sound quality speaks for itself.

Nexus is expandable via a huge amount of downloadable content and expansions on REFX for every style of music.

Synthetica

Synthesizer plugins are one of the most exciting parts of digital music production.

No matter what sound you’re chasing, there’s a soft synth out there that will help you get it.

These are the best synth plugins to check out next time you’re GAS-ing for a powerful new plugin to add to your arsenal.

The post The 10 Best VST Instruments Every Producer Needs appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/best-synth-plugins/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/634522124928811008

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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3 Reasons Why You Should Write Music in a Different Genre

3 Reasons Why You Should Write Music in a Different Genre: via LANDR Blog

Inspiration and energy are easy to find when you’re exploring and writing music for the first time.

But the longer you create music in the same predictable ways, the harder it is to feel engaged and challenged. This is where exploring new genres comes in.

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When the usual ways of making music aren’t exciting and rewarding anymore, it’s time for a major shakeup.

Exploring a new genre as an exercise is always a great way to do it, here’s three reasons why.

1. Exploring new genres breaks you out of old habits

Why do people quit making music? Some leave music behind because they get too busy with life and careers, but many quit because of boredom.

To be an impactful music-maker, writing has to be a rewarding experience for you.

But, by copying and pasting your creative process over and over again, you end up taking the joy out of making music.

Instead, take a risk and learn what it means to write in a new genre. It’s a great way to boost your creativity and keep newness in your process.

Take a risk and learn what it means to write in a new genre.

If you’re hesitant to write in a new genre because it would make you uncomfortable, that’s exactly the point!

Not knowing how a song will end up sounding before you start writing is a tried and true way to change up your workflow and your sound.

2. Countless artists weave different genres into their music

Think about the new music fans engage with the most right now, is it straightforward and predictable or is it fresh, innovative, and new?

The answer is almost always the latter.

There’s a long tradition of artists successfully exploring new genres and combining different styles into their music.

Musician Amelia Meath went from playing folk music in a trio called Mountain Man to being nominated for a Grammy with her electro-pop band Sylvan Esso.

By blending hip hop and country, Lil Nas X managed to write one of the biggest hits in the history of pop music.

When Damien Jurado lent his warm vocals to the electronic track “Take Your Time,” his brief departure from folk yielded exciting results.

The takeaway here is that there’s a huge benefit in trying something new in music. Failing is an unavoidable part of creating in a new genre, but it’s worth it.

3. Writing in new genres sharpens your creative instincts

As a musician, nothing is more valuable than your perspective and intuition. But when those assets are applied to the same tired creative process, they get dull.

Embracing newness in the way you write is key for keeping things sharp.

A huge benefit of exploring a new genre is that it blows up your creative process from top to bottom in an exciting way. Doing this will keep your mind engaged and your creative instincts sharpened.

How to explore a new genre for the first time

If you’re unsure what it will take to successfully write a track in a new genre, here’s a few handy pointers to keep in mind.

Identify the genre you normally write in and get specific about your process

Get to the bottom of the genre(s) you normally write in. Think about things like instrumentation, song structures, and lyrical themes associated with your genre.

If you don’t understand the patterns you follow in your own genre, it’ll be difficult to know what to pay attention to when diving into a new discipline.

Once you recognize old habits and tendencies connected with your previous genre, you can break them when writing in a new one.

Think about music in other genres that resonates with you

Choose a genre that’s new to you, but isn’t completely unrecognizable.

Even taking a look at other subgenres in the genre you work in is a viable step.

Take some time to listen to new music, get recommendations from friends and commit to going through a research and learning phase.

You could even pay for mentoring and advice from a professional who understands the genre intimately.

Nail down specifics about what musical aspects shape the new genre. The elements that make up a genre comprise instrumentation, song structure, types of chords and rhythms used.

If that sounds challenging to you, it may be worth brushing up on your music theory. There’s tons of resources on YouTube to help you too.

The cool thing about focusing on a new genre is that you’ll use what you learn to create music in new and exciting ways.

Explore, experiment, and record

Once you’ve chosen a new genre to explore and are familiar with why it sounds the way it does, it’s time to jump in. With an open, patient mindset, try experimenting and recording.

The most important thing to remember when writing in a new genre for the first time is that failure is okay.

Remember, when writing in a new genre for the first time failure is okay.

Running into dead-ends during this process is nothing to be ashamed about. Give yourself the time and freedom to explore new ideas during this process.

Believe it or not, feeling out of your depth is actually a great thing as a musician.

We fail when we write the same music over and over again, but venturing out into new genres is a great way to keep things fresh.

It might feel easier and safer to write predictable music in predictable ways, but doing so won’t result in finishing music that engages people.

When things feel stale in your process, don’t be afraid to embrace change and take a risk.

The post 3 Reasons Why You Should Write Music in a Different Genre appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/write-new-music-genres/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/634340853180153856

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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Hard Truths: Not Everyone Will Like Your Music

Hard Truths: Not Everyone Will Like Your Music: via LANDR Blog

It’s natural to want to win over the world with your music.

After all, connecting with audiences should be one of your top priorities as a music-maker. But the reality is that your music can’t and shouldn’t be loved by everyone.

Here’s my hard truth for today—not everyone will like your music. But that’s not meant to be discouraging. In this article I’ll explain how getting over it will help you be truer to yourself and more creative.

Try to please everyone and you’ll end up pleasing no one

Think about the sort of music that’s truly shaping the cultural conversation right now. Is it distinct and original or is it bland and forgettable?

The music that cuts through the noise is authentic and different.

Time and time again, the music that cuts through the noise is authentic and different.

It’s easy to chase trends to try and win over listeners, but audiences are a lot more perceptive than you might think. When your music aims to speak to everyone, it will probably end up resonating with no one.

Impactful music is rooted in humanity and creativity—not the desire to be loved by everyone. As a music-maker, one of the trickiest balances you’ll need to strike is between wanting to find listeners and the desire to create meaningful work.

If your work is motivated more by your need to be successful and loved than genuine creativity, you’ve got it backwards.

Connecting with listeners in a meaningful way starts with your motivation to create music.

Aiming for universal acceptance stalls your creative process

When you write music, what do you think about?

Are you curious about where your ideas will take you? Or are you more concerned with writing songs everyone likes?

If you’re more focused on writing music to please than creating honest work that reflects your best ideas and who you are, you’ve got a problem.

You’ll make your best work with a curious, open mindset. But your process gets derailed when it’s weighed down by the unrealistic pressures of trying to attain everyone’s approval.

To prevent this from happening, check in with yourself during your creative process.

If you find yourself making choices to try and please crowds and dumb down ideas, take a break and refocus. The more heart and unique personality you can throw into your process, the more specific groups of listeners will relate with your work.

In doing this you’ll realize it’s impossible for each and every person to like your music. When you stop and think about it, there’s an incredible amount of freedom in knowing that.

Choose honesty over broad appeal

No musician wants to make music people forget about as soon as they hear it. And yet, bland, safe music is easier to make than songs that actually say something about yourself.

It’s not realistic or possible to make the entire listening public fans of your music. But creating deep, engaging music that speaks directly to a specific audience is.

Forging real connections with audiences has never been more important. Endless release cycles and forgettable playlists make it easy for listeners to disengage.

Forging real connections with audiences has never been more important.

Making those lasting impressions starts with creating music authentically.

Writing this way can be risky. In fact, you’re bound to fail more often than you succeed. But taking the path of authenticity gives you the best chance at making work that truly speaks to your listeners.

Each and every listener isn’t going to love your music. Instead of worrying about that, focus on meaningfully engaging audiences that are most likely to resonate with your songs.

Embrace authenticity to create meaningful music

The songs that resonate most are made by creators who embrace their unique musical identities.

Headed by the Swinomish/Iñupiaq singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul, Black Belt Eagle Scout’s thoughtful take on indie rock has earned a passionate following in recent years.

In 2016, the American rapper, producer, and poet Noname won over audiences and critics with Telefone, a mixtape with songs presented as phone conversations.

The songs that resonate most are made by creators who embrace their unique musical identities.

With a career spanning almost 25 years, of Montreal’s otherworldly pop music and captivating live shows have won over loyal fans.

