How to Make Professional Beats In 8 Steps!

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Want to Create 

When I first started years ago, I would just randomly throw sounds together. No planning or thought went into it at all. 

And 99% of the time, my beats came out like a hot mess. There was no direction or purpose behind them. 

It wasn’t until I learned the importance of conceptualizing my tracks first that everything changed.

You can listen to some beats I made on my website for a good starting point. 

See, before you start actually building your beat in your laptop, you need to get clear in your mind on what you want to make. 

Here are some key questions to ask yourself in this planning stage: 

• What overall mood or emotion do I want my listeners to feel? Upbeat and fun? Dark and moody? Chill and mellow? 

• What style and genre will it be? Boom-bap hip hop? Dubstep EDM? Lofi house? Defining the genre gives you direction. 

• Who will my target audience be? Will I make something geared towards club-goers? Gym-goers? Independent artists? Know your crowd. 
• Do I have a specific theme, concept or message I want to get across? For example, maybe I want to make a beat that inspires people to follow their dreams. 

Really taking the time to conceptualize your track idea before diving into production mode will save you so much time and headache down the road. 

It’s like the old saying goes – if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. But is “any road” really where you want to end up? 

Know your destination first. Get clear on the beat you want to make in your mind’s ear before it comes together in the real world. 

Once you’ve got clarity on the what, it’s time to move onto the how. Keep reading!

Step 2: Pick Your Main Beatmaking Tool

You make beats on your computer using something called a Digital Audio Workstation – aka a “DAW”. 

The DAW is the software that lets you record, edit, and mix all the elements that come together to create your beat. 

Some examples of popular DAWs used by beatmakers are: 

• FL Studio 

• Ableton Live 

• Logic Pro 

• Garageband 

• Pro Tools 
• Cubase

There are plenty of options out there. I’d recommend trying out a few different DAWs first to get a feel for what clicks with your personal flow. 

Here are some factors to consider when choosing your main DAW: 

• Does the overall interface and workflow make sense to you? If the DAW feels confusing, you’ll have a hard time creating. 

• Do you want to focus on live performance features? Options like Ableton Live cater to that. 

• Is having a huge sound library important? Some DAWs come fully stocked with sounds. 
• How much are you willing to spend? There are affordable options like Garageband or pricier tools with more features. 

Trust me, after testing a couple DAWs, you’ll quickly get a sense of which one just “feels right” in your gut. Go with that one! 

Once you’ve locked in your DAW, it’s time to set up a solid foundation for your very first beat. 

Step 3: Optimize Your DAW for Smooth Beatmaking

When I first started producing beats, I would dive right in without configuring any settings. 

Let’s just say this resulted in a lot of lag, crashes, and lost work that nearly caused me to rage quit for good. 

Later I realized taking just a few minutes to optimize my DAW before starting a new beat saves me HOURS of frustration. 

Here are some quick optimizations you should make so your software runs like butter: 

• Set your audio sample rate to 44.1 kHz. This will ensure crisp, CD-quality sound. 

• In your power settings, choose “High Performance” mode. This allows your computer to handle more plugins and effects without lag. 

• Close any other programs. Running 10 Firefox tabs while producing beats is a recipe for disaster. 

• Increase your playback and recording latency. This helps avoid distracting clicks and pops. 

• Save your work constantly! Even hitting “save” every 5 minutes could prevent losing hours of progress. 

With your DAW primed and ready to create, you can now focus on the fun part – laying down some musical magic! 

Let’s start building the beat’s backbone…

Step 4: Craft a Solid Drum Pattern 

Almost every single beat starts off with a drum pattern. The drums lay down the basic rhythmic foundation that everything else is built on top of. 

I like to get a simple 4/4 drum loop going first before I even think about melodies or basslines. 

Here are some tips for programming drum patterns that bang: 

• Use a combination of kicks, snares, hi-hats, and percs for rhythmic variety. Too many sounds can get noisy. 

