Quality Check

When it comes to making music, I’ve always been on the side of quality. ✅

From the very beginning of my journey as a producer, I kept hearing the same advice over and over again - upload more beats, be more consistent, make 10 or 15 beats a day.

Aaand...

While I understand where that mindset comes from, it never really resonated with me.

I’ve always believed that if you’re making music, you should focus on making good music.

Of course, quantity helps you get better in the early stages. Repetition builds skill. But once you reach a certain level, quality starts to matter much more than sheer output.

From what I’ve observed in the music industry, quality has a longer impact than constant repetition.

I can still listen to an artist’s album from 2019 and enjoy it because it holds up sonically and creatively.

On the other hand, when someone keeps releasing singles that follow the exact same formula every month, after a few tracks it starts to feel predictable and honestly, boring. 🤷

That might sound like an extreme example, but we all know one thing: quality plays a huge role in music production.

That’s why today I want to focus on what actually matters when choosing a beat and more importantly, on the common production issues that aren’t always obvious at first.

Problems that might not stand out when you first hear a beat, but slowly reveal themselves once you start working on the song and get into mixing.

I’ll break down 3 specific production mistakes that can affect your song more than you might expect.

Let's goooooo.

Sample Quality

The first thing worth paying attention to is sample quality.

This can be a bit tricky to judge at first, but when you listen to a beat and like its vibe, it’s important to also think about how it sounds on a deeper level. 🤿

And I don’t mean the mix itself (although that obviously matters too).

I’m talking about the actual quality of the samples used to build the beat.

Of course, there are rare situations where everything just clicks instantly.

You hear a beat, you know it’s the one, you record to it, and the song simply works.

But that kind of situation happens once in a long while.

Most of the time, the process looks very different.

You browse beats, one catches your attention, you start writing to it. Then you realize it’s not quite there.

You find another beat that feels better, start again, and maybe that one still doesn’t deliver the results you were hoping for.

This back-and-forth is normal but it’s also exactly where sample quality starts to matter.

Low-quality or poorly chosen samples often don’t reveal themselves immediately. 👀

Problems usually appear later, during recording and especially during mixing.

For example, you might realize that the snare sounds harsh or unpleasant and needs heavy processing just to sit in the mix. After cutting it down aggressively, that same snare can end up disappearing completely in the verse or hook.

At that point, you’re forced to look for workarounds.

One option is replacing or reinforcing the original drum sounds with your own samples - a process often referred to as sample triggering. 🥁

Technically, it works. You keep the original rhythm and composition, but swap the sounds to improve the overall quality.

The problem is that this adds another layer of work. More time, more decisions, more effort, all to fix something that could have been avoided earlier.

And as an artist, this shouldn’t be your responsibility in the first place.

A well-prepared beat should already be built with solid, high-quality samples that are ready for recording and mixing.

That way, you can focus on performance and creativity instead of technical damage control.

Whenever possible, it’s worth paying attention to where the sounds are coming from.

If you work with a producer regularly or buy beats always from the same place, make sure producers are using reliable, proven sound sources - whether that’s professional drum kits, trusted libraries, or platforms like Splice.

Clean, well-recorded samples make a huge difference later on. 🛠️

Because in the end, a beat that’s built on quality sounds is simply easier to work with.

And that saves you time, energy, and frustration when it actually matters. 

Poor Arrangement

Most beats you find online are fairly simple and that’s not a bad thing.

I also tend to keep my beats simple on purpose, because the simpler the beat, the easier it is for an artist to catch the concept and start writing something meaningful.

Simplicity helps creativity. 💡

The problem starts when simple turns into poor.

There’s a big difference between a simple beat and a beat with a weak arrangement.

A well-made simple beat still has an engaging structure.

Different sections feel different. The first verse doesn’t feel exactly the same as the second one.

The hook evolves, even slightly. There are small changes that keep the listener engaged and give the artist something to work with.

Poorly arranged beats, on the other hand, often rely on one loop - one melody, one drum pattern, one bassline - running almost unchanged from start to finish.

The drums might drop out for a moment and then come back, but structurally, nothing really happens. 

That kind of beat can work in some situations, but it also limits your options heavily.

When a beat has a thoughtful arrangement, it gives you flexibility. If you have stems, you can move elements around, build tension differently, or bring parts from a later section into an earlier one.

Even when working directly with a producer, a good arrangement makes it much easier to shape the beat into something that truly fits your song. 🎶

This is something I consciously focus on in my own productions.

I try to arrange beats in a way that gives artists room to adapt them - whether they’re working with a WAV file or full stems. The goal is to make the beat usable, not just listenable.

When you’re choosing a beat, it’s worth paying attention to this.

Ask yourself whether the arrangement gives you options, or whether it locks you into one idea from start to finish.

A beat that allows you to reshape it, even slightly, will almost always be easier to turn into a finished song.

Mix Quality

As a final point, it makes sense to talk about mix quality, especially because it’s closely connected to everything we’ve covered so far.

Sample quality affects the mix.

Arrangement affects the mix.

But the mix itself is the last stage every producer goes through before releasing a beat online. And depending on which license you choose, that mix can matter a lot more than you might think. 🎛️

This becomes especially important when you’re buying a beat as a single WAV file.

If you purchase stems, the situation is different. You or your engineer can rebalance levels, adjust processing, and shape the beat around your vocal. In that case, the original mix isn’t as critical, because you still have control.

But when you buy a beat as a WAV file, you’re committing to the producer’s mix.

You get one stereo track.

No control over individual drum levels.

No way to adjust how loud the snare is, how aggressive the hi-hats feel, or how much reverb is baked in.

Whatever decisions were made during mixing are already locked in and you have to work with them. 🔒

That’s why it’s important to listen carefully before committing to a WAV license.

A lot of beats online are exported straight from the session with very minimal mixing.

The producer arranges the beat, adds a limiter on the master, and exports it as MP3, WAV and stems.

It might sound fine at first, but technically, it’s still very raw.

When you build a song on top of a beat like that, your track will usually feel raw as well. Even a good mixing engineer can only do so much with a single stereo file.

If you hear clear issues - an overly loud snare, distorted kicks, a bass that’s crushing everything else, or melodies that dominate the midrange - your vocal will have to fight for space from the start.

In situations like that, it’s often worth considering buying stems, even if it’s just the most basic license that includes trackouts.

Having access to stems gives you real flexibility and makes professional results much easier to achieve.

Before buying a beat, take the time to listen properly. 🎧

Use headphones. 

Use speakers or monitors if you have them.

If you trust another producer or engineer, get a second opinion. Fresh ears can quickly tell you whether a mix is solid or problematic.

Because in the end, mix quality plays a huge role in how your song turns out.

And when you don’t have control over the mix, choosing the right beat becomes even more important.

Wrapping It Up

At the end of the day, working with trap beats comes down to one thing: quality.

Not just how a beat sounds on first listen, but how it behaves once you actually start building a song around it. 

Sample quality, arrangement, and mix all play a role in whether your vocals sit naturally or end up fighting the instrumental. 🎹 

A beat can have a great vibe and still cause problems later on. That’s why taking a moment to listen more carefully, testing the beat with your voice, and understanding what you’re really buying - a WAV file or full stems - makes a real difference.

The goal isn’t to overanalyze or overcomplicate the process.

It’s simply to avoid unnecessary problems before they happen.

When a beat is built with intention and mixed properly, everything becomes easier.

Recording feels more comfortable, mixing takes less effort, and the song comes together faster.

And that’s always the point.

Hope you will choose your beats better after reading this one. 

If you are looking for some quality stuff check out my catalog.

Take care,

Baxon 👊