No matter how talented, lucky, and hardworking you are, you’ll never be able to win over the whole world with your music.

Your best chance at making lasting connections with listeners is by doubling down on your own unique creativity and authenticity.

The post Hard Truths: Not Everyone Will Like Your Music appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/hard-truths-universal-appeal/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/633970900440662016

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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50 Music Symbols You Need to Know to Understand Written Music

50 Music Symbols You Need to Know to Understand Written Music: via LANDR Blog

In sheet music, music symbols are used to describe the way a particular piece of music should be played.

That’s why sheet music is still so important for communicating how to play a piece of music.

But written music uses a lot of different symbols to describe what to play exactly and it can be confusing to know what each symbol means.

That’s why we’ve put together a master list of music symbols you need to know to read sheet music.

Let’s learn the 50 most important music symbols!

1. Accent

The accent is a sideways V found on the top or bottom of the head of a note.

It indicated that the specific note should be played at an increased dynamic over the other notes in the bar.

2. Arpeggio

The arpeggio symbol indicates to the player that the notes in the chord should be played independently and in a sweeping motion similar to the way an arpeggio is played.

3. Bars

A bar or measure in music is symbolized by vertical lines on the staff. The notes of a specific measure are written between each vertical bar.

4. Brace

The brace symbol is used to indicate that two clefs on a musical staff are connected and should be played together.

It’s used most commonly to visually connect the bass and treble clef in piano music.

5. Breath Mark

Breath marks are comma like symbols used between notes to indicate where wind players and choir singers may take a breath between passages.

6. Chord Numerals

In sheet music, you’ll often see roman numerals denoting the chord’s position within the key of a piece of music.

7. Clef

The clef is a symbol used at the beginning of every piece of sheet music. It indicates the note value of each line on the staff.

There are many clefs in music but the two most common are the treble and bass clef.

These clefs are also known as the G-clef and F-clef because they both indicate where G in the treble clef and F in the bass clef are found respectively.

Choral music also makes use of different C-clefs for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone to indicate where middle C is found on the staff.

8. Coda

The coda serves as a reference point in a piece of music.

For example, when the instruction “to coda” is written the player is expected to continue playing from where the coda symbol is located on the sheet.

The coda is denoted by a circle with a cross through it.

9. Common Time

The common time is 4/4 time. It’s denoted by a C symbol where the time signature is found. It’s simply another way of instructing the player to play 4/4 time.

10. Crescendo

A crescendo indicates an increase in dynamic (or loudness) during a piece of music. As the shape opens up the player should increase their volume.

11. Cut Time

Similar to common time, cut time is another way of writing 2/2 time in the time signature section of a piece of sheet music.

It’s denoted by a C symbol with a bar through it.

12. Da Capo

“Da Capo” is an instruction given on a piece of sheet music to restart playing the piece from the very beginning.

It’s usually symbolized by the initials D.C. if it’s not expressly written.

13. Dal Segno

Similar to Dal Capo, Dal Segno instructs the player to resume playing from a sign symbol found elsewhere in the piece.

It’s usually written as the initials D.S. if it’s not expressly written.

14. Damp

The instruction to damp is symbolized by a circle with an X through it.

For example, the instruction is may be given to a timpani player when a drum must be muted.

15. Damp All

Similar to Damp, the Damp All symbol is used to instruct a player to damp every part of the instrument that’s ringing at a specific moment.

It’s denoted by two circles with a cross through it.

16. Decrescendo

The symbol for decrescendo is the opposite of crescendo. It indicates to the player a gradual reduction in dynamic over a series of notes.

17. Double Flat

A double flat symbol is used to indicate that a note is to be played two steps down. It’s symbolized by using two flat symbols together.

18. Double Sharp

Similar to the double flat, the double sharp refers to a not that is to be played two semitones up from its natural state.

19. Dynamic Notation

Dynamics are notated in music with the letters p for piano, m for mezzo and f for forte.

Piano means a quieter dynamic than mezzo piano and forte means to play with a louder dynamic that than mezzo forte.

20. Fermata

Fermata is a music symbol used to indicate that a note should be held until given a cue from the conductor to continue playing.

21. Flat

A flat note is a note played one semitone below its natural state.

22. Fortepiano

The fortepiano music symbol tells the player to abruptly shift from a loud dynamic to a quiet dynamic.

23. G-clef Ottava Alta

An ottava alta g-clef indicates that all notes on the staff should be played one octave higher.

24. G-clef Ottava Bassa

An ottava bassa g-clef indicates that all notes on the staff must be played one octave lower.

25. Glissando

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A glissando symbol instructs the player to slide in pitch up and down from note to note.

26. Grace Note

A grace note is a short note that’s played quickly and quietly before the main note on the downbeat.

27. Hemiola

A hemiola in music defines a rhythmic ratio of 3:2. It’s notated with a bracket and the number three if the music is in duple meter or the number two if the music is in triple meter.

28. Key Signature

The key signature is symbolized in music by a series of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece on a musical staff.

29. Marcato Accent

A marcato is a slightly more intense accent than a regular accent.

30. Multi Rest

A multi rest indicates that the player should rest for multiple bars.

31. Music End

A double bar is the music symbol used at the end of the piece to indicate where it ends.

32. Natural

A natural note is a note that’s neither sharp nor flat.

33. Note

Notes are used to communicate rhythms and pitches. There’s many different kinds of notes, each signifies a specific subdivision in duration relative to a whole note.

34. Ottava Alta

Ottava alta indicates that the notes on the sheet should be played one octave higher than what’s written.

35. Ottava Bassa

Ottava bassa indicates that the notes on the sheet should be played one octave higher than what’s written.

36. Percussion Clef

A percussion clef is used to indicate that the sheet music is written for atonal instruments that aren’t subject to a specific pitch. Usually, this applies to percussive instruments.

37. Repeat

A repeat symbol indicates to the player to repeat a section, either from the top or from the repeat start symbol.

38. Rest

Rests are used to communicate when a player should be silent. There are many kinds of rest, each with a time length value based on a subdivision of a whole rest.

39. Segno

Segno is the sign where a player resumes playing after passing a dal segno instruction.

40. Sforzando

Sforzando calls for a loud and abrupt increase and decrease in dynamic.

41. Sharp

A sharp symbol indicates that a note must be played one semitone higher than its natural state.

42. Simile

In sheet music, a simile symbol indicates that the player should repeat what’s written in the previous bar.

43. Staccato

A staccato mark on a note indicates that the player should play the note shorter and more abbreviated than it’s typical value.

44. Staff

The staff in sheet music the five horizontal lines around which notes are written. The staff is the base structure for all written music.

45. Sustain Pedal Engage

The sustain pedal engages symbol indicates to a piano or vibraphone player to depress the sustain pedal and let the notes ring out.

46. Sustain Pedal Release

The sustain pedal release symbol indicates to the play that the sustain pedal should be turn off at a specific point in the piece.

47. Tenuto

The tenuto marking tells the player to sustain the note to its absolute maximum values. Tenuto notes should as little space as possible between them.

48. Time Signature

The time signature is the stacked number symbol at the beginning of a piece of music. It dictates the meter and number of beats in a bar.

49. Tremolo

The tremolo markings indicate the player should play the notes in a rapidly repeating way to create a tremolo effect.

50. Volta Brackets

Volta brackets tell the player to play an alternate ending section after a repeat.

Music symbols are important

Now you know pretty much every symbol used in sheet music.

With a little bit of practice, you’ll be reading and playing music without thinking twice about the music symbols on the page.

The post 50 Music Symbols You Need to Know to Understand Written Music appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/music-symbols/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/633412183961812992

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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Staff Picks: The LANDR Distribution Artists We Loved in October

Staff Picks: The LANDR Distribution Artists We Loved in October: via LANDR Blog

Thousands of artists trust LANDR Distribution to get their tracks on streaming platforms worldwide. But did you know we listen to every single submission? In this series, we highlight some of the incredible musical talent that comes through our distribution community.

Remember when summer was here? We do, too.

Fall is well under way in our corner of the world and its brisk weather is bringing on waves of nostalgia.

That’s why this edition of Staff Picks features LANDR Distribution releases that embody a mid-season mood.

