Music Production Made Simple

GratuiTous
  • 4.2 (12)
  • How To
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Learn how to make beats, from drums and melodies to mixing and mastering, with GratuiTous (Riley Weller), a Recognized FL Studio Trainer teaching since 2011. Each episode takes one topic and keeps it simple.. and most of it works in whatever DAW you use. Plus the gear, the mindset and the business side of being a producer. 📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book, 5 Keys to a Successful Beat: https://itsgratuitous.com/pod/5keys/

  1. Episode 1

    Digital Spring Cleaning

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — In this episode we talk about how to stay organized for the long-term. Just like in real-life, we often do a spring cleaning each year. Sometimes these spring cleanings are quick organization, and sometimes stuff has been put off for so long that it requires hours and hours of work. But at the end of all the clean-up, there’s always that sigh of relief.. knowing that your life and mind will feel so much better. A couple things to point out: Be careful with too many plugins – Learn how to buy pluginshttps://itsGratuiTous.com/how-to-select-the-right-plugins-as-a-producer/Make sure to keep the .exe files of those pluginsCreate a custom music folder (course) – or listen to music folder podcasthttps://itsGratuiTous.com/product/a-specific-music-production-folder/https://itsGratuiTous.com/podcast/004-a-specific-music-production-folder/Figure out a CLEAR GOAL with your musicAs always, feel free to reach out with any questions.. Welcome back to the first episode of Season 3 Music Production Made Simple podcast with GratuiTous!https://itsGratuiTous.com/podcast/ Don’t miss my dedicated platform to learn FL Studio!https://itsGratuiTous.com/courses/ — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: COURSE PATHWAYShttps://itsGratuiTous.com/course-pathways/Dedicated FL Studio Training Platformhttps://itsGratuiTous.com/courses/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  2. Episode 2

    Never Sell Yourself Short

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — When you’re new to the music industry, the world of contracts awaits.. Are you ready for them? I was an electrician for 10 years collecting a “regular pay check”, just like many of you who want to start making money in the music industry.https://becoming-an-electrician.com/about/https://itsGratuiTous.com/how-to-become-a-music-producer/ This FL Studio Podcast Episode covers Never Selling Yourself Short to learn how to negotiate music contracts that are FAIR for both parties involved. The main takeaways are: Digital products (your beats/music) are YOUR COPYRIGHT..Selling music is all about LICENSINGEvery deal should be FAIR FOR BOTH PARTIES..View GratuiTous Music Videos Here!https://itsGratuiTous.com/music/ I hope you enjoyed this FL Studio Podcast.https://itsGratuiTous.com/podcast/ View the M-Audio Oxygen Pro MIDI Keyboard.. you won’t be disappointed!https://itsGratuiTous.com/m-audio-oxygen-pro-49-review/ Want to make professional beats? Try my FL Studio Courses.https://itsGratuiTous.com/courses/ — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: Custom MIDI Keyboard Trayhttps://itsGratuiTous.com/midi-keyboard-pull-out-tray/How to Create FL Studio Templatehttps://itsGratuiTous.com/create-flstudio-template/How to Use Arpeggios in FL Studiohttps://itsGratuiTous.com/use-arpeggios-flstudio/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  3. Episode 3

