COURSE CURRICULUM

AND PROGRESS CHECKLIST

AN OVERVIEW OF COURSE MODULES,

VIDEOS AND BONUSES
 DANCE MUSIC FORMULA: COURSE CURRICULUM & PROGRESS CHECKLIST

MODULE 1
INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction (7 VIDEOS)

1.1 Introduction To This Course

In this video, your course tutor Joey Santos welcomes you to the first module where weʼll get your home
studio up and running. Weʼll setup your home studio, download and install Ableton Live on your computer,
and youʼll also learn how to download the Digital DJ Tips Sound Pack. Youʼll then get an introduction to
Ableton Live, learn about its twin interfaces, and then youʼll begin working on your project by adding
sounds from the DDJT Sound Pack. Welcome to your new obsession!

1.2 Setting Up Your Home Studio

We go through the essentials needed so you can get started on this course. We also look at two set-ups:
speakers, and headphones only. So whether youʼre using a pair of cans connected to your laptop, or
youʼve got a pair of speaker monitors and an audio interface, we take a look at best practices for setting
up your home studio - trust me, youʼll be spending a lot of time here.

1.3 Downloading & Installing Ableton Live

In this video I help you choose which version of Ableton Live to pick. Ableton Live is the digital audio
workstation weʼre using in this course, and weʼll get it installed in your computer. We wonʼt run it just yet,
because weʼve got other items to install after this, so for now letʼs just hit the ground running by getting
Ableton Live on your computer.

1.4 Downloading & Installing The DDJT Sound Pack

Here we grab the Digital DJ Tips Course Sound Pack, which contains all the loops and samples you need
for this course. These are sounds that are on the same quality and level as the pros use, which will help you
come up with a great-sounding production quicker. Industry secret: Even the pros use samples in their own
music!

1.5 On Live 9 Intro? Watch This: Downloading & Installing Additional

Plugins
If youʼre on Live 9 Intro, you need to watch this video. If youʼre on Standard or Suite, you can safely skip
this video and proceed to the next one where weʼll run Live for the first time.
Plugins are extra pieces of software that give you extra functions and features, letting you do more with
your software. Since youʼre on Live 9 Intro youʼre missing a couple of plugins needed for this course, but
donʼt worry because weʼll be using some free plugins to makeup for them, and Iʼll show you how to
download and install them in this video.

1.6 Running Live For The First Time

In this video, we fire up Ableton Live and I show you around the interface. Live 9 has two workflows called
Session View and Arrangement View, which have their own strengths and use scenarios. Our focus on this
course will be Arrangement View, and though we wonʼt be using Session View in this course, Iʼll talk you
through it so you have a grasp of the interface. Finally, I show you how to drag a clip from the DDJT
Sound Pack into Session View and get it looping.

1.7 Getting Comfy With Arrangement View

Here, we turn our attention to Liveʼs other view called Arrangement View. In this view, time moves from left
to right instead of in a cyclical loop, and this is the view that weʼll be using in this course. I show you the
Arrangement View interface in this video, and I teach you how to transfer the drum loop we added in
Session View over to Arrangement View. Youʼll also add another loop to your project, and Iʼll teach you
some basic duplication and copy / paste skills.

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MODULE 2
ARRANGE

2.0 Arrange (4 VIDEOS)

2.1 Introduction To The Arrange Module

In this video, I give you a glimpse of whatʼs to come in this module, which will have you deconstructing a
song, creating a guide from it that youʼll use as a template for your tune, and filling it in with loops and
samples. By the end of this module, youʼll have your very first arrangement filled with basic drum sounds,
which weʼll build on as we go through this course.

2.2 Importing Your Guide Track

A Song Map is like a “grid” for your tune, a rough sketch of its arrangement that helps us to make the
track. We will save time by basing our new song on the arrangement of an existing one, so in order to do
that, we need to load an existing track into Ableton and set its tempo. That way, Ableton can lay down
grid lines over the guide song that we can use to start to make our Song Map.

