Zaytoven on his studio sessions with Migos, Future, and others

“Gucci Mane, Migos, Young Dolph—all these guys used to come to my house,” Zaytoven tells us.

“They didn’t have nothin’. They didn’t even have a car—they used to lay on the couch. They didn’t have no money. And now, to see them be the biggest artists in the world, you know? You can go from having nothing and being unheard of to being the biggest artist in the world.”

Above, GRAMMY-winning producer Zaytoven returned to the Splice YouTube channel to discuss his beginnings and a few of his most memorable studio sessions that shaped his career as well as the music landscape at large. He also explores key topics like the qualities that make music resonate with listeners and how technology is shaping the future of music creation.

“The best part about making beats is not even making them to send to an artist to try to get a placement,” Zaytoven reflects. “The best part is making the beat, getting it mixed, and then riding in the car to see what this thing sounds like. I’ll have it turned all the way up to the max, and I’m inspired just off of that… Just listening to some crazy sound or some crazy effect I used in my car, and thinking like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to get home to make some more.'”

“I wasn’t doing it to ‘make it’ or be some big producer, you know? I did it ’cause I was just in love with making music.”

Keep learning from Zaytoven

For more stories and insights from Zaytoven, be sure to also check out his studio tour below, where he breaks down more iconic records he crafted while also showcasing his favorite gear:

And for a glimpse into his production process, check out the video below, where he makes a beat in a matter of minutes using Create as a source for inspiration:

And there you have it! What was your favorite story or insight from Zaytoven? What other artists, records, or pieces of gear would you like to see him discuss? Let us know in the comments section of the video, and subscribe to the Splice YouTube channel for more artist-led discussions, tips, and tutorials.

Find inspiration with our sample discovery feature:

November 26, 2024

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Harrison Shimazu

Harrison Shimazu is a composer, content strategist, and writer who’s passionate about democratizing music creation and education. He leads the Splice blog and produces vocaloid music as Namaboku.