I Re-Made 88 Popular Songs (Here's What I Learned)

[@BigZMusic]

You know the remakes are legit when I get a copyright claim 🤦‍♂️ throw a like on the video for that. Thanks for watching!

[@BrokenSelf]

You are the G.O.A.T!

[@peejwoo]

Hahaha, you legend!

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

YT is so messed up. I got a copyright claim on a levels remake on GarageBand iOS 🤦‍♂️

[@3BeatsLater]

it is the true test!

[@darryldouglas6004]

You ever consider you might be awesome? 😃

[@mvricks90]

im kinda relieved that this is your main takeaway, and it makes perfect sense. The producer community can be very nerdy on the technical aspects, which is great but I think most people make tracks and not songs. Obsessing over kicks, when the melodies are very easy to forget. Hooks like these though, just hits different. Thnx for sharing

[@monkeybusiness90]

I totally agree. And I also felt some relief!

[@leaningtower73]

Most people make tracks and not songs. Wow these words are pure gold!

[@benja303]

@DEEZ LIKES Don't let your ego get in the way of understanding the point. Apply the lessons to whatever style of music you like.

[@parisss01]

@DEEZ LIKES it's not about any particular style, it's just that some producers are so focused in being complex af and trying to nail a point of perfection in their craft but completely forget about vibes/catchiness, so many super well produced tracks but lack musicality or an interesting musical concept behind

[@wokeil]

@DEEZ LIKES Pop is one of the hardest genres to make

[@felixnotkjellberg]

Good songwriting > good production good production > good mixing

[@MaxSimsMusic]

Nope, they are all equally important and connected. Bad production can ruin a good song

[@darronarnold3526]

A little music theory, song structure, and marketing along with consistency can get you so far in this industry and this life

[@daveSoupy]

the biggest thing is also showing up on time, paperwork in order, and being nice to those around you. That also makes a huge difference.

[@TraxtasyMedia]

@@daveSoupy deadmau5 is a pricky, but very honest troll, but he is a very succesful musician. So he knows how and whom to advertise and ask to work with to push success for him and others. F. e. Kaskade, Skylar Grey, Pharrel Williams, Nine Inch Nails, Rob Swire etc. So if you got your people for organizing that stuff for you, you got no problems.

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

Nah bs its all hard work. Everytime someone mentions marketing i know they are a clueless amateur. I could show you songs & channels that blew up songs 300k views with zero marketing. Its all about the quality

[@ohmaramusic]

Also if you get popular and an executive tells you to pledge your allegiance to lucifer you know what to do.

[@Nicholasiz]

@@MrFree-vj8qj so true. You can try push your songs on all playlists u want for infinite money doesn't mean people will like it. Good music tends to get heard sooner or later

[@MihkelMacaroni]

for anyone producing for a long time, it's not until you reflect on how you went about making music that production isn't everything. in fact, songwriters who are able to write hit after hit would say good songwriting is more important than good production. after all, it's usually the melody that gets stuck in your head. big ups z

[@therealrussellsmyth]

Of course it is.. it’s one of the things I’ve really noticed in the producer community... obsessions with a kick being a great example .. meanwhile the actual choon itself gets little or no attention. I would argue that arranging/songwriting etc are skills that aren’t as attainable to most people though. As in , there are a million videos online on music production ... it’s much more left brain ... you can learn it , it’s often times quite methodical / procedural in nature ... whereas the process of writing a song is a lot more complex.. for one you are combining the perfect kick (lol) with a hundred other elements.. it draws on so much more... This is why a lot of peeps out there can obsess and nail a kick ... but may not necessarily be able to create a decent track... and big ups Z also

[@LukezyM]

@@therealrussellsmyth Yep, songwriting is not something you can learn from a 10 minute tutorial..

[@TraxtasyMedia]

yeah but here's my perspective. Honestly, I think it's way more complex than that. I think there are at least four people minimum required to make a song successful. First the songwriter, who writes the song, secondly the artist, that performs this song, thirdly the producer(s) who create the surrounding and atmosphere and arrangement and at least the mixing and/or mastering engineer, who glues all this stuff together. So most songwriters mostly don't care about what instruments are used to fit the vocals and chords, if it is a pop song. On the other hand, you'll rarely meet an engineer singing the songs of artists, or seeing the producer perform the song in the studio. Just to conclude this: all of these types are required to create a good song. Take a band for example: there are one or two guys, who sing and write the songs, the others are guitarists, synthplayers or drummers (insert timing jokes here), who are responsible for the enviroment. So you necessiarily need someone who knows to play an instrument or is at least firm in composing. So songwriter alone, doesn't make a song successful. The symbiosis is the element that determines if there will be a song or not.

