Produce a killer pop track
CourseMusic ProductionElectronicIntermediate
Part ofMusic Production

Produce a killer pop track

$13/month

Unlocks this course + 5,000+ other lessons across every instrument.

Cancel anytime30-day refund
Duration1h 42m
Modules26
LevelIntermediate
LanguageEnglish

Lesson Plan (1h 42m)

About this course

This course is brought to you by Tileyard Education.

From touring with Mumford & Sons and Ellie Goulding to co-writing #1 pop tracks like Little Mix's Shout Out To My Ex, Paul Whalley is a producer with a distinctive sound. Here he opens up his studio at Tileyard in London and takes apart a song called Red, recorded with singer Emmi Green.

By the end you'll know how to structure and arrange the main parts and hooks of a song, and you'll have seen exactly how Paul builds the drums, bass, synths, effects and vocals in his DAW - including the plugin settings behind his sound.

  • breaks down the main parts and hooks, and the role each plays in the track
  • walks through the writing and arrangement, including a few rejected versions
  • rebuilds each section part by part: drums, bass, synths, effects, ambients and vocals
  • explains how he masters the track and preps it for radio, A&R and clients

It works alongside any DAW - Ableton Live, Pro Tools or Cubase.

Who it's for

  • Bedroom producers ready to finish a real track
  • Self-taught producers patching gaps in arrangement skills
  • Songwriters wanting their demos to sound radio ready

What you'll learn

  • Structure a pop song around its main hooks
  • Build drums, bass, synths and vocals in your DAW
  • Prepare a finished track for mastering and release

What you'll need

  • Any DAW you already use, such as Ableton or Logic
  • Basic comfort recording and editing audio and MIDI
  • A few minutes most days — regularity matters more than length

Meet the Guru

Paul Whalley

Paul Whalley

Paul Whalley is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter with a deliberately broad sound. He spent years on the road as a touring session musician with artists including Mumford & Sons and Ellie Goulding. Classically trained, he holds an undergraduate degree in instrumental performance and a Master's in composition from the Guildhall School of Music. Since moving from touring into production and songwriting he has worked with artists such as NAO, Wretch 32 and Nina Nesbitt, and played on top-40 records around the world, including Little Mix's 'Shout Out to My Ex'. He is based at Tileyard Studios in north London, where he writes and produces for major UK labels and develops new artists. On MusicGurus he and Emmi Green deconstruct a pop record from scratch - every arrangement and production decision laid bare - for songwriters and producers who want to hear how hit records are really built.

Published with

Tileyard Education

Tileyard Education sits inside Tileyard, the world's largest professional music community at London's Kings Cross. Alongside 200+ resident music businesses and 160 private recording studios, it delivers postgraduate, short-course and bespoke programmes in music production, songwriting and music business — taught by working industry practitioners.
Tileyard Education

$13/monthSubscription

Similar Courses

Browse all courses
Paul Whalley
Pat Levett
Katie Melua
Ed O'Brien
Imogen Heap
Chris Haigh
Zach Brock
Adam Mishan
Annabel Thwaite

Learn from Paul Whalley and hundreds of others

Get MusicGurus

Unlimited access, money back guaranteed