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Discover the latest music trends and insights with A&R Factory. Stay informed and inspired as we explore the dynamic music industry landscape where we cover the latest music industry trends, analysis and predictions in the industry. Whether you’re a music enthusiast or industry professional, A&R Factory is your go-to source.

How to Upload Music to Spotify

Posted on 18 February 2022

After Spotify ended its beta test that allowed artists to upload their music directly, the only option for artists looking to place their music on the platform became third-party distribution sites. Spotify isn’t nearly as straightforward as uploading music to Bandcamp and SoundCloud, but don’t let that tempt you to throw the towel in after you’ve invested so much in the music.

For the best chance of your new release taking off, you want your music across every platform, including Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Amazon Music and many others. Thankfully, third-party distribution services, or DSPs (Digital Service Providers), make this practically effortless on the artist’s behalf.

How to Upload to Spotify

There is no upload option for the average Spotify user. Instead, you will need to rely on DSPs. Some DSPs initially offer their services for free, while most require an upfront fee. It may seem like common sense to choose a free DSP service; however, there are a few things that you will want to consider.

– Some DSPs are invite-only.

– Some DSPs can only upload music to limited platforms.

– Some DSPs charge upfront fees

– Some DSPs will help you with physical music sales.

– Some DSPs will provide better data insights than others.

– Some DSPs don’t let you keep 100% of the rights to the music

– Some DSPs take a cut of the royalties.

– Some DSPs will require you to fill out applications, which can be denied.

– Some DSPs only accept certain genres.

– Some DSPs reject artists on the quality of their music.

With this in mind, here are the top four DSP services for uploading your music to Spotify.

RouteNote – With this DSP, you can choose to pay an upfront fee, or you can choose to pay 15% of your streaming revenue.
Tunecore – The fee with this DSP is affordable, and there are several packages available; songs can be uploaded to Spotify for as little as 9.99 USD. Additional perks include keeping all of the rights to your music and 100% of the Spotify royalties and custom cover art.
CD Baby – This distro company can make your music available on over 150 streaming services, all for a one-time fee. Additionally, CD Baby can help artists create CDs in a matter of days.
Ditto – Ditto Music gives new users a 30-day free trial, and they’ve got an impressive hall of fame with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Chance the Rapper advocating for the services.

Researching the best DSP and figuring out which is best for you may not be the most enjoyable aspect of being an independent artist, but it can pay off in the long run. For the best results, always give your distro company ample time to upload your release – aim for 3 – 4 weeks ahead of the official release date.

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Our Spotify submission page is always open to artists looking to get plenty of traction behind their new releases. Whether you’re a bedroom producer that has just released your debut, or a highly accoladed entity, if you believe in it, we want to hear it.

When Was Trap Music Invented?

Posted on 14 February 2022

The short answer to the question of when did trap music start? Is the 1990s. The hip hop sub-genre cropped up in some of Atlanta’s poorest neighbourhoods; even the name of the genre itself is indicative of its origins. Houses, where crack and other drugs were peddled and produced, were known as trap houses, i.e. inescapable.

Hopefully, this brief glimpse into the outset of trap is already allowing you to see that the genre is so much more than extensive use of autotune and edgy lyrics. Trap gave a voice to the people that have only known the harshest side of systematic injustice. It was never supposed to be relatable to the comfortable masses; it was always supposed to be a way for artists to express their experiences of prejudice and oppression.

A Short History of the Trap Genre

The Dungeon Family Collective were amongst the first to use the word trap but the true pioneers are fairly hard to pin down as the uprising of trap happened shortly after the rise of gangster rap, which also exposed the grittier side to gang life – instead of using poetic and political discourse. However, there are a few notable differences between gangsta rap and trap; the main one being the tendency to divert from traditional hip hop verses and use darker and harsher timbres for the instrumentals. A few of the names that get bound around in relation to the invention of trap include 2 Chainz, Gucci Maine and Migos.

After trap music found its roots in Atlanta, it spread across Southern America before receiving notoriety in Latin America, Europe and Asia. The genre saw its peak in the US in 2010, while it took the rest of the world to catch up on the trend.

The intended ugliness of trap may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the genre is here to stay – that is until it does what genres always do – evolve with the times. With the increased accessibility of music software technology, there are fewer barriers and gatekeepers to the music industry, meaning that musicians from all walks of life can have an impact on the airwaves – if they have the talent for it – and many of them do.