• For hip hop, place kicks on beats 1 & 3 and snares on 2 & 4. Then fill in hi-hats between. 

• Start basic at first. You can always add more complexity and groove later. Don’t overcomplicate it prematurely. 

• Little shifts in timing give drums a human, funky feel. For example, dragging some hi-hats slightly before or after the beat. 

• Process your drums! Subtle compression and EQ makes a world of difference in beefing them up. 

Once you’ve got a basic drum loop that nods along, you’re ready to move onto the foundation…

Step 5: Add the Bass That Makes It Bang 

Alright, we’ve got drums. Now they need some company. Enter…the bassline. 

The bass is so important for giving your beat knock and thump. Low end is vital – it’s what you feel in your chest when that beat drops. 

Here are some tips for dialing in the perfect bass sounds: 

• Choose a deep, rich bass patch from a plugin like Native Instruments’ Massive. Model D is great for retro vibes. 

• For modern styles like trap and hip hop, set your bassline between 40-100 Hz. This deep range gives the thump. 

• Minor key basslines have a dark, moody vibe. Major keys sound more uplifting and bright. Choose your flavor. 

• Add some saturation or soft distortion to give your bass grit without losing the low end. A little analog vibe goes a long way. 

• Don’t overcomplicate the bassline. Focus on finding a simple, catchy groove first before adding flair. 

Once you’ve got drums knocking and bass thumping in harmony, it’s time for the glue that brings it all together – the melody.

Step 6: Craft a Memorable Melodic Theme

The melodic element is so important for creating an emotive beat people can connect with. Finding that central melody is key. 

Some tips for crafting killer melodic hooks: 

• Instrument choice matters. Synths and pianos work great. Vocals and strings can also bring organic vibes. 

• Target a vocal-friendly range between C4-C6. This frequency zone cuts through the mix nicely. 

• Major scale melodies tend to sound more upbeat. Minor scales bring out darker moods. 

• Keep it simple at first, then add variations later. A basic catchy melody is better than a super complex idea. 

• Use chord tones like thirds, fifths, and octaves for pleasing consonant sounds. 

• Introduce variations every 4-8 bars to develop your theme over time. 

Finding that central musical motif pulls everything together into a polished, professional beat.

Step 7: Arrange Elements for Maximum Impact

Now we’ve got drums, bass, and melody together. Time to arrange them into a format that tells a compelling story from start to finish. 

Some arrangement tips: 

• Most beats start with an intro, bringing elements in one by one. This builds anticipation and primes listeners. 

• Follow standard song structure conventions – verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Or abide by common genre templates. 

• Use risers and breaks to transition between sections smoothly. These dynamic changes keep it moving forward. 

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket early on! Spread out your catchiest melodies and loudest drops. 
• Remove elements and strip things down during a bridge before the climax. This makes the full drop back in hit even harder. 
• Change up drum patterns, basslines, and melodic motifs every 8 bars at minimum. Repetition causes boredom. 

• Listen back objectively and tweak levels, panning, and effects. Make sure nothing is clashing or too abrasive. 

• Resist packing too many ideas in. Editing and simplifying leads to more focused beats. 

• Arrange similar sections (verses, choruses, etc) in equal lengths. Consistent phrasing establishes flow and groove. 

• Automate filters, reverb, delay, and other effects to create new textures and transitions throughout the beat. 

Following standard arrangement conventions while also taking some risks with unexpected transitions or variations will keep your listener engaged from start to finish.

Step 8: Mix and Master for Commercial-Ready Polish

Alright, the individual pieces of the beat are in place and arranged. Time for the final flourishes – mixing and mastering. 

Mixing is balancing and polishing all the separate elements into one cohesive, professional-sounding track. 

Mastering then maximizes loudness and musicality for the final release version. 

Some mixing and mastering tips: 

• Level bass around -6db and kicks at -3db for optimal low end balance. Too quiet or loud causes muddiness. 

