A Beginner's Guide to Making Synthwave Music – Tips and Tricks

Getting into synthwave production starts with the same foundation as any other electronic genre: a working grasp of synthesis, sound design, and mixing. If those terms are still fuzzy, it's worth spending time on the basics before diving into synthwave specifically, since the genre leans hard on production choices rather than just melody. A track can have a great hook and still fall flat if the mix underneath it is thin, so getting comfortable with the fundamentals early on saves a lot of frustration once you're deep into a project and trying to figure out why it doesn't sound right yet.

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Retro synths and drum machines sit at the center of the genre's sound. Getting that classic '80s texture usually means leaning on vintage-style hardware or software built to emulate it. Plenty of modern synths do a convincing job of recreating those old tones, so real vintage hardware isn't required to get started, though it's still the most direct route to an authentic sound if you want to go that far. For most people starting out, a software emulation is the more practical choice anyway, cheaper, easier to maintain, and close enough to the original that most listeners won't hear the difference.

Melody carries a lot of weight in this genre. The best synthwave tracks tend to have hooks that are genuinely hard to forget. If melodies aren't coming easily, a melody generator can help kickstart ideas worth building on.

Once a melody idea is in place, production is the next step. Start with something simple: a kick and a snare, then layer in hi-hats and other percussion to round out a basic beat. From there, synth parts come in on top.

Variety matters with synth sounds specifically. Leaning on one sound for an entire track tends to flatten it fast, even if the sound itself is a good one. Working with a handful of different sounds, layered in different ways, gives a track real depth instead of feeling repetitive, the same way a mix of instruments gives a live band more texture than a single instrument ever could on its own.

Where to start

A solid synthwave soundbank makes the whole process easier. The Synthwave for Serum pack from Sample Magic is a strong option, loaded with over a hundred presets built specifically for the Serum VST.

With a soundbank in place, the next question is mood: dark and atmospheric, or bright and energetic. Once that's decided, it's time to start layering.

Layers

A solid synthwave track is usually built from a few distinct layers working together toward one overall atmosphere. The first is typically a simple, repeating melody, which any synth can handle, though Serum's presets tend to work particularly well here. Find a sound you like and experiment until a melody feels right.

Pad sound

The second layer is usually a pad, a sustained sound that fills out the track and gives it a sense of space. Serum's pads tend to be a strong fit for this too. Once a sound feels close, adjusting the filters and envelopes helps shape it into something that actually suits the track.

The third layer is where a track really starts taking shape: the lead sound, the part that carries the melody and gives the track its identity. Serum's lead presets work well here too. As with the other layers, it's a matter of finding a sound and shaping it until the melody clicks.

Drums

The fourth layer is the drums, and a strong synthwave track needs a beat solid enough to actually drive it forward. A drum machine is worth using here since it's easier to get a tight, consistent sound out of one. The Arturia DrumBrute is a common choice, though any drum machine will do the job. Load in the drum sounds and start programming the beat.

Those four layers, melody, pad, lead, and drums, form the basic structure most synthwave tracks are built on. There's plenty of room to add more variety and interest beyond that, layering in extra textures, automating filters over the length of a track, experimenting with arrangement, but this is the foundation worth learning first. Once those four pieces feel solid on their own, everything else becomes a matter of taste rather than a technical hurdle.