Some DAWs are free while others can cost up to $200–300 USD. Download trial versions before buying them so you can familiarize yourself with the program. Choosing a DAW all comes down to personal preference, so pick the one you feel most comfortable using.
You can get studio headphones for around $100 USD. It’s okay if you use regular headphones or earbuds when you make music if you can’t afford to get ones that are studio-quality. You may also use studio monitors, though the acoustics in your room may make the audio sound muddy.
If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard, you will have to manually click and drag notes into the song rather than playing them.
This will help keep a constant and familiar rhythm for the listener to come back to throughout the song. You may add more snare drum sounds in between these notes later on to make the beat sound more complex. Your DAW will have multiple software instruments to choose from, so experiment with the different sounds to see which drum set you like best.
You don’t need to make the bass drum pattern too complex right away. If you’re stuck, try adding the drum to the 1st and 3rd beat of each measure for a simple starting point. IDM songs don’t have set structures and usually loop the same sections, so you won’t change the beat for different verses, choruses, or bridges.
For example, you can put hi-hat notes on beat for the first measure and switch to putting them off-beat in the next one. It’s okay to have a random hi-hat pattern since your snare and bass drum have a consistent groove.
You can try incorporating other drum noises, such as toms, rimshots, and cymbals to add more variety to the song.
Make sure you use samples and sound effects that are free to use so you don’t steal another artist’s work. Sound effects also add ambient noise to your track to make it sound fuller. Try putting a sound effect by itself in the last third of your song. without any other instruments to make it stand out. For example, “Parallel Jalebi” by Four Tet uses a solo female voice sample before reintroducing the drum beat. [10] X Research source
If you’re using a MIDI keyboard, you can press the Record button and play the chords live. Some DAWs have plug-ins that help you pick chord progressions for your music. Look for a menu labeled “Plug-Ins” on your DAW to see if there’s one available. Most IDM songs use the same chords and loops throughout the entire track with minor variations. For example, you may keep the same chords but change the instrument halfway through the song.
Since the drums and bass usually have a heavier sound, try to keep your melody light. Listen to “Emerald Rush” by Jon Hopkins to get ideas of how to balance a light melody with harsher background tones. [13] X Research source Once you find a melody, try playing it through different software instruments throughout the song to add variety. Many times in IDM, you’ll keep the notes of the melody the same for the entire song with minor variations to the notes here and there. There’s a lot of trial and error when you’re writing music, so don’t get discouraged if you have trouble coming up with something right away. Keep practicing and playing until you find something that clicks into place.
You can include multiple bass tracks to make them sound fuller and punchier in the final mix. Try opening your song with just the bass line and drums before you introduce your melody. Listen to a song like “LesAlpx” by Floating Points for inspiration. [15] X Research source
These are good sounds to add halfway or three-quarters of the way through your song. If you want to make the pulse more unpredictable, try putting some of the notes slightly off-beat to syncopate the rhythm.
Some DAWs also let you simulate different shaped rooms, which will change how the sound echoes and fades in your song. You can usually make adjustments for each individual note in the track so you can have a lot of reverb on one note and very little on the next.
You can add multiple modulations to a single note so it wavers back and forth. There isn’t a right way to adjust the modulation, so just keep adjusting it until you’re happy with how it sounds in the overall song.
You can have instruments pan between different notes as well so you hear them on separate sides.
It may take a while to find the perfect mix for your song. When your adjustments only give your song a different sound rather than improving it, then finish your mix.
Post about your music on social media so your friends and family can listen to it as well!