2.3 Building Your Song Map

In this video, I show you how to create a Song Map using the guide track we imported in the last video.
We mark all the main parts of the track on our grid (intro, outro, drop, break etc), so that when we remove
the Guide Track, weʼre left with an outline of the guide trackʼs arrangement which we can use to build our
new, original track on.

2.4 Adding More Sounds To Your Song Map

You now have a Song Map, but youʼve only got a few bars of drums and a synth loop going. So in this
final video, we fill in the sections of our song map with more sounds by copying and pasting these two
loops, plus weʼll add in one more drum and synth loop from the Course Sound Pack to keep certain song
sections sounding fresh. By the end of this video, you will be able to hear the basic structure of your
production.

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MODULE 3
DRUMS

3.0 Drums (5 VIDEOS)

3.1 Introduction To The Drums Module

In the last module we laid the foundation for your track by creating a template, called the Song Map, and
filled it in with some basic loops. In this module, weʼll focus on the drums by adding in our own drum
sounds, percussion, and sound effects on top of those loops. Weʼre starting with drums because theyʼre
the most important element of a dance track, so getting it solid is a priority.

3.2 Creating The Main Beat Using The Drum Rack

In this video, I show you how to make the basic beat using Abletonʼs Drum Rack. We demystify this
powerful instrument, and I talk about a basic rhythm concept that musicians use known as the quarter
note, which will help you understand how the beat is made. Youʼll then begin to create what I call the
“Master Drum Clip” by adding a basic kick drum beat, and by the end of it youʼll have added some
serious “punch” to your drums. Get ready, Ibiza!

3.3 Adding Snare, Clap, And Hi-Hats To Your Master Drum Clip
Thereʼs so much more to dance music than just kicks. In this video, weʼll draw in some snare, clap, and hi-
hat sounds in the Drum Rack to thicken your drums to make them “groove” and add some excitement. Iʼll
explain another type of note here known as the eighth note.

3.4 Shaping The Kick & Snare Sounds In Your Master Drum Clip
The kick and snare are arguably the most important elements of the drums - this is why producers spend a
lot of time tweaking them so they sound great and cut through. In this video, Iʼll show you how to do
exactly that through a process called layering, which will have you adding extra kick and snare sounds,
and then zeroing in only on the specific parts of that sound that we want, such as the “snap” of the snare
or the “thud” of a monstrous kick.

3.5 Copy/Pasting The Drum Clip To Other Sections In Your Song

In this final video, I show you how to copy the Master Drum Clip we've been working on to the other
sections of your song. Weʼll also edit the Master Drum Clip differently for each section because that lets
your drums ebb and flow as the listener goes from one section to the next - if you just copy and paste the
Master Drum Clip as is to all sections, then there wouldnʼt be any differences and it will begin to sound
stale. We are going for movement in our drums, so we need to edit them slightly differently per section.
Weʼre at the end of this module, so letʼs finish strong!

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MODULE 4
MUSIC

4.0 Music (12 VIDEOS)

4.1 Introduction To The Music Module

Check out whatʼs in this module which has everything to do with adding melodic elements to your track. Iʼll
teach you how to create chords, how to make a catchy melodic hook that will serve as your “lead”, and a
thick bass line thatʼs grooving with your drums. By the end of this module, youʼll have a project that
already sounds like a rough tune, which weʼll be polishing as we go through the next modules.

4.2 Adding The Chord Progression Loop

In this video, you will add a piano chord progression loop from your Sound Pack. I introduce you to what
chords are and how, together with the drums, they form the foundation of your tune. After that, I show you
how to take the piano chord loop from the Sound Pack and get it into sections of your song that will use it.

4.3 Making Your First Chord

In this video, I show you how to make your own chord. This is important because youʼll be able to make
your own chord progressions that can support your tune without having to rely solely on pre-made loops. I
introduce you to the two main scales in modern music known as the major and minor scales - a large chunk
of dance music is made in the minor scale, so thatʼs what weʼll use in this course. I then show you how
chords are built, and then youʼll add your first chord using a simple formula. You will use one of Ableton
Liveʼs instruments called Simpler, and it will be a type of sound known as a pad.