Trap music is just as much of a revolution as the original uprising of hip hop in the Bronx. If it doesn’t resonate with you, recognise that as a privilege rather than looking down upon the artists giving a no holds barred account on economic crisis and instability just because they do so in an abrasive style. Because it may seem like trap music embraces capitalism, but if you read between the lines, you’ll find it to be motivational neoliberal pragmaticism.

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You will find plenty of the best up and coming trap artists on our trap music blog; we have championed many of the most luminary trap artists from across the globe, including Gud Cyrus, Yung Rager, Young Monte and TREELOCK.

How to Promote Your Music on Spotify

Posted on 10 February 2022

Independent artists need to explore all possible avenues with music promotion; that includes taking advantage of the benefits of the necessary evil that is Spotify.

Many artists have been left aghast by the growing media frenzy around Rogan vs Neil Young and Joni Mitchell and felt inclined to pull their music off the platform too. But scepticism needs to be practised when there’s so much polarised rage in the ether. If it was a matter of artists not wanting to share a platform with a villainous man, they would have called for Ian Watkin’s band, Lostprophets, and R Kelly to be removed too. The REAL issue is the issue the mainstream media has with the power of independent and unregulated influence; that is exactly what Spotify can offer artists – if you use it correctly.

The Best Ways to Promote Your Music on Spotify

Plan Ahead with Your Campaign.

Just because services, such as CD Baby, can have a single on Spotify in a few days, that doesn’t mean you should rush your release and self-promo plan; a successful campaign takes effort and planning. As a good rule of thumb, register for distribution services a month ahead of the release, and make yourself fully aware of all the perks and pitfalls of every distro service.

Get Verified on Spotify

Unlike Twitter and Facebook, everyone can get verified on Spotify. Artists can either claim their artist profiles or get their accounts automatically verified by using a third-party distribution site such as Ditto.

Personalise Your Spotify Profile

To get the most out of Spotify for your music promotion, use every feature it has to offer. Use your press shots to update the profile picture, use a header image, let people know who you are in the bio, add your upcoming gigs, pin your artist’s pick and create playlists.

Start a Pre-Save and Spotify Campaign

Ever wondered just HOW it helps artists out when you pre-save a single? The short answer is that Spotify runs on algorithms and data. The algorithms look at how much engagement a release is getting, including pre-saves and likes. Appeasing Spotify’s algorithms is the only way to get your music on those revered official playlists.

Contact the Spotify Editorial Team

Once you have done your best to get as many pre-saves in the bag as possible, get in touch with Spotify’s editorial team at least a week before the official release date to request a place on your followers’ release radars. Before using the playlist submission tool, collate the information on your pre-save ad campaign, let them know about your marketing budget, and give details of other campaigns that you’re embarking on.

Create Ads

Rather than leaving yourself at the mercy of Spotify algorithms, you can always bring organic traffic to your Spotify account. Think beyond writing statuses on Facebook and Twitter; create audio and banner ads that can become a part of pre-save campaigns and your continual campaign following your release.

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If you need a little help boosting the signal on your new release, use our Spotify music submission form to have your music lauded by our writing team and exposed to our high readership.

5 Top Tips When Producing Rap Music

Posted on 4 February 2022

It is now irrefutable that hip hop is one of the most important genres of the past few decades. The sum of its cultural impact is hard to calculate, but its influence should never be underestimated. For the genre itself, popularity is something to celebrate. For independent artists trying to stand out, the popularity can lead to the feeling of futility.

Since hip hop came up from the underground and climbed up the Billboard charts, it has taken many new forms as innovative artists push the boundaries. There will always be fans and artists keen to keep it old school, but there is no stopping the artists determined to make their individual and authentic mark in the hip hop scene.

How to make your own rap music: 5 industry top tips to follow in 2022

Take Influence, Never Become Assimilative

Whoever your favourite rapper of all time is, the world doesn’t need another carbon copy of them. Producing music should always be about following your creative vision through the process. If you open yourself up to the infinite possibilities your studio can give you, you will find them more easily. Remember that even though your favourite records are constructed in a certain way, yours doesn’t have to. Experiment with hip hop subgenres that you wouldn’t ordinarily be inclined to dabble in; take the nasty cutting kicks from grime, get onboard with cheesy or catchy hooks and deviate from the rulebook.

Don’t Get Addicted to EQ and Effects

When you are at the mixing and mastering stage of producing your rap track, it is tempting to get overly experimental with the EQ and effects. If you need to rely on EQ and effects to get your sound right, consider being more discerning about the timbre of the instrumentals you use instead. Effects can pull a track together, but if they’re pulling together the wrong sounds, the end result will never feel flawless. Before you get carried away with your instrumentals, choose how much chorus and delay you want to run your vocals through – sometimes, less is more.

