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Soundalikes are pieces of music that are meant to sound similar to more popular musical artists. The song should convey to the listener a similar feeling and tone while still being unique. Music publishers quite often are limited to small budgets and cannot work in sync licenses for the real band's recording and song. For this reason, it is more affordable to use a soundalike recording in the same vein. As a recording artist wanting to record sound-alikes, you want to take influence from the referenced band without infringing on their copyright. First set your composition at a similar BPM. This ensures the overall vibe will remain. A few beats per minute difference would be smart. It is recommended to change the key. Study the original's chord progression and song structure. Ensure that you use a different progression whilst retaining the feel. Another important aspect is instrumentation. You will want to record tracks that are included on the referenced record, shooting for tone and arrangement in their manner. Lyrically, try to write words that convey the overall idea yet are original enough to be considered a real song unto itself. If your vocal style is not similar enough to the artist's you will want to find with a professional singer who can convincingly perform the intended genre. This factor is extremely important to convincing the listener. Once you have finished recording all of your tracks, the production also needs to be modeled after the musicians. Find articles covering the artist's recording process in detail. The producer usually covers what gear was used and how they approached processing specific instruments. If you have a decent project studio, you may be able to complete the process at home. However, sometimes hiring a mix engineer to fine tune the record will make your piece to sound its best. No matter where you decide to mix the production it would be wise to have the song mastered by a dedicated mastering house. Send both the referenced song and your version so the engineer can model something very similar in comparison. Now that you have perfected your soundalike writing process, your songs can start to be signed to music publishers. If the songs are good enough and fit the right situation, the recording can generate a great source of money via sync licensing and back-end public performance royalties. Scott Horton of Short Ton Productions is a stellar example of today's songwriter, music producer, and mix engineer. Collaborating with artists the world over his productions can be noticed on records and in music libraries. Listen to Scott's songs at www.shorttonproductions.com
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