Custom music production allows you to explore your creativity and come up with different sounds that can be used in different avenues. However, it can be a bit challenging and you may find that you get stuck in some areas.
Whether you are a musician working on your production yourself or a seasoned music producer, it can prove to be a hustle sometimes. Especially, when trying out new sounds that you haven’t worked with.
What is Custom Music?
Before we cover some custom music production tips, it is helpful to understand what this music entails. Custom music is used to refer to music produced for specific purposes that are determined by the owner of the music.
So, when you produce custom music, you’ll most likely hand over part or full ownership and rights to your clients. Custom music comes in handy since it can be used in different media including:
- Video introductions
- Commercials
- Video games
- Movies
- Background music
- Campaigns
Custom Music Production Tips
Producing custom music is fun and helps you stretch your creative muscles. You can create sounds that you want or create from the instructions of your clients. It all depends on the kind of project you are working on.
Here are some tips to help you with custom production.
Use the Right Equipment
Custom music production can feature the use of a few or a lot of equipment depending on your budget and workflow. You can easily create a home studio with basic equipment and then add other more complex options later on.
Some great examples of the hardware you’ll need include;
- Computer
- Audio Interface
- DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
- Microphone
- Speakers or Headphones
- Drum machines
- Effects pedals and groove boxes
When starting out, a computer, DAW and headphones will work well to help you achieve some great sounds. Over time, you can create a home studio with soundproofing to have better control of your music and add some other equipment that you need.
Create Your Story and Write
Songwriting and composition are key aspects that help level up your custom music production and deliver on expectations. Composition helps you figure out the story you want to communicate with your music.
If you are working on custom music for a client, understanding what they want to achieve and who they are targeting is a great place to start. It will allow you to create a precise story that resonates with them and deliver results in your music.
But, if you’re creating the music to later make available to clients, then create a story that would entice them and start writing your music. Writing can be done by a musician or producer provided you have honed the skill.
Pay Attention to Musical Arrangement
Musical arrangement determines how music flows from start to finish. It will feature different sections that will help you deliver your story through music. The arrangement will allow you to highlight the best parts of your custom music.
It will also play a part in your sound design to ensure that you build the right sound for your story. Paying attention to the tones and textures of the sound alongside the music arrangement will allow you to create an incredible music piece.
Be Creative with the Recording
The recording process is a major part of music production that allows you to manipulate the audio to your satisfaction. You can record with your microphone and get incredible sounds for your music.
If you don’t have a home studio, you can work with the sounds around you to help bring a different flare to your music. In addition, find a singer that will deliver the sound you expect to work with.
Doing this will ensure that the recording process is seamless and reduce the time it will take to retake or edit the piece.
Blend Your Sounds Right
Working with your raw music tracks to blend and create a pleasant sound that is interesting and enjoyable is essential. Mixing music to get the perfect sounds for your project is an incredible skill to improve on and use in this phase.
You’ll need to blend the music right to ensure that you achieve a great mix that sounds just right. Here are some effects to help you do this.
- EQ
- Compression
- Reverb
- Distortion
Before mixing your music, start by listening to the raw track to determine how you’ll tweak it and the effects you’ll use. If you have a hands-on client, you can include them in this process to get their take on what they’d like.
License Your Music & Distribute
Licensing your music is essential and should be a priority to ensure that your creativity is protected and you get your deserved compensation. Getting your streaming music licenses will ensure that whenever a creator uses your music, you get paid.
When producing custom music for clients, you’ll need to have a license that gives them the right to use your music for the purposes you agree upon. In some cases, you may hand over full ownership and rights to the client.
There’s a high probability of handing over full ownership to clients if they outsourced their music needs to you and had specific instructions unique to their project needs. However, if you produce the music from scratch alone you can continue to earn when they use your music.
Conclusion
Custom music production is a great creative outlet that allows you to produce different sounds to be used in different projects. Ensuring that you follow the right custom production tips allows you to create masterpieces that people will love.