    Does Selling Beats Mean You're a Good Producer

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — People search my website very often for does selling beats mean you’re a good producer.. And I can’t tell you how untrue that is! First, I do believe that in order to sell beats, your beats need to be at a certain quality level..https://itsGratuiTous.com/music/ But once you pass that quality level, it all comes down to marketing, and getting your music in front of the right people. You may like my Proper Producer Mindset Book..It will help you launch in a healthy way as a music producerhttps://itsGratuiTous.com/product/proper-producer-mindset-creating-your-own-lifelong-path-in-the-music-industry/ I read way too often that people are discouraged that their music is not good enough because they aren’t able to sell it. Understand that the music industry is incredibly competitive, and you must study marketing A LOT in order to learn how to get your music in front of the right audience. That’s why I said you should read Rich Dad Poor Dad Book!https://itsGratuiTous.com/go/rich-dad-poor-dad-book/ It will give you the perspective of how to make money while focusing on what you truly want to do, without feeling so pressured. Example of Targeting the Wrong Audience with Your Music: If someone likes dance music, but you’re trying to sell rap beats, they won’t be interested.. make sense? This episode will be very encouraging to those who want to learn to make beats in FL Studio, but get discouraged when comparing them self to others within the industry.. Want a pro-tip? Don’t compare yourself to others. 🙂 Learn to make professional beats here!https://itsGratuiTous.com/courses/ — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: Rich Dad Poor Dad Bookhttps://itsGratuiTous.com/go/rich-dad-poor-dad-book/Oxygen Pro Premium User Preset [FL Studio]https://itsGratuiTous.com/product/m-audio-oxygen-pro-premium-user-preset/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  4. Episode 4

    3 Types of Music Production Educators

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — In this episode, I talk to you about the 3 types of music production educators I’ve seen over the years. After talking with so many students over my 15 years of teaching beatmaking with FL Studio, it’s time to finally talk about what to be careful of when choosing a music production educator to continue learning with. In short.. Music Educator #1: Teaches With Multiple DAWs Be very careful with these types of educators, because they are trying to capture their sales from brand-new users to music production.. Sadly, those new producers don’t realize that they may not be able to continue learning with that music teacher if they like their teaching style, because they are using so many DAWs! Another red flag about Music Educator #1 is that they do not know the best workflows and shortcuts of a DAW.. which can only be learned after putting in HUNDREDS OF HOURS into a DAW when making music..https://itsGratuiTous.com/music/ Yes, you can probably get going, but just be aware that the information may be surface level, leaving you still having to find the true beatmaking secrets.https://itsGratuiTous.com/beginner/ Music Educator #2: Shortcuts, Beat Breakdowns, and Popular Techniques (at the time) Music trends come and go all the time.. If you are new to making beats, you may not realize how fast music genres change..https://itsGratuiTous.com/courses/ Just think about all the music you’ve listened to over the years.. From the 80’s, to the 90’s, to the 2000’s, and even today.. music genres have changed so much.. and what you need to know is each music genre has it’s own music production techniques! So every now and then, new “techniques” pop-up, and people jump on the bandwagon to build their brand, hoping their subscriber base and views skyrocket.. (it’s really no different than the Gold Rush back in the day!) There’s lots of valuable tips you can learn here.. but it will be hard to learn how to make your own beats from scratch, and find your own sound as a producer.https://itsGratuiTous.com/how-to-become-a-music-producer/ Very often, these types of Music Production Educators burn out after a couple years, only to be repeated by the new Music Educator #2 for the next new music trends.. I’ve seen this happen OVER AND OVER in my 15+ years teaching FL Studio.. Music Educator #3: The One That Cares for You 🙂 If you look back to your elementary and high-school days.. there was always that one teacher everyone loved 💖. The question is.. why? Just like how we often wonder why we love the songs we do, and what makes their melodies so awesome..https://itsGratuiTous.com/piano/ It’s the same reason why these teachers are so valued and respected.. They know what they’re talking aboutThey teach more than just the subject at handThey don’t waste your time..They listen to your questionThey have lots of knowledge in other areas, too.... and ultimately.. THEY MAKE LEARNING FUNMusic production is incredibly hard to learn.. Why? Well.. let’s see what you have to learn quickly.. Your music program..How music theory works (chords, notes, and rhythm)How to program drum loopsHow to Mix/Master Music..How to learn all your VST pluginsHow to use a computer at an intermediate/advanced levelHow to be very organized (for long-term success)How to release and finish songs..These all use very different parts of your brain.. And if you can imagine.. point 1 is learning your music program.. That’s not even making beats, yet!!! Anyways.. Music Educator #3 is a music teacher that will provide you value for years to come.. These are hard to find, and you know you can reach out and get incredibly helpful advice. Here’s two ways to start learning beatmaking with me: New? View the FL Studio Beginner page!https://itsGratuiTous.com/beginner/Want to take your beats to the next level? Join my beatmaking training platform.https://itsGratuiTous.com/courses/Hope you enjoyed this one.. LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU HAVE FEEDBACK 🙂 — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: How to Buy Plugins as a Producerhttps://itsGratuiTous.com/how-to-select-the-right-plugins-as-a-producer/AVOID GEAR LUST (Podcast Episode)https://itsGratuiTous.com/podcast/s2e1-welcome-back-and-combating-gear-lust/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  5. Episode 5

