White Beetle's Royalty Free and Music On Hold Blog

Classical Remakes CD - Volume One

2011-07-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

White Beetle Ltd proudly presents Classial Remakes CD - Volume One. Containing 21 Classical music themes all reworked with contemporary styled production. Including famous works from Bach, Beethoven, Bizet, Borodin, Brahms, Gluck, Mozart, Offenbach, Pachelbel, Rossini, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Vivaldi . All titles are given a modern reworking from talented compoer/arranger Alex Khaskin. A variety of emotions and modern styles, such as pop, drum and bass, ambient, Latin pop and electronic dance music are on offer. The detail of the original versions have been highly respected and it is this merging of Classical instruments and melodies with modern arrangements and beats that makes for such an exciting and innovative royalty free music collection.

So if you have ever wondered what "Four Seasons" sounds like with a modern pop/dance treatment then look no further. The skill of the arranger/producer results in a very accomplished collection of adaptations of famous Classical and Baroque pieces. Each piece has its own web page where additional information is available on the reworking and also interesting trivia and details on the composers lives and works. From a professional perspective this CD compilation should prove an excellent addition to the media producers audio library not least for those working in commercial film, corporate film and commercial advertising.

Thanks for reading,

John

Two royalty free music CDs released today!

2011-07-12T09:09:00.001-07:00

Today we have released two Royalty Free Music collections, the one shown above, Film Music Collection CD - Volume One (containing an eclectic mix of twelve modern film scores) and the one shown below: Lounge Jazz CD - Volume One (containing no less than fourteen very cool contemporary Lounge Jazz pieces). Both CD's contain great quality contemporary music that is eminently suitable for media producers working in film, televsion, radio, advertising, video games and the corporate world. We are really happy to present these two compilations as they both come from one of our top composers, Peter Schreiber. Media producers familiar with his work will testify to its high quality, accessibility and contemporary feel.

The Film Music Collection CD - Volume One, as you might expect is aimed at the film maker, particularly film makers fo limited means who need very high quality music at affordable price.
The beauty of this actual release is that each piece contains several different movements so if used wisely, with good editing skills, one can adapt one piece of music to several music beds.

The Lounge Jazz CD - Volume One oozes sophistication and charm and should attract the media producer in general, including television and radio advertising as well as corporate and web media producers. As ever, price is an important issue and as always we are working to offer great quality music at great prices with very interesting license options. With this in mind, our returning customers know that we suceed where many others fail. Please feel free to explore these new compilations at www.whitebeetle.com. Thanks for now, John

G.711 Music On Hold

2011-06-01T01:51:00.001-07:00

Hi there everyone, just a shortish announcement to say we have now added the G.711 standard to all our individual music on hold/MOH products with CD compilations in G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law formats coming soon.

The reason why we have added the G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law format to our individual MOH products is because we often get customers asking us if we can do the conversion from wav or mp3 format to G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law because their telephone systems will only accept G.711 A-law or G.711 u-Law. So, having the G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law formats readily available should save time for our customers.

Why are there two different formats you may ask? Well, while G.711 A-law and G.711 u-Law are very similar they are not the same and telephony systems in Europe have been developed to work with the G.711 u-Law while in the US and Japan telephony systems use G.711 A-law.

To prevent clients from buying the wrong version we have bundled both products together. So when a client downloads the zip file they will find two folders inside, one containing the G.711 A-law format and the other containing G.711 u-Law.

Confusion over u-law, mu-law and µ-law is common place, so what is the difference you ask? Well, first thing is that all three refer to the same algorithim and format. The correct name is µ-law but because "µ" looks like a run of the mill "u" some people call the format "u-law" instead of "µ-law". Okay fair enough you say, so why "mu-law"? Where does that come in? Well the "µ" symbol is from the Greek alphabet and guess what? It is pronounced "mu"! So we have the scientific name µ-law, the visual interpretation u-law and last but not least the aural interpetation mu-law. Clear as mud, I know.

So just to recap, White Beetle Ltd now offers its individual MOH products in the following formats:

WAV 41100 khz (stereo)
MP3 320Kbit (stereo)
G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law (mono, 8-bit,8khz)

That's it for now, thanks for your time.

John

iMovie & Royalty Free Music

2010-07-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

just been playing around with iMovie at home, not something I normally would use and I was amazed at the great features and effects included; such as Ken Burns effect, the transitioning tools and also the title effect which also allow you to use your own fonts.