4.4 Creating Your Own Chord Progression

Now that youʼve got one chord that you made yourself, letʼs add some more to make a chord
progression. In this video, Iʼll touch briefly on how to choose chords for a chord progression, and then
youʼll build two more chords using a different chord formula from what we used in the previous video, and
then youʼll copy the progression over to sections that need it.

4.5 Adding The Bassline Loops

Weʼve got a nice drum rhythm going, and a strong chord progression, but I bet you notice that thereʼs still
something missing: the bass! The bassline is basically a melody, and a good rule of thumb to follow is that
when there are two melodic parts, one has to be simpler than the other to avoid them fighting for attention
in a track. Weʼll drop a nice, complex bassline loop to add character and groove to your musical
elements.

4.6 Creating Your Own Bassline

Here Iʼll teach you how to write your own bassline, because sometimes you want to make your own, or
youʼre inspired by a bass loop but want to make some changes to it. I show you how to pluck some notes
from the same minor scale to create a simple bassline, and then youʼll copy paste them to the beginning of
the Intro and the tail end of the Outro.

4.7 Adding The Melody Loop

In this video, you will learn what a melody is and why itʼs important in a track. Weʼll then drop in a
melody loop from the DDJT Sample Pack. Since we already have a fairly rich and complex melody care of
the bassline, the melody loop will just be a simple one that will sit further back in the mix, which will add to
the atmosphere of your house tune.

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4.0 Music Continued (12 VIDEOS)

4.8 Behind The Scenes: How I Made The Melody Loop

In this Behind The Scenes video, I then give you a glimpse of how I created the melody loop by using a
hack that guarantees all the notes will sound sweet and wonʼt clash with our chord progression. Itʼs a trick
that producers, singer-songwriters, and even rock guitarists love to use. Itʼs great for making quick, catchy
melodies - if you want to know more, this video has you covered.

4.9 Adding Vocals I: Drop Vocal Loops

In this video, you add some vocals to your track by placing two vocal loops in the Drop section. Weʼll
then copy those loops over to all the other Drop chunks.

4.10 Behind The Scenes: How I Made The Drop Vocal Loops
In this Behind The Scenes video, I show you how I spliced two pre-made vocal loops together to create a
new one. Itʼs a cool technique to try out on your own later on because it lets you modify vocal loops and
acapellas found on sample packs. If you want to see how I chopped up the vocal loops and fused them,
this video will cover that.

4.11 Adding Vocals II: Verse Vocal Loops

In this video, youʼll be adding in even more vocal loops, this time for the Verse song sections. Theyʼre a
bit different compared to the Drop vocal loops, and they provide the hook for the Verse chunks of your
production.

4.12 Behind The Scenes: How I Wrote The Lyrics Of Your Production
In this Behind The Scenes video, I talk about my process for writing lyrics (hint: itʼs got nothing to do with
working in the studio). If you want to know how I came up with the lyrics for your production, as well as
how I came up with the melody, then youʼll want to check this Behind The Scenes video out.

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MODULE 5
CUSTOMISE

5.0 Customise (8 VIDEOS)

5.1 Introduction To The Customise Module

This is an important module in the course because this is where we begin to really dig into your tune to add
little tweaks and details thatʼll make it sound like a professionally produced track. Weʼll create tension and
release by creating the breakdown and buildup, and Iʼll teach you techniques that you can use to truly
make a tune “yours”.

5.2 Tension & Release I: Adding Loops To The Breakdown & Buildup
Dance music is all about creating two moods: tension and release. Tension is the anticipation of the listener
on the dancefloor as she goes through a quiet portion in your song that slowly builds into a mountain of
energy that erupts, creating release. In production terms, this is known as the breakdown and buildup,
while the release is called the drop. Youʼll add the piano breakdown and buildup loops in this video.