[@souljarohill8795]

It probably depends. Like look at Travis and Kanye. Their production stands out like crazy and their songwriting is good but the production is what keeps me entertained and a lot of others. So it def depends. Kind of like a video game. Gotta pick which stat you want to max out. Gotta max out tho. Kanye and Travis production from the remakes I’ve seen are very complex but blend so well

[@AdrienMelody]

This is weirdly very encouraging

[@lewisknudsen1]

This channel is so legit. Very encouraging to hear an emphasis on songwriting and simplicity, which is something anyone can do. Thank you.

[@LukezyM]

Not anyone..

[@lewisknudsen1]

@@LukezyM 😊

[@souljarohill8795]

I’ve been watching some artist who have videos of them making ideas for songs and they reinforce your first statement about songwriting. You may not need that catchy melody to start your tracks but even with them writing basic chords they sing out what they felt and then make sure what chords they’ve played and the sound of the instrument is right. From their they can find a catchy melody for the beat and things of that sort. Overall your right on making a song as the basis of making some beats I think that’s a solid way. So that’s a mindset I’m going towards as well.

[@delphisignal]

This is gold and just not talked about enough. Thank you!!!

[@LiloDJBRASIL]

I'm from Brazil and here we have a lot tracks with a lack of mixing/mastering quality but they get tot50 on Spotify. I honestly don't like that but I learned that getting stuck on production skills, mixing techniques or perfect mastering is a big problem. Just sharing what I'm seeing on the industry right here that is a lil bit similar to the idea of the video. Always nice to learn from u bro!

[@yeezythabest]

i have a song with 16M streams on Spotify that i mixed and mastered using old iPhone headphones. They song worked because i know what i was going for : emotions rather than technicality. AT the end of the day make music to evoke some kind of emotions to your audience and not trying to impress other producers.

[@DavidDiMuzio]

These are seriously great tips. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience 🤘🏻

[@Citizen-Ken]

@BigZMusic FINALLY and THANK YOU! For years, I have been searching for youtube videos where producers discuss how to support the song's songwriting using production techniques. The majority of videos I encounter discuss tweaking plugins to serendipitously find a "cool sound" through trial and error in the hopes of supporting the emotion of the song. For your future videos, I would like to see more detailed analysis on how you would start with the song and determine the best path to support the song through production techniques.

[@WILDETHINGS]

I love the headbang cam during playback - i also love your insight about songwriting and explanation about how significant it can be. Songwriting is something I need to work on as well, and videos like yours get me excited about it. Thanks for the great lessons here Z!

[@curlykeys8261]

Excellent video as always sir 👏🏽 👏🏽

[@phynyxsound]

Amazing! You just shared 2 of your insights which you have dug up from all these years of production and we will use it thanks to you. Much appreciated!

[@SHELLBOTNIK11]

You have made some great vids over the years but i think this might be the most important one of all for any wannabe hitmaker to understand. Only thing I'd add is that some of these lessons are almost impossible to learn without actually *grinding* your way through writing 100s of songs. It's one thing to know the idea...it's another thing to truly absorb and implement it in your work! Awesome vid Big Z

[@jensenraylight8011]

a lot of people put 6 Months into tweaking their drum beat, add 20+ layers of mediocrity. & add tiny little thing that people don't care, everything else is just a one note cardboard melody. like nobody listen to a song just to listen to a Drum beat parts. and they'll get Extremely Angry and will throw hand when nobody listen to their music.

[@OnlyUseMyWii]

This was a different way of looking at music production on youtube, really appreciate it. I would love more analysis of songs or songwriting tips on this channel! All other tutorials on the site I find based on the production side of things

[@samgerber1371]

im just amazed and impressed how committed you have been to this project of doing copies of the other tracks. I dont doubt that your production skill is now through the roof.

[@churchlesssociety]

Your a real blessing, I hope you know there is still people alive that will never forget what you do for our Community, God bless you and your family, Thank you, just bought the pack.