There’s More to Hip Hop Than Hip Hop

Never solely rely on other rap artists for influence; by opening yourself up to other artists outside of the hip hop genre and listening to what works with a careful ear, you can find new textures to bring into your rap tracks. Your preference in music is as individual as you are. If you let your individuality reflect in the music you produce, authenticity will come organically. Remember that hip hop was born from a fusion of genres; just because the pioneers created hip hop, that doesn’t mean new rap producers can ride on their innovative coattails.

Get Your Kicks

When it comes to the drum kicks, the rule of the bigger the better often rings true. Until you’re comfortable layering in your drum kicks own, find samples of drum kicks that you KNOW make an impact in a record and layer them into your track. Some of the best producers use more than one layer, one for the punch and one for the weight.

Make De-Cluttering the Final Stage in the Production Process

Once you’re happy with your mix and feel that everything is level, listen to it again to see if any random percussive hits can be removed to make the track sound better. Even if you add the beats back into the mix, this de-cluttering process can give you ideas for future edits. Producing rap tracks that are highly cluttered for maximum impact is one of the most common rookie mistakes.

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Once you have a rap track that you’re proud of, use rap music promotion blogs, such as A&R Factory, which has once again attained the revered title as one of the top 10 music blogs in the UK; and one of the top 100 worldwide.

Instagram Post Ideas for Artists

Posted on 31 January 2022

Social media is an arena where independent artists frequently choke up and stumble. Writing the best lyrics and melodies almost seems easy compared to attracting an attentive and engaged audience – that is before we even start with how platforms quash the reach of some artists posts.

If you’re struggling with post ideas, we’ve outlined 5 of the top Instagram post ideas for new artists. However, It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating the best content for YOUR audience.

Some audiences would love nothing more than seeing a cat sitting on an amp, while others will appreciate behind the scenes footage in the practice room more, and others will prefer a lengthy blog post that shares your values.

Let Your Audience See Your Creativity

It’s one thing for your audience to experience your music while watching you play a venue or listening to your music on vinyl or Spotify. It is quite another for them to experience a more intimate side of your expression.

This is one more opportunity for you to get creative; you can post a video of you performing cover songs; acoustic renditions of your music; you can show your talent however you see fit; after all, it was your talent that drew them to you in the first place. Flaunt it.

Find Your Sense of Humour

A sense of humour has always been key to social media success; if your creativity has a comedic side, use it to your advantage. You can customise music-related memes that will be relevant to your audience; you can write funny posts or even film funny short videos – if you are feeling brave enough. You don’t always have to be earnest to be taken seriously by your fans; staying humble goes a long way!

No One Likes an Independent Enigma

If the idea of attempting to be funny on social media makes you feel a little uneasy, or you get the impression that your fans are expecting more intimacy, give it to them – not in a creepy way.

Many artists get applauded for their open, honest and unifying approach to connecting with their fans; we’re not saying that you have to air your dirty laundry in public. You can always find ways to express your values on social media to make it easier for your audience to connect to you as a person instead of just as an artist. Don’t worry about alienating potential fans by expressing certain views; people look to artists as thought leaders, and your honesty will be infinitely more valuable and powerful than sheepish silence ever could be.

Give Exclusive Content

Ahead of your official releases, give fans teasers of what is to come by going live in the studio or your practice room. It’s a great way to keep fans engaged leading up to a seminal release and the perfect opportunity for you to show some personality and flaunt some of your gear to your fellow gearhead fans.

Let Your Audience Get Involved

Communication is a two-way street; increase your engagement by giving your audience a reason to be vocal. For example, you could post a picture of a new piece of gear bragging about it. Or, you could post the picture and ask your fans what their gear preferences are. You can also allow your audience to give you creative input on things such as album art; they will feel as though they have been a positive influence on your life and your music.

A major learning curve for many new independent artists is that you can’t expect to take and give nothing in return to fanbases. Find ways to reward your audience’s social media loyalty by holding exclusive giveaways for your most avid fans – it doesn’t even have to be a major giveaway; an exclusive digital download will do!

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If you’re tired of doing self-promo and want to leave it up to the professionals, submit your music to A&R Factory. We are ranked as one of the best music blogs for independent artists; our platform is constantly frequented by high-profile industry figures searching for the best new talent. Our PR Team is also highly experienced in helping independent artists social media campaigns hit the ground running from the first post.