From Japanese shoegaze, to bright Spanish indie-pop, here are some of our favorite emerging and established artists.

1. otom – Brilliant Sky, Pt. 2

Tokyo-based otom is a mainstay in the Japanese Shoegaze community with more than 16 years of recorded material under his current project.

The blissful layered arpeggios and understated vocals of “Brilliant Sky, Pt. 2” perfectly embody the nostalgia of fall.

Layers of sustained vocals punctuate the track serve and as the melody that carries the song throughout its 7-minute runtime. Even so, the track’s meticulously-crafted progression is an easy listen.

This recording-only project is part of Japan’s established shoegaze scene and appears regularly on Shoegaze radio station DKFM and the Muso Japan blog.

otom’s work features a lot of takeaways for those new to this branch of the cult-favorite genre. With its focus on melodies and atmosphere, “Brilliant Sky, Pt. 2” is a great entry point to this localized sound.

Sounds like: Tokyo Shoegazer, Real Estate, Goji-Sanpun

2. Xenia – Sería Lo Mejor

There’s something endearing about listening to Xenia’s “Sería Lo Mejor.” This new addition to Spain’s growing indie-pop scene is part of Valencia-based indie label Futuras Licenciadas.

Xenia’s release echoes the days-gone-by with old school synths and programmed beats that are just plain cool. Its air of intentional innocence recalls the staples of the twee and indie-pop classics.

“Sería Lo Mejor” translates roughly as “Would Be the Best” in English. It’s a track that feels like a perfect reminder of life’s past possibilities.

Sounds like: April March, The Field Mice, Talulah Gosh

3. freddyboy – Foyer

There’s a lot to love about Toronto-based Freddy Kwon aka freddyboy’s “Foyer”.

Another nostalgia trip, “Foyer” is a throwback to the early 2010’s-era of normcore, jangle pop and lo-fi goodness.

The droning guitar and the almost canon-esque vocals put you in a daze as Kwon obsessively voices out his longing.

“Foyer” is part of a collection of “short love songs and beats” recorded on a Tascam 244 portastudio called Vignette 001.

This DIY mixtape showcases Kwon’s versatility as a solo artist and band member of Heaps.

Sounds like: Connan Mockasin, HOMESHAKE, Toro y Moi

4. thanks for coming – Selfishly

“Nothing is good enough. I am what I am. What am I? What could I become?,” opens Rachel Brown (aka thanks for coming) 24-seconds into “Selfishly”.

The track is part of their latest collection of raw, acoustic tracks labeled as “bummer pop.” It isn’t hard to hear the influence of bedroom pop legend Daniel Johnston in the earnest, emotional sound.

Brown is able to convey feelings of vulnerability with pure honesty through matter-of-fact lyricism and an intentional lack of embellishment.

With more than a year since no problem was remastered and released through Spain’s Beauty Fool Records, I’m excited to see what’s next.

Sounds like: Daniel Johnston, Mitski, SASAMI

5. TEEN BLUSH – Graveyard Girl

The warm and inviting sound of Chicago’s TEEN BLUSH (Kenneth Foss) will take you back to the youthful days of teenage yearning. Their recent single “Graveyard Girl” captures the nostalgic mood perfectly.

TEEN BLUSH is an indie favorite among YouTube playlisters and joins otom as a dreampop highlight on DKFM Shoegaze radio.

What makes TEEN BLUSH so accessible?

The simple melody and washed-out vocals make the lyrics “Graveyard girl / I don’t know where I’m going” hit you right in the feels.

Sounds like: Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils, CASTLEBEAT

6. Fisherman Sweaters – Turtle With a Gun

Fisherman Sweaters’ “Turtle With a Gun” takes a similar approach to teenage melancholy with muted vocals and warbly synth lines.

The track is a downtempo lo-fi bop that brings indie dream-pop contemporaries like Cemeteries to mind.

The minimal production creates a stark contrast between the lead synth and Fisherman Sweaters’ prolonged vocals. The result sounds like an evening drive through the suburbs as you think back on the good ol’ days.

Their ability to convey this energy throughout their discography makes the prospect of an EP or full length something to anticipate!

Sounds like: Cemeteries, Future Islands, Craft Spells

The post Staff Picks: The LANDR Distribution Artists We Loved in October appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/staff-picks-october/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/633329168394895360

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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10 Exclusive Sample Packs You’ll Only Find on LANDR Samples

10 Exclusive Sample Packs You’ll Only Find on LANDR Samples: via LANDR Blog

Throughout the history of sampling, finding unique samples that no one else has ever heard or used has always been key for crafting your own sound.

It’s still true today, even with royalty-free sample market places.

Every producer wants to be sure that the samples they get their hands on are special and exclusive.

That’s why each month we’re letting you in on a secret cache of exclusive samples from LANDR.

Here’s 10 exclusive LANDR sample packs we loved in October.

1. Vexxxed – UK Drill & Trap

UK drill music is the fusion of UK grime with drill music from Chicago.

It’s been growing in popularity ever since UK based AXL Beats worked with Pop Smoke to create the most convincing fusion of the two genres yet.

Vexxxed carries on this tradition by offering incredible grimy UK rap acapellas, bumping 808s, winding synth samples and the hard-hitting trap hats that drill is known for.

It’s perfect for making Pop Smoke or Skepta type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAVE_vocal_loop_140_payment_full vocal

2. Syrup 2 – New Wave Trap

Atlanta is the birthplace of modern trap. Producers like Metro Boomin and Zaytoven pioneered the genre with their personal touches and specific sounds.

Syrup 2 is your go-to if you want samples that are authentic to that Atlanta trap sound.

It’s full of hard-hitting drum kits, powerful 808s, chimey synths, brooding pads and much more.

Get this pack if you want to make 21 Savage or Migos type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAS2_trap_full_drum_loop_160_low

3. Night Roses – Guitar Trap

Guitar recently gained popularity as a prominent instrument in trap music with the rise of the emo trap subgenre.

In Night Roses you get exactly what you need to create authentic emo trap tracks with perfectly recorded guitar samples.

Perfect for making Juice WRLD or Lil Uzi Vert type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAS2_trap_full_drum_loop_160_low

4. Painkiller

Today’s trap music calls for some pretty hard-hitting drums and 808s.

But it also calls for tripped out synth samples and emotional chords.

That’s exactly what you’ll find in Painkiller. The sample pack focuses on the psychedelic yet sensitive side of trap production.

Perfect for making Travis Scott or Rich the Kid type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAPK_808_loop_142_C#min_gangster arp

5. Trap Caviar 2

Named after the famous Spotify playlist that’s known for breaking new artists into the mainstream, Trap Caviar is the sample pack that will help you get there.

You’ll find bouncy melody loops, chunky drum kits, booming 808s and much more.

Get this sample pack to make Drake or NLE Choppa type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AACT2_trap_synth_loop_effected_90_Fmin_shima:

6. Latenight Lo-fi Beats 2

Latenight Lo-Fi Beats 2 is the sequel to our best selling lo-fi sample pack.

If you’re looking to make chilled out lo-fi infused hip-hop, this sample pack is an absolute go-to.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AALN2_Lo-Fi_Keys_Loop_90bpm_Dmin_ready

7. Bailando Follando – Reggaeton Trap Beats

The fusion of reggaeton and trap was inevitable. The two genres complement each other so well.

Bailando Follando embodies this new vibe—combining that classic reggaeton beat with sunny melody loops and hard-hitting trap drums.

Perfect for making Rosalia or Bad Bunny type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AABF_Reggaeton_melody_loop_104_C#min_latino

8. Autonomy 3 – Hiphop & Trap

Autonomy 3 is your classic trap sample pack, it’s really got everything you need to piece together a unique sound.

You’ll find all kinds of trap friendly melody samples, 808s, drumkits and more.

Perfect for making Offset or Tyga type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAAT3_melody_loop_150_Bmin_spacey

9. Fuego – Reggaeton Trap

If you’re looking to add some extra fire to your reggaeton trap beat, definitely check out Fuego.

The name says it all—this is your go-to for fiery guitars, sensual synth melodies and, of course, that trap-infused reggaeton drum sound.

