What is LoFi music? And how can you become a LoFi music producer? We will answer these questions and more throughout this article.

What is LoFi? LoFi Music Production 101

LoFi music is a genre known for its mellow melodies and warm nostalgic feel. A quick search on YouTube will turn up countless LoFi productions that have amassed millions of listeners who find these tracks relaxing and ideal for study sessions or rainy days.

But what is LoFi music? And how can you become a LoFi music producer? We will answer these questions and more throughout this article.

What is LoFi Music?

LoFi music is a genre of music that is characterized by its chill, laidback, and minimalistic production value. LoFi music tracks are often made using inexpensive/DIY recording equipment, wrong notes, and untuned instruments to achieve a LoFi sound that is later manipulated further in a DAW during the post-production phase.

In some ways, LoFi can be viewed as a reaction against the overly-polished sound of mainstream pop music. But what was once just a subgenre of electronic music now has an aesthetic associated with an assortment of indie and underground music genres like hip hop, punk, and noise music.

What Does LoFi Mean?

The term “LoFi” is derived from the phrase “low fidelity,” where fidelity means the lack of precision or correctness in the music. LoFi music artists deliberately create songs with imperfections and distorted sounds to give them a more “raw” and “authentic” feel.

Three Characteristics of LoFi Tracks

There are three primary characteristics of LoFi tracks: lower-quality recordings, minimalistic production value, and a mellow aesthetic.

LoFi music is a vibe of music that creates a relaxed and unique ambiance for the listener. The beats possess an atmosphere that is in part described as having a dreamy or nostalgic quality, which can help listeners to unwind.

While some people may find this type of music to be lackluster or uninteresting, others appreciate the authentic feel that it offers. For many, LoFi music is an integral part of their everyday lives, providing a sense of calm amidst the chaos of the world.

How to Make LoFi Beats

What Equipment Do You Need to Make Lofi Music?

To make LoFi music, the three most essential pieces of gear include a good computer, a DAW (digital audio workstation), and a midi keyboard.

The computer will be used to run the DAW software, which is where you’ll create and edit your musical compositions. The midi keyboard will be used to send notes and control other parameters for the elements inside the DAW.

A Good Computer

First, you’ll need a computer. This can be a desktop or a laptop, but it will need enough storage, memory, and processing power to run your digital audio workstation (DAW), VSTs, and plugins.

When starting out with LoFi music production, practically any computer manufactured within the past five or so years will do. However, once you grow as a producer and start to desire higher-end VSTs and plugins, you’ll need a more powerful machine.

Many producers use gaming computers for music creation. Why? That’s because computers made for intense gaming and entertainment purposes also tend to hold up well for running resource-intensive DAWs and effects plugins.

If you’re in the market for a new music production machine, we recommend that you check out this list of deals for the best gaming PCs available on Amazon. [LINK]

Recording Software or DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

Next, you’ll need a DAW. This is the software that you’ll use to create and edit your music. There are many DAWs available for producing LoFi music, but the four most popular options today are FL Studios, Reason Studios, Ableton Live and Logic Pro.

FL Studios

FL Studios is a great DAW for LoFi music because it has a wide range of built-in sounds and effects that can be used to create the perfect chilled-out vibe. It also has a very user-friendly interface, making it easy to get started even if you’re not a professional producer.

Reason Studios

Reason is another popular choice for LoFi producers. The DAW has been around for ages and includes a huge assortment of synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines that you can use to create rich-sounding LoFi tracks.

Ableton Live

Ableton Live is another great DAW to consider. It’s easy to use and has a lot of instruments, features, and built-in effects that are great for manipulating audio to create warm, fuzzy, wonky, glitchy textures.

Logic Pro

Logic Pro is a popular DAW that many of today’s producers use to make professional-sounding music. The sound quality is fantastic, and there are a ton of features and built-in instruments/VSTs/effects ready to be used to create pro-level, catchy LoFi productions.

MIDI Keyboard

Midi keyboards come in a variety of sizes, with the most common being 25, 49, 61 and 88 keys. The larger the keyboard, the more expensive it is likely to be.

Top-tier midi keyboards usually have a variety of control inputs beyond keys, such as pitch bend, aftertouch and modulation wheels, which can create more expressive performances.

So why do LoFi music producers need a midi keyboard? LoFi productions often rely heavily on samples, and a midi keyboard provides an easy way to play those samples in different ways. In addition, many of the virtual instruments (VSTs) used to produce LoFi tracks are controlled via midi input.