How to Define EDM Music?

Posted on 19 January 2022

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 15 years, it is unlikely that the hype around EDM (electronic dance music) has evaded you. Yet, the definition of the acronym is a little less well-known and largely depends on who you ask.

While some proclaim that EDM is not a genre, others can place it well in the evolution of dance music. Here, we will outline how EDM came to be by looking at its history and integration into popular music culture to clear any confusion.

What is EDM music?

Danceable electronic music predates the term EDM by decades. Even though, in essence, that is what EDM is; electronically produced music, made with digital and analogue equipment, designed to build the euphoria raves, nightclubs and festivals. However, it is important to see EDM not as a genre but as a clever feat of commercial branding instead.

For context, here is a little history. The roots of electronic music go as far back as the 60s, a time when electronic soundscapes started to transpire from dub, electro-pop and hip hop. Even when house music was born in Chicago in the 80s and trance and techno started taking Europe by storm in the 90s, EDM still had a while to wait before it arrived on the scene.

In the 80s and 90s, club culture took off in a big way; across Europe and the US, house music started to build thriving underground scenes free from commercialisation and big-label influence. Rave culture, which was synonymous with ecstasy, gurning smiles and dayglo clothes, simply wasn’t very marketable – until branding magic was worked upon it.

Fast forward to the 21st century, American music industry moguls and media execs started to push the term EDM in an attempt to rebrand rave culture into a much more PG one and cash out on it. By the early 2010s, techno, house, electro, and dance-pop became lumped together in a more marketable package, and the likes of David Guetta, Daft Punk, Tiesto, Skrillex started to gain cult followings. The Grammy award-winning artists led the way for even more big-name artists and DJs, including Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki and The Chainsmokers.

Of course, rather than allude to the mainstream hijacking of dance music culture, music magazines such as MixMag, attempted to sell EDM as a genre of its own, by describing it as drop-heavy, fist-pumping, and stadium-filling – emphasis on the stadium-filling. In the 80s and 90s, free parties and raves were integral to the communities created by EDM artists and fans. After the turn of the century, major festivals designed to appeal to electronic music fans cost hundreds of pounds and made the festival organisers millions.

And there we have it, the definition of EDM music is more of an explanation of music capitalism. But with that in mind, EDM music blogs and grassroots scenes are still leaving the power within the community for all artists choosing to define their music as EDM.

Advice for When Submitting Music to A Blog

Posted on 17 January 2022

If you’re sitting on a demo and you are on the fence about submitting it to a music blog, this guide will run you through the best ways to get your music featured, how to make your pitch and how to be discerning to make your PR missions more time-efficient.

Learn the Art of Rejection

The dejection that artists feel when they have submitted music to a blog only to have had their submission ignored or crucified is 100% understandable.

It is a brave move for independent artists to make themselves so vulnerable by sharing something they have put their heart and soul into. So, with that in mind, our first piece of advice is to understand that the music industry is a highly competitive place; some music blogs can receive hundreds or thousands of new submissions each week. Rejection is part and parcel of the artistic experience; though it will hurt, it is important to overcome the ego blows and take them in your stride. Endeavour to succeed, regardless of past rejection and crippling fear of future rejection. There is little use in creating music that you’re proud of if you’re not going to share it with the world – no matter how hard it feels to make the world listen.

Ditch the Any Press is Good Press Motto

Before submitting music to a music blog, check out some of the reviews that are already posted. Some music journalists (we are using that term very lightly here) are more interested in tearing artists apart instead of championing them. You don’t want to throw yourself into the lion’s den of salty armchair critics that get their kicks from spilling the most potent bile.

Secondly, you will want to ensure that you’re submitting to the right blogs. Don’t waste your time or anyone else’s by submitting to blogs that do not cover your genre, or try and grab the attention of a blog that only features established artists.

Be Prepared to Make a Professional Impression

Getting featured in music blogs is one of the best ways for independent artists to get noticed in their respective scenes. To make sure that you get off on the right foot with blogs get prepared before you make your pitch. For every new release, you should have high-quality artwork to go with it, or at least some impressive artist/band photos in your press pack. We would also recommend getting well established on social media and creating an official website.

Keep it Exclusive

If you have a blog that you have always wanted to get featured on and you have a new upcoming release, ask them to premiere your release or music video. Independent blogs love exclusive content. If you would prefer to submit to multiple blogs simultaneously, get your submissions in before the official release date. As a rule of thumb, the longer you leave your submissions after your release, the likelihood of your music getting featured gets infinitely slimmer.