5.3 Tension & Release II: Adding Your Own Kicks & Snares/Claps To The
Breakdown & Buildup
In this video, youʼll draw in your own kick, snare, and clap hits, which are essential in a breakdown and
buildup. I show you how to create a high-energy build you hear in a lot of dance music using the drum
sounds that youʼve already got in your Drum Rack.

5.4 Tension & Release III: Adding Extra Effects: Risers & Downshifters
Effects are little audio clips that punctuate certain portions of music to add add flavour, variety. They are
crucial in a production because it gives the listener the impression that itʼs either the beginning of a new
section of the song, or itʼs leading to it. In this video, I show you how to add a riser, which gives the
impression of increasing tension, and a downshifter, which can emphasise the “release” of that tension.

5.5 Tension & Release IV: Adding The Synth Tension Loop
In this video, I show you how and where to add the synth tension build loop. This loop will add a rising
melodic element for the ultimate in tension building right before it all gets released during the drop.

5.6 Tension & Release V: Creating Your Own Synth Tension

To wrap up the breakdown and build up sections of our song, I show you how to draw in your own synth
tension part. This will complement the synth tension loop that you added in the last video and make it
sound fuller, creating an even more intense buildup that will have your listener begging for the drop!

5.7 Adding Extra Details Using Crashes & FX

Weʼve just added our build and break down sections, and a few sound effects for certain portions. Now,
we add more flourishes like crash cymbals and FX to accentuate the start of some portions of our tune. This
is important to do because producers spend a lot of time adding these little details to break any possible
monotony in their tune, which in turn makes each section of the song exciting for the listener.

5.8 Removing Bits To Emphasise Sections

Just as it is important to add little details to make our production stand out, removing a few elements in our
production can also be used as a clever technique. Producers like Disclosure, Gorgon City, and MNEK do
this a lot in their songs, and weʼll do it here in the drop of your track to put a contemporary spin on your
tune.

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MODULE 6
IMPROVE

6.0 Improve (9 VIDEOS)

6.1 Introduction To The Improve Module

Now that weʼve completed the arrangement of your production, along with adding in and removing
elements to make it sound like itʼs your own, itʼs time to get them to sound even better by using audio
plugins. Plugins are little pieces of software that let you do specific things, and in this module weʼll go
through four of them: EQ, compression, delay, and reverb.

6.2 EQ I: Adding The EQ Plugin

EQ is an important tool in the music producerʼs toolkit, but what exactly does it do and why do we need it?
I give you the lowdown in this video, and I also explain the EQ Frequency Chart, which tells you where
instruments fall in the audio spectrum. Finally, I show you how to use the EQ plugin weʼll be using in this
course.

6.3 EQ II: Brightening And Dulling Your Sounds With EQ

In this video, weʼll make some of our tracks “pop” and make others stay in the sidelines using EQ. This lets
you highlight specific tracks by altering the way that they sound, while de-emphasising those that only serve
as support roles, sitting further back in the overall track. This is a very general form of EQing, much like a
painter using broad strokes. Weʼll do more of the surgical EQing in the next module where we mix your
track.

6.4 EQ III: Removing Unnecessary Sounds With A Filter EQ

One of the biggest secrets for a big-sounding mix is to remove bass frequencies. Sounds weird? Not if the
bass that youʼll be removing are from tracks that donʼt need them, like hi-hats for instance. Youʼll remove
unnecessary low end from your tracks using the Auto Filter, which eat up “bandwidth” in your mix,
allowing tracks that do need low end to shine. Youʼre just making sure nothingʼs passing through the net, so
to speak.

6.5 Compression I: Adding Compression To The Drum Rack

Wonder how some synths, drums, or instruments sound “in your face” when listening to a track? Thatʼs
what compression does, and in this video I introduce you to the plugin. Iʼll give you examples of
conservative and over-compression, and then Iʼll walk you through the controls of Liveʼs compressor plugin.

6.6 Compression II: Adding Compression To Other Tracks

Modern electronic dance music makes use of a lot of compression, and in this video weʼll begin adding
compressor plugins to the tracks in your project that needs compression to give them more energy and get
them in front of the your productionʼs mix.

