https://nilsschneider.de/wp/nils-k1v/ retro synth dupe.
https://github.com/publicsamples/Oi-Grandad?tab=readme-ov-file granular synth.
https://archive.org/details/accusonus-era-bundle-v-6.2.00 accusonus era bundle (has a declicker, denoiser and other useful tools for cleaning up audio).
https://chowdsp.com/products.html#matrix delay plugin that i still do not fully comprehend, great for making unique sounds and textures.
https://daniel-gergely.itch.io/emergence granular synth effect plugin (granulizes any incoming sounds).
https://tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/ great dynamic eq, good for sidechain.
https://valhalladsp.com/shop/reverb/valhalla-supermassive/ great reverb (also this page has a neat section that explains all the functions and modes, which i was not aware of until i went to get the link for this list).
https://zeeks.app instant sidechain.
https://onemotion.com/chord-player/ browser tool for building chord progressions, allows you to export as midi.
https://am4a.cc browser based y0utube to audio/video downl0ader. inconsistent, but when it's working it's really helpful for gathering reference tracks and tutorials for analysis and practicing.
https://toneboosters.com/tb_spectrogram_v1.html spectrogram with a keyboard graph.
here are some books that have helped me in some way when it comes to making music or writing songs. this is in no way an endorsement of any of these authors or their views.
most of these books can probably be found on zlibrary. for anyone using macos, here is a guide for how to make a shortcut to search for books on zlibrary from selected text on any webpage (including this one).
mastering showing and telling in your fiction, marcy kennedy
haven't finished this yet, but it has already taught me a lot about identifying telling in my writing and how to fix it. it's very short and to the point, and provides multiple examples for each issue. even though it was made with fiction writers in mind, i feel like it still applies to writing lyrics as well.
mixing secrets for the small studio, mike senior
comprehensive textbook on the process of mixing songs. very detailed and comes with exercises at the end of each chapter. there is also a website with a additional resources, including a ton of song project multitracks you can practice on while following along.
the creative habit, twyla tharp
not specific to music, but about the creative life overall. it gives a realistic view of some of the non technical challenges that artists face, especially those who do their work in a professional capacity. i felt like i learned a lot from this, and it eased some of my fears about failure and feeling like i'm "falling behind" in some way.
tunesmith, jimmy web
gives an overview of the full process of writing songs and the different variables that come into play during each stage. i didn't finish this, as i got towards the end the information became less about songwriting and more about the author's experiences in the music industry, and i found those parts to be outdated and irrelevant.
here are some channels, videos and playlists that i have found helpful when trying to learn various topics and styles.
https://youtube.com/@annekathrinderncomposer composition and orchestration.
https://youtube.com/@itsashleetho hip hop and r&b production.
https://youtube.com/@RedMeansRecording music basics and electronic music production.
https://youtu.be/l8wsxMlGoW0 go practice.
https://youtu.be/EMsLIeD6aVE visualizing music for better mixes.
https://youtu.be/JE3QM_9sljI fundamentals of rhythm for electronic music.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx5i827-FDqNY_grenYJZJpG1esu7GK6v basics of sound design tutorials, using a wavetable synth.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbEjdWGnsVkpcVxC4h2GjJ3tpgadQnTm7 basics of k‑pop top‑lining. they focus on top‑lining in relation to k‑pop, but the principles they talk about can be applied to all genres where top‑lining plays a major role.
live streams and real-time music creation, start to finish, track breakdowns. for me, it really helps to see how other people make music.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgnYSJ5kTT34fsFXpcpl3f4BQ2PijbqeJ hana truly making an album live on twitch.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOi-L2OjM9CLuJ0WrKXHi7LTX9tUzrrkY sega bodega making tracks on twitch.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiJaLJWgudj_gm2jk42C-rygW3uoLsLoX alina smith series on how to produce a song from scratch.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMbiL_8w_hRaC9L1drms2IRLh21IkH0HF disclosure track breakdowns on twitch.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhBnTtGc-W478x9FiUdg_2iOrqQ4YYXdC debby friday song diaries.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL97L2N1GiucahytA1jl-wZBeLy7t1yeLP stromae "lessons" series.
https://allusion-app.github.io desktop app to replace pinterest for visual inspiration. it pulls from photo files on your computer and you can make moodboards and and also randomize the feed just like pinterest. i find visual aids like moodboards so helpful when it comes to conceptualizing styles and genre. most of the images i have come from art curation sites like artviewer or kubaparis, film/tv screencaps and screenncaps of social media posts.