• Use EQ to carve space for each element in the frequency spectrum so they’re not competing. 

• Add compression, saturation, and other effects across tracks and the master bus to gel everything together. 

• Pan percussion, backup vocals, and layers to the sides to widen the overall stereo image. Keep keys and lead vox center. 

• Reverb and delay on individual tracks creates space. Keep it minimal on the master bus to avoid muddiness. 

• Compare your mix to reference tracks and use them to guide your balancing decisions. Gain stage properly. 

• During mastering, limit the final track to -0.5db peak level. This achieves loud volume without distortion. 

Putting in the work on mixing and mastering takes your beat from amateur to radio-ready. Don’t skip these crucial final steps!

Wrap Up 

Follow that framework and you’ll be pumping out professional beats in no time. The key things to remember are: 

1. Conceptualize your beat idea clearly before building it
2. Choose and optimize your primary DAW 
3. Lay down solid drums, bass, and melody 
4. Arrange parts for maximum impact 
5. Mix and master for polish and loudness 

Of course, the more you practice, the better your skills will become. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process. 

FAQs 

What BPM should I make my beats? 

The best BPM for your beats depends on the genre you’re producing. Uptempo electronic genres like house and techno sit around 120-130 BPM. For hip hop, aim for 80-100 BPM. Slower styles like R&B and lo-fi hip hop can be 60-80 BPM.  

There are no hard rules, but choosing a tempo suited for your genre will make the beat sound more authentic. Tempos between 90-110 BPM tend to work well across various styles. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what tempo inspires you most! 

How do I make beats sound gritty and vintage? 

Adding a gritty, vintage vibe to your beats comes down to using the right sound sources and processing. For instruments, look for old-school synthesizers like the Minimoog, ARP Odyssey, or MicroKORG which have inherent analog character.  

Sample-based virtual instruments like Native Instruments’ Kontakt also offer lots of vintage sound libraries. Run your instruments through audio effects like saturation, overdrive, bitcrushing, vinyl filters, and tape delay to dirty up the sound.  

Mix and master through analog outboard gear or plugins emulating vintage gear for maximum old-school flavor. Minor touches like vinyl crackle or tape hiss samples also go a long way. 

How can I get crisp, clear vocals on my beats? 

For clean, polished vocals on beats: Use a pop filter when recording vocals to reduce plosives and sibilance. Pick a vocal mic suited for your voice – large diaphragm condensers like the Neumann U87 work well for most. Set input gains properly to maximize signal-to-noise ratio.  

Use a gate to minimize bleed and background noise in vocal takes. Choose an effective de-esser setting to control harsh sibilance and high frequencies.  

Use light compression to smooth out vocals, adding grit if desired. Find the ideal EQ settings for your particular voice, carving out muddiness and boosting presence. Use pitch correction tools like Melodyne subtly to tune vocals without artifacts.  

Layer backing harmonies to make leads sound lush and full. Reverb, delay and other effects also help vocals sit nicely in the mix. 

What makes a beat catchy? 

Some key ingredients that make beats catchy that I learn include:  

• Repetitive, loopable melodies and rhythms that get stuck in your head;  

• Simple, predictable chord progressions and song structures;  

• Singable melodies that contain familiar scale degrees like the root, 3rd, 5th;  

• Percussive rhythms and grooves that make you want to nod your head;  

• Layered textures and ear candy sprinkled throughout to reward repeated listens;  

• Melodic or rhythmic variations and contrasts to add interest;  

• Clear and consistent tonality; Basslines and drums that keep energy and momentum flowing;  

• Vocal hooks and phrases that are easy to remember and sing along to;  

• Uplifting harmonies and vibes;  

• A balance of predictability with some unexpected surprises.  

Using science-backed techniques like the Millennial Whoop can also boost catchiness. The ultimate test is getting a catchy beat out of your head!