6.7 Compression III: Side-chaining

In this video, weʼll make your tracks pump using a production trick called side-chaining. Iʼm sure you know
the track One More Time by Daft Punk, or Satisfaction by Benny Benassi - thatʼs side-chain compression in
action. In this video Iʼll show you a production trick thatʼs used in a ton of dance music tracks called side-
chain compression. Itʼs an important part of our production because it lets tracks that have the plugin
“pump” along with the drums, creating a “grooving” sound.

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6.0 Improve Continued (9 VIDEOS)

6.8 Delay: Making Sounds Fuller With Short Delay

Here youʼll add a delay plugin effect in our chords, lead, and vocal tracks to thicken up their sound. This
gives them a slightly different tonal character compared to what they originally sounded like, and it lets
them punch through the mix even though we havenʼt even begun to level our production just yet.

6.9 Reverb: Adding Depth

Some tracks in your production will benefit from sounding like itʼs in a bigger, deeper place than it
initially appears to be in. Reverb is an effect that can simulate acoustic spaces, and in this video I show
you how to add reverb to some tracks to make them sound huge and to give your production a “3D”
sense of depth.

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MODULE 7
IMPROVE

7.0 Mix (10 VIDEOS)

7.1 Introduction To The Mixing Module

In this video I explain the concept behind mixing, which is to make the important elements of a production
shine while keeping the less crucial ones in the background as support. Weʼll organise the tracks in your
project so theyʼre easier to spot, and then weʼll start levelling and placing sounds in the stereo field.

7.2 Organising Your Mix I: Grouping Tracks

Weʼve now got a lot of tracks in our project, and music production can get out of hand when you donʼt
enough proper housekeeping. Before we get started mixing, letʼs clean up our project by arranging and
grouping similar tracks together. This lets you fold them up and expand only when needed, which is useful
if youʼre working on a small screen, and more importantly it lets you control certain parameters of an
entire group such as volume.

7.3 Organising Your Mix II: Colour Coding Tracks

To easily spot individual tracks in a sprawling project, colour coding them is a must. Weʼll add colours to
our groups and individual tracks in this video, which will give our project a sense of visual order and make
them easier to spot while scrolling through it.

7.4 Levelling Your Individual Tracks

In this video, I show you which parts of your track should stand out and which one should sit by the
sidelines. You will level the tracks in your tune to emphasise the important production elements of your tune
so theyʼre the most dominant parts, while lowering the volume of the ones that should only be supporting
them.

7.5 Automation: Adjusting Volumes For Certain Sections

In this video, you do another set of automation drawing, just like in the previous module. This time,
however, youʼll be adding automation to the volume controls of the drums and the bass groups. I show you
how to increase the volume of both groups so that theyʼre louder during the drop.

7.6 Creating Space In Your Mix i: Panning

In this video, weʼll use a technique called panning, which lets you put a track anywhere between the left
and right speaker. This allows you to create a “wider” sounding-track, and lets important elements in the
middle of your production take centrestage (literally!). It also further declutters your mix by having less
crucial sounds sit to the far left or right speaker.

7.7 Creating Space In Your Mix ii: Removing “Fighting” Frequencies

Some instruments occupy the same frequency range as others, which can lead to a muddy sound where
neither gets fully heard in a track. We can use EQ to carve out these frequencies so that they donʼt
compete for space in a mix. In this video, I show you the technique for finding fighting frequencies and
how to make them play nice with each other.

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7.0 Mix Continued (10 VIDEOS)

7.8 Sends & Returns I: Adding Reverb

Your computer can only have so many plugins running at the same time. Sends and returns let you insert
one plugin to be used by multiple tracks. In this video, weʼll add a reverb and send tracks to it to get your
tracks sounding like theyʼre in one “place”.

