Summary
Highlights
Professional producer Miguel introduces a comprehensive music production course, aiming to bridge the gap between basic theory and professional execution. The course covers the entire song lifecycle using FL Studio, including sound design, mixing, mastering, and the business side of music, such as distribution and royalty collection. Miguel, with 8 years of semi-professional experience and collaborations with major artists, will guide participants to create a fully released and monetized product.
This section outlines the essential tools and software required for the course. The primary DAW will be FL Studio, available as a free trial. For sound design, the course uses 'Fabric,' a node-based synthesizer from Miguel's startup, Kais Club, and also suggests 'Vital' as a free alternative. Samples will be sourced from 'Seimatics,' which offers numerous free packs. For distribution, 'Route Note' is recommended for free uploads to major platforms, and 'Monetunes' for collecting overlooked royalties, particularly for publishing rights.
Miguel introduces the basics of sound design within FL Studio using 'Fabric.' After installing the software and ensuring plugins are managed, 'Fabric' is opened as the primary virtual instrument. The core concept of sound design is translating a mental sound vision into the computer. 'Fabric' is node-based, with the oscillator being the origin of sound. Parameters like pitch (octave, semi, fine) and timbre (wave) are explained. The shaper node allows custom wave drawing. Pre-processing (before Voice ADSR) and post-processing (after Voice ADSR) are differentiated using a reverb example, highlighting their impact on sound. Parallel processing is also introduced, demonstrating how multiple sound layers and effects like filters and delays can be chained or run in parallel.
This section focuses on using samples as building blocks for a song. Samples include drums, effects, and vocals. Miguel demonstrates how to download and import free sample packs from Seimatics, specifically an EDM starter pack. He shows how to create a basic house beat at 128 BPM, starting with a kick on every beat, claps on every second beat, and hats on offbeats. The process involves dragging samples into the playlist, adjusting volume, and editing properties within the sample editor. The importance of balancing sample and virtual instrument usage based on workflow is also highlighted.
Mixing is explained with the analogy of fitting elements into a box. The goal is to ensure all song elements coexist without clashing. Three key aspects of mixing are covered: loudness (adjusting individual element volumes and setting priorities), frequency/shape (using filters, like those in Fabric, to make sounds thinner or thicker, or to remove clashing frequencies), and position/stereo imaging (panning sounds left/right or adjusting their width to create space). Miguel demonstrates linking elements to mixer tracks and applying volume adjustments and parametric EQ filters to a drum loop, explaining how small changes accrue to a better overall mix in the long run.
Melody creation within FL Studio's piano roll is introduced. Notes can be added, and their lengths adjusted. The concept of 'light' and 'dark' notes helps in staying within a chosen scale, especially for beginners. Miguel suggests starting with a baseline, then adding chords, and finally a melody. He demonstrates creating a baseline in D# minor, highlighting ghost scales for guidance. The process of adding chords to the baseline by staying on light notes is shown. The importance of symmetry and repetition with variation (e.g., AB, ABBA patterns) in melodies for memorability is emphasized. Inspiration from other tracks and the iterative nature of learning melody creation are also discussed.
Miguel explains the distinction between music distribution and publishing using a visual analogy. A distributor (like Route Note) handles the recording rights, sending the finished song to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Publishing rights, which cover the intellectual property of the composition, are separate and must be collected through a publishing company (like Monetunes). Neglecting publishing can mean losing up to half of potential earnings, including royalties from radio plays, TV sync, and even cover versions. Monetunes is highlighted as a free service to collect these publishing royalties.
This section kicks off the practical song creation. Miguel focuses on creating a bass house track, an aggressive subgenre of EDM. He begins with the breakdown, which serves as the song's introduction. The first step is to create a subtle background 'respace' for the baseline using Fabric, employing two parallel saw waves with slight pitch shifts for a wobbling effect, filtered to be less harsh. He explains house music BPM and kick patterns, emphasizing the importance of bass frequencies in club systems. A D# minor ghost scale is used to build the baseline with an ABAB pattern and slide effects. Vocals from a Seimatics Euphoria pack are chosen, key and BPM adjusted. Ambience and ear candy are added using additional samples and reverse sampling to build tension. Drums (claps and hats) are introduced to create progression.
Miguel addresses empty spaces in the breakdown by introducing a 'call and response' technique using a pluck synth, playing a melody that responds to the vocal. He imports a pluck preset from Fabric (noting the limitations for free users). The melody is created using the same ghost notes and ABAB structure. The pluck is then filtered and reverbed for a background feel. To further enhance ambience, a duplicate of the main vocal is pitched up an octave, processed with filtering, reverb, and ping-pong delay. The 'Stretch Pro' mode is used to retain vocal formants, preventing a childish sound. All elements are routed to mixer tracks to facilitate later mixing.