Also, using music, splicing and fading is really easy. I've used some of whitebeetle's royalty free music catalogue for this little video, in particular from the composer Alex Khaskin. The video footage is in the public domain and was shot by C E Price, while the stills are from my own colllection.

Just a bit of fun but you can see good results fast and this makes iMovie & www.whitebeetle.com great choices for getting your media out there fast.

Cheers,

John

New US Version - Guitar & Piano Music On Hold CD

2010-07-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

One of our best sellers for Music On Hold has been the Guitar and Piano Music On Hold CD and as of today this CD/digital download will no longer be available. Why you may ask?

Well it is kind of still available but as a new improved format that is available as a US version and a UK version and we have added more features to boot which I will briefly cover in this post.

We have reduced the playlist to 11 music on hold tracks from 13 but, crucially, embedded vocal messages of assurance into the tracks (US Version uses an American accent and the UK version uses a British accent).
We have added all 11 tracks without embedded vocal messages as well, giving you more flexibility for programing your music on hold hardware.
We have added the vocal messages on their on as well further giving you more flexibility for programing your music on hold hardware.
Often overlooked but a key feature is the price and yes for 2010 you get all these new features for the same price of the old version.

This music on hold cd/digital download is primarily aimed at small businesses and is a complete off the shelf solution, there are no hidden fees or ASCAP/BMI memberships required as all recordings are owned by White Beetle Ltd. This product is only available from White Beetle Ltd.

To preview in full please goto the Guitar & Piano Music - On Hold CD US version product page.

Also here is a short promotional for the release of Guitar & Piano - Music On Hold CD:

Advice for recording Electric Guitar

2010-01-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hi there, here is a blog article for guitarists and people who record guitarists on some of the recording techniques for recording electric guitar that I have learnt over the years. Firstly before you start to record yourself or somebody else playing guitar think and discuss the sound you want to record, is it an upfront sound cutting and direct or does it need to be softer or more ambient? Knowing what you want will help you determine where to put the microphone or microphones or whether you use a microphone or not.

Secondly, new strings will always give the best results because you can dull the sound by cutting the mid range but if the strings are old you cannot really brighten them up and the attack will be slow as old strings do not react as quickly as new ones and are impossible to tune properly. Which leads us on to an even more crucial issue.

Tuning, is the guitar out of tune? Tell the guitarist to tune up and make sure they have referenced their tuning with the song they are recording because sometimes a tuner can be defective or the keyboards are tuned up or down a little. Remember out of tune guitars stick out lick sore thumbs! If the guitar is going out of tune while recording then get the player to stretch the strings in by bending each string up and down the neck then tune repeating this process until the guitar stays in tune, this may take ten minutes but will save time and heartache in the long run.

An often neglected aspect of tuning is intonation. Check the intonation on the guitar and if it is not good then get it sorted as it will create weird tuning issues particularly further up the neck. If the guitar is a dud then find one that is not. If you do not know how to do the intonation then you tube it!

While the guitarist is sorting out his tuning and warming up his fingers get some boom stands set up around his amplifier. For starters mic the amp close with a dynamic microphone such as Shure SM57, there are plenty of inexpensive dynamic microphones that will do a good job. Move the microphone around until you find the sweet spot or best sounding speaker, having someone move the microphone while the guitarist plays and you monitor in the control room is the easiest way to detect it, obviously you need to let them know when they have found it so they can get the microphone on a stand in that exact spot. A forty five degree angle pointing in towards the center dome an inch from the grill usually works well but experimenting is important and helps build experience.

Micing the amplifier from a distance (ambient micing) will produce softer rounder tones so at first try six feet away maybe five feet from the floor with a large diaphragm condenser microphone (you do not need a Neumann to get good results) pointing towards the speaker. Move the microphone further or closer to the amp according to the sound you want to capture. Again monitoring in the control room while someone moves the microphone is a good move.

Think about where the amplifier is situated in the room, what surfaces is the sound reflecting off? Impromptu baffles such as sofas and mattresses can tame nasty reflections. You can even create a tunnel for the speaker using blankets chairs etc, this keeps down noise and reduces reflections and you can usually close and ambient mic it too giving you good options in the mix with a cleanly recorded sound. Also try putting the amplifier on a crate or a platform as this will change the character of the sound as the sound hits and reflects off the floor at a different rate. If the amp has an open back stick a microphone there, it may sound good.

