On a recent Twitch stream, I was asked about different techniques and strategies regarding releasing music. With affordable access to digital distribution platforms like DistroKid, independent artists have many options. These are the top 3 ways to release music. Subscribe to DECAP on YouTubeReleasing a complete project One technique is to hold on to the music you create, piece it together in a cohesive way and release it as a project like an album or mixtape. It takes more time and energy to go this route, but if you’re trying to create a masterpiece this is one direction that you could choos ..read more

I recently setup my new M1 Max MacBook Pro and I installed all my 19 essential plugins for music producers. These audio plugins range from cassette emulation to drum processing to developing chord progressions if you don’t understand music theory. These music plugins are the ones I needed when I got this new computer. Blogs That Knock has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Blogs That Knock may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. https://youtu.be/CUJd22iuzKs Subscribe to DECAP on YouTube These are the 19 essential plugins for music ..read more

Mastering your music for Spotify. Let’s discuss this and how to sound the best on Spotify. A lot of people ask me, what LUFS should I send my mixes off to for streaming? How loud should I make my mixes? What LUFS level? Should I do -14 LUFS or should I do lower than -14 or higher than -14? What software do I use to measure LUFS? What if I submit a mix that’s -7 LUFS or -10 LUFS? What should I set my true peak to? Subscribe to DECAP on YouTubeDeciding how to sound the best on Spotify After trying different things prior to the release of my album, What’s Your Superpower, I concluded that ..read more

I was recently searching for the best software to batch process audio. As a regular user of Ableton, one of its limitations is that it doesn’t have any way to quickly batch process audio. For example, say you made a drum kit or sample pack in 96kHz and you want to convert it to 44.1kHz 24 bit to send out. Or, if you made a whole album in 48K, but you want to dither it down to 44.1kHz 24 bit for streaming. Searching for the best software to batch process audio First, I tried downloading some cheap apps, but they never sounded that good. I tried doing it in Studio One, which was pretty good. I g ..read more

This is how copyright law works for music. Please read this carefully because it’s very important, especially as an independent musician. The moment that you put your musical idea into a form, for example, recording it, you legally are the copyright owner of that composition of music. No matter what it is you made, the second it’s recorded, you are the copyright owner. That’s how copyright law works for music. https://youtu.be/j_SH8KJE24A Subscribe to DECAP on YouTube You are the copyright owner. There’s no certificate needed, but to prove in court that you’re the copyright owner, the best thi ..read more

On a recent Twitch stream, an Ableton session I was working on was acting up and freezing. The graphics were tweaking, and this has been something I’ve been dealing with since I started streaming. I’ve been having glitches and that kind of thing. I started to research how to stop MacBook Pro Fans from going crazy while using Ableton. Subscribe to DECAP on YouTube Blogs That Knock has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Blogs That Knock may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. I have an external monitor plugged into my computer and t ..read more

As a music producer or beatmaker, you’re likely familiar with many of the top VST plugins. Some of them are even free. One thing I also wanted to show you guys is some underrated plugins for music producers. Subscribe to DECAP on YouTubeTape Stop by kiloHearts Tape Stop by kiloHearts is super underrated. The reason why I like this plugin is because everyone always talks about how in Pro Tools you can use Verify to do tape drop effects. This plugin can also do that. And this is the best one I’ve seen do it. It’s so simple, both the UI and functionality and you can adjust the start and stop tim ..read more

On a recent Twitch stream, I was asked how long it takes me to put together a new Drums That Knock kit. When it comes to creating Drums That Knock, it takes longer and longer because I get more meticulous each time. At minimum it takes me several months because there’s a lot of going back. I run and process my sounds through a lot of stuff and every single sound is designed from scratch included in my Drums That Knock series. Subscribe to DECAP on YouTubeDesigning new sounds When I’m designing new sounds, I also like to use the MMM technique that will help you make beats that knock. I make a ..read more

I recently found this Ableton MaxForLive device called Auto Track Colors. This plugin is amazing for those who are in Ableton and care about organization and productivity. It’s $9. When you add Auto Track Colors to your project, it enables you to set customizable colors based on what the track name is.  Subscribe to DECAP on YouTube Let’s say you want your kick tracks to be the color yellow, anytime you include the word kick in the track name, it’s going to become yellow automatically. Or if you want your bass to be blue, you can set it so anytime you include the word bass in the track n ..read more

As an independent musician aside from the music you’re creating, it’s important to understand how to position yourself externally as a brand. And in the beginning of that journey, it’s about your mindset. And keeping yourself grounded throughout the process is a way to move ahead. What you want to do is cherish every new fan or follower you get and treat them as a person. That’s how independent musicians can build their brand. https://youtu.be/zuAurS05XvQ Subscribe to DECAP on YouTube If you’re only focused on the numbers, you’re going about it all wrong. In the beginning your song may only ge ..read more