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Submit original music to A&R Factory today; your demo will be picked up by one of our experienced writers who share our ethos of championing independent artists and helping grassroots music thrive. Even if you have only just learnt how to start making rap music, or music of any genre, we are here to celebrate your newfound authentic talent.

What Is Neo Soul Music?

Posted on 12 January 2022

‘Neo-Soul’ is a term that often gets bound around the urban music scene without much thought around its meaning and origin, so what is neo-soul music exactly? In the simplest explanation, neo-soul music merges contemporary RnB with 70s style soul, and sometimes, elements of hip hop, jazz, funk, pop, rock and African music.

In the Greek language, neo means new, fresh, recent and young; as neo-soul implies, it is modern-day soul music with contemporary sensibility – there are very few limitations on how a neo-soul artist can achieve that freshness. The genre sets itself apart from the RnB genre by the depth of the lyrical messages and the level of soul in the vocals.

As you can probably imagine, neo-soul is one of the newer genres; many believe it all started with Kedar Massenburg, an American record producer and the label executive of Motown Records from the 90s to 2004.

After attention started falling onto Massenburg, other artists outside Motown Records started pushing the neo-soul envelope themselves. The most seminal releases from the golden era of neo-soul were the debut album, Brown Sugar, by D’Angelo, and the debut album, Baduizm, by Erykah Badu, who became one of the most renowned artists in the history of the genre after working alongside Kedar Massenburg.

After the OGs of neo-soul proved the potential in the genre, more and more artists started seeing the appeal of pouring their unadulterated soul into their sounds, such as Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, John Legend, Alicia Keys and Frank Ocean.

To this day, Alicia Keys has sold over 90 million albums worldwide and remains one of the most successful artists in history. However, neo-soul never reached the same heights as hip hop, rock, pop and indie for one fairly obvious reason. When it comes to soul music, the primary focus for the artist is the expression – not the popular mainstream appeal.

Due to the post-90s unpopularity of neo-soul, many artists have started to reject the label and distance themselves from it, regarding it as nothing more than a shallow marketing agenda. Instead, most artists of a soulful inclination prefer to refer to themselves as soul singers – no distinction to era needed.

No artist proved their distaste for the manufactured genre quite like Jaguar Wright. Her sophomore album was titled Divorcing Neo to Marry Soul. However, this was decidedly one of the least controversial things that she has done in her career – given the current outrage about her false accusations that almost became bigger than her career.

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With all that said, neo-soul certainly isn’t a thing of the past. Neo-soul music blogs are the best ways to keep track of the contemporary Neo-Soul trends and find new independent artists before they break through into the mainstream. It may not be the most popular genre in the 21st-century, but A&R Factory has infinite reserves of appreciation for breaking artists able to bleed new sonic style from the divisive genre.

Since its establishment in 2012, A&R Factory has featured many of the most promising up and coming names, including Ziyaad Luceo, Brianne Matthews, Maple Sky, Alex Tea and Second Sight.

How Can You Define Rock Music?

Posted on 4 January 2022

When it comes to worldwide cultural phenomena, they don’t get much bigger than rock music. Since the 50s, rock has been raucously reforming, creating icons and increasingly niche sub-genres as it goes.

Answering the question of ‘what is rock music? can’t be done with adjectives alone. Because yes, rock music is loud, driving, high-octane and intense. Rock is also the soundtrack to rebellion. It is every transition that took us from Hendrix to My Chemical Romance. It is the instruments that came to define the genre.

What is rock music?

Before there was rock, there was rock n roll, the popularity of which took the US by storm in the late 40s and early 50s. By the 60s, rock spawned into a myriad of different styles and made it across the pond to the UK.

Rock n roll started as a mix of country, blues and RnB, whereas rock was a different blend of roots, such as folk, electric blues, jazz and classical. Right from the outset, the defining rock instrument was the electric guitar. Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Stratocasters, Gibson SGs, and the gorgeously brash Silvertone guitars all became as much of a part of rock history as the awe-inspiringly deft hands that played them.

Generally, rock music sticks to a 4/4 time signature with the usual ABABCB structures that allow the choruses to follow the verse. We probably don’t need to mention that rock musicians have become more diverse as they have moved away from the classic rock form. You have heard of Dream Theatre and King Crimson, right? This diversity is also lyrically reflected; as artists moved away from the classic rock styles, they started penning lyrics more attuned to their psych-rock, jazz-rock and folk-rock tonal palettes.