If you have the tracks spare then DI the guitar so if you are not convinced of the guitar sound you can rerecord it by sending out what you have recorded into a different amplifier this allows you to play with the settings when you have reflected on things a bit more. This is also great for trying amp simulators as a clean signal works best for such plugins. And remember recording direct into the desk with the trim well up can give you amazing distortion but not all mixing desk pre amps were born equal so do not expect the guitar sound from The Beatles’ Revolution from a 60 buck Behringer 4 channel mixer.

If you mic the amp close and far equalize and blend the two tracks in the mix to taste, usually on top of each other so they become one sound, one will probably need to be more prominent. And do not forget that if you are using multiple microphones always check for any phase issues.

Some engineers will close mic the actual guitar to get the sound of the plectrum hitting the strings and place it under the main guitar in the mix, this can change the perceived dynamics and attack. It is worth remembering that you don’t usually need to record electric guitars with compression and that recording electric guitars with no equalization (aka Flat) is not usually a problem. Remember the guitarist will probably know his sound better than you do so do not try to do his job for him. Also do not squash the sound: try to leave plenty of headroom when recording so that any dynamics and fast transients are not lost: peaking at -6 decibels is not the end of the world in this digital age.

Analyze the guitar sound as you go along and determine if the guitar sound is effects laden? If the sound is great then print it, if you are recording a direct signal too your options will still be open. If the guitar sound is a mess try to persuade the guitarist that applying effects after recording may be the way forward. Also determine if the guitarist knows his parts? If he does not you are probably wasting your time as well as his.

Route one stuff but try double tracking a part for fuller bigger thicker sounds. Or try double tracking a part with a different guitar for fuller bigger sounds. A lesser known technique is to double up any riffs on an acoustic guitar, if you want more weight, and place it under the main guitar in the mix, this too can change the perceived dynamics and attack; acoustic guitars have enormous dynamic range with fast transients.

With the advent of digital recording creating another track has never been easier but this does lead many towards complacency so always label parts and tracks properly: Take 005_17 may not mean a lot to you in six months time but if it is the killer solo you deleted by mistake you will soon start labeling things properly.

If you record a great performance but it is a bit out of time then digital editing can easily fix monophonic timing issues. Remember if you have several tracks for one Take edit them in blocks (all together) and always cross fade your edits! This will eliminate annoying pops and clicks.

Always try to make the guitarist feel comfortable, do not criticize his playing especially if he is paying you. As ever drink and drugs do not usually yield the best result and neither does redoing the same part fifty times. If it is not working then move on or try something different. Try to keep the mood light and positive and keep the work rate up: it is easy to get over analytical when recording guitars – as Joe Meek famously said: If it sounds right it is right.

If the guitars sound like mush try less distortion as this often gives a heavier more powerful sound – check out ACDC’s music and know your pears from your apples: sometimes a single coil guitar with gain sounds better than a humbucker guitar with gain for certain parts; the solo for Stairway To Heaven was played on a Fender Telecaster! And lastly, whether recording guitar or playing guitar for royalty free music, music on hold or Radiohead always do your best and after you get it down know when to quit: less IS more.

Free Xmas Music Gift for White Beetle Customers

2009-12-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas is fast approaching and we putting the final touches to our Christmas gifts for all our customers. Our Xmas gifts will be delivered online on Wednesday 16th December. What are they? Well, that is a secret but what I can tell you is that, naturally, it is music and it can be used as Royalty Free Music or Music On Hold by our customers as much as they like.

Now if you are not yet a White Beetle customer you can receive our Xmas present without even making a purchase. Yes, that's right! All you have to do is register your basic details with us and subscribe to our newsletter before 18.00pm GMT Wednesday 16th December.

All subscribers will be kept up to date with all our activities and be eligible for all our exclusive offers and free gifts.

Subscribe here to White Beetle Ltd.

Alternatively, if you prefer to follow us on Twitter or Facebook:

Twitter
Facebook

Thanks,

John Milner

Blog Directory

White Beetle Music On Hold Xmas CD Sale

2009-12-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody,

today marks the start of 2009 Winter sale which will continue through to the middle of January 2010. This sale is exclusive to four Music On CDs including our best seller Guitar and Piano Music On Hold CD.

The Other discounted Music On Hold CDs include:

Customer Care - Music On Hold CD

Soft Moods - Music On Hold CD

Guitar Themes - Music On Hold CD

There is approximately 25% discount available on all these four CD compilations therefore offering you great savings on great products.