Perfect for making Farruko or Ozuna type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAFU_reggaeton_trap_full_drum_loop_98_beeps

10. Safehouse – Dirty Trap Beats

Some trap artists stick to a dark and scary aesthetic.

This sample pack riffs on the creepy sounding lead lines, synth textures and overall vibe authentic to dark trap.

Perfect for making DaBaby or Lil Pump type beats.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AASH_pluck_loop_Emin_172bpm

The post 10 Exclusive Sample Packs You’ll Only Find on LANDR Samples appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/exclusive-sample-packs/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/633231009054392320

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jessicakmatt · 3 years

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Make Beats With Creator: The Online Beat Maker from LANDR Samples

Make Beats With Creator: The Online Beat Maker from LANDR Samples: via LANDR Blog

We all know the importance of creating at home right now, so we’re excited to share Creator, the new free online beat maker on LANDR Samples.

Creator lets you make beats, unlock ideas and stack loops while you browse.

It’s an inspiring way to piece together new ideas and hear how samples sound together.

The possibilities are endless with over one million samples available to combine on LANDR Samples.

Here’s how to use Creator:

Head over to Creator on LANDR Samples

Add up to 8 samples to Creator

Press play and Creator will match your sounds to your chosen key and BPM

Close Creator and add more samples as you go

Change your key and BPM any time

Change the levels of each sample for a preliminary mix

Download your samples time-stretched and pitch-shifted

Once you’ve made a beat you can also share it with your followers and fans on social media by clicking the share button.

Make something and share your creations with us on social media with the hashtag #MadeWithCreator!

To get you started we’ve even curated a handful of sample packs made to work perfectly with Creator.

It’s the perfect way to get started making beats on LANDR Samples.

What is Creator?

Creator is an online beat maker that makes it easy to hear how up to 8 samples sound together. It’s the only beat making tool of its kind on any sample marketplace.

We built it directly into your sample digging workflow on LANDR Samples to help you unlock ideas, layer loops and sketch ideas while you browse.

Creator is an online beat maker that makes it easy to hear how up to 8 samples sound together.

Creator lets you instantly hear how samples will sound together. Choose a key and BPM and Creator will automatically match your loops.

Once you’ve built your beat, download your sounds time-stretched, pitch-shifted and ready for the DAW.

Make beats with Creator

With over a million samples, we know it can be tough to go from browsing to creating. Creator is here to help you find the right samples fast and get inspired with new ideas.

To really get the most from this massive library, you need the right sample at the right time.

Browse our curated Creator Collections, get AI-based recommendations from Selector, play with trending samples on our top samples Charts or start a search to find your first loop and add it to Creator.

The post Make Beats With Creator: The Online Beat Maker from LANDR Samples appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/online-beat-maker/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/633227235725393920

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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Dynamics in Music: How to Unlock the Power of Expression

Dynamics in Music: How to Unlock the Power of Expression: via LANDR Blog

Dynamics is a basic concept in music that affects everything from songwriting to mastering.

But the word comes up so often that it can mean different things in different situations.

In this article I’ll go over what dynamics are and explain what the term means everywhere it’s commonly used.

Let’s get started.

What are dynamics?

Dynamics are the variations in loudness that occur in a passage of music. That might sound simple, but dynamics is a broad concept that comes into play at all the different stages of music production.

Dynamics in music can refer to:

Written dynamics markings in a musical score

Variations in loudness during a song

The dynamic range of an audio signal or system

The individual features of a sound’s amplitude envelope

I’ll go through each and explain how they work.

Dynamics markings

If you’ve ever read a score or a lead sheet you might be familiar with dynamics markings.

They’re the small letters written in script that appear underneath a bar of music.

Dynamics markings are there to let you know how loud to play each passage of the song. The instructions range from very quiet (ppp) to extremely loud (ƒƒƒ).

Like anything on a musical score, dynamics markings are open to interpretation.

Here are the commonly used dynamics markings in music from loud to quiet:

Like anything on a musical score, dynamics markings are open to interpretation. They’re the general guidelines the composer provides, but it’s up to the people playing to decide exactly how to play the music.

Dynamics in arrangement

The written method for communicating dynamics is pretty old fashioned, but dynamic contrasts play a part in almost every genre of music.

Think of the rising tension of an EDM buildup or the loud-quiet-loud approach of the grunge era.

Dynamics are one way to create the sense of tension and release that gives a song its narrative structure.

It can be as simple as building steadily to a loud finale or as subtle as varying loudness to define sections of a song.

However you approach it, working with dynamics is an important task in music arrangement.

Dynamic range

In music production, dynamic range means the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds. It’s measured in decibels, or dB for short.

In a single audio track, dynamic range means the dB difference between the loudest and quietest moment in the audio file.

Recording mediums and audio systems also have a dynamic range. This figure determines the loudest and quietest signals they can properly represent.

You can think of the dynamic range in a system as the space between the noise floor and the clipping point.

When a sound goes below the noise floor you won’t be able to tell the difference between the signal and the system noise of the medium.

When a sound goes above the clipping point the tops of its waveform will get abruptly cut off, causing harshness and distortion.

Despite the advances in digital technology, your DAW still has a limited dynamic range. You might never come up against these limits in your workflow, but you have to keep them in mind in some situations.

Beginner and intermediate producers often don’t have good gain staging habits and accidentally let their tracks pile up at the master bus.

The maximum point in your DAW’s dynamic range is 0 dBFS. If you push your levels higher than this at your master fader, your entire mix will clip!

Gain staging is how you keep your tracks, busses and plugins in the sweet spot of the dynamic range.

In a single track, dynamic range depends on the qualities of the source you’re recording.

Instruments with abrupt peaks and aggressive transients like struck percussion have a naturally large dynamic range while sustained synths and distorted guitars are typically more compressed.

Dynamics in mixing

Controlling your dynamics is one of the most important jobs in mixing. To do it well engineers use tools like compression, expansion, limiting and noise gates.

Dynamics are important because sounds in the real world vary a lot in volume. For example, imagine a whisper and a scream on the same audio track. If they were the same difference in loudness as they are in real life it would be shocking to listen to.

To make each element sound natural, mix engineers alter the dynamics so that each part of the sound can be heard clearly.

That might mean making an aggressive transient quieter to bring out the body of a sound’s waveform using compression.

Or making a flat percussion hit punch through the mix more aggressively with expansion.

Here’s a in-depth walkthrough on how compressors work with examples that show their effect on dynamics:

Dynamics in mastering

Dynamics and dynamic range are incredibly important in mastering.

Loudness, headroom and dynamics are all related in audio. In mastering, each factor influences the others in the final result.

For example, a loud master that comes close to the maximum available level will have much less dynamic range than a quieter one.

You’ll have to decide whether to go for a louder more compressed master, or a quieter, gentler one with punchier dynamics.

Making the right decision depends on the genre of music, the target medium and the mix itself.

If that weren’t enough, mastering has strict guidelines for peaks and maximum levels overall.

Get them wrong and at best your song will sound quieter than other music on the major streaming platforms. At worst, you risk creating harsh digital clipping and distortion.

With so much riding on a good master, the best way to get it right is to hire a professional or try AI-powered mastering online.

Loud quiet loud

Dynamics are so fundamental to music that you probably have an intuitive feeling for them already.

Even so, unpacking the issues that make dynamics significant will change how you think about music production.

If you’ve made it through this article you’ll have a great start for working with dynamics in your tracks.

The post Dynamics in Music: How to Unlock the Power of Expression appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/dynamics-in-music/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/633057358284718081

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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What is a De-Esser? The 8 Best De-Esser VSTs for Pro Vocals

What is a De-Esser? The 8 Best De-Esser VSTs for Pro Vocals: via LANDR Blog

De-esser plugins are an important part of any pro vocal chain.

They help reduce the effect of one of the most frustrating issues in vocal recording.

With such a specialized effect, it can be hard to know where to start.

How do de-essers work, and what do they actually do? When should you use a de-esser, and how do you use it?

In this article I’ll go through everything you need to know about de-essers to mix better sounding vocals.

Let’s get started.

What is a de-esser?