7.9 Sends & Returns II: Adding Delay

In this video, youʼll use sends and returns with a long delay effect, which gives an instrument a “dreamy”
sound compared to the short delay we added in the previous module. Weʼre also going to draw
automation to the enable/disable button of some of the delay plugins in our track. This lets you turn the
delay plugin on and off only at sections of your track that needs the delayed sound to be enabled, giving
added character to certain tracks.

7.10 Giving Your Mix A Final Listen And Tweaking

In this video, weʼre going to have one final listen to your production before we head into mastering. Weʼll
make sure that we have it sounding the way we want it to, and if we need to add in any final tweaks, weʼll
do them in this video.

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MODULE 8
MASTER

8.0 Master (5 VIDEOS)

8.1 Introduction To The Master Module

Mastering is the final polish given to the completed track once youʼve finished mixing it. In this video I
explain the vital importance of this final step in finishing a professional track, and what options you have,
which are outlined in more detail for the rest of the module. Congratulations on making it this far, youʼre
close to finishing your tune!

8.2 Preparing Your Song For Mastering

In this video, youʼll make sure that your tune is ready for mastering by checking that none of your tracks
are distorting, which will make it sound its best when itʼs mastered. I show you what headroom is and why
you need it in order to help your tune sound as “big” as possible when it goes through the mastering
process. At the end of this video, you will also export your project into a stereo track which will be ready
to be sent out for mastering.

8.3 Home Mastering Your Tune

Itʼs not realistic to expect a home producer to be able to master a track professionally (unless youʼve got
your own $$$ mastering studio at home), but Iʼll show you how you can do a “rough cut” of your master
by using whatʼs known as a limiter plugin, which is useful if you want to try out your song at a gig before
finalising it.

8.4 Online Mastering With LANDR

Online mastering services can get you pretty close to the results of a real-life engineer, and offers great
value and an immediate turnaround. In this video weʼll upload your tune to LANDR, which is one such
service, and have it digitally mastered instantly.

8.5 Getting In Touch With A Professional Mastering Engineer

For those tracks when itʼs really important to get the best possible result, thatʼs when you should work with
a professional mastering engineer. Not all mastering engineers are equal because each one has his own
style, though, so I talk about some techniques on how to find and work with one that suits both the style of
music that you just made and your budget as well.

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BONUSES

1.0 Promoting & Distributing Your Tracks (10 VIDEOS)

1.1 Introduction To Promoting & Distributing

In this first bonus, I take you through the process of creating a promotion schedule for your
track, which is key if you want your tune to be heard by as many people as possible in a
systematic way. I also show you how to distribute your songs online and get it heard on sites
like Spotify and Apple Music, and how to get it on sale on iTunes, Amazon, Beatport, and other
shopping sites.

1.2 Creating A Promotion & Distribution Plan

In this video, I show you what a promotion and distribution plan is and why itʼs important to
have one if you want to have a release thatʼs effective and gets the most number of listens
possible. I tell you how to craft a plan by first identifying who your target audience is, which
will inform where it would be best to reach them. I then rundown a list of services and formats
for distributing your music both online and offline.

1.3 Developing Your Promotion Schedule

Proper scheduling of the release and promotion of your track is essential in order to give it the
best chance of being heard by as many people as possible. In this video weʼll work on your
trackʼs promotion calendar, which consists of four weeks leading up to a date that your track is
set to be released. Doing this lets you build as much buzz as possible before the song actually
drops.

1.4 Song Release i: Get It On SoundCloud

Here, I show you why itʼs a good idea to use SoundCloud when youʼve got an original track. I
give you best practices on uploading and formatting your track on the platform, and I show you
how to optimise your profile page to get it looking professional and informative.

1.5 Song Release ii: Getting It On Stores & On Streaming Services

In this video, I show you how to get your music from your hard drive to the worldʼs biggest
music streaming sites and stores. Here, we cover using online services known as aggregators
that let you upload your song for a fee, and at the end of this stage your track will be
professionally released on the likes of iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music and so on.