Remember, White Beetle Music On Hold CDs are complete MOH solutions and no further fees or licenses are required to use these products : they are off the shelf solutions... forget about paying fees to BMI, ASCAP, PRS, MCPS etc.

So if you need to update your Music On Hold system or are sick of paying high annual fees for licensing to use MOH then NOW is the time to come over to Whitebeetle.com and save yourself some money and improve your MOH.

Thanks for you time,

John Milner

White Beetle Christmas Medley

2009-12-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

Get your clients in a seasonal festive mood with White Beetle Ltd's sixteen minute instrumental medley of Christmas music. It is said that a little bit of thought can go a long way sometimes so changing your music on hold every now and then has to be a good thing especially if you have to put your clients on hold on a regular basis. Yes we all know Christmas is on the way but have you thought about spreading a little Christmas spirit to your customers while they are put on hold? It is a small detail but customers notice details.

The eight piece medley we have compiled is instrumental and the pieces are popular and brief so as not to annoy. The White Beetle Christmas Medley play list and instrumentation list is as follows:

1. Away In A Manger (Fantasia)
2. Ding Dong Merrily On High (Church Organ)
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Fanatasia)
4. The Holly And The Ivy (Fantasia)
5. Jingle Bells (Fanfare)
6. O Come O Ye Faithfull (Fantasia)
7. While Shepherds Watched (Fantasia)
8. Once In Davids Royal City (Fantasia)

Vistit the White Beetle Christmas Medley product page here.

The recordings of the White Beetle Christmas Medley are owned by White Beetle Ltd and are suitable for on hold music or music on hold hardware and software : see the White Beetle Music On Hold Agreement.

Modern Business - Music On Hold CD

2009-12-01T02:42:00.000-08:00

White Beetle Ltd is very proud to announce its latest Music On Hold CD release. The compilation called Modern Business - Music On Hold CD is perhaps one of the finest Music On Hold CD compilations available on the open market today. We are extremely excited about this release because we feel the quality of the music and its suitability for its purpose is exceptional, but rather than talk to much about it White Beetle Ltd has provided links to the individual music pieces below as well as brief written descriptions. Also please feel free to browse our music on hold categories and music on hold cd collection.

Track listing and short descriptions:

01. All In Good Time - 3m44s - A chic, modern sounding and business like funk instrumental. This piece of music on hold has a nice array of sounds creating a groovy and funky vibe. Medium tempo featuring tight funk guitar and swelling electric piano, good percussion and overall tight production.
02. Champagne Spring (Extended) - 4m46s - This peice of music on hold is a soft, warm and sparkling laid back Lounge-Jazz piece. Contemporary sound and very well produced, creating a happy, laid back feeling, featuring filtered electric piano, funky drum groove, and catchy analogue synthesizer melody and jazzy piano solo. Sounds like Stevie Wonder, Daft Punk.
03. Lounge Couch - 3m42s - This piece of music on hold is a soft, warm and sparkling Lounge-jazz instrumental. Medium to slow tempo. Spacious and lush textures using ambient sounds and samples. Excellent production with a seductive and exotic feel.
04. Hola, mi amor (Extended) - 4m47s - This extended piece of music on hold is very much a Latin styled track with a contemporary Bossa Nova style and sound. A medium quick tempo of one hundred and forty two beats per minute for Hola, mi amor and an instrument line up of Spanish guitar, chimes, piano, electric bass guitar, acoustic drums and an assortment of Brazilian hand held percussion items.
05. Beach Ball (Extended) - 3m55s - This piece of music on hold is very much a medium slow Reggae Pop instrumental (90 beats per minute) with a happy go lucky feel. Featuring instruments such as Vibra Melody, Guitar, Percussion, Marimba and Organ. Listen out for the Dub middle eight. Full of feelings of sun, vacation, beaches and sand.
06. Jump It (Extended) - 4m47s - This piece of music on hold is very much a classy Jazz-Funk instrumental with organ and synthesizer solos. Strong drum groove and funky electric guitar. Chilled out, contemporary with a Seventies 70's edge.
07. Landscape - 4m02s - This piece of music on hold is an excellent soundtrack type instrumental with tasteful guitar and piano parts, gently developing and using a subtle and well chosen array of sounds and instruments with a slow tempo and is dreamy, ambient and gentle.
08. Call Me - 4m25s - This piece of music on hold is a clever ambient piece of music based around telephone sounds. Using a nice array of electronic synthesizer sounds and electro beats this piece has a positive melody with a modern and corporate sound.
09. Dancing Bear (Extended) - 3m24s - This piece of music on hold is a Pop Jazz Funk piece of music with a beautiful Piano melody, Funk wah-wah Guitar, tight drums and synthesizer bass line.
10. Slow Motion In Green - 4m48s - This piece of music on hold is a gentle instrumental based around acoustic guitar arpeggios. Thoughtful, meandering and calm this piece develops using drums, fretless bass, percussion, strings and piano. Sounds like Sting. Has an air of pensiveness in a soft jazzy and European style and features has a medium slow tempo.
11. Ballad Of A Swinging Bird - 3m28s - This piece of music on hold is a soft gentle pop ballad with a melodic, relaxed, and warm feel. Featuring a mellow saxophone line, acoustic guitar, fretless electric bass guitar, acoustic drums, piano, hand percussion and occasional synthesizer strings. The tempo moderately slow at eighty two beats per minute and the running time is three minutes and twenty eight seconds. A romantic, sentimental and positive feel run through out the piece.
12. Painter's Dream - 3m41s - This piece of music on hold is a contemporary ambient piece of music blending eastern/Asian flavors with Western style drum beats and sound effects. Dreamy and melodic Painter's Dream has a running time of three minutes and forty one seconds and slow tempo of one hundred and eleven beats per minute.