[@LostQuase]

I've noticed that a lot of songs only keep up with the old way thing where they only had 4 tracks to mix with and they just keep that and then layer what ever to make it more full and loud, then just mix to balance and that's it, but its so easy to forget that and just add more random sounds cause they "SOUND GOOD" and when you actually listen to it - it sounds like stepping on saltines with Legos taped to your foot >>

[@numex9569]

Great tips! In the beginning I thought hits depend on the mixdown but the more tracks I made the more I learned about keeping things simple. It's in my opinion the most important thing!

[@MattGwoz]

awesome vid big z! would love to see a video talking about the new selected deep house style from guys like jewels, yuma, nu aspect, etc. specifically their drums cause they're so unique sounding

[@shreyasks01]

This is something I would love to see too!

[@llynxmtl]

Big Z never fails to surpass expectations. THANK YOU !!!

[@marcogiannilli1810]

Ain’t a single man on KZbin like BigZ. Simply the best to do it. Keep being legendary

[@aboveaxis]

1 of the reasons old music is now outselling new music... people used to write songs, that others could emotionally connect with... that was the focus... i feel now days its all about production and sounds... and everyones using the same sounds!

[@stepupin9076]

Its in bedroom producers nature to overcomplicate tracks 😎

[@TraxtasyMedia]

*sticks his head outside the blanket* "is it?"

[@ellisayofficial]

Dude you are literally SO good. Your presets and samples have leveled up SO many of my productions. Thank you for being amazing at what you do!

[@ellisayofficial]

Also this is random, but I know one of the main writers on Funny! :)

[@TheWaspist]

Hi Big Z. I was just fixing some old project songs and i figured how much i learned from you including choosing the right kick. It changed the vibe of the entire track. Unbelievable. I just wanted to come here and say thanks again for making these videos.

[@AK7MUSICGROUP]

Thank you s-o much for your experience and time you spent, You managed to clear up some questions I couldn't find answers to, thank you. ❤

[@CamTaylorDJ]

Learnt a lot from this! Simplicity is key!

[@kiillabytez]

I was a songwriter for almost 2 decades before I became a producer and I still grapple with the concepts of how to create a new song. Sometimes what I make sounds similar to another song I've already made. In this situation, I create in a different genre, and that keeps my creative flow fresh.

[@viksters115]

Thank you for the advices! I really think these (what people would call) simple advices are actually one of the most valuable advices!

[@BorisBarroso]

Thanks for your advice! 🙏🏼 Some songs have really nailed with the sounds for example LMFAO "Party Rock Anthem" nailed with the sound of the stuttered synth (LFO), will you do a video about this kind of songs?

[@7ars471]

insane video man youre so fucking goated plus you actually give generalized tips on how to improve your own music and not just "how to do this specific thing" keep it up man! one thing that i found very helpful and learned when i recreated songs was to create a theme and i don't mean on a level of keeping multiple tracks coherent but rather using certain techniques or racks similarly on your instruments to put everything in the same space. for example 50 years ago music was recorded on tape and every single instrument was recorded on the same tape machine which resulted in a very coherent sound. In the digital day and age where we can create basically every sound and tone possible it can be easy to get lost and throw things together that seems like it doesn't have the same origin and makes it sound off without knowing why. applying a somewhat coherent fx chain or a certain plugin on at least a few of your tracks can help set a distinct mood and glue everything together. example if you use a guitar cabinet on your guitar try to throw the same cabinet on your bass or vocal lead/ vocal chop or even your percussion group and maybe slightly alter the settings. I know it's more on the production side and a bit more specific than what you said but it can really bring your song from being a bit of a mess to a coherent track.

[@ASHWYN]

sick advice man, been doing this stuff too with my own music. I try to think about producing songs with having a solid friend group, being able to have each person contribute in their own unique way while each persons character influencing the others. Just makes the whole process of producing more fun for me :)

[@squadkillersa7880]

love the way you talk,so engaging

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

When you played the Blinding Lights melody on the piano alone it sounded like a melody I would’ve done then deleted it

[@LukezyM]

Nah, you didn’t. Be real.

[@thomashamilton1397]

@@LukezyM he’s Swedish, he probably did.

[@aboveaxis]

you gotta stop deleting hits man

[@TraxtasyMedia]

@@thomashamilton1397 lol his bio says US, but can't take that for granted. Maybe Swedish roots, which doesn't matter at all. But I guess his channel name reffers to all the great EDM artists who were pretty succesful instead of him.

