Despite what a certain CEO recently claimed , making original music is one of the most creatively fulfilling endeavors you can undertake. Sister Sledge pretty much nailed the sentiment back in 1979 when they sang “ give me the melody, that’s all I ever need ”.

Whether you’re telling a story, sharing your feelings about something, or just creating for the sake of creating, it’s your chance to shine and be quintessentially you .

But there are times when the process can feel overwhelming. With so much music already out there in the world how do you even begin to create something original? What can you do to stand out from the crowd? How do you find your own sound as an artist?

Whether you’re a seasoned pro looking for a fresh approach or an absolute beginner just starting out in music production, this guide is packed with indispensable tips for creating original music. From discovering inspiration in unexpected places to mastering essential skills in the creative process, you’ll come away with actionable steps to bring your ideas to life.

Ready to make something uniquely you? Let’s get started!

How to Make Original Music Part 1: The Quest for Originality

When you write your own music, you want it to sound good, but you also want it to sound unique. Music has been around for quite some time, and it's a fair argument to say that everything has been done before. This is especially true for popular music that's based on the twelve-tone Western scale system.

So how do you make original music?

Here's the thing; music isn't just about notes and beats. It's about connection. It's about expressing yourself . It's about passion.

So yes, you will have heard the same chord progression used in many, many songs, but each one is a different expression of an idea. And as my old professor used to say, you can't copyright an idea.

Finding Your Inspiration

Draw From Your Experience

As a musician, you are the sum of all your experiences and influences. How you experience an event or a situation, and the emotional landscape it creates, is unique to you. One of the best ways to be original in your own music is to draw from these experiences.

Cast a Wider Net

In order to ensure your experiences, and therefore the songs you write, are interesting to your audience make sure your exposure to the world is diverse. You can't change where you were born, or how you were brought up, but you can:

• read books
• watch movies that aren't a Marvel franchise
• go to museums
• explore other art forms
• travel
• listen to music outside your comfort zone

To this last point, don't rely on an algorithm to discover new music for you. Hunt around for music. Ask for recommendations. Go out and see artists play live. BBC Sounds is a fantastic way to discover a wealth of new music that is curated by actual live people.

In short, make sure your perspective of the world is informed by a wide-ranging set of influences and experiences.

Know Thine History

When the Beatles first started out they were playing covers in the clubs for Hamburg for hours on end, day after day. This deep immersion into the world of (then) popular music gave them a solid foundation in songwriting, which naturally influenced their own songs. The rest, as they say, is history.

I'm not suggesting you hop on a plane to walk in their footsteps, but instead learn everything you can about the history of the genre you specialize in. Learn about other genres too, and explore these artists and musicians.

Who were their influences? How did they record? What was their musical journey?

There's a fine line to tread here; learn from the past, but don't copy it.

Developing Your Unique Style

As a musician, having a truly unique voice is a combination of:

• the sounds you use
• the melodies , harmonies , rhythms , and production values you engage with
• the vibe you create (in music, and beyond)
• the stories you're telling
• the issues you care about

All of these factors combine when you're firing up your creative juices and making music.

The thing is, when you're at the beginning of your music career, it can be hard to have a clear idea of what your artistic voice actually is. That's OK; just like a good curry, it will define itself over time.

Meanwhile, here's a few tips to help you find and stay true to your exclusive style.

Identify

Figure out what you bring to your music. Do you have a wicked sense of rhythm? Or do you write soaring melodies ? Perhaps you're a genius on your chosen instrument, or a whizz with samples . Whoever you are as a person, inject that into your music production.

Experiment

Try blending different styles of music to come up with something new.

At some point in history, the idea of hip-hop and classical music existing in the same song was unheard of. Until it wasn't. So play around and dig up some treasure.

Another form of experimentation is limiting yourself to specific tools or software. Perhaps write a song with a set number of instruments, or make a track using only free software.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and imposing limitations when you write and produce can yield new ideas.

Explore

Similar to the 'casting a wider net' section above, explore all sorts of music, not just the songs that vibe with you.

When you're listening, pick the tracks apart to see how they were written and produced. Maybe something you hear will send your writing in a different direction.

Avoid

Finally, avoid over-reliance on musical trends or clichés. While it's good to know what ingredients go into a hit song, by the time you've heard it that trend will be over-used.

Maintaining Your Originality

OK, you've made it past your first song and you're happy with your sound. How do you keep the originality pot topped up?

Noodle Without Agenda

Music is all about play. We play our instruments. We play in a band. Bring that sense of play into your writing too.

Set aside time each day or week to simply noodle around and see what happens. It doesn't matter whether the end result is lots of different melodies you can use, or a total waste. Just play.

Embrace Imperfection

Some of the best musical ideas have arisen out of the ashes of a blooper, so don't attempt to make everything perfect. The slightly imperfect timing on that instrumental solo you just recorded could well be the thing that makes the recording shine.

Dig Deeper

When you're writing different sections of a song ask yourself questions;

• Why am I putting this chord here?
• What are some alternative chords I could use?
• Why is the melody going up at this point?
• What would it sound like if it went down instead?

Obviously, not these specific questions necessarily, But question everything you do, and explore your own writing process.

Explore New Techniques

Whether you're writing a song or engaging in post production work, try out new (to you) techniques.

If you always write on guitar, try sitting down at a piano and coming up with chords (or vice versa). The new shapes will be unfamiliar to your hands and will throw up (sometimes quite literally) new and exciting soundscapes.

If you always produce a track by working on the drums first, try building the whole track without any percussion and see how that sounds.

If you're an acoustic musician, try working exclusively with electronic instruments. Steal your best friend's Maschine 3 and take it for a test run! (Don't tell them I said that).