Chirstmas Collection - Volume One

2009-11-18T02:42:00.000-08:00

It is here and it is massive offering incredible value for money. Our largest ever CD compilation is a library collection of Christmas music aimed at the media producer and contains thirty seven royalty free music tracks that have been arranged in several different ways to provide the media producer more choice even with classic music pieces such as Jingle Bells. Different arrangements vary from using Church organ sounds right through to music boxes, harps, pianos as well as some special digital sound scapes such as Fantasia and Fanfare which provide atmospheric glistening sounds. Also, the first two tracks included on this compilation are original pieces from White Beetle's own composers and we felt that as they convey such a Christmas feel we had to include them.

Track listing and short descriptions:

1 Christmas Waltz - 3m53s - A mid tempo and very festive waltz with a running time of three minutes and fifty three seconds pre minute. With an irresistible melody and and lush arrangement Christmas Waltz captures the romance and fun of ice skating and other winter sports. The mood is gentle and the sound almost glistens like snow and ice, strong musical imagery helps creates a sense of the outdoor festive spirit.
2 Bonny Reel - 1m38s - A racing, upbeat orchestral piece of royalty free music based around a Scottish type reel. Shades of Handel with a very festive sound. Celebratory in feel and reminiscent of Celtic riffs. Conveys all the excitement of a Scottish Christmas
3 Away In A Manger (Church Organ) - 1m52s - This version of Away In A Manger is one minute and fifty seconds long and, of course, is a very well known as the first Christmas Carol young children learn. This royalty free and copyright free music version is performed on a simulated church organ.
4 Away In A Manger (Fantasia) - 1m25s - This royalty free and copyright free music version was recorded with a digital sound effect known as 'Fantasia' which produces bell sounds in stunning quality.
5 Away In A Manger (Harp) - 1m24s - This royalty free and copyright free music version was recorded with a digital harp which produces very soft string sounds in stunning quality.
6 Away In A Manger (Music Box) - 1m38s - This delicate royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a Music Box for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement.
7 Ding Dong Merrily On High (Church Organ) - 2m09s - This version of Ding Dong Merrily On High is two minutes and nine seconds long and is performed on a simulated church organ.
8 The First Noel (Music Box) - 2m46s - This delightful lullaby like royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a Music Box for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement.
9 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Church Organ Long) - 2m24s - his royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated Church Organ for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement for recreating a Christmas scene.
10 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Music Box) - 1m35s - This delightful royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a Music Box.
11 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Fantasia) - 2m13s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that delivers bell tones and sympathetic organ tones.
12 The Holly And The Ivy (Chimes) - 2m37s - his royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that blends bell chimes with soft bass tones.
13 The Holly And The Ivy (Fantasia) - 2m38s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that blends bell sounds and chimes with soft bass tones and subtle pad sounds.
14 The Holly And The Ivy (Music Box) - 2m05s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a Music Box for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement.
15 Jingle Bells (Fanfare) - 1m37s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated 'Fanfare' that delivers soft orchestra tones and sympathetic organ tones
16 Jingle Bells (Fantasia) - 1m37s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that delivers glistening bell tones and sympathetic organ tones.
17 Jingle Bells (Piano Jazzy) - 1m19s - This witty and light hearted adaptation of Jingle Bells is one minutes and nineteen seconds long.
18 Jingle Bells (Piano Short) - 0m53s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a piano for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement for recreating a Christmas scene.
19 Jingle Bells (Grand Piano) - 2m22s - This version of Jingle Bells is two minutes and twenty two seconds long and includes the music for three verses, three choruses as well as a short introduction.
20 Jingle Bells (Upright Piano) - 2m20s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on an upright piano.
21 Jingle Bells (Vibes) - 0m52s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on the vibes.
22 Oh, Come All Ye Faithful (Church Organ) - 2m10s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated church organ.
23 Oh, Come All Ye Faithful (Cathedral Organ) - 2m14s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated church organ.
24 Oh, Come All Ye Faithful (Fantasia) - 2m15s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that blends bell sounds with soft organ sounds.
25 Oh, Come All Ye Faithful (Piano) - 2m16s - his royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a grand piano.
26 Oh, Come All Ye Faithful (Music Box) - 1m37s - This lovely royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a Music Box.
27 Once In Davids Royal City (Chimes) - 1m51s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that blends crystal clear bell chimes with bass vibes.
28 Once In Davids Royal City (Fantasia) - 1m53s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that blends bell tones with with soft bass tones.
29 Once In Davids Royal City (Organ) - 2m01s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated Church organ.
30 Once In Davids Royal City (Piano) - 1m51s - his royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a grand piano.
31 Silent Night (Music Box simplified) - 1m06s - Practically monophonic, only the melody is played on a Music Box for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement.
32 Silent Night (Music Box Long) - 2m12s - A two minutes and twelve seconds long version of what is a very well known traditional Christmas Carol.
33 Silent Night (Organ) - 2m01s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated church organ.
34 Twelve Days Of Christmas (Music Box) - 3m43s - This royalty free and copyright free version which includes the music for all twelve verses is played on a music box for the specific purpose of offering the media producer/film maker an interesting choice of arrangement.
35 Twelve Days Of Christmas (Church Organ) - 3m40s - This royalty free and copyright free which includes the music for all twelve verses is played on a simulated Church organ.
36 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (Organ) - 1m52s - This royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a simulated Church organ.
37 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (Fantasia) - 1m53s - his royalty free and copyright free music version is played on a digital sampler that blends bell chimes with soft bass tones and subtle pad sounds.