Best Plugins, VSTs, and Effects for LoFi Music Production

Tape Saturation

One of the key elements that contribute to the LoFi sound is tape saturation. This occurs when the level of the audio signal exceeds the capacity of the tape, resulting in distortion and added harmonic content. This effect can also be achieved through software plugins. Most modern DAWs, including Ableton and Logic Pro have plugins that emulate this effect, making it easy to achieve that classic LoFi sound.

Sidechaining

Sidechaining is a technique used in music production to create space and separation between different elements in a mix. It is commonly used with kick drums and bass instruments but can also be used with other instruments and vocals. While not required for all LoFi music productions, it can be a helpful tool in creating more professional-sounding tracks.

DAW Swing

Swing is a fundamental music production technique that is used to add a sense of rhythm and groove to your compositions. It helps to create a more organic feel by slightly offsetting the playback of audio samples, which gives the illusion of a more natural performance.

Given that swing is integral to all music styles, it is included in all of the leading DAW platforms, including the four we discussed in the previous section.

ANIMATE | Multi-purpose Mixing Plugin

LoFi music production is all about creating a feeling of space and organicism in your track. This can sometimes be difficult to achieve with built-in plugins, but ANIMATE makes it easy. ANIMATE is an industry-leading mixing plugin that will add life to your mixes and make them pop.

You’ll have complete control over how your music sounds, with a multitude of parameters, modes, and individual frequency assignments.

LEVELS | Mixing and Metering Audio Plugin

If you’ve ever thought that your music could have sounded better, you’re not alone. Mixing and mastering can be tricky as there are a ton of technical details to consider. That’s where LEVELS comes in.

With presets for CD, Club, Streaming, Youtube, and other formats, this plugin takes the guesswork out of getting your music to sound its best. LEVELS integrates seamlessly with the most popular DAWs and helps producers take their LoFi production up a notch.

MIXROOM | Intelligent and Versatile EQ Plugin

Another useful plugin for your consideration is MIXROOM. This “intelligent” EQ plugin helps producers find the perfect blend when trying to control the sonic qualities of the various instruments in their tracks.

MIXROOM analyzes the frequencies of each instrument and provides you with suggested EQ settings, helping to save vast amounts of time and giving your production an overall better mix.

Music Production Tips: How to make LoFi Beats

Making LoFi beats can be a fun and enjoyable experience, but there are a few key things you can do to make sure your beats sound great.

First, it’s important to use low-quality, grungy hip-hop drum samples, sounds, and loops. Second, some instruments are more characteristic of LoFi music than others; it’s important to know which ones to use and where to use them. Third, the LoFi aesthetic is achieved through certain tonal groups, chords and progresses. Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and break these rules using different progressions, sounds and effects. By trying new things, you’ll find new ways to make your LoFi beats sound unique to your style.

1. Start With a Hip-hop Drum Loop

The first step in LoFi music production is to start with a hip hop drum loop to establish the basic foundation for your track and provide a solid groove to build upon.

LoFi music production is about creating a relaxed and chilled-out vibe, so you’ll need to start with a loop that has these qualities. There are several ways to get your loop started. One is to build an original loop using sampled kicks, snares and hats. Another is to use prerecorded drum loops found in sound kits available online.

2. Know Your LoFi Instruments

Once you have your drum loop, you can begin to add other instrumentation to your track. LoFi music often incorporates elements such as piano, bass, brass, woodwind, strings, and synthesizers to fill in blank spaces within the composition.

3. LoFi Chords and Chord Progressions

Nostalgic, jazz-inspired chord progressions are the secret to any great LoFi track. Some common chords and progressions include major seventh, dominant seventh, minor seventh, and diminished seventh, in addition to major ninth, dominant ninth and minor ninth chords.

Progressions in these ranges often have a very smooth, mellow sound that can be quite relaxing to listen to, which makes for great LoFi music.

Conclusion

Becoming a LoFi producer is an exciting and rewarding journey. In this article, we have discussed what it takes to become a LoFi producer and showcased some of the best tips and tricks for creating unique tracks.

Using this article as a guide, readers have all the information they need to get started making their own LoFi music – from recording techniques to sound design and beyond.

We hope that this guide is helpful in demystifying the art of producing LoFi music and helps the readers confidently create truly remarkable tracks that reflect their musical style and taste.