EDM TIPS RADIO-READY CHECKLIST

When writing a track, refer to this list before signing-it off as complete.
If you can answer / fulfil all of these points, your track has more of a chance of success!

IDEA:

• Who is this track for? Who is your target audience?

• Where will it be listened to (e.g. Spotify, radio, in a club)?
• What is the main theme or emotion (e.g. Lust, cool, euphoria, melancholy, love,
aggression, excitement, soul soothing, or a combination?
• Is that main theme clear?
• Does it excite or move YOU?
• Does it have a clear hook?

PRODUCTION:

• Is the production style in-keeping with your target record label (if any)?
• Does it have at least one original curve-ball in the track?
• Is the arrangement in keeping with other current tracks in the same / similar genre?
• Does it instantly grab attention in the first few bars?

MIXING:

Use the “top down” mixing approach (ie. mixing the most important elements first), mix the
kick, bass, main clap / snare and vocal / lead synth first.
• Can you still hear those elements at a low volume?
• Do they still sound balanced at quite a high volume?
• Have you applied reverb using the auxiliary channels?
• Have you cut out the unnecessary low end?
• Check your gain-staging. Do you have plenty of headroom on each channel and no
clipping?

MASTERING:

• Is everything below 120Hz in mono?

• Have you put a low cut at 30Hz?
• Have you put a high cut at 17,000 Hz?
• Does it sound good on different systems?
• Have you checked the frequency spread against a reference track in the same genre?
• Does the LUFS value match your target platform (Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, etc.)?
If needs be, produce several masters.

If you need help with any of the above steps, click below:

1. Creativity, productivity and workflow (click here)

2. Composition and arrangement (click here)
3. Mixing and mastering (click here)

OR do you want to see every stage of the track-writing

process from start to finish (click here)?
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