A de-esser is a form of compressor that acts only on the specific frequency range where sibilance occurs in the human voice. De-esser plugins are used in mixing to control sibilance so that loud and bright vocals can sit upfront in the mix without these harsh artifacts taking over.

If that sounds complicated, all it means is that de-essers help even out the harshest parts of a vocal recording.

What is sibilance?

Sibilance is the grating, unnatural sound that can sometimes occur during recording when a vocalist sings words including the letter S.

The ‘S’ sound naturally contains a lot of energy in the frequency range where your ears are the most sensitive.

The extra intensity in this area helps your brain tell words apart, but aggressive sibilance can sound distracting on a recording.

Why use a de-esser?

Vocal microphones are designed to capture all the subtle details in the human voice.

To do it well, they need to be sensitive enough to record a wide range of frequencies.

The airy upper high end they capture helps create a sense of realism and intimacy. During the mix you might even bring out these qualities with EQ and compression for an even more powerful, larger than life sound.

But with all this emphasis on the high frequencies, the issues created by sibilance get even worse.

Even if you might not have noticed it while you recorded your vocals, sibilance can creep up in your mix.

De-essers are how you reduce it. They work in a similar way to compressor plugins, but instead of reducing the gain by looking at the entire signal, their gain reduction only takes effect when the most sibilant frequencies kick in.

The 8 best de-esser plugins for a better vocal mix

With all that explained, here are my top picks for the best de-esser plugins on the market today.

1. Fabfilter Pro-DS

Fabfilter makes some of the most advanced digital mixing tools you can find. Their de-esser plugin is no exception.

With gain reduction and filter technology from the award winning Pro-C and Pro-Q plugins, Pro-DS combines powerful signal processing with a a comfortable, easy to understand interface.

2. Waves Sibilance

Waves Sibilance is an evolution of the popular plugin makers’ de-essing tools that uses “Organic Resynthesis” technology.

Sibilance promises to help you find and reduce sibilance faster and easier than ever.

Waves’ traditional Renaissance De-esser is also a great option for standard de-essing duties.

3. Digitalfishphones SPITFISH

There’s no shortage of advanced de-esser tools out there, but sometimes you need a solution that won’t break the bank.

That’s where Digitalfishphone’s excellent freeware SPITFISH de-esser comes in.

This super easy to use de-esser is a great place to start for anyone who wants to experiment with de-essing without paying for a new plugin.

4. HOFA IQ-Series DeEsser

This acclaimed de-esser plugin let’s you dive deep into your vocal tracks to get your de-essing just right.

With four different modes, HOFA IQ-Series DeEsser can handle any situation that calls for de-essing.

5. Sonnox Oxford SuprEsser V3

Sonnox Oxford SuprEsser V3 gives you extremely detailed control over the sibilance in your vocal tracks.

With auto-levelling features to control how much processing gets applied to signals with different dynamics, SuprEsser V3 takes de-essing to the next level.

6. Your DAW’s built-in De-esser

Today’s DAW packages come with robust and effective plugins built-in.

Fancy third party plugins can be nice, but they’re not strictly essential for mixing

In most cases a skilled engineer can create a perfectly good mix using only these native plugins.

De-essing is so common that most flagship DAWs come with a perfectly usable de-essing solution built-in.

It might be smart to try your DAW’s standard de-esser before you look elsewhere.

7. Brainworx SPL De-esser

Brainworx SPL De-esser faithfully models a classic hardware de-esser from German manufacturer SPL.

If you’re looking for a simple to use de-esser with the sound quality of analog hardware, this one is worth a try.

8. Accusonus Era De-Esser Pro

Accusonus Era De-Esser Pro is another de-esser that focuses on getting results fast with easy to understand controls.

The waveform display and simple three parameter layout will help you get your sibilance reigned in quickly.

How to use a de-esser

Now that you have an idea of some of the options out there for plugin de-essers, you might be wondering how to actually use them in your workflow.

Luckily de-essers are some of the easiest plugin types to use.

Not all de-essers work the same way, but here are the basics when it comes to using them to decrease sibilance.

Insert your de-esser plugin after any compression, EQ or saturation you’ve used on your vocal track.

Decrease the threshold until you start to hear the effect of the gain reduction.

Adjust the frequency range so the de-esser is only triggering on the sibilant sounds

Choose any other parameters to dial in the fine-grain control of your de-essing.

Get rid of sibilance

De-essers are very common in vocal production. Even the most flattering microphone can have issues with sibilance sometimes.

But with modern plugins, harsh ‘S’ sounds won’t sink your mix completely. A good de-esser can reduce the effect of sibilance enough to push your vocal upfront in the mix where it belongs.

If you’ve made it through this article you’ll have a solid grasp on how de-essers work and some ideas for how to use them in your mix.

The post What is a De-Esser? The 8 Best De-Esser VSTs for Pro Vocals appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/best-de-esser-plugin-vocals/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/632698763060887552

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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Plugin Picks: 5 Inspiring Free VSTs to Get in October

Plugin Picks: 5 Inspiring Free VSTs to Get in October: via LANDR Blog

Free plugins are one of the best things about being a producer in 2020. Quality music production tools have never been more accessible for the average musician. But with more freeware plugins showing up on the scene every day, knowing which ones are worth your time isn’t easy. That’s why we’re bringing you our top picks for the most useful and creative free music software every month.

In this edition—nasty filters, rare vintage synths, lo-fi vibes and more.

Today’s roundup of inspiring free plugins covers a lot of ground.

From the latest in trending lo-fi textures to experimental synthesis algorithms, there’s something in this collection for every producer.

Here are the free plugins we loved in October.

1. BPB Dirty Filter

Nothing turns up the heat on the satisfying squelch of a filter like a little bit of grit.

That’s why the developers over at Bedroom Producers Blog built the BPB Dirty Filter plugin.

This combination low-pass/high-pass filter can handle all your classic filter effects, but it really shines when you turn up the drive.

The smooth but powerful saturation helps bring out all the unique resonances in the filter sweep.

Nothing turns up the heat on the satisfying squelch of a filter like a little bit of girt.

The mix knob means you can use BPB Dirty Filter in parallel to animate an entire mix without completely destroying its basic character.

And with slopes as steep as 48 dB/octave, Dirty Filter lets you sculpt your sound into interesting narrow notches—perfect for sound design!

2. Digital Systemic Emulations CX5M-V

Here’s a rare synth I bet you haven’t heard of—the Yamaha CX5M.

This keyboard-shaped oddity is technically a computer. Attach a screen to the original hardware and you could access a primitive sequencer and 8 voice, 4 operator FM synth.

The console terminal format of this experimental music computer never caught on, but the same technology powered Yamaha’s massively successful DX7 keyboard.

There’s plenty of FM synths out there, so what makes this one unique? Early digital hardware is notoriously quirky.

Packing the processing power required for synthesis into a 1980s era consumer computer was no small feat.

Creative engineers had to cut corners and use workarounds to make it happen. The result is a nostalgically lo-fi FM tone that’s unlike anything else out there.

Now that otherworldly feel of vintage FM is captured perfectly in a VST—it might be just the flavor you need in your plugin folder.

3. Sender Spike Modul8

FM and chorus go together like bread and butter.

That’s why the next free plugin is a unique dual LFO chorus modelled on vintage Japanese stompboxes. Use it with the CX5M or wherever you need to get your mix moving and modulating.

The unpredictable swirl of multiple LFOs can really make a boring chorus unique.

Invert the phase to widen the stereo image, turn up the feedback to mix chorus with flanging or increase the drive to add some grit.

Everyone needs a good chorus, so give this one a try!

4. UhhYou Light Pad

Here’s a unique synth based on algorithmically generated wavetables.

UhhYeah Light Pad’s scientific approach to waveforms can create strange and sometimes unpredictable results.

Light Pad is the lightweight edition of UhhYou’s Cubic Pad. Both are powered by Paul Nasca’s interesting PADSynth algorithm.

The best part is that you get to manipulate the waveshapes directly using a visual editor

If you’re tired of endless emulations of old analog hardware, Light Pad could be the futuristic computer synth of your dreams.

5. Caelum Audio Tape Cassette 2

On the other hand, if you can’t get enough of the golden age of audio tech, Caelum Audio Tape Cassette 2 will take you back to the heady days of analog.

