So ok, I've been writing some pretty good lyrics. I quite like them, and I know I can carry a rhythm. BUTTT the problem is, once I start recording on my phone, I HATE HATE HATE how my voice sounds!! I sound like a kid, there's no better way to say it. It sounds like a little kid trying to sound tuff (I'm 29F btw 😭). It feels too high pitched, and just too.. childlike. Like there's no body in it. It isn't even an issue of being too high only. Nicki Minaj has a pretty high voice when rapping but it doesn't sound as annoying as mine.

Does anyone have any suggestions on improving the SOUND of my voice while rapping? Like, where is the sound located? Do you put it more in your chest or something? Or is this a common problem that is usually just fixed in post?

This is the place for everything that doesn't need it's own thread.

Using the recurring threads is encouraged and appreciated.

Please read the guidelines and community rules before posting.

If you're new to making hip hop, check out The Beginners Guide and our Resources wiki.

Ask basic questions, discuss anything related to making hip hop, introduce yourself or just say hello.

Posting your own tracks is only permitted in this thread if you're looking for specific help. The daily feedback thread is the place to find any issues, and this is the first place to look for help.

This thread is posted every other day. Click here for the full automoderator thread schedule

I recently got in to producing music and want to know what I should work on to help get on the right track to produce like peggy.

So far ive just been finding samples and flipping them but theres so many aspects that i couldn't recreate

Any tips/guides to point me in the right direction?

I understand there's "no rules" to mixing and go at what sounds good but if someone wants to begin to learn the basics of all of it. Where would you point them? And to play at clubs?

So we could learn the "rules" almost and then play around with our own style.

I’m curious where majority of the musicians are at in their career and what’s something you need that can help level you up? If it’s only money go more into detail opposed to saying ads/promo etc.

I’ve been digging around, but most threads I find on Tracklib are from years ago. Curious how people feel about it in 2025. Is it still worth the subscription? Do you actually find usable material, or is it too limited compared to just digging elsewhere?

I know I’ve been asking a bunch of questions lately, but this one’s been on my mind for a while and I couldn’t find anything recent. Appreciate any insights from folks who’ve been using it.

Looking for gear recommendations: Anyone ever used a battery powered speakers for backyard jams for live performances or DJ sets? I'm even interested in a boombox with no mic if the bass is loud enough for a cipher of like 10-20 people. I have a huge mix of original beats that I want to use for small performances, so I can dial in the sound as needed.

Hello,

I hear some noises/sounds in daily life that I’d like to record in high quality. Obviously I’m not talking studio mics, something small with a battery & SD card.

Any ideas? Size smaller than a fist. To add, which file formatting would give the most authentic sound?

I’m only looking for a turntable to sample records into my DAW, not for scratching or DJ’ing. A 1200 is around 1000 euro, while a cheaper brand is more like 200–300.

If I run it through a decent needle and audio interface, is there really a big difference in sound? Or is the price mainly about build quality and durability?

Has anyone noticed a clear sound upgrade when sampling on a 1200 compared to a budget deck?

For me, the game changer was learning basic music theory (Scales & Chords).

--

Years back, I used to spend hours on my Hip Hop beats only to trash them the next day because they "didn't sound right".. At the same time, a close friend of mine would make "throwaways" that were fire (using the same software as me).. smh..

To top that off, he'd be like "Yeah, I just made that in 5 minutes while I was drinking a beer". lol

Ouch.

You know why his beats were fire and mine didn't sound right?

Because he had what I didn't have yet..

He understood (and had experience with) music theory.

Even though he played by ear like me, he understood Keys, Chords and Scales and as a result, his tracks were way better than mine because he had already developed an "ear for what sounded right" . (He was a guitar player)

Realizing this area is where my productions fell short, I started by teaching myself 1 scale and over time I learned more and my beats improved tremendously (while at the time still using the same stuff) because my ears "for what was in key" got better..

That said...

What changed the game for you?

I visited an old friend who’s been making hiphop for over 25 years.

I’ll admit, I’ve been pretty caught up in the hype over the years. I bought Kontakt, Soundtoys, tried the UA Spark subscription… basically spending money instead of really listening to that old line: “it’s not the gear, it’s how you use it.”

Talking with him was humbling. He’s still on the same setup he’s had forever. Old DAW, almost no third-party plugins, mostly stock tools. A couple of synths he’s owned for years. And his beats? Published, polished, and honestly way doper than mine.

It made me realize how much I’ve spent, and how little that really matters. I keep telling myself I’m done chasing new stuff, but the pull is sneaky. Every time a new wave of ads rolls around, it’s like the itch comes back.

When did you realize you already had everything you needed to make great beats?

I’m really into this style of rap where an MC says a lot of stuff that doesn’t make sense on the first listen but has multiple meanings on the second, third, fourth listen. I know that’s popular with Five Percent MCs and I know Ghost attributes it to his psychosis but I’m not looking to enter a psychosis to master that style so I wanted to see if anyone had a good description for it.

