By Mitch Rice
Ever wonder where great background or royalty free music comes from? Well, it comes from musicians just like you. Producing music that you (and others) will use as background music is a great way to make a living doing what you love. It’s also an incredibly rewarding experience—you get to be the one who creates the soundtrack and the perfect song for some of the biggest projects out there; whether it’s for music videos or feature films, there’s always a need to provide quality sound.
Producing your own background music can be a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. But with the right guidance and tools, anyone can create interesting and unique music that can be used in any commercial or personal project. This guide will provide an overview of the steps needed to craft your own custom background music and put it into practice. Let’s dive in.
Choose a Genre
Choosing a genre to produce your own background music is a very important decision because it will dictate the mood and atmosphere of your project. Depending on the desired outcome, some genres may fit better than others. It is advisable to experiment with different styles and test variations to make sure you are getting the sound that you want.
Additionally, exploring outside of traditional music production can create interesting results, such as layering multiple textures together or even incorporating audio from everyday life. Whatever genre you decide on, ensure that it is appropriate for the context of your work, and be mindful that most new trends don’t last very long in terms of widespread popularity.
Get Familiar With Your Software
Becoming knowledgeable in music production software can seem intimidating at first, but with the right resources and patience, you can unlock the potential of being able to make your own background music. Entering the world of audio engineering allows you to take control of your crafting style, opening up creative pathways that lead to fresh and interesting soundscapes. You can also find free software online if you’d like to save money and would rather not purchase expensive software.
Spend time researching resources from experienced professionals, watch tutorials online, or speak with friends who have experience using the same programs that you’re interested in learning. With a combination of curiosity and dedication, you will soon find yourself comfortably editing and producing high-quality music within no time.
Ableton is a very popular DAW (digital audio workstation) compatible with macOS and Windows. And Ableton Live can be used for live performances as well as a great tool for composing, recording, mixing, arranging, and mastering. It’s definitely worth your time to check it out. Additional information for Ableton can be found on their official site.
Create a Beat
Creating a beat for use as your own background music is an incredibly empowering experience. Many producers make their own beats to set the tone and mood of their sound, whether they’re compiling tracks for an album or producing beats for film or video game scores.
Depending on the genre of music you are hoping to create, different instrument compositions may need to be taken into account while producing your beat, ensuring that the sound you create matches the aesthetic of your musical vision.
It can take a lot of time and effort to perfect this process but seeing your completed product come together in such a unique way is truly gratifying. Crafting a beat with care and precision can yield beautiful outcomes that really make your work stand out above the rest.
Add More Elements
When it comes to producing your own background music, there are several elements that you should consider. From selecting instrumentation to adding in dramatic orchestral scores, the possibilities are seemingly endless. With the ever-changing landscape of technology, producers can now turn a simple tune into something remarkable through creative sequencing, sampling, and more.
Synthesizers are also being used more frequently to achieve unique sounds unlike any other. Additionally, producers will often add subtle effects like reverb and delay to emphasize certain parts of songs as well as giving them the desired richness that is needed for modern music production. By adding these various elements when composing or arranging background music, producers can take their projects to the next level and create something truly special.
You can even access your experimental side to make SFX (sound effects). This is a great way to be creative and find unique solutions for stock music that can make all the difference in a project. SFX can be layered, chopped up, and manipulated to fit in just the right place.
Mix and Master Your Track
Mixing and mastering your track is one of the most crucial elements of producing your own background music. It is essential to get the balance right between different tracks, effects, and instruments in order to create a cohesive soundscape. By using equal-loudness contours and other sound-shaping tools, you can adjust each element to fit perfectly within the entire composition.
With careful attention to frequencies, panning, compression, and EQ settings, you can produce a track that sounds polished and professional. Mixing and mastering are both detailed processes that must be done with precision to achieve optimal results. When done correctly, they provide the perfect platform for you to showcase your original composition.
Create a Final Master
Creating a final master of your own composition is both thrilling and rewarding. It may feel intimidating at first, but with dedication and knowledge of the steps involved, you can create a professional-sounding composition in no time.
When it comes to producing background music, there are a couple of important elements to consider, namely, instrument sound selection, instrument arrangement, and frequency balancing. First, be sure that the right instruments have been chosen for the particular mood or atmosphere you intend for your piece. Then arrange the instruments to your liking – experimenting as much as possible here will often lead to some surprisingly creative results.
Finally, take care to make sure all components are sharp in terms of frequency balance so that nothing stands out too loud or soft among any other parts. With these basics in mind, constructing your own master won’t be quite as difficult as it initially seemed.
The Bottom Line
All in all, creating your own background music can be a very rewarding experience. By understanding the different elements of composition and production, you can craft a professional-sounding piece that truly reflects your musical vision. With some dedication and practice, you can take pride in producing your own masterpiece, even if it’s just for fun.