Warm up sterile synth VSTs, add subtle modulation to vocals or grunge up your drum bus with pure vintage vibe.

This tape emulation gives you all the warmth, noise and subtle wow and flutter of an old cassette.

Warm up sterile synth VSTs, add subtle modulation to vocals or grunge up your drum bus with pure vintage vibe.

Free is the best price

Keeping up with every single free plugin takes a lot of effort. Check back in with LANDR to get an easy digest of the best new releases you need in your plugin folder.

If you’ve made it through this article you’ll know about some great new plugins you can download for free to get inspired.

The post Plugin Picks: 5 Inspiring Free VSTs to Get in October appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/best-free-plugins-october/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/632528864022773760

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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What is Timbre in Music? Sound Color and Texture Explained

What is Timbre in Music? Sound Color and Texture Explained: via LANDR Blog

The sounds you use in your music each have their own distinct character. Whether they come from VSTs, sample packs or your audio interface, the quality that makes them unique is called timbre.

Timbre is a basic concept in music that affects everything from sound design to arrangement and mixing.

With such a fundamental topic it can be tough to know where to start.

In this article I’ll explain what timbre is and show how it’s relevant to your workflow.

What is timbre in music?

Timbre (pronounced TAM-ber) is the tone color or texture of a sound. It’s the quality of sound that lets you tell the difference between two instruments playing the same note.

Timbre is hard to explain because it’s influenced by many different mechanisms in music perception and cognition.

Even so, understanding what makes two tones different from one another will help you make decisions about the sounds in your music.

Timbre is hard to explain because it’s influenced by many different mechanisms in music perception and cognition.

What makes up a sound’s timbre?

There are five basic characteristics that contribute to a sound’s timbre.

I’ll go through each and explain how they work.

Noisiness vs. Tonality

It’s easy to tell the difference between a cymbal crash and a synth lead right? One is percussive and noisy, the other is rich and sustained with a clear pitch center.

The biggest difference between the two is the quality of pitch.

When you can clearly a sound’s pitch as a letter of the musical alphabet, it means it’s periodic. That’s when the basic pattern of the waveform repeats over and over again with the same shape.

Think of a basic square wave like the one you might use to build a lead or bass sound in your synth.

Even if you change its frequency or amplitude, the wave’s basic shape will stay the same.

The opposite is an aperiodic sound like the cymbal crash.

Even if you produced a sustained tone with the cymbal, the basic pattern of its waveform would never repeat itself.

Looking on an oscilloscope, the wave would seem random with unpredictable peaks and valleys.

The more aperiodic the sound, the more noisy and discordant it seems.

Even so, aperiodic sounds are essential in music. Struck percussion like snares and hi hats are aperiodic—try to imagine modern music without those!

The balance between noisiness and tunefulness in a sound is one of the easiest timbral qualities to notice.

Harmonic content

Any complex sound—periodic or aperiodic—is made up of a fundamental frequency and overtones that resonate above it.

The combination of a sound’s fundamental with all its overtones makes up how it sounds overall.

The pattern, structure and intensity of the harmonics in a sound determine a lot about their timbre.

If a sound’s overtones appear above its fundamental at regular intervals, it’s harmonic. If the overtones are randomly scattered above the fundamental, it’s inharmonic.

Dense harmonic overtones contribute to the richness and tunefulness of a musical sound.

For example, the sweet, resonant tone of a bowed cello string is a highly harmonic sound rich in harmonic overtones.

The quality of a sound’s overtones and their intensity determine a lot about its timbre.

Onset

The initial moments of a sound are extremely important for how your brain judges musical timbre.

In audio these short bursts of sound at the onset are called transients.

Transients are key for the systems in your brain that help you identify the source of a sound.

These systems likely developed to help our ancestors recognize danger quickly and react in time.

A sound’s transients can be aperiodic even if the rest of it has a periodic structure.

This means that the initial moments of a sound can give it a completely different timbre overall.

Envelope

A sound’s amplitude envelope is how its intensity evolves over time.

In synthesis, an envelope can be applied to any parameter in a patch, but it’s most commonly linked to the amplifier to control volume.

For example, the slow attack time of an atmospheric pad sound means that it fades in smoothly before reaching full volume.

Sounds in the real world have an amplitude envelope as well. Some sounds are sharp and decay quickly while others gradually build and sustain as they ring out.

Envelope also helps give your brain clues about the source of a sound, so it’s an important factor in timbre.

Why should you care about timbre?

The sonic qualities that influence timbre show up everywhere in music production.

But they’re especially important to know for some steps in your workflow.

Here are the top three issues for music producers that involve timbre.

1. Sound design

Sound design might seem like a dry technical term, but it comes up often in most producers’ workflows.

If you’ve ever tweaked a synth patch, manipulated your samples or changed a sound with audio effects you’ve done it too!

Manipulating timbre is essential to the practice of sound design. Anytime you create a sound or modify an existing one you’ll have to consider its unique timbral qualities.

Check out our intro guide to sound design for a deep dive into techniques for working with timbre in sound design.

2. Arrangement

Arrangement is the structure and organization of the sounds in a musical composition.

What instruments or sounds should play which parts in your song? What ranges should they play in and how should they interact with each other?

Building your song’s arrangement means making those decisions as you go.

The end result has a big effect on the timbre of each element and the overall texture of the track.

For example, some instruments and synth patches have a completely different tone when playing loud, accented passages.

Others sound different whether they play in high or low registers.

Some elements in your mix might even take on new characteristics when they blend together with each other

Pay attention to how timbres shift and evolve as you build your song’s arrangement.

3. Mixing

Mixing is about blending all the different timbres of all the different tracks in your mix together. It’s how you create a balanced sound where every element can be heard clearly.

Tools like compression, EQ and reverb are used in mixing to make adjustments to the timbre of individual tracks in your mix.

Keep the individual components of timbre in mind as you mix to get a more objective view of the sounds you’re working with.

Does a sound’s aggressive transients stick out too much? Does its envelope cause it to disappear too quickly to be heard?

Issues like this can be solved using compression.

What about the balance of its harmonic content? Is it lopsided with too much emphasis in one frequency range? That’s where EQ comes in.

Many processes in mixing match up this way with the qualities that affect timbre.

Check out our intro guide to mixing to see how these techniques come together to build a mix.

Sound color and texture

Understanding timbre is the key to making informed decisions about the sounds you work with in your music.

It may seem academic at first, but the basic characteristics of sound are relevant at every stage in the lifecycle of a song.

If you’ve made it through this article you’ll have a solid headstart on how timbre affects your workflow.

The post What is Timbre in Music? Sound Color and Texture Explained appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/what-is-timbre/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/632438285294321664

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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Artistic Evolution: How 3 Modern Pop Stars are Changing the Game

Artistic Evolution: How 3 Modern Pop Stars are Changing the Game: via LANDR Blog

So many artists that have found success with a signature style are content to stick with a formula.

The enormous effort it takes to break into the industry leaves many at the top unwilling to take risks.

But there are certain pop visionaries who can’t help but reinvent themselves—and their craft.

In this article I’ll look at some of the most creative artists currently rewriting the rules of mainstream pop.

Change is the only constant

Go back in history and check out the legendary pop artists that changed the game.

The Beatles, Prince and Madonna all pushed to re-define the genre with each project they embarked on.

Today, artists reinvent themselves to discover new creative realms, cultivate new audiences, and explore their unique cultural background.

A few recent success stories prove that sticking to the formula isn’t the only way to make a mark. That creative spirit is paying off—for listeners and the industry.

Here are my top picks for pop artists who reinvented themselves in 2020.

ROSALÍA: traditional and contemporary

With her second album, “El Mal Querer”, Barcelona-born artist Rosalía proved that singing in English is not necessary to break into the mainstream.

Until Rosalía came on the scene, most Spanish records were tucked away in a secluded category.

But “El Mal Querer” is no ordinary record—music critics call her music “flamenco pop”.

Rosalía’s music is heavily influenced by traditional flamenco, which she masterfully melts into modern R&B and trap.

The minimalist, 808-driven productions paved Rosalía’s way towards worldwide recognition.

