13 Things That Makes Your Tracks Sound Amateur

Having everything spread on a stereo image is a big tell of amateur songs.

Stereo acts as an anchor in the stereo image. A balanced mix has more mono on lower frequencies and gets wider moving up in the frequency band.

Lower frequencies should be more centered (mono) while higher frequencies can occupy more stereo width.

This approach creates a professional, cohesive sound rather than an amateurish scattered presentation.

Having all notes perfectly on the grid sounds artificial and unnatural, especially with percussion elements like shakers.

Slightly unlock some notes from the grid to create a natural, human feel in the recording.

Over-quantization is a big tell for amateur producers and removes the organic quality of the music.

Don't quantize everything to 100% - allow slight variations for natural timing.

The lower you go, the fewer elements you should have in the low frequencies.

• Techno producers almost always side-chain their sub to the kick • High-pass elements that don't contribute anything to the low end

Not high-passing Reverb and Delay in the low end causes muddy, confusing mixes.

Proper low-end management creates clarity and separation in the mix.

Using too many different reverbs and delays on every channel creates a void that sounds confusing and unprofessional.

Use returns and buses to create cohesive sounding spaces across the entire mix.

This approach ensures reverb and delay add depth without muddying individual elements or creating spatial confusion.

Centralized effects management gives you better control and cohesion throughout the track.

Not processing vocals properly is a major mistake in professional tracks and a big tell of amateur production.

Process vocals so that they fit and integrate with the track's overall aesthetic and vibe.

Each vocal processing could be slightly different depending on the desired sound - for example, creating a futuristic sound requires different processing than a natural sound.

Proper vocal processing significantly changes the feel and professionalism of the entire track.

Room modes affect how sub bass sounds, but headphone users also face challenges with sub roll-off in many headphones.

Many headphones have sub roll-off in the composite range, causing producers to boost bass 3-6 dB in mixes.

Too loud sub bass is one of the big giveaways of amateur tracks due to equipment limitations and misjudgment.

Learn proper sub bass balancing techniques to get it right across different listening environments.

Professional tracks have energy levels that fluctuate throughout, showing good amounts of automation to keep listeners engaged.

Amateur tracks have almost constant energy levels where changes happen in rigid, stepwise fashion.

Professional producers constantly adjust energy levels to maintain listener interest and create dynamic movement.

Rigid, unchanging energy structure is a big tell of an amateur track.

Top tracks are almost always identifiable by their very catchy hook after listening to just three seconds.

If listeners can't remember the hook of your song after the first listen, that is a big red flag for production quality.

The hook should be distinctive, memorable, and iconic enough to define the song.

A strong, immediately recognizable hook is essential for professional, successful tracks.

Amateurs tend to listen to sounds in isolation, always searching for fancy and Reddit-recommended sounds, ending up with a sound soup.

Sometimes out-of-key elements work if repeated enough to sound good intentionally, but this requires awareness.

• Not being aware of clashing elements creates bad-sounding results • Out-of-key vocals are particularly problematic and should be avoided

Designers use color palettes for consistency - similarly, musicians should maintain a cohesive sound palette to avoid the confused, amateurish sound soup.

Using an eclipsed mix is a big mistake in professional production.

Overusing outdated effects is common because it's easier to just drop in whatever effects you find first.

The first effects found are often outdated, cheesy effects that may sound good occasionally but mostly sound dated in the mix.

Choose effects carefully and avoid outdated presets to maintain a contemporary, professional sound.

Unbalanced mixes can sound quite good if intentional, used to reflect certain emotions or artistic choices.

Inconsistent levels without intentional purpose create amateurish sounding tracks, such as having no bass in a techno track.

The same level of mix imbalance can be professional or amateur depending on whether it's deliberate and serves the music.

Intentional mixing decisions backed by artistic purpose sound professional, while accidental imbalance sounds amateur.

The presenter has made all these mistakes and emphasizes that beginners should not worry about making them - they are a normal part of the learning process.

All producers have been there and made these mistakes; it's part of the normal process of learning and improving.

The beauty of being an artist is that you learn from mistakes and eventually create good-sounding music.

Producers interested in learning more about production secrets and tricks have tons of available videos to explore.