For those looking to better understand not only how to use music in their projects, but also learn how music recording works both in theory and in practice, we’re here to help explain some of the basic terms and techniques used by professional musicians.
And, believe us, there are a lot of terms in music composing and recording that could be covered here. However, one term that frequently appears in the music and audio space is compression.
If you’re curious what compression in music is, as well as how you might be able to use this technique for your own projects, we’re here to cover everything you need to know about music compression.
What is compression in music?
To start things off, let’s provide a basic definition of compression and go over a brief background of how it works with music in particular.
Compression, when used in the act of music recording, is the process of reducing the dynamic range of an audio signal to help make certain parts quieter and bring out quieter details. The end result of music compression is often to help create a more consistent and fuller sound.
Compression has been used in music recording since the earliest days of the art form, and it can be achieved in many different ways. Let’s explore some of these various tools and techniques that can be used for compression in music and why you might want to know a thing or two about how they work to help make your music resonate more and sound more balanced.
The different types of compression in music
When working with music or audio, here are some of the different compression settings and techniques that can be used to compress your audio.
- Threshold: Determines the signal level at which compression begins. Low threshold affects more of the signal, which often makes it a good option for limiting loud peaks and reducing overall transients. A high threshold only affects the loudest peaks, helping to keep things more raw.
- Ratio: Controls how much gain reduction is applied once the threshold is met. Low ratios (for example, 2:1) are often employed for more subtle and natural compression, whereas high ratios (for example, 8:1) are typically used for more aggressive and pronounced compression.
- Attack: Determines how quickly the compressor activates when the signal exceeds the threshold. A fast attack more quickly catches transients and can help tame loud initial noises. A low attack can allow more initial transients to pass through before compression, making the transient stand out more.
- Release: Determines how long the compressor remains active before returning to normal volume. A fast release can help quickly restore the volume, creating a pumping effect. A slow release more gradually returns the volume, resulting in a smoother and more consistent sound.
- Makeup Gain: Compensates for the overall volume reduction caused by compression and helps bring the compressed signal back to a desired level.
These are just some basic terms and concepts, though. You can learn quite a bit more about how audio compression works by checking out this article covering audio compression basics on the Universal Audio page here.
Compression in royalty free music
For most of us looking to use high-quality music for our various video and audio projects, it’s best to leave the matters of working with compression to the professional musicians. For example, if you’re looking for music for your films, videos, podcasts, or social media content, licensing high-quality, royalty free music from Soundstripe is likely to be one of your best options.
If you aren’t familiar with the term “royalty free music” above, we have you covered, too, as we’re here to explain what royalty free music is and how music licensing works in general. If you have questions about music for video in particular, here’s a great primer on what royalty free music means.
To understand how music royalties work, you must know that all music has basic copyrights. These copyrights extend to both the composer of the music and the musicians who recorded it. And if you want to use any music in any short films or other projects, you’ll need to obtain permission from the copyright owners.
Royalty free music can be an excellent option for all your projects simply because it’s easy to find and use. Soundstripe’s music is composed and recorded by Grammy-winning artists who know (and truly care) about making great music for all types of films and video content.
The best royalty free music for your projects
To further give you an auditory taste of what we’re talking about, let’s share some top options for the best royalty free music tracks to consider using for your projects, whatever they may be.
- Description: A medium-energy, score song best described as hopeful and inspiring. Piano and synth are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 100
- Key: C Minor
- Listen and license here.
2. The Great Beyond by Moments
- Description: A low-energy, score song best described as hopeful and inspiring. Strings and ambient tones are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 160
- Key: A Major
- Listen and license here.
- Description: A low-energy, acoustic song best described as romantic and hopeful. Guitar and acoustic guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 124
- Key: D Major
- Listen and license here.
- Description: A high-energy rock song best described as inspiring and hopeful. The guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments on this track.
- BPM: 117
- Key: G Major
- Listen and license here.
- Description: A high-energy, electronic song best described as happy and fun. Synth and percussion are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 170
- Key: F Minor
- Listen and license here.
- Description: A high-energy, electronic song best described as fun and happy. Drums and electronic drums are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 120
- Key: A Minor
- Listen and license here.
- Description: A high-energy, classical song best described as inspiring and reflective. Synths and strings are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 118
- Key: Bb/A# Major
- Listen and license here.
8. Adventurous Spirit Reveille
- Description: A medium-energy, acoustic song best described as hopeful and inspiring. Guitar and acoustic guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 114
- Key: A Major
- Listen and license here.
- Description: A medium-energy rock song best described as fun and happy. The guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments on this track.
- BPM: 152
- Key: A Major
- Listen and license here.
10. The Count by Adrian Walther
- Description: A high-energy pop song best described as happy and inspiring. Acoustic guitar and guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 130
- Key: A Major
- Listen and license here.
These are just a small selection of tracks, though. If you’d like to explore more royalty free songs, check out our complete library in the Soundstripe app.
More audio mixing and mastering resources
Regardless of whether you’re looking to license or create music yourself for your projects, we’re here to help.
If you’d like to further explore more insights into how music licensing works and other resources for learning the basics of music mastering and audio mixing, check out these additional articles from the Soundstripe blog below.
- Types of Music Rights and Royalties: Understanding Master, Common, and Music Publishing Rights in Song Ownership
- Navigating Music Licensing Costs with Clients: A Guide for Creatives
- Business Music Licensing Terms Explained: Why Licensing Matters, Different Kinds of Copyright & Best Practices
- How to Perfect Your Audio Levels For Video (Advice from Engineers)
- Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing: Learn the Difference and How to Master Both in Your Audio Projects