Christmas Category added to our catalog - CD coming

2009-11-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hi there everyone, just a brief post to let you all know that White Beetle has very recently created a Christmas Music category for White Beetle's royalty free music catalog. The aim as with all other categories is to provide the media producer with different audio/music options for their productions. We aim to make the Christmas category a growing collection of well known festive music pieces, including Hymns and Christmas Carols as well as popular music pieces such as Jingle Bells but we are also keen to include original compositions from White Beetle composers that may offer the media producer something just that little bit different or modern.

At the moment the collection includes a number of classic Christmas music pieces that have been arranged in several different ways with different instruments and soundscapes so as to offer the media producer different textures and themes. Currently all pieces in this category are instrumental only though we have plans to include choral works and songs in the near future.

Also coming very soon is our first Christmas music CD collection, I have sneaked a preview of the cover for you all (see above) to have a peak at. Watch this space.

White Beetle royalty free music Facebook page

2009-10-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

A brief post to let you all know that whitebeetle now has a Facebook page. We will be posting updates on new products, interacting with followers/fans and posting videos etc. Our page is intended for everyone who has an interest in music in the media, including you, your friends, our friends, our clients who wish to comment on our music or add a link to their latest media production and of course white beetle composers who may want to let everyone know what they are up to. Become a fan, it is easy and a great way to keep in touch, promote your work and interact with like minded creative people.

How to find us?

1: There is a "find us on facebook" icon on our royalty free music website.
2: Here is a direct link to our white beetle royalty free music facebook page

Guitar Themes - Music On Hold CD

2009-09-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

This latest White Beetle release is a CD collection of high quality music on hold instrumentals. All twelve compositions are based around the guitar and encompass a number of popular music styles such as Chill Out music, Smooth Jazz, Blues, Soft Rock, Acoustic Rock, Funk and Folk. All tracks are well produced and feature excellent and tasteful guitar playing. The overall result is a collection of music on hold tracks that are melodic, original, relaxing and enjoyable to listen to.

