Sad chord progressions carry a lot of emotional content and provide the backbone to compositions across genres. While it’s normal to want to create something fresh whenever a songwriter picks up their instrument, knowing common chord progressions is a huge…
Copyright in Music: Sample Clearance vs. Fair Use
Like any artist, songwriters have a tendency to borrow from their influences. Especially in hip hop and related genres, producers will sample music from another artist to flip it and make it their own. The issue with this, though, is…
Top Drum Software for Realistic Sounding MIDI Drums
Using drum software is one of the quickest and easiest means to lock down your song’s backbone. As a matter of fact, drum software has gotten so good that it isn’t uncommon for solo artists to release finished albums with…
The Best Free VST Synth Plugins
If you’re a music producer or songwriter, virtual instruments and software synthesizers are your best friend. And if you haven’t already developed an unhealthy obsession with plugins, you will eventually! The only problem with the plugin game is that it’s…
The Secret to Writing Great Songs?
Today's featured FAQ Friday question is: What’s the best song structure for the music industry at the moment? This is a huge question! Song structure is a very broad term. This question made me think of all the knee-jerk reactions.…
Award Winning Storytelling through Sound & Score | Interview with Lars Deutsch
Warren Huart: Hello everybody. Hope you’re doing marvelously well. I’m sitting here with Lars Deutsch. How are ya? Lars Deutsch: Nice. How are you? Warren Huart: I’m marvelous, and we’re just talking about a second ago, this is Magic Corridor…
Songwriting Inspiration: Ways to Stay Creative
Sometimes songwriting inspiration really does come out of thin air. The other 90% of the time, we’re stuck somewhere between wanting to make music, and actually making music. If you want to spend more time actually making music and steering clear of dreaded writer’s…
Music Marketing Tips: How to Have Your Music Heard
The music business in the 21st century is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the web and digital recording have allowed anyone to record and post their music online for immediate consumption. This is an amazing leap from the days when music had…
Music Publishing Essentials: Everything You Need to Know
If you aspire to earn income on your compositions, music publishing is one of the most important–and least understood–aspects of the music business. It’s how songwriters make the majority of their money, and how they’re able to earn royalties when…
Recording a song with 1 mic (LCT 441 Flex Giveaway)
a Rafflecopter giveaway Over the last 3 years of doing this channel, our good friends over at Lewitt have given us many microphones to try out and give away! Recently they have introduced a new microphone called the LCT 441…
How to Write a Song with 10 Helpful Holistic Hints
When it comes to writing music, there’s surely no substitute for a bit of creativity and the keen desire to make something new. Everyone has a method all their own, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t observable parallels between creative…
12 Of The Greatest Songwriters of All Time
Whether you’re at the start of your music career or already have a catalogue of music under your belt, music appreciation should always be a part of your day. As musicians, we have an obligation to keep an ear open…
10 Steps To Writing Your First Song
Getting started writing your own song can be a bit nerve-wracking! As an artist, your early work can often define who you are, as it lets music listeners what you’re all about. Lyrics, composition, chord structure, genre…these are all things…
Magic Formula For Songwriting? | FAQ Friday
I often get asked about songwriting: How do I start a song? Is there a magical formula? I like to start with asking the artist “what do you want to write about? What exactly are you trying to say?” If…
