The 5 Crucial Lo-Fi Production Tips To Make Lo-Fi Beats and Music

So you want to learn how to make lo-fi music but don’t know where to start? About a decade ago, at the height of EDM and the pop music of the time, huge, clean-sounding production seemed to be a must. But for several years now, the sounds of lo-fi analogue imperfections such as vinyl crackle, the hiss of an old compressor, old jazz record samples, and more have been en vogue. And the good news is that it’s not difficult to use a few lo-fi production principles in your own music.

The term ‘lo-fi music’ will mean different things to different people. Some will describe albums from The Beach Boys from the ‘60s as lo-fi because they were recorded in a makeshift home studio, with a general garage rock vibe. Others will immediately think of early hip-hop and the pioneering use of samples, providing one of the origins of delightful vinyl sounds being heard in songs (quite simply because the samples were being taken from vinyl records).

Whatever it means to you, the reason lo-fi music is so much in the musical public consciousness in recent years is due to contemporary lo-fi hip-hop becoming the genre of choice for many YouTube streamers. I’m sure by now you will have seen the looping ‘lo-fi beats to study/relax to’ YouTube video in which a girl in headphones is writing, and her cat is sitting by the windowsill. In fact, that video has been streaming lo-fi music nonstop since July 2022 with millions of listeners. This quick Headliner guide will show you the five top lo-fi production tips you can bring to your own music. So grab your favourite pair of headphones, a cat is optional.

Saturation, distortion, and vinyl sound effects

Two effects you’ll really want to get acquainted with in your lo-fi music production are saturation and distortion. If you’re working with digital VST instruments, these effects will bring that lo-fi warmth and character that would otherwise be lacking. Distortion doesn’t only apply to guitar pedals for metal music. Distortion is also used to mimic the effects of older music gear, where the produced audio is sometimes overdriven and clips. That slight edge has become a hallmark of the modern lo-fi hip-hop genre.

Saturation is essentially a distortion of a different flavour, by amplifying a signal beyond its dynamic range. It will help you get that lo-fi music warmth and charm with the harmonic distortion added to the instrument or sample in question.

Another option is to go to the analogue source itself. Many of the contemporary lo-fi producers are achieving their sound using the same effects plugins and VST instruments as each other. A great way to bypass this is to use instruments that naturally have elements of distortion and saturation, such as analogue synths and drum machines. Recording an old upright piano lends itself perfectly to lo-fi, also.

Don’t worry about spending a fortune — a really fun approach is creating a hybrid of digital DAW production with one or two analogue instruments. For example, just one synth can bring amazing results and make your sound truly unique. You could summarise modern lo-fi music as producers recreating old analogue styles digitally, and sometimes the real thing is the right tool for the job!

Also, another vital tool in your arsenal is adding vinyl sound effects — the crackling, warm sounds of an old record are a big hallmark of the lo-fi hip-hop genre. Izotope’s free vinyl plugin is a great option, or you can download a sample. freesound.org is a great place for free bits of audio.

EQing the lo-fi music way

The next effect you definitely want to invite to the party is EQ. And while a good EQ is vital to almost any music genre production, it’s pretty key and has quite a specific use case when it comes to lo-fi music. You may have noticed in lo-fi hip-hop, and also ‘90s hip-hop, garage rock, and other DIY types music, the kind of clean EQ high frequencies heard in pop and EDM are not a common factor at all. In fact, a lot of lo-fi music even feels muffled or cloudy-sounding. This is actually a big compliment to a lo-fi producer!

Again, we’re seeking to emulate the sounds of vintage music gear and the limited frequency response which would produce that warmth, plus the general relaxed vibe of lo-fi music. With EQ, you can easily create that chilled cloudiness by applying low-pass filters liberally; when applied in the right places, this can add real character to your music Boosting the lower mid frequencies here and there can add some cosy lo-fi magic also. Ozone 11 Equalizer is a great plugin for achieving that lo-fi lifestyle.

The beauty of imperfection: detuning and off-kilter timings

If you’ve ever heard the saying ‘perfect is the enemy of good,’ know that lo-fi music took that advice and ran with it. Think of a super clean pop song where all the instruments and beats are rigigly quantised on the grid, the vocals have been auto-tuned to ensure everything is in tune, and it all sounds very digital. Lo-fi music is, in many ways, the polar opposite of this.

To incorporate lo-fi production and lo-fi beats into your music, imperfections and keeping supposed flaws in your mix are key to the charm and authenticity of lo-fi music. When using samples, don’t worry about tuning them too much. In fact, many lo-fi producers even detune their instruments and samples for the lo-fi effect. Play around with modulation plugins, a VST’s own pitch controls, chorus plugins, and tape emulation plugins to have fun with pitch.

You can also duplicate an instrument and then slightly change the pitch to that of the original. When recording your tracks, get into a jazz rather than classical mindset — perhaps the note that seemed like a mistake is actually perfect for the track!

For legitimate authenticity, you could record a guitar or piano that isn’t fully tuned. When applied sparingly and in the right place, this can be a cool effect. This is another reason why analogue synths are so perfect for lo-fi music; many synths are loved for their slightly wobbly, detuned pitches for that unmistakably vintage sound.

This also applies to timing — when creating a MIDI beat, the last thing you’ll want to do is use the maximum amount of quantisation. This is not the lo-fi beats way. Don’t make a beat as if you’re producing for Katy Perry — syncopated rhythms and irregular timings are exactly what you’re after. Best of all, bits of detuning and wonky rhythms make lo-fi music feel authentically human. Try a drum machine for this reason — there are great, affordable analogue options like the Korg Volca Beats.

Instruments and samples: the sounds of lo-fi music

Lo-fi hip-hop is, in many ways, a contemporary take on the ‘golden era’ of hip-hop from the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s unsurprising, then, that the lo-fi resurgence has brought the art of sampling back to the forefront. Old jazz, funk, and soul samples work well and are the choice of many lo-fi producers. But feel free to get creative here.

Said producers also favour short loops of vocal snippets, muted guitars, and vintage keyboard instruments like the Rhodes piano. Check out sites like the aforementioned freesound.org where people will often upload themselves playing saxophone, trumpet, piano, guitar, and more.

If you’re keen enough to embrace the challenge of sampling the old-fashioned way using vinyl, then you will instantly get that lo-fi charm and warmth. If you get your samples online, you just need to play around with the effects mentioned above: saturation, distortion, and EQ.

If you don’t consider yourself a proficient beatmaker, the great news is that less is certainly more in the lo-fi genre. Rather than seeking to create huge, layered techo-esque beats, a simple boom-bap kick and snare, and a subtle bit of hi-hat is often all it takes for a chill lo-fi beat. And remember to go very easy on the quantising!

And whether you’re using VSTs or real instruments, think vintage keys, low-key synths, subtle bass, lo-fi guitar, and whatever else feels right and appropriate for you without losing that all-important subtlety.

Listening homework: jazz and old-school hip-hop

The last step is a fun one. It might be tempting to just listen to modern lo-fi hip-hop from the last few years. But you can help level your music above the herd by listening to the music that, without which, lo-fi hip-hop wouldn’t exist. For the original sampling that changed popular music forever, artists like A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, and The Notorious B.I.G. are a brilliant hip-hop starting point. And you cannot beat the lo-fi warmth of old jazz records: have a listen to the early records of Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, and more. Then your ear will certainly be attuned to the lo-fi gods of old.