It’s a sound that’s familiar enough to engage mainstream pop listeners.

But the mesmerizing timbre of her voice and rhythmically intricate flamenco claps create a unique feel that’s truly refreshing.

While Rosalía’s roots lie in the traditional music of her culture, her forward-thinking adaptation of modern styles puts her at the forefront of international pop.

BTS: a style all their own

K-pop is a worldwide phenomenon that’s found a massive audience in the west.

But before Blackpink’s star-studded debut took over the airwaves, BTS and other K-pop acts were laying the foundations for the genre to explode.

With several albums sung in Korean and Japanese, BTS was massive in Asia long before the rest of the world took notice.

That popularity continued to surge as K-pop artists began recording songs in English and experimenting with western genres.

The disco-pop hit “Dynamite” was the first BTS single sung fully in English, but the band’s carefully rehearsed choreography and meticulous styling remained pure K-pop.

It’s a perfect example of how these artists adeptly follow trends while infusing them with their own culture and vision.

With more and more western stars releasing new work with K-pop acts, it’s clear that we’re not witnessing a temporary trend.

All in all, artists with unique cultural backgrounds are getting more attention than they ever had before.

Hopefully, musicians who come from non-English speaking countries find this inspiring.

If you are an independant international artist, remember that your unique background is a plus.

People don’t care only about those who can adapt—they pay attention to those who stand out.

Lady Gaga: artistic chameleon

Trends in pop seem to evolve faster every day. That’s why artists who want to stay at the top have to reinvent themselves to survive.

If there’s one star who truly embodies this attitude in the American music industry, it’s Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga started out as a songwriter.

After signing with a major label, she enjoyed a highly acclaimed debut.

Artists who want to stay at the top have to reinvent themselves to survive.

She could have continued to make run-of-the-mill dance pop records. Instead, she used her success as leverage to claim her creative freedom.

After releasing three pop albums, Lady Gaga first surprised her fans with a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett.

Two years later she gave us a completely different country pop project—“Joanne”.

Little did we know that her experimentation with country music would lead

Lady Gaga to one of the most successful hits she has ever released—“Shallow”, the rock ballad sang with Bradley Cooper in the hit Oscar winning movie, “A Star is Born”.

As an actor and musician, Lady Gaga continues to prove that she’s not afraid to break into new mediums and transform herself completely to chase inspiration.

If you’re an up-and-coming pop artist, take notes.

Be true to yourself

It’s so difficult to pick a creative direction when you’re developing as an artist.

Everyone wants to make it big, but most want to do it on their own terms.

Don’t make the mistake of sacrificing your vision to accommodate others.

As you continue to build your project, contemplate what you stand for.

So many re-inventors of pop have already blurred the lines between genres. Are you adventurous enough to do the same?

The post Artistic Evolution: How 3 Modern Pop Stars are Changing the Game appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/artistic-evolution-modern-pop/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/632166472048934912

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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Audio Normalization: Should You Normalize Your Tracks?

Audio Normalization: Should You Normalize Your Tracks?: via LANDR Blog

Audio normalization is a concept that comes up fairly often for new producers.

It’s a music production process that’s been around since the earliest days of digital audio, but is it still relevant?

It’s not always easy to tell whether to apply normalization or to avoid it completely—and getting it wrong can cause issues in your mix.

In this article I’ll break down what audio normalization is, when to use it and when to steer clear.

Let’s get started.

What is audio normalization?

Audio normalization is a process that increases the level of a recording by a constant amount so that it reaches a target—or norm. Normalization applies the same level increase to the entire duration of an audio file.

Normalization is typically used to scale the level of track or file to just within its available maximum.

If that sounds complicated, all it means is that normalization brings up the volume of a file to the maximum amount based on the loudest point.

Normalization is typically used to scale the level of track or file to just within its available maximum.

When to use audio normalization

Audio normalization might seem a bit old fashioned by modern standards. With all the less invasive ways to increase a track’s gain out there, why would you choose to use normalization?

Some applications come from the early days of digital audio.

Back then many components had limited performance when it came to dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio.

Normalizing the audio sometimes helped get the best results from primitive AD/DA converters.

Normalization is still a common feature on hardware samplers that helps equalize the volume of different samples in the memory.

It’s handy in this situation because the dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio remain the same as they were before.

You can use your sampler’s normalize function where needed as you build patches and presets.

Why not to use audio normalization

Normalization isn’t commonly used in many music production situations outside of sampling.

It might seem like a convenient way to bring tracks up to a good volume, but there are several reasons why other methods are a better choice.

Normalization might seem like a convenient way to bring tracks up to a good volume, but there are several reasons why other methods are a better choice.

1. Normalization is often destructive

DAWs revolutionized music production with their non-destructive workflow.

What does that mean? Think of a strip of reel-to-reel tape—to perform an edit you need to physically slice it with a razor!

After that you can’t just go back to the original. But in your DAW you could simply drag the corners of the region out to restore the file.

Unfortunately there are some operations in the digital domain that are still technically destructive.

Any time you create a new audio file, you commit to the changes you make. Normalization sometimes requires you to create a new version of the file with the gain change applied.

If you do this and discard the original, you’re stuck with the normalized version!

Before you reach for the normalize function, make sure there isn’t another method better suited to the job.

2. Other methods are better

Modern DAWs have many different options for changing the level of audio signals.

Since normalization is a constant gain change, it works the same way as many other types of level adjustments.

Before you reach for the normalize function, make sure there isn’t another method better suited to the job. There are few situations where automation, clip gain or a utility plugin can’t fix your volume issues.

These operations are non-destructive and more flexible than normalizing entire tracks.

3. Normalization can create inter-sample peaks

Many new producers are looking for the easiest way to make their songs loud. It’s a common mistake to think that normalization plays a role.

When it comes to raising the level of an entire track, normalizing is among the worst options. In fact, normalizing an entire track to 0 dB is a recipe for disaster.

When it comes to raising the level of an entire track, normalizing is among the worst options.

The normalize function finds the highest peak in the entire waveform and raises it to the target. With this peak touching the 0 dB maximum, things get unpredictable.

When digital audio gets converted to analog to play through your speakers, the filters that reconstruct the signal smooth out the curve between individual samples in the file.

Sometimes the arc between two points close to the ceiling can exceed the maximum! The result is clipping from inter-sample peaks. It comes out as distracting harshness and distortion in your music.

Gain staging—the better choice

Properly controlling the levels inside your DAW is called gain staging.

It means checking the volume of each element you record and making sure not to exceed a healthy level throughout your mix.

The general rule is to keep your tracks’ peaks around 9-10 dBFS and the body of your waveform at around -18 dbFS.

Gain staging is most important at your DAW session’s master bus. If you’ve left good headroom throughout your mix, you’ll have plenty of space at the master fader to ensure nothing will clip.

With all this extra room left over, turning your tracks up using the fader or any of the other methods I’ve mentioned should offer plenty of level control without resorting to normalization.

Mastering your mix

If you follow these guidelines for gain staging you might be surprised to hear how quiet your finished bounce seems in comparison to tracks on your streaming platform of choice.

It’s because finished tracks need mastering to get the right levels for consumer playback.

Mastering brings up the overall loudness of a finished mix to exactly the right volume—no intersample peaks, no wasted headroom.

Unlike normalization, mastering turns up the volume dynamically so that even quiet passages can be heard clearly.

It takes careful processing and lots of experience to get a good master.

The easiest way to do it right is to hire a professional or try AI-powered mastering online.

Get your levels right

Normalization has its place in music production, but you need to be careful where you use it.

Headroom, gain staging and signal level all influence each other. Understanding that relationship is how you get the most out of your mix and master.

If you’ve made it through this article you’ll have a great starting point for managing your levels and making the right decisions about normalization.

The post Audio Normalization: Should You Normalize Your Tracks? appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/audio-normalization/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/631785226131111936

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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Music Royalties: How You Get Paid for Your Streams

Music Royalties: How You Get Paid for Your Streams: via LANDR Blog

It’s totally possible to make money with your original music.

Aside from live performances and physical merch, most artists rely on streaming revenue, royalties and music publishing as the main source of income from their music.