The creation of the song's main drop begins by copying existing hats and claps, and then adding a new kick drum. The clap is replaced with a more suitable sound for the drop. The goal is a high-energy, release-oriented section. For the main bass, a new Fabric instance is used with a custom 'German Triangle' preset, which Miguel encourages users to recreate. The baseline midi from the breakdown is copied for reference, modified with rhythmic cuts to create catchiness, following an ABAB pattern. Groovy kicks are added to fill empty spaces. Automation is demonstrated for reverb on the main synth, creating dynamic sonic textures. Variation in the second half of the drop is achieved by automating the oscillator's pitch up by an octave. Vocal chops from the breakdown are integrated into the drop to maintain musical motifs, further processed with distortion and reverb.
The buildup section is crafted by combining elements from both the breakdown and the drop. The main synth sound from the drop is introduced, along with breakdown elements like ambiences, vocals, and drums. A critical technique for the buildup is applying a filter to the main synth and automating its cutoff frequency to create a sense of rising tension, transitioning smoothly from the break. A classic buildup snare is added, and if suitable samples aren't found, a custom one is created from percussion samples. White noise risers are also incorporated to enhance anticipation before the drop. This completes the first half of the song's structure.
To create a full song, the first half (breakdown, buildup, drop) is duplicated. However, to avoid monotony, variations are introduced in the second half. For the second breakdown, a lighter house kick replaces the drop kick, creating a subtle change. The main synth, which was an octave higher in the second half of the first drop, is brought back to its original octave. For the second drop, a 'fake drop' technique is employed: some kicks (and occasionally hats/claps) are removed in the initial part to build tension, and a filtered effect, similar to the buildup, is automated. This creates a moment of hesitation before the full impact of the drop returns, adding dynamic interest to the song's arrangement.
The mixing process begins with ensuring all elements are routed to mixer tracks. The first step in mixing is leveling, meticulously adjusting the loudness of each element across the entire song. Miguel demonstrates adjusting impact volume, synth arps, and particularly increasing the main synth's volume during the drop via automation. A rule of thumb is established: bass should be as loud as the kick. The second mixing aspect focuses on shaping sounds using filters. Ambience and reverb are applied to the vocal, and low frequencies are removed from various elements (ambiences, hats, claps) to prevent muddiness. The critical concept of sidechaining using a bus mixer and automated volume ducking is introduced to avoid clashes between the kick and the main synth, especially for bass frequencies. Bass frequencies are further refined by separating the main bass into a sub-bass (sine wave with distortion and filter) and a main bass, with the sub-bass handling the extreme lows and the main bass having its low end removed. The third aspect, stereo positioning, is addressed: ambiences and vocal layers are made more stereo, while kicks and main bass are kept mono for impact.
Mastering begins by ensuring the song doesn't 'peak' (go into the red on the meter) by using a Fruity Balance plugin to lower the overall volume. Listening to the track at different volumes helps identify subtle mix issues. Miguel addresses these by making minor EQ adjustments on the master track (e.g., dipping low mids, adjusting highs). He emphasizes a clean and subtle EQ on the master. For the buildup, a reverb is added to the master channel, with its 'wet' parameter automated to increase during the buildup for anticipation, and its low frequencies filtered out to prevent muddiness. The final step in mastering is adding a limiter to boost the overall loudness without clipping. Emphasis, a new FL Studio plugin, is recommended for its presets. Finally, the finished song is exported as a high-quality MP3 (320 kbps, 44.1 kHz sample rate) for distribution.
With the finished song, the next step is distribution. Miguel guides through the Route Note website, emphasizing its free distribution service (which takes 15% of royalties). He demonstrates creating a new release, filling in details like song title ('Freedom'), artist name (his 'Mad Miguel' project), and copyright information. He advises setting the release date at least a month in advance for optimal performance, and to avoid December releases if possible. Explicit content warnings are noted. The audio file (MP3, 320kbps, 44.1kHz) is uploaded. Finally, all available stores (Spotify, YouTube Music, etc.) are selected, and the free distribution option is chosen, with the recommendation to switch to a premium plan only when earnings can cover the costs. The song then undergoes a review process before release.
After distribution, collecting publishing royalties is crucial, as distributors often neglect this. Miguel explains how Monetunes helps artists collect these royalties via its free service (which takes 15%). He demonstrates signing up and adding a new 'work' to the dashboard. Songs can be imported from Spotify. He outlines how to add writers (yourself and collaborators) and their percentage shares. He discusses Performance Rights Organizations (PROs), noting that while they collect some royalties, they are paid services (e.g., €50/year in Germany) and Monetunes can often cover these collections worldwide without upfront fees. He advises against a PRO for beginners but suggests considering it for higher earnings. Once details are submitted, Monetunes reviews the work and begins collecting royalties, with payments typically arriving after about nine months, emphasizing the long-term investment nature of music revenue.