[@Arthur.H.Studio]

excellent! There is so much attention on production level, which are important. But what is it we are producing? A song!

[@TheJammerman]

Cool man. Great ideas. Songwriting is so important. How much of these remakes were made using Logic stock instruments? Ever tried to remake a pop song using only Logic Stock? Could be a cool challenge for a video.

[@EdwinKiddo1]

The remakes in the pack this guys is selling are partial remakes, vey short pieces of each song, don't expect the whole song. Something that should be disclosed.

[@seymourheron2533]

I thank you, I thank you.This is just what I needed. God bless you

[@bt1756]

You always keep me motivated, you’re the man! It makes sense, the catchier a song is the more people will keep coming back to it even if it’s not “complex”

[@ruslandali188]

Big Z the best and open as always !!!!!!

[@rick_amsterdam]

You deserve all the success in the world with your music skills. You help people all over the world with your great content and talent. Keep it up!!!

[@dystrikdproductions3215]

Just bought this absolutely the best ever purchase I’ve made although as stated most plugins are different but thats how I plan to Learn from it get open lpx file then the wave mix down and rebuild to get it sound the same with my own plugins thanks for an awesome pack big z the g.o.a.t blessed

[@Yasinlossini]

You are the best Bg Z. Short and straight to the point. I've bookmarked this video to keep repeating it and use it as a blueprint and a reminder when creating.

[@ClemensPutz-ist-der-beste]

Thank you so much!! It helped so much to see things in a different light and makes me realize actiually in all areaes in life it comes down to the basics. Not any fancy stuff. That's only supportive but the basis is what really matters!

[@hamacaboy]

Great video man!! Impressive and you really learned a a lot here about the value of simplicity

[@SteveWallaceMusic]

Official bro! Thanks for doing this work! Such a bonus to have access to the stems! You didn't have to do it, but you did! I appreciate the thought!

[@CryptoWhaleRider]

Great Video! I spend months dissecting my favourite hits before writing an album, both to learn and to make sure I do things differently but within the parameters of the "formula". It is refreshing to see that other producers/songwriters come to the same conclusions after the same exercises. Like Em F said below - A lot of people fuss over what tools they use, but it is the quality of the songwriting that matters, nothing else. If it sounds like a hit on a piano or guitar, it is a hit!

[@niccko]

One of the best producers of KZbin

[@MrMikomi]

This is what I needed to watch right now.

[@davidpurple3698]

Thanks - and complete agree to your points - so many KZbin videos focus on mix and techniques, while they should focus on getting the melody right...

[@jrich7277]

You are the best. Better than any other KZbinr doing music videos. So unique but so relevant and needed. Thank you

[@rudrakush09]

best piece of advise you can't get anywhere else... hats off big z 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@MANDEEMUSIC]

Thanks for this Video

[@oewe1412]

Hey Big Z! I have been watching you for a long time and I'm really glad you've been doing so well for yourself. I was wondering if you could do a video on setting up your own website for music production. Recently I've been wanting to get serious about making a job out of my hobby, and I'd love to know more about how to set up a website like yours. I'd like to get to know more about how you designed your site, how you set up your selling- and email systems, how to keep track of revenue etc. Everything from beginning to end. I hope you can make a video about this so my clueless dumbass can get an idea of how to attack this task haha. Keep up the good work! Best regards, OEWE

[@GROENAASMusic]

I've had some music in the past that have been really good, and I wasn't able to pinpoint exactly what I did right. You just showed me. Thanks for that!

[@SHTMusik]

I reaaly like the fact that you give overall concepts of arrangement and songwriting. This has been really useful. Thanks.

[@jonathangalindo854]

You’re the man Big Z! Thanks for always sharing!

[@GorgonDrageil]

This is golden. Thank you.👌🏽🔥

[@SouthStreet24Media]

Respect for dropping this video.

[@0Human1]

so much insight in only 6 minutes

[@DiscoTuna]

This is quality You Tube right here. Really useful intelligent analysis from a stack of work. Thank you.

[@youngkizzi9944]

Insane content by Big Z!

[@breezy985]

You're on a different level my brother, liked, commented, hit the bell, what else is there to do

[@dorsia6938]

I don't make pop music but when i break down the kind of music i like i am always astounded by the level of detail that doesn't really become apparent until you really listen. So while I agree with your point 1, not so much with point 2.