    Is Expensive Audio Gear Better

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — Because the music industry is all about selling, it’s super easy to fall into thinking expensive is better. ESPECIALLY IN THE AUDIO INDUSTRY.. Why? That’s because we can’t see audio.. that’s the biggest reason! Did you know there was someone selling ROCKS.. saying it gave your room a better sound? I couldn’t believe that when I heard it (and saw pictures of their website!) Is More Expensive Audio Gear Better? Now, there’s a difference between QUALITY and FEATURES. Very often you need to pay more to get more FEATURES… such as more microphone inputs for your audio interface.https://itsGratuiTous.com/why-do-my-speakers-pop-audio-interface-on-off/ But let’s say we talk about speakers.. If you buy a $20 pair of earbuds, compared to a $500 pair of earbuds, how do you know if it really sounds better? And I can speak from first hand experience, I actually enjoy my $20 pair of earbuds over my $500 in-ear-monitors.. They are COMFIER.. and they sound way more REAL to what I’m hearing for translation..https://itsGratuiTous.com/what-are-reference-monitor-speakers/ This “audio trap” of “expensive is better” happens all the time.. And it gets me, too! But this episode was just a reminder to myself, and hopefully you, too, that WORKFLOW is more important. And workflow can only be found after HOURS of trial and error and experience.https://itsGratuiTous.com/tag/workflow/ Talk to you in the next episode of Music Production Made Simple!https://itsGratuiTous.com/podcast/ — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: 3 FREE Exclusive FL Studio Training Videoshttps://itsGratuiTous.com/flstudio/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  6. Episode 6

    The Process of Music Production

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — Today we talk about the whole process of music production TARGETED FROM A BEATMAKER’S POINT OF VIEW. You must understand that being the music producer who makes the beat, you want to be in full control of the song. And in order to do this, it’s very important to understand each step of the music production process. We cover the BEATMAKING, ARRANGEMENT, MIXING, MASTERING and AUDIO PAINTING stages of the music production process, and explain that SOUND DESIGN is actually a separate industry! Here’s some of the products/resources mentioned: FREE Custom Music Folder Traininghttps://itsGratuiTous.com/flstudio/Xclusive-Audio Drum Bundle TRIO Drum Kithttps://itsGratuiTous.com/product/xclusive-audio-drum-bundle-trio/Music Folder Course [A Specific Music Production Folder]https://itsGratuiTous.com/product/a-specific-music-production-folder/— — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: FREE FL Studio Training [Custom Music Folder is Video #2]https://itsGratuiTous.com/flstudio/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  7. Episode 7