1.6 Facebook Promotion: Creating A Facebook Page

In this video, I show you how to promote your track on Facebook by creating a Facebook
Page. I show you how to get it looking its best by adding in properly-formatted photos and
relevant information, and then I show you how to share it. By the end of this video, youʼll have
your very own DJ/producer Facebook Page.
If you have one already, itʼs worth checking this video out for tips on optimising your page.

1.7 How To Promote Your Track On Instagram

In this video, we tackle Instagram, the photo and video sharing platform. I show you how you
can use it to promote your track before and after it gets released. I also take you through the
Instagram Stories feature, and show you how you can post your Instagram photos and videos
straight to your Facebook Page for your audience to see.

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1.0 Promoting & Distributing Your Tracks Continued (10 VIDEOS)

1.8 How To Promote Your Track On Blogs

Online music blogs, internet radio station jocks, and podcasters are your friend in helping you get the
word out about your tune. Hereʼs how to do it, including how to shortlist ones that will likely feature your
track (hint: skip Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan for now). Persistence pays off in the promotions game, and
I show you how to follow up on your blog e-mails without being *that* annoying DJ/producer that goes
straight to spam.

1.9 Next steps I: Getting Signed To A Label

Weʼve just gone through how to promote and distribute your song on your own, which gets your tune out
online. Later on, you may want to consider signing up to a record label. A record label is an entity that,
generally, has a greater network of connections and resources (ie money) than you, allowing your songs
to land in the laps of people who are harder to reach, such as radio DJs, TV / film producers, and music
supervisors, leading to more listens and streams. They also have influence and contacts with bigger music
blogs, so signing up with one could give your track more press and attention.

1.10 Next Steps II: Starting Your Own Label

In this final video, weʼll take a look at starting your own record label. This puts the power in your hands,
but also legitimises you as a business entity that releases songs. You can only go so far in putting songs out
yourself, and sometimes youʼll need the help of someone else to make things happen since a record label
is like a small business run by an entrepreneur. Generally, entrepreneurs are either business people (runs
the day to day, makes sure youʼre not bankrupt), or product people (signs the music, makes sure the label
branding is reflected in all releases, quality control of tunes), and rarely ever both (remember, even Steve
Jobs had Steve Wozniak).

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2.0 Producer’s Hackbook (13 VIDEOS)

2.1 Introduction To The Producerʼs Hackbook

In this video, Iʼll go through the little tweaks and hacks that music producers use in order to craft songs
quickly and effectively, time and time again. Now that youʼve made the two tracks in the course, the
videos in this module will teach you techniques and tricks that will further your technical skills, and help you
develop your artistry as a producer.

2.2 Introduction to the Hands-On Hacks

In the first half of the Producerʼs Hackbook, I take you through some of my favourite techniques for
producing music quickly in Ableton Live. Itʼs my bag of tricks that I use whenever I need to come up with a
tune quickly (ie all the time, to be honest), which includes my methods for disassembling a beat (great for
figuring out how to integrate a specific type of drum beat into your own production), coming up with your
own bank of melodies that you can use for those “dry days” when youʼre uninspired, and much more.

2.3 Deconstructing Beats With Drum Tracing

In this video, Iʼll show you a trick that can speed up your understanding of how drums are made and how
you can make yours sound like the pros quickly. I use this all the time when I want to breakdown a
complicated drum groove in a song to understand how itʼs made, the learnings of which I then apply to a
tune Iʼm producing.

2.4 Write Melodies Faster With Melodic Sketching

Here I introduce you to my Melodic Sketching practice for quickly writing melodies that you can use as
starting points for full productions later on. Since youʼre not composing an entire song from scratch,
Melodic Sketching lets you focus on producing a melodic riff or hook first. Itʼs my secret for churning out
catchy tunes even on days when Iʼm not “feeling it”, just because Iʼve got a repository of riffs that I can
pull from. Iʼll also show you how to transpose these melodies too so they fit into any musical key you
choose.

2.5 How To Add Your Own Vocal Pitch Shifts

In the course, we used a vocal sample to turn a melody into one that “sang” the notes. Thatʼs a form of
vocal pitch shifting, and itʼs a hot production technique right now. Hereʼs how to do it in Ableton Live using
another sample found in your Sound Pack, this time weʼll draw the notes after youʼve dropped the vocal
sample in.