Guitar Themes - Music On Hold CD is an off the shelf all in one solution. There are no hidden fees are hidden licensing issues. Pay once and use the CD for music on hold purposes for 75 years, no BMI,PRS etc.. for further information see our music on hold license agreement.

Compilation track listing, links to audio and descriptions:

01 - Smokey Lilac - 6m11s - Led by a well accomplished nylon strung classical guitar 'Smokey Lilac' has a positive and carefree sound that gives a great summery holiday feel. Instrumentation also includes electric piano, synthesizer, electric bass guitar and drums.

2 - White Roses - 7m02s - This piece of music on hold is a relaxed happy go lucky Smooth Jazz/Easy Listening instrumental with a moderate tempo and running time of seven minutes and two seconds. Led by an electric lead guitar in a style similar to that of George Benson 'White Roses' is punctuated by excellent guitar motifs and mazey jazz guitar runs and a positive and sunny jazz chord progression.

3 - Mark's Garage - 4m19s - A laid back tempo for this gentle soft rock guitar instrumental. Featuring electric lead guitar, acoustic rhythm guitar, drums, electric bass guitar and synthesizer pad sounds. The running time is four minutes and nineteen seconds abnd the speed is 160 beates per minute.

4 - Blue Dahila - 6m00s - This music on hold track is a modern jazz blues instrumental with a moderate tempo and running time of six minutes. Blue Dahila has a slick smooth jazz feel to it and exhibits some nice harmonised guitar motifs.

5 - Fairchild 1970 - 4m47s - This piece of music on hold is written around a minimalist drum beat and bass line the atmosphere is rich with lush sounds and a simple arpeggio guitar motif. A spacious and uncomplicated piece of music on hold that cleverly makes reference to various pop music styles while keeping the chill out style going, the feel is slick and positive and memorable.

6 - Gentle Viola - 5m58s - This piece of music on hold is an easy going and romantic modern jazz blues instrumental with a slowish tempo and running time of five minutes and fifty eight seconds. While exhibiting a slick smooth jazz feel 'Gentle Viola's lead instrument, the electric guitar shows some lovely touches of the blues, part 'Parisienne Walkways' (Gary Moore) part 'Still Got The Blues' (Gary Moore) but with a clean and rich tone.

7 -Aqua Blue - 5m18s - A chilled out royalty free instrumental with a relaxed tempo of eighty beats per minute and a running length of five minutes and eighteen seconds. This spacious and luscious arrangement is based around a cool drum and percussion groove that has a very contemporary feel groove. The slow moving chord progression has two movements and is played on a padded electric piano that gives a dreamy edge.

8 - Red Tulips - 5m14s - This piece of music on hold is a jazz blues instrumental here with a running time of five minutes and fourteen seconds and a laid back slow to moderate tempo. Instrumentation includes rhythm guitar, electric Fender Rhodes piano and acoustic drums. Tight and well executed musicianship creates a wonderful backing to this great blues guitar work out.

9 - May Dandelion - 4m20s - This original piece of music on hold is a fascinating and very accomplished guitar instrumental with a very European folk sound. Two acoustic classical guitars combine with accordion, double bass and acoustic drums to create a wonderful high octane Polka type instrumental. At times flowing into a Manouche style guitar pastiche a la Django Reinhardt and with a fairly quick tempo and a running time is four minutes and twenty seconds.

10 - The Big Crumble - 6m49s - This music on hold track is a cool jazz funk fusion workout with a running time of six minutes and forty nine seconds and a fairly quick tempo. Instrumentation includes synthesizer bass, funky clavinet riff, assorted hand percussion, acoustic drums and of course electric lead guitar. Underpinning this on hold music track is a very cool clavinet riff not dissimilar to Stevie Wonder's legendary 'Superstition' (Motown Records 1972).

11 - Smily Sunflower - 4m55s - This piece of music on hold is an easy going happy go lucky Smooth Jazz/Easy Listening instrumental with moderate tempo and running time of four minutes and fifty five seconds. Led by an electric lead guitar in a style similar to that of George Benson 'Smily Sunflower' is punctuated by some nice harmonised guitar motifs and a positive rolling jazz chord progression.

12 - Cream O The Crop - 3m20s - This music on hold track is a beautiful folk blues like instrumental. Wonderful finger picking from two guitars produces a shimmering tone and a happy reflective mood that is animated and sympathetic. The style is interesting as it combines Engilish DADGAD Celtic folk style of Bert Jansch and Jimmy Page with a more American country acoustic blues style.

