Before you call a track finished, run it through this list. None of these are rules, and plenty of great records break several. But most tracks that do not quite work fail at least one of them.
The song
- Is there a hook? Can you sing, hum or describe the most memorable part after one listen?
- Does the title appear where it matters? On the hook, in the chorus, in the strongest spot.
- Is the chorus bigger than the verse? In energy, in register, in density - something must lift.
- Is there contrast? Between verse and chorus, and something new in the bridge or breakdown.
- Does every section earn its length? Cut what repeats without adding. A shorter song is rarely worse.
The first thirty seconds
Listeners decide quickly. Get to something compelling fast: an interesting sound, a groove, the vocal, a hook. Long intros belong to DJ edits and albums, not to the version you want people to share.
The arrangement
- Every part has a job. If you cannot say what a part is doing, mute it. If you do not miss it, delete it.
- Space. The best arrangements leave gaps. Silence makes the next sound bigger.
- Variation. Something should change every four or eight bars - even something small.
- Transitions. Each section should announce the next.
- The ending. Decide it. A fade, a final hit, a reprise. "It just stops" is only good on purpose.
The groove
- Does it feel good at low volume? Grooves that work quietly work loudly.
- Do the kick and bass agree? They should lock or interlock, not compete.
- Is it too quantised - or too loose? Decide what the track needs.
The sound
- Do the sounds suit the song? A great melody on a weak sound is a weak hook.
- Is the vocal clear and present? The vocal is usually the most important thing in the mix.
- Does it translate? Check on headphones, laptop speakers, a phone, a car. If the bass disappears or the vocal vanishes on one of them, fix it.
The final questions
- Would you listen to this if someone else had made it?
- What is the one thing that would make it better? Do that, then stop.
- Have you compared it with your references - at matched loudness?
Do this now
- Run your C major project through every question on this list and write down your answers.
- Fix the two biggest problems.
- Play the result to someone whose taste you trust and ask only one question: what was the best moment?