If you’ve been curious about how to make pop music, you’ve come to the right place.
In the tutorial video above, pop artist, singer-songwriter, and producer Esthy showcases how to make pop music from scratch, starting with nothing but a simple guitar chord progression she found on Splice Sounds. From there, she breaks down how to flesh out a full arrangement in a way that’s accessible—even for those who may not have extensive music theory knowledge—using a combination of third-party plugins and tools that can be found right within most DAWs.
Follow along via the video for her in-depth walkthrough, and see some of her key tips highlighted below.
3 tips for making pop music
1. Set up your session to suit your unique needs
Before you drag your first sample into your DAW, spending a couple minutes preparing and saving a reusable session template can go a long way in streamlining your workflow. For example, as a vocalist, Esthy has created a template where she has a pre-loaded vocal track, busses that are routed to some of her favorite reverbs, alongside options for parallel compression (OTT is her plugin of choice, which is available for free download).
While certain things like reverb busses are seen across almost every project, there’s no single template that works for everyone—so think about what your own individualized needs are for production based on your go-to tools and instruments. Maybe you’re a guitarist, in which case you want some ready-to-go audio tracks that are set up with the input channels that correspond to your audio interface. Or, maybe you have a more traditional composition background, and like having some orchestral software libraries loaded and ready for use.
If you’re newer to using a DAW and unsure about how to set up audio busses, you can learn more via our in-depth guide below:
2. Perfect your topline
After she loops her chord progression in Ableton, Esthy uses it as inspiration to lay down a vocal topline. Whether you’re recording your own vocals, using a sample, working with vocal synthesis tools, or collaborating with a singer, polished vocals are a central component when it comes to most pop music—so take the time and care to really make them shine. For example, Esthy uses the de-esser in iZotope’s Nectar to attenuate her sibilances.
For more on creating the perfect take for your pop vocals, check out our 15 tips on mastering the art of comping:
3. Add supporting instrumentation with MIDI
Once you have a chord progression and vocal topline, it’s time to build out the rest of your arrangement—basses, keys, synths, and drums are some common go-to instruments for pop music. MIDI provides the maximum amount of flexibility to compose parts that complement your chords, but this might be intimidating for those who have minimal experience with music theory.
While taking the time to learn some music theory will help you develop a powerful toolkit for musical expression, Esthy shares a powerful technique for exploring MIDI sequencing in the meantime: audio-to-MIDI tools. In the video, she showcases how to do this using the built-in feature in Ableton, so she has a structured starting point to creating basslines and synth layers using the instruments in Minimal Audio’s Current.
Go forth and make your own pop music
And there you have it! At the end of the day, there’s no single path or formula for making pop music—you don’t have to start with the chords, use samples / MIDI, or incorporate specific instruments, and as you make more tracks you’ll likely find yourself naturally taking a wide array of different approaches. That said, if you’re not sure where to start, hopefully this guide gives you some actionable ideas.
For more producer-led insights into the lifelong art of making pop music, check out our other tutorials with the likes of Jenna Andrews (BTS, Jessie J), Oliver (Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj), and NERVO (Steve Aoki, Miley Cyrus).
What was your favorite tip from Esthy? What other topics would you like to see us cover next? Let us know in the comments section of the video, and subscribe to the Splice YouTube channel for more.
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January 7, 2025
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