Find “your sound”: This is a common question among music producers.
It’s one thing to know how to develop a specific style. It’s one thing to make tracks as good as your favorite producers.
Finding your own music style — writing songs that sound like you — may be the most challenging task of all.
Look, I went through all that as Hyperbits. I spent years attempting to emulate my heroes. I even got good enough to get signed to some cool labels.
But when I established The Rooftop Boys, we had our own sound. And the figures showed – millions of streams in weeks.
Just compare the total plays between my two music projects to establish my point.
As a music producer, people frequently inquire about how you create your unique sound.
My response is given below. I’ve employed these tactics, as have some of the world’s finest producers.
1. Create a thousand songs
If you want to find your sound, there is no way around putting in the time to do so.
Yes, I mean it when I say “create 1,000 songs.” 1,000 songs, not 1,000 albums or 1,000 completed, mixed, and mastered works.
A song might be merely five or six occurrences of pianos and strings that spell out the melodic material for a piece, or it can be a demo idea with poor sound design and a primitive arrangement. They don’t have to be ready to go; in fact, they could not even be close.
The trick is to compose a large number of tunes.
2. Use a gear that no one else has
You may produce music with your own sound by using an instrument or piece of gear that no one else possesses.
Most of the time, singing will suffice. The fact that rock bands and rappers have different vocals makes a big difference in how they sound.
Do you have the ability to sing? Do you have a buddy that can sing on a lot of your songs, or do you have a friend who can sing on a lot of your tracks? Use caution; utilizing Splice vocals that everyone else has access to is a quick way to sound exactly like everyone else.
Or do you have a musical instrument? Is it possible to obtain an odd or rare piece of equipment? Is there a less well-known software synth you might use?
All of these will help you sound unique.
3. Save Your Personal Presets in a Favorites Folder
Make a Favorites Folder with all of your favorite examples. Use these samples as placeholders while developing track ideas when producing (i.e. your songs).
Not only will this save you time when brainstorming ideas by eliminating the need to hunt through sample packs, but many of these samples will end up in the final version of a production, giving your songs greater consistency.
Synth presets, channel strips, and racks may all be used in the same way. If you make a nice sound for one track, you may reuse it (with slight changes) in another.
You may get a more consistent sound by reusing these building pieces in your songs.
4. Make music in the style that you enjoy
If you strive to reproduce whatever is popular, you’ll inevitably end yourself trying to mimic the sounds of other producers. DO THAT IF YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT A SUB-GENRE OR A STYLE OF DOING SOMETHING.
You must trust your instincts – your ability to discern what is cool and intriguing is perhaps the most essential factor that distinguishes you from the competition.
Making music in the style you enjoy will keep you motivated to keep producing and writing tunes.
5. Take Inspiration from Sources Other Than Your Own Genre
This is quite important. Taking inspirations from genres other than your own is a terrific method to develop your unique sound.
You only have to look to Avicii’s success to see that this is true. It’s no secret that when he debuted True at Ultra in 2013, most of the EDM scene was dubious of combining country and electronic music.
Well, we all know what happened next: Wake Me Up became the most streamed song of all time when it was released, and Avicii established a distinct musical style. He trusted his instincts, and you should as well.
Blending genres can produce a world of new sounds, whether it’s taking composition concepts from classical music, incorporating country and rock instruments into electronic recordings, or taking sounds from underground music and making them more accessible.