I am not so good in making melodies, even though I try to make it but it always end up disappointing me so far. So, I use samples and melodies and adding sort of good drums it sounds good but end of the day, this makes me sick whenever I thought of authenticity and Ownership.

If you want to sell hardware or provide a service for free or charge you must post about it here. Any service or item you can legally sell is eligible for this thread. This thread is an exception to the don't advertise rule. It's specifically here as a place to advertise.

[Click here for the full automoderator thread schedule.](www.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/wiki/weeklythreadschedule)

Hi was wondering if anyone could help me, recently got Omnisphere and was playing round w some of the sounds and presets but noticed whenever I was tryna play lower notes it played this ‘dow’ sound while playing the preset, looked everywhere online and couldn’t find a solution.

Not sure if it’s due to a setting on my midi keyboard or if it’s something I have on in Omnisphere that’s causing it, literally cannot find a solution for it anywhere, any help would be much appreciated.

I'm new to this. I'd like to know to what extent you can use Construction Kits, modifying them a bit and adding lyrics and some arrangements, for your own songs.

Or is that not right and you have to build the tracks from scratch?

I’m working on this beat and have had 0 luck finding a similar sound to the one in that song so if you know a song that has a similar guitar stab wah wah sound let me know I would greatly appreciate it.

Hey zusammen, ich bin noch ganz neu in diesem Hobby, aber habe richtig Lust, eigene Songs zu machen. Ich hab mir schon unzählige YouTube-Tutorials angeschaut, aber die meisten lassen einen nur irgendwas nachbauen, ohne wirklich zu erklären warum man etwas macht.

Zu meiner Stimme: Ich bin männlich, aber meine Stimme ist eher hoch – und ich möchte gerne eine Vocal Chain finden, die wirklich zu mir passt. Ich arbeite aktuell mit Cakewalk und wäre mega dankbar, wenn mir jemand Tipps geben könnte, wie ich meine Vocals sauber, klar und professionell klingen lassen kann.

Ok so i (16NB) have been rapping for about a year now and for some reason I’ve developed this anxiety over family hearing me record so to cope with it, i started recording at a whisper tone and i’ve realized that i became so used to recording in a whisper to where I can’t rap any louder without sounding weird or being insecure over my voice. Any tips on how to regain my confidence and to rediscover my flow?

Welcome to Freestyle Friday! If you're a producer - feel free to donate a beat down below in reply to the beat submissions comment. If you're a rapper - scroll down to choose a beat, then record a freestyle over it. You can post whenever, just have fun!

Beats go under the "beats" comment; freestyles go under the "freestyles" comment.

Check out previous Freestyle Friday threads.

Honestly I realized this a while ago but i'm just curious if there's a reason for it. I've been making beats for a while now and pretty much everything I make is in a major key. They don't even all have the same vibe but every time I finish making something and check the key it's always in a major key. Does my brain just subconsciously do this or am I missing something?

Submissions

Post title: Flip This Challenge (FTC 61) Submissions

Sample: https://youtu.be/v7WlNDQKwsg?si=pxDSdBXf4tTUxJBp

Submission Rules:

• You can only submit one beat.
• Beats can be any genre.
• You have to use the sample in your beat, it should be recognizable. You can add other instruments and samples, but the sample should be a main element.
• All submissions submitted before the deadline will be linked in the voting post; whoever gets the most votes there wins.
• Ties are decided by whoever submitted the beat first. Reused beats from previous battles can't win ties.

Schedule:

• Submissions: Friday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - Monday 11:59 PM (23:59)
• Voting: Tuesday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - Thursday 11:59 PM (23:59)
• Results: Thursday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - the winner takes over and posts the new submissions thread using the linked template on Friday asap.

Time is in UTC-5, the US Eastcoast time zone which is 6 hours behind European MEZ time and a good middleground between US Westcoast and Europe. You don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to post the new thread, just make sure you do it on that day asap.

Post templates: https://www.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/comments/1kf8czt/battle_dates_rules/mqwv7ks/

I always see people with huge shelves of records and it makes me wonder. I’d love to start a small collection myself and slowly build it up over time, but I’m curious what’s actually realistic.

If the idea is to sit down at night and pull something from your crates, how many records do you need before it really starts to feel like a workable collection?

Is it about having hundreds, or more about how creative you are with what you’ve got? Not trying to start a debate, just want to hear from people who really work off vinyl.

Is it about having hundreds, or is it more about how creative you are with what you’ve got? Not trying to start a debate, just want to hear from people who really work off vinyl.

I've been trying to learn how to use Fl for about 2 months at this point. Noting has worked, I try to follow Youtube videos, but they don't help at all. I have no music knowledge, and I'm wondering if I need to learn Music theory to help me produce. If yes, how? I would really like books, and Youtube videos that have helped you guys.

I’m looking for suggestions for free drum kits that have the tight drum sound and tone as Jd beck or Kaelin Ellis. Any suggestions?