Welcome back to our new series on Flypaper, Album Histories Monthly, which brings you the story of a single album each month, in the month that it was originally released. Last month, we covered Afrika Bambaataa’s Planet Rock. This month: The Buggles – The Age Of Plastic Release Date: January 10, 1980 The Buggles became forever associated with MTV when their music video…
+ Learning about synthesis? Soundfly’s got a definitive new online course called Advanced Synths and Patch Design For Producers! Preview for free and subscribe for access. White noise just might be the most versatile secret weapon a producer has at their fingertips. It can be used in filter sweeps to build anticipation for your big EDM beat drop…
Welcome back to our new series on Flypaper, Album Histories Monthly, which brings you the story of a single album each month, in the month that it was originally released. Last month, we covered The Buggles’ Age of Plastic. This month: Fleetwood Mac – Rumours Release Date: February 4, 1977 “When we started Rumours in early 1976, we were all in…
Why is the beat to Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” so infectious? Maybe it has something to do with the mysterious Phrygian scale mode it’s written in…
By Nyle Emerson & Jeremy Young Here at Soundfly, we’re always looking for the next big thing — the next wave of popular music bubbling up to the surface from the underground. But every now and then, a new genre pops up that’s been right under our noses for years, it’s familiar and yet foreign,…
Horns are a prominent piece in the puzzle of modern music. When it comes to pushing the language of American music forward, predominantly via jazz in the 20th century, their role has been invaluable. But what about their prominence in film? Whether it’s the saxophone, trumpet, or trombone, or, yes, even a bunch of tubas,…
+ Pursue your mixing and audio production goals with a Soundfly Mentor like Andrea! Soundfly offers four-week mentorship sessions with a pro, customized to you. Get in touch to learn more. How many of you are completely terrified of doing anything to the mix buss (a.k.a., “stereo buss” or “2 buss”)? It is real easy to mess up…
+ Soundfly helps curious musicians meet their goals with online courses like The Creative Power of Advanced Harmony and Pop Vocal Production. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe for unlimited access. By now you’ve heard the shimmering 24-karat magic that is the remix to Bruno Mars’ “Finesse” featuring Cardi B. It’s playing everywhere, on…
+ Pursue your dreams faster with a Soundfly Mentor! Share your musical goals with us and we’ll pair you up with a professional musician, engineer, educator, or music industry veteran who will help you achieve them in a customized four-week session. As musicians, we all have been asked to give feedback on our fellow musicians’ works-in-progress, finished music production,…
Who will win Best Original Score at the Oscars this year? With a powerhouse list of nominees, the choice isn’t going to be easy…
Each month, we start a new Mainstage session, welcoming in a fresh batch of uniquely talented student-artists, ready to step up their game and take their music farther than ever before. Our team of Soundfly Mentors works with these creative artists, striving to help them reach their learning goals and build confidence in several areas…
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for the movie Black Panther. If you haven’t seen the movie, you may want to stop and bookmark this page to read the…
In this article, we’re going to be exploring how to use different voicings of seventh chords to create progressions that sound bigger, wider, and more complex than your average pop chord structure. If you need a refresher on how to build a basic seventh chord, read this article or watch the video below. (For all you electronic…
So, you’re interested in breaking into the indie gaming scene? Here are some tips and starting points to help you put together your production portfolio!
We searched for five of the best free compression VST/AU plugins out there. Compression is an indispensable tool for the music producer found across individual tracks, mix buses, and mastering chains. Compressors are used for narrowing dynamic range, manipulating amplitude envelopes, peak limiting, and more. They’re also well-known for having distinct characteristics depending on the circuitry…
Welcome back to the dance floor, Quick Trackers! Once a month, we hook you up with a short production or songwriting challenge, aimed at helping to up your musicianship. To respond to the challenge, just email us, leave a comment, or post to social media with the hashtag #quicktracks and tag us @learntosoundfly. For this month’s challenge, let’s…
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. The roots of field recording go all the way back to early 1900s when pioneer musicologist John Lomax began recording cowboy songs in Texas. His son Alan…
By Noah Cebuliak “Afrobeats” is pop music originating in West Africa, where currently, the scene is being driven primarily by artists from Nigeria and Ghana. In Nigeria, this music is infused with a culture of youthful excitement and resistance, as well as a sense of positive national pride — all of which can be summed…
Making money from your music gigs isn’t easy. Few creators are able to make a living solely off their music. In fact, incredible and talented musicians often have to work multiple jobs on top of playing gigs just to be able to afford gear and all the other expenses that come with creating. And even…
Though it may seem daunting from afar, venturing into the world of music theory doesn’t require an IQ of 160 or even a teacher in a classroom. In fact, just a little familiarity with some key harmonic concepts can provide any composer, producer, or songwriter with the tools to create more emotionally impactful music. And…
Welcome back to our interview series, Incorrect Music, curated by guitarist, singer, and composer Lora-Faye Åshuvud (of the band Arthur Moon). In this series, we present intimate conversations with artists who are striving to push the boundaries of their process and craft. Saltland is the solo cello and voice project of Montreal’s Rebecca Foon, who also plays in Esmerine, and…
Welcome back to the dance floor, Quick Trackers! Once a month, we hook you up with a short production or songwriting challenge, aimed at helping to up your musicianship. To respond to the challenge, just email us, leave a comment, or post to social media with the hashtag #quicktracks and tag us @learntosoundfly. Draw, o coward! In words,…
Welcome back to Soundfly’s weekly interview series, Incorrect Music, curated by guitarist, singer, and composer Lora-Faye Åshuvud (of the band Arthur Moon). In this series, we present intimate conversations with artists who are striving to push the boundaries of their process and craft. “Our songs are just a little more intricate than the typical picture that comes…
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. For this post, I thought I’d bring it back to basics and explain exactly what it is that I do. A lot of friends, family, and first-time…
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. Most music fans don’t associate their favorite bands with the judicial system, except maybe for Justice, but famous lawsuits and court cases over the past hundred years continue…