The list goes on, but you get the idea. Don't be afraid to step outside your musical comfort zone.

Record Everything

By which I mean, make a note of any music-related idea that pops into your head, however silly it seems.

This can be in the form of a written journal (good for lyrics), or voice memos (good for capturing musical ideas, and found sounds).

It's good to go through these from time to time to weed out any duds, and in the case of voice memos categorizing ideas, sounds, beats, etc., so they're easy to find later.

But if you don't do this, don't stress! Just the act of writing (or recording) your thoughts will focus your brain towards hunting out new and innovative ideas.

How to Make Original Music Part 2: The Process

If you're new to music production or songwriting, you might feel overwhelmed about how to write and record a song. Fear not - that's exactly what this section is here for!

Songwriting and Composition Techniques

Songs are made up of many parts - chord progressions, melodies, hooks, rhythmic elements, and lyrics - all of which are organized into a cohesive structure . A good place to begin writing a song is by listening to someone else's.

Once you've figured out the inner workings of an existing song, it's easier to begin writing your own (but don't copy!).

Starting Points

The first thing you need to write a banger is an initial idea .

It could be a chord progression , a melody line , a hook , beat , or lyric . You just need something to get the ball rolling.

There's no right way to go about this; some folks begin with a chord progression , later adding a melody. Others work the other way around, humming a few seconds of a melody line, then finding chords that fit.

Another place to start is with a rhythmic idea, whether that comes in the form of a beat or a percussive line.

Trial and error is the key to finding the method that works best for you. The main thing is that you start writing.

Layering & Arranging

Once you have the kernel of a song going, it's time to begin adding layers and arranging it into a cohesive structure .

Improvising over an initial idea can be a great way to create layers and develop new sections. For example, improvising over a chord progression to get different melodies for the chorus and verse.

Think about how you want the song to flow - perhaps being softer in the verses then let all hell break loose in the chorus. Or not. It's your song after all.

Another factor to consider is space; just because you can throw a bajillion instruments at a song doesn't mean that's a good thing. Less is (nearly) always more.

Tools of the Trade

Even if you plan on using a professional recording studio to put together your finished track, it's worthwhile having some sort of basic home studio setup for pre-production work and fleshing out ideas and demos.

Here's some tools you may need, depending on your genre.

Hardware:

• Computer
  • Your computer will be the bedrock of your home studio, so look for high performance processors, lots of RAM, and a good-sized SSD drive.
  • Whether you choose Mac or Windows is really down to personal preference as most software can run on both operating systems. The only exception to this is Logic Pro, which only runs on Mac OS.
• Audio Interface
  • An audio interface takes analog signals and turns them into zeros and ones that your computer can decode, and vice versa.
  • If you want to record any sound source - guitar, violin, or your grandma singing - you'll need one of these.
• Headphones
  • Apple AirPods are nice and all that, but they don't give you an unbiased picture of the full frequency range of a track. For that reason a pair of studio headphones is a must for anyone making music on their computer.
  • You'll also need them when recording with a microphone.
• Microphone
  • Whether you're recording an instrument or someone singing, you'll need a microphone that's up to the task. There's a lot to choose from so be prepared for some research !
• Midi Controller
  • Having a MIDI controller is handy for tapping out rhythms, plunking out notes, and auditioning sounds. Again, there's lots to choose from out there, so find the one that best suits your workflow .
• Studio Monitors
  • While it's possible to only use studio headphones to make music, a good pair of studio monitors will serve your recordings better.
  • They can help prevent ear fatigue that is often brought on by long sessions on headphones, and just as importantly they help you hear your mix as it interacts with the environment around it.

Software:

You'll need some software gubbins to go with this hardware! Luckily their are many inexpensive, and often free, options to choose from.

• DAW
  • A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is the control center of your musical operations. It's where everything gets recorded, polished, and mixed.
  • While every DAW essentially accomplishes the same thing, they all have different workflows, so try out some demo versions to get a feel for which one is best for you .
• Sound Library
  • When you're building tracks, you'll need a collection of sounds, virtual instruments and effects to pull everything together.
  • The world is your oyster here, but when you're beginning your journey a great place to start is with the built-in plugins and effects that ship with your DAW.
  • If you're feeling brave you can also explore the vast array of free plugins out there.

Music Production Techniques

Producing music is a whole other skill set to learn - and there's lots of great articles out there to help you on your way. Here's a few pointers to keep in mind when laying down your first song.

• When recording musicians and vocalists, be sure to capture a clean sound, free of distortion and natural reverb created by the room.
• When layering tracks, keep in mind the timbre of each instrument. Choose sounds that compliment each other instead of fighting for space in the mix.
• Use effects like reverb , chorus, and delay with care. Too much processing can take focus away from the song itself.
• Be prepared to spend some time on the mix in order to get your music sounding the best it possibly can. Learn how to use processing like EQ and compression to get the best out of your recordings.
• Consider adding some extra polish to your recordings with the help of a mastering engineer. If the thought of asking mastering engineers for quotes fills you with dread you can always try going the DIY method , or using a service like eMastered .

Stay Motivated

Writing and producing your own music is a) wildly fulfilling; and b) a long process of learning . Sometimes it gets frustrating and you throw your hands up in the air (singing ayo, gotta let go...).

Whether you're suffering from writer's block , or just plain old burnout it's important to remember that out of all the artists on the planet, you are the only person who can create your sound.

It's fine to change direction from time to time (we don't want to be Nickelback, after all). But if you stay true to your ideals, you'll have the golden key to making your own magic.

So, start writing; go forth and maketh the music!