2.6 Even More Song Maps

Want to explore other genres? Here are some song maps for you to download and fill in. In this video I
talk you through the maps in this Song Map pack and where to get the loops from.

2.7 Choosing Sounds i: Musical

In this video, I explain the basics of how sounds are chosen for different roles in a production. Think of
each musical instrument as a stage actor: thereʼs a lead, a co-star, a supporting cast, and so on. Sounds in
a production are quite similar, and as such certain instruments or sounds play certain roles better than
others - this is important because a good mix of “actors” leads to a fuller sounding dance music
production.

2.8 Choosing Sounds ii: Drums

In this second video we focus on the drums. Like the musical video before this, itʼs best to think of the drums
as a group of individual instruments - kind of like a “beat orchestra”, if you like! Each drum sound fills a
particular section in the audio spectrum, and plays specific roles in the drum beat too.

2.9 Introduction to the Hands-Off Hacks

In this second half of the Producerʼs Hackbook, I offer guidance on developing your artistry as a DJ/
producer. I give you tips on how to sharpen your listening skills to make it easier for you to identify song
sections, how to draw inspiration from other styles of music in your own productions, and how to break the
“rules” of production.

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2.0 Producer’s Hackbook Continued (13 VIDEOS)

2.10 Sharpening Your Ears: Listening For Song Sections

The ability to hear a track with all the elements separate can be developed, and is a skill that lets you
understand even complicated arrangements in much simpler terms. Iʼll give you some telltale signs of how
to spot an intro, verse, breakdown and buildup. Iʼll also quickly show you what to do when a song or
genre youʼve picked doesnʼt seem to have these chunks.

2.11 Borrowing Ideas From Other Styles Of Music

A great way to develop your own sound is to analyse other styles of music, and bringing ideas across into
your own production. In this video, weʼll take some elements from hip-hop and apply them to a house track
so you can understand what it means to “borrow” ideas and fuse them into your project. (refer to the house
track in the course)

2.12 How To Break The Production Rules

In this video, I go through some of the most common music production techniques that are particular to
house and bass music, and then weʼll use them as examples for how to break them. To keep things fresh in
your career as a producer, breaking the rules is something youʼll do time and time again - find out how in
this video.

2.13 20 Popular Chord Progressions

In this video, I show you some of the most used chord progressions in contemporary dance music, including
EDM, future house, drum ʻn bass, and trap. I then show you how to apply these chord progressions in a
production, no matter what musical key you want to use.

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3.0 Bonus Module: Producing Bass Music !0OB=>HL"

3.1 Installing The Bass Music Sound Pack

In this video we'll download and install the Bass Music add-on sound pack so you'll have everything you
need to get started putting together a future bass track. Click on 2 - Bass Music.ZIP underneath the video,
and also listen to the song you'll be putting together called "Plus Forty Four".

3.2 Arranging i: Adding The Loops 

In this video we'll flesh out your tune by adding the loops found in the Bass Music sound pack. By the end
of this video, you'll have covered most of song sections of the track.

3.3 Adding Drums And Bass

Here we'll add some drum sounds and bass elements to round out your tune.

3.4 Adding Sidechain Compression

Sidechain compression is an important element of future bass productions, so in this video I'll show you
how to add it to the tracks that you've already got in your project.

3.5 Removing Unnecessary Low End

Time for a little bit of housekeeping once again - we're going to be removing low end in tracks that don't
need it, just like what we did in the main course. This will give our bass-heavy elements room to shine.

3.6 Levelling & Adding EQ

In this video we'll tweak the volume of the tracks in your production and add EQ to make elements pop.

3.7 Adding Automation & Mixing Down

This is the last video of the Bass Music module, and in it we'll add little automation tweaks and flourishes to
add dynamics to your production and then we'll create the final mixdown file that you can send to LANDR
for mastering.

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