O One of the most common, yet 100% true, things people say when talking about successful composers and musicians is that, in order to succeed, you need to find your own voice. One way to to that is to use the sounds You are surrounded by, the sounds You decide to record, the sounds You discover by beating and bashing together Your Own Stuff.

Music production is full of creativity and experimentation, and one of the most exciting ways to add a unique flavor to your tracks is by making beats from found sounds. These are everyday noises recorded from your environment.

By capturing and transforming these sounds, you can create beats – and sometimes entire tracks – that are as original as they are personal. Let’s see how to get started:

Step 1: Recording Your Sounds

The first step is to explore your surroundings and record interesting sounds using a smartphone, a handheld recorder, or the internal mics of your preferred sequencer.

In this phase, I choose my equipment based on the balance I want between recording fidelity and ease of use. For a quick, dirty and spontaneous approach, I often use the built-in microphones of my Teenage Engineering OP-Z. Other times, I set up a full recording rig with my Zoom F4 field recorder and fancy microphones. It all depends on the nature of the sounds—whether they’re easily replicable and controllable, or if they require capturing quickly before they’re gone.

Your home, for instance, is full of musical possibilities: every object, really, produces sounds when hit or dropped or squeezed. I’m lucky enough to have kids leaving all sort of weird toys and mechanisms around my flat, so I can easily access a vast collection of noisy junk. Take a walk around the city, and you’ll find even more: just use your own ears and curiosity.

While recording, try to capture a range of sounds that could work as percussive elements—sharp taps for hi-hats, deep thuds for kicks, or metallic clangs for snare-like hits. Remember, sound design starts with imagination, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Step 2: Editing and Processing

Once you’ve gathered your collection of found sounds, it’s time to clean them up and prepare them for beat-making. Load your recordings into an audio editing software, I use Logic Pro of Pro Tools for this but you can use whatever DAW you are comfortable editing with. Trim the clips, remove any unwanted noise, and apply basic processing to enhance the sound. For example, you might add some EQ to boost the bass in a thumping kick-like sound or compress a snapping noise to make it punchier.

You also need to get creative with effects: use reverb to add space, pitch-shift to change the overall tone, or time-stretch to adjust the duration. A simple kitchen tap can become an intriguing snare hit, or a squeaky door can morph into an otherworldly percussive element.

This is the part that really has no rules: no one will ever ask what processing tricks you used on a particular sound.. only the result matters.

Step 3: Loading into a Drum Machine or Sequencer

After editing, load your sounds into a drum machine (it can be a hardware synth one or the built-in sequencer of your DAW). Organize your samples into kits, assigning each sound to a different pad or key.

Now, you can start building your beat. Sequence the sounds into rhythms, just as you would with a traditional drum kit. Layer different elements to add complexity and groove, and experiment with patterns until you create something that resonates with you.

Step 4: Bringing the Beat to Life

Once your basic beat is laid out, you can further shape it to fit your musical vision. After all, beats are often the foundation of a music production, shaping the choices of other instruments and musical elements layered over them. One approach could be to layer your found sounds with more traditional drum samples or synths for contrast. Or just leave them raw for a more experimental vibe.

Using found sounds doesn’t just make your beats unique—it also adds a sense of place and personality to your music. Every sound carries a story and evokes a feeling, making your tracks more memorable and immersive.

This concept is especially important in music created for video production, where every choice in composition and production must convey the specific message or story presented by the visuals.

Why Use Found Sounds?

Incorporating found sounds into your music opens up a world of creative possibilities. It challenges you to listen to your environment in new ways and turns mundane moments into musical inspiration. It’s also a way to make your beats truly your own, reflecting your surroundings and experiences.

I believe this approach to music production is both the easiest and most enjoyable way to infuse your tracks with your own taste and personality.

So next time you hear an interesting sound, don’t ignore it—record it, experiment, and turn it into a beat that’s one-of-a-kind. You might be surprised at the musical potential hidden in everyday noise.

If you’re interested in exploring these concepts further and discovering new techniques to transform your recordings into something unique, reach out here and become one of my students!