    Music Producers Have Full Control

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — Did you know that you as the music producer have more control than mixing and mastering engineers? Because music producers work with VSTi’s, and have the RAW MIDI Files, we have customizability that no one else has! Take advantage of this to fix problems that audio tools like EQ, Compression, and Gates cannot! (Which allow you to fix the root of the problem, and often reduce CPU usage!) Examples of Full Control as a Music Producer You have to be careful, because a lot of YouTube tutorials are just people wanting to show off fancy plugins, but they them self are not truly producers (and don’t have much music released to show you!)https://itsGratuiTous.com/music/ Using Velocity to Fix Loud Notes Instead of Plugins Like Compression and Limiting The first example is to use VELOCITY to fix a note that’s too loud.https://itsGratuiTous.com/tag/velocity/ Instead of reaching for a compressor or limiter, we can simply adjust MIDI Note Velocity to turn down a loud note! A mixing engineer could replicate this by doing volume automation, but it’s still not the exact same control. https://itsGratuiTous.com/wp-content/uploads/velocity-turn-down-note-instead-of-compression.avif Using ADSR on Virtual Instruments for the EXACT Sound Onto the next example.. Sometimes a sound can have way too long of a tail, like a PAD instrument.. Want to know the quickest way to fix this? Dial back the RELEASE KNOB! Yes, it’s literally that simple, and such a pro-tip to MIX AS A PRODUCER without needing an extra plugin, and it actually fixes THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM! For a mixing engineer, they’d have to use a gate plugin to tame the tail (which is really hard to dial in nice). Wrapping Up: Music Producers Full Control Compared to Mixing Engineers and Mastering Engineers Mixing Engineers and Mastering Engineers are handcuffed because of the producer’s poor audio files.. but these audio engineers are extremely talented in working with what they’re given. But, as a music producer, we have full control, and have the tools to fix the ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, without having to reach for plugins many times! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! Do you have pro producer tips that mixing engineers and mastering engineers don’t have access to in your RAW MIDI Files? — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: BEAT TAPES By GratuiTous Vol. 10https://itsGratuiTous.com/music/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

  8. Episode 8

    Should You Use VST2 or VST3 Plugins

    📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/5keys/ — — — — — Should you use VST3 or VST2 Plugins? Will one give you a better sound? In short, use VST3 for best future-proofing of your music projects… If your software does not support VST3, that’s where you’ll have to fallback to the VST2 version of that plugin. As an end user, we really don’t see too many benefits of VST2 vs. VST3, as it’s mainly developers who gain access to new features and functionality that we end users get to use when making our music.https://itsGratuiTous.com/difference-between-vst2-and-vst3-plugins/ (The main benefits of VST3 would be usually a resizable GUI, and in FL Studio, we can often right-click in VST3 third-party plugins!) Bonus: Should you buy subscription plugins? I also talk to you about the dangers of subscription VST plugins in this episode.. be very careful because these companies are holding your music hostage if you don’t keep paying! I have tons of experience paying for subscription plugins each year to manage this website you’re currently reading.. some costing hundreds each year! The difference? These website plugins still allow you to use the plugin, but you just don’t get new updates or bugs fixes.. (which is pretty fair). In the audio world, I think if you stop paying, you stop “playing”.. (correct me if I’m wrong here!).. In other words, if you stop paying for your VST plugin subscription, you will not be able to open your projects and use those VSTs.. this is very bad, and I would not recommend supporting this type of business behavior. As always, feel free to browse the website for tons of FL Studio Training!https://itsGratuiTous.com/ — — — — — 🔗 EPISODE RESOURCES: A Specific Music Production Folder [Podcast Episode]https://itsGratuiTous.com/podcast/004-a-specific-music-production-folder/VST2 vs. VST3 Videohttps://itsGratuiTous.com/difference-between-vst2-and-vst3-plugins/How to Buy Good Plugins as a Producerhttps://itsGratuiTous.com/how-to-select-the-right-plugins-as-a-producer/— — — — — 🌐 Visit the website: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/website/🎧 Get podcast updates: https://itsGratuiTous.com/pod/updates/

See All Season 3 (18)

4.2
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Learn how to make beats, from drums and melodies to mixing and mastering, with GratuiTous (Riley Weller), a Recognized FL Studio Trainer teaching since 2011. Each episode takes one topic and keeps it simple.. and most of it works in whatever DAW you use. Plus the gear, the mindset and the business side of being a producer. 📘 Get my FREE Beatmaking book, 5 Keys to a Successful Beat: https://itsgratuitous.com/pod/5keys/

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