[@onegolol]

I learn a lot from your videos. They're so well done and you're great at communicating and demonstrating concepts! Thank you! :)

[@skylerkelly597]

Thanks man! I really appreciate what I've learned from you throughout the past couple years

[@andreafaraboli3398]

Hello and thank you for the advice, very helpful. I've started using them to consistently publish my songs on my KZbin channel.

Man you’re talented! Love following your straight forward and easy-to-follow tips n tricks. Thank you!

[@carptackula7536]

AWESOME CONTENT! I think you could expand on these principles in future videos, BIG TIME! One challenge is adapting what your saying to DNB and Psytrance genres which are not about 'melodies' per se, but they get people fukn DANCING for hours...

[@AjayJayanthi]

Nice to get back to basics and think about what matters the most without getting too carried away about the finer tweaks. Great video!

[@StuartRochabrunt]

Very good information. Melody is the most important thing in music because is what people will remember forever. The audience know nothing and could care less about sound design, reverb, delay, compression, gain staging, mastering, etc, etc. They only want to sing something and dance. Period.

[@liperosden4606]

Thanks man its very important to everybody to reliaze this but we all can do it but need to keep in mind this things

[@toneklang]

You really put some great examples behind your point. Thanks for sharing and being generous with your learnings.

[@olaoluwaodeyemi4059]

Wow! It is as if you crawled into my head and read my thoughts. I couldn't agree more with the two points you've given.

[@Gino_567]

THIS! This is the stuff i've been looking for. I'm not interested in how to make that 'big room sound'. I find the thought behind the process so much more important! Thanks!

[@bani_daciu]

Crazy great video!! Thanks man!! Big LIKE!!

[@Elitestudiosdc]

This video was awesome. Super concise very informative. Great conceptually!

[@filinator33]

this video got me to subscribe. Songwriting... Can't wait to get that feeling from another of your vids.

[@alwynnienaber9021]

Your teeth are so perfect its weird. Nice video, subbed!

[@alwynbth1]

Thank you for your informative videos!! Just bought the remake pack! It will be great if you can make more midi keys!

[@andreowuor5940]

Watching your vids really helped improved my production 💫❤️

[@ChristianPopOfficial]

Thank you very much for the info. Definitely going to help me in the future ❤

[@snowredsnow666]

Lovelovelove this, so valuable ty 🖤

[@robertsabharwal9787]

Melodies (including vocal melodies) are what make the song.

[@liammcgrath8076]

Thanks fo another great video. I would see these elements you're analysing more as hooks, figures, catchy melodies rather than 'song writing' per se. Song writing to me is a suite of elements including structure transitions, melody and (gasp!) words. It's how all this works together. I have written so many catchy parts that are sitting in my logic folders looking for a song to belong to.

[@PaulineMancini]

That's an incredible video! Thank you!

[@ricerockit]

This was great and very helpful!

[@MarlonKingShow]

Some cool advice here. I did some remakes about 5 years ago, more to find modern sounds but most songs as you say have key ingredients that can be easily replicated... but without the main melody or song writing skills it is all lost. New sub btw. One day us unknowns will catch a break. Interested to know what you use for drums?

[@garyrandall3059]

Great analysis bro!! You hit the nail on the head about songwriting!! Its painstaking work to spend as much time on songwriting and lyrics as you do on production. However, if you're a professional, those are necessary drills. Thanks again!

[@ReasonStudios]

Great video!

[@chriswuzhere91]

Sorry Reason. I left you for Ableton after 14 years.

[@crxyn]

Brooo i love how helpfull your videos are!

[@chocolatemoose7761]

Thanks, brother! Great knowledge :D

[@micromando4669]

Thank you Big Z, i am looking forward to hearing soon a smash hit from you!

[@Quant-Beat]

Yes, composition is paramount. Production is only for making the best out of the composition. Melody is king…

[@xInfisphere]

utterly brilliant breakdown

[@Criggeda]

really good video, thanks for sharing your insights! Is there anything particular you learned about arrangement? I feel like especially when a song uses very few layers only, the arrangement of the song is very important to not have the song become boring. So if you could elaborate on that I'd appreciate it a lot!

[@ayMillmusic]

Learning something new with every video! Thanks!

[@CivicYt]

The work behind this video is stupid good.