But knowing exactly how the royalty system works isn’t always clear cut.

There are different kinds of royalties and different organizations that pay them out. Plus, you have to make sure your metadata is properly recorded to collect every cent you’re owed.

In this article, I’ll clear up any confusion around the music royalty system and give you the confidence you need to be sure you’re collecting all of your royalties.

What are music royalties?

Music royalties are payments made to the owner(s) of a particular musical work, recording, melody or performance. They are paid by Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, SOCAN or BMI, and they’re paid by licensors of a particular work sold by a music publisher.

There are two kinds of music royalty—mechanical royalties and performance royalties.

What is a performance royalty?

A performance royalty is a royalty that’s owed any time your music is played on the radio, TV, streaming website, presentation, video game, in a store or performed in a live venue.

Keeping track of all those performances is no simple task—that’s why PROs exist. They collect your performance royalties on your behalf.

They work with media companies to collect any royalties owed and they pay out the royalties to any artist who is registered with the PRO.

There are two kinds of music royalty—mechanical royalties and performance royalties.

What is a mechanical royalty?

A mechanical royalty is a royalty owed to the composer or publisher of a musical work every time a physical copy of your music is manufactured in physical form, downloaded or streamed.

A mechanical royalty is owed whether or not the composer is the one performing it, meaning a mechanical royalty must be paid to the composer if a song is covered.

PROs do not collect mechanical royalties. Instead, it’s on the composer or publisher of a piece to collect these royalties.

Royalties vs. Licensing

You may be wondering: what about movie deals and big advertising placements? Aren’t those royalties too?

The answer is yes and no. You’re entitled to a royalty every time your song is performed on TV or in an advertisement.

But these royalties are paid on top of the sync licensing agreement made between your publisher and the media company.

Royalties are paid on top of the sync licensing agreement made between you the media company.

Usually, it’s the sync licensing deals that make the big TV deal style payouts. But, it doesn’t hurt to collect your royalties on top of those sync payments.

Of course, you’ll most likely have to work with a publishing agent to find a big sync licensing deal.

But, there are a few ways to find them independently too.

If you’re curious about sync licensing, we’ve written lots about it in previous articles. It’s a pretty big topic on its own.

How to collect all of your royalties

If you’re an independent artist who’s starting to get some traction on streaming platforms and radio, you’re probably wondering if you’re collecting everything you’re owed.

Here’s how you can make sure you’re collecting your mechanical and performance royalties.

The first place to start is to sign up with a PRO and start collecting performance royalties.

Your PRO will depend on where you live: ASCAP and BMI serve the United States, SOCAN is the Canadian PRO and SESAC serves Europe.

It’s a little bit of paperwork that can go a long way. The good news is that you can retroactively claim any royalties from your PRO, even if you sign up after they’re owed.

So if you sign up now, you might get a larger cheque because your royalties have just been sitting there.

A PRO can help with performance royalties but what about mechanical royalties?

Get your mechanical royalty metadata right

With digital distribution services, your mechanical royalties are still on the table. Every time your music is streamed, downloaded or purchased physically you are owed this royalty.

Don’t lose out on this extra streaming revenue!

As long as you don’t have a publishing arrangement with a music publisher, a digital distribution service like LANDR Distribution will collect your mechanical royalties for you.

But be careful—when you release your tracks with a digital distribution make sure you record your metadata properly.

Be careful—when you release your tracks with a digital distribution make sure you record your metadata properly.

Your digital distribution service provider will ask you who owns your music publishing rights.

List yourself as the publisher of your own music. Do not list your PRO, since your PRO is not your publisher—you are!

The royalty system is complicated

But with distribution service providers who support independent artists, it’s easier than ever to ensure you’re collecting everything you’re owed.

At the end of the day, no artist wants to spend time stressing about the dated and overly complicated royalty system.

That’s why trusting a digital distribution service provider like LANDR takes the stress away from the business side of music and lets you focus on what matters most—making beautiful art!

The post Music Royalties: How You Get Paid for Your Streams appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/music-royalties/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/631513435863154688

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jessicakmatt · 4 years

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The 10 Best Scary Sounds and Horror Sample Packs for Spooky Tracks

The 10 Best Scary Sounds and Horror Sample Packs for Spooky Tracks: via LANDR Blog

Spooky season is upon us and it’s the perfect time to hunker down and make boo-eats and “trick or tracks.”

To make your Halloween themed soundtrack you’ll need an ample selection of scary sounds, cursed samples, blood-curdling screams and horrifying SFX.

That’s why we’ve pieced together a list of the best scary sound packs and horror samples.

What—are you scared? Let’s dive in.

1. Neon Nightmare – Dark Synthwave

Worthy of a retro-horror soundtrack, the Neon Nightmare sample pack is your go-to for 80s themed synth drones, leads and chords.

Get samples that sound like they came from the opening credits of an old school slasher flick.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AANN_Bass_Neon_Dark_keyBmin_85bpm

2. Stranger Sounds

If the sound pack’s namesake doesn’t give it away, this sample pack is based on the critically lauded soundtrack of a certain Netflix series involving a Demogorgon and the number eleven.

Fun fact: the ARP 2600 was the legendary synth that was used to make the series’ soundtrack.

Our favorite sample from the pack: ESR_SRS_Arp_Loops_4_Fmin_85bpm

3. Dark & Scary Vocals

Demonic cackles, howling werewolves, screaming demons. That’s what you’ll find in Dark & Scary Vocals.

Perfect for adding some SFX pads to your Halloween night DJ set.

Our favorite sample from the pack: Vocal_35_125bpm

4. Freakin Scary EDM Vocals

Every Halloween DJ mix needs a mix of scary vocal cameos from a demonic sounding voice.

This sample pack delivers with scary sounding phrases and effects to remind your audience that it’s Halloween and it’s time to party.

Our favorite sample from the pack: 125BPM_DVL_DONT_CARE

5. In Da Vault – Drill & Trap

This cursed vault of spooky samples is open for the taking. This is your go-to for, trap and drill samples that stay true to the horror trap sub-genre.

Find creeping leadlines, unsettling chord progressions and jarring trap drum loops.

Our favorite sample from the pack: AAID_Trap_Melodic Loop_160_Emin_sacred

6. Evolved Game Creatures – Monster Sounds

Who doesn’t love when everything starts falling apart in a scary movie.

Personally, I find that moment when the monsters and beasts are unleashed and all hell breaks loose strangely comforting.

One thing is for sure, a scary climax won’t have any impact without some good monster sounds like the ones you’ll find in this sample pack.

Our favorite sample from the pack: ESM_One_Shot_Vocal_Sphinx_Monster_Attack_1_Saber_T

7. Horror Strings

Okay, strings are definitely the scariest instrument. Listening to this pack reminded me of how nauseating and unsettling they can be.

And how much a simple dissonant drone over a slow-moving wide camera shot can create an incredibly scary atmosphere.

If you need strings that’ll make anyone’s hair stand up, this sample pack is for you.

Our favorite sample from the pack: Mildly_Perilous_Atmospheres_60BPM_Modal_1_ST

8. Symphonic Series Vol 11: Horror & Mystery

If a simple string arrangement doesn’t offer enough oomph for you, may I suggest the Horror & Mystery Symphonic Series where you’ll find horror-themed orchestral samples?

Get crawling woodwinds, dissonant compositions, spoken incantations, a demonic choir and more!

Our favorite sample from the pack: PL_SS11_01_Choir_42-52_120_A_Minor_Wet

9. Spooky House

Inspired by the dark industrial sounds of techno and house, this pack comes with everything you need to put a spooky atmosphere into your dance tracks.

Find pulsing scrapes, creepy vocal effects, cinematic effects that are reminiscent of something you might hear on an Ed Banger record.

Our favorite sample from the pack: Fx_3

10. Ultimate Horror Fx

If you’re still looking for that perfect horror sound here’s a great scary sound pack that’s full of sickening sounds, tense drones, creep sound effects and much more.

You’re bound to find what you need for your spooky track or scary film.

Our favorite sample from the pack: Drone_01_Em_125bpm

The post The 10 Best Scary Sounds and Horror Sample Packs for Spooky Tracks appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/scary-sounds/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/631505879640981504

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