After the hippie scenes washed the rock genre in kaleidoscopic colour, prog rock, glam rock, and heavy metal entered the scene, which made the most out of the sonic power of rock. Punk and rock may be separate genres, but without rock, punk rock would never have happened. Punk also spawned sonic monsters, namely post-punk, which gave way to the alt-rock uprising in the 90s. Grunge, indie rock and Britpop were 3 of the rock sub-genres that pushed rock into mainstream view. Kurt Cobain’s suicide may not be the sole reason for the decline of rock music and alt-rock, but it happened as rock took a nosedive, despite the best efforts of pop-punk bands, nu-metal and electronic rock outfits.

In 2017 hip hop overtook rock and became the most popular genre, but don’t believe the lack of hype. Rock music still has its place in 2022. 80,000 rock fans still descend onto the Donnington ground every year to witness rock legends and luminaries, and plenty of rock artists are still reaching the Billboard charts with their overdriven sound. Greta Van Fleet, Foo Fighters, Royal Blood, Wolf Alice and Black Midi all delivered award-winning albums in 2021. Before declaring that rock isn’t what it used to be, check out some Rock music blogs UK. You will see that plenty of immensely talented artists are keeping the rock n roll bloodlines pumping.

How to Produce Trap Music?

Posted on 30 December 2021

Whether you’re an experienced producer and want to dabble in the trap genre or you’re a producer wanting to cover all bases before creating your first mix, this A – Z guide on how to create trap music will give a comprehensive overview of the complete trap-making process.

8 Tips on How to Produce Trap Music

Get the Tempo Right

140 BPM is considered the trap sweet spot, but most trap BPMs run between the 100 – 176 range for the average track. For downtempo trap tracks, reduce the BPM to 75 – 90. Whatever the BPM of your track, it should act as the pulse or the eighth-note pulse.

Make Your Loops Simple, Harmonic and Melodic

Contrary to popular belief, trap music isn’t all about heavy 808s, rapid hi-hats and crisp snares – harmony and melody are just as important when it comes to creating a trap hit. The melody helps set the tone; usually, trap music falls into gritty and dark territory, so producers are known to stick to minor chords and minor arpeggios for the melodies. Always be aware of the timbre of the synths, strings and orchestral brass samples and recordings.

Master the Beats

Give hi-hat patterns plenty of rhythmic space in your trap track; to give the beats bounce, throw in an eighth-note pulse, then try experimenting with open hats on the fourth beat. If you don’t feel that flow, place them elsewhere in the mix to change the bounce of the track.

In trap, the snares come in on beat three, and in some cases on the first beat in the following measure. Wherever you place your snares, make sure they crack in the mix and be prepared to experiment with snaps, claps and creative percussive crashes.

Last but not least, give your track an 808 kick. 808s should come in on the first beat; after that first beat, feel free to experiment with the rattling bass.

Mix Up the Hi-Hats

Once your trap mix is starting to take form, mix up the hi-hats. To stay true to the trap sound, include double and triple hi-hat signatures. In other words, add patterns on the 16th and 24th notes.

Get Vocal

Unless you want to keep your track 100% instrumental, this is where you add vocals. Bring in the human elements on beats two and four to keep your track galvanising. You can be as creative or as minimalist with vox as you want, or you can lace full rap verses over the beats or keep it as a few minimal samples – always make sure they flow and keep to the same tempo.

Get Your Flow

Hip Hop has never been about production maximalism, but the award-winning trap producers always give their tracks nuance and shift the patterns for the best flow. As a rule of thumb, change something in the mix every 4 bars – no matter how obvious or subtle.

Fill Your Mix

While your mix is still rough, add audio effects, such as filters, that can create more space for the mix for vocals. To get more grit out of your 808s, saturation and distortion are great effects, while reverb always helps bring more out of synths, claps and snares. To slow down your trap track in the outro, use pitch bends for cinematic effect. Compression and stereo panning also help get that finished sound.

Arrange Your Single

This stage is where your loop turns into a single with a short intro containing 8 – 16 bars, a pre-chorus with 4 – 8 bars, a chorus with 8 bars, a bridge; then to end, an outro. With choruses, unless it’s a downtempo chill track, always go as big as possible with full chords and big brass sounds and keep the rhythmic elements in the verses alive in the chorus. With your intro, it could be as simple as the melodic loop standing alone before the beats kick in.

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Once you have created your track, you’re happy with it, and you want the world to hear It, consider trap music promotion with A&R Factory.

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