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Royalty Free Music for Children's Television

2009-08-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

This latest White Beetle release is a collection of royalty free music tracks for media producers looking for memorable and professionally produced music for use in children's film, children's television and radio programmes, and also animation/cartoons and video games aimed at the children's entertainment market.

This compilation contains seventeen royalty free music tracks written and produced by William E Peklinsky (see other works). These excellent pieces of music are full of happy and funny moments that are innocent and animated. A large array of instruments have been utilized and variety is the essence here as tempos, rhythms, keys and themes change between pieces to offer a very evocative and instantly adaptable professional music solution to the media producer.

Compilation track listing, links to audio and descriptions:

1 - A Minor Malady - 3m28s - Quirky, Euro-centric jazz, with a tuba bass, complementary jazz piano solo, and hop changes. Fun! Eccentric and humorous with a strong sense of movement and purpose, this perky jazz piece has a fast moving jazz tempo.

2 - Baby Steps - 4m17s - Portraying something silly or daft is what this piece music is all about and it does it very well. The melody develops harmonically using a good selection of instruments. Lyrical in places and meandering its way through different witty passages this piece will really make someone or something look very silly in your production. very childish!

3 - Bugs - 3m24s - Full of lively animation and light fantasy this fluently, improvised composition can easily be adapted to cartoon, dance, animation, mime, children's film and television, nature films, corporate films and advertising.

4 - Cheeky - 3m22s - A hip hop styled tune with a jazz melody and harmony featuring synthesizer, synth bass, vibes, piano, electric piano and drum machine.

5 - Child's Play - 3m16s - Enchanting and charming piece of royalty free music. Full of childish wonder, simple major to minor progressions resolve nicely into wondrous musical landscapes. Sounds like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with an animated, mechanical feel.

6 - Fosse Strut - 2m24s - Based around the flute and a marching snare drum this playful royalty free music piece goes from a well disguised blues into a Polka and then back again. All thoughtfully developing musically as it marches along. Excellent! Mid twentieth century style Forties 40's, Fifties 50's sound.

7 -Help Is On The Way - 3m04s - Mania prevails with this crazy whirlwind of activity! Kids of all ages will love its high energy and dizzying tempo of 150 beats per minute. This is manic, cartoonish, fun, an 'up and down', 'in and out', 'call the cops,' fast-moving chase, reminiscent of the Keystone Cops or the 'on the run' instrumentals in Chaplin or Abbott and Costello.

8 - March Of The Ducks - 2m16s - Highly individualized instrumental characterizations, give this clever composition lots of animation, movement and comic appeal. Here is an unruly, waddling battalion of flat-footed, quacking, squawking, awkward and amusing ducks of all shapes and sizes.

9 - Music For A Centipede With Bad Knees - 2m55s - featuring staccato bowed basses, marimba, steel drums, acoustic guitar, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, mandolin, cellos and full orchestra. A very clever and witty piece of music with a good busy pace that paints a very descriptive and lively picture of an eccentric insect underworld full of fun, fantasy and movement.

10 - Music For A Farsighted Billy Goat - 3m24s - Jazzy piano and guitar feature in this funny, eccentric piece that describes the placid progress of an old billy goat nibbling his way here and there across your Grandma's back yard. Tentative, edgy, jumpy, prancing, ambling along without a care in the world, smooching smoothly and lazily are all the descriptions one can find in this innovative and punchy number.

11 - Pothole Heaven - 3m01s - A light hearted piece of music with a very silly sound and feel. The syncopated rhythm in places certainly adds to the spectacle. Mandolin and guitar leads keep this piece smiling. Added accordion add variety and colour. European mid twentieth century (20th Century) feel. Very charming and very silly.

12 - Song For A Rocky Road - 2m46s - This lazily, rambling jazz theme is based around a simple blues chord progression with a syncopated off beat rhythm which has a steady, ambling, meandering pace with a moderate tempo of 116 beats per minute.

13 - Song For Mole Hill Climbers - 2m37s - This Celtic styled orchestration features accordion, marimba, banjo, acoustic bass and flutes and there is a constant optimistic industriousness, a positive sense of working hard but getting nowhere. There is a simple, very catchy theme that one can whistle along to. Composed in a major key this is a medium tempo march, with 113 beats to the minute.

14 - The Duck Battalion - 3m24s - This is an ambling, meandering, lackadaisical march that loosely describes a wobbling procession of funny, quacking, flat-footed ducks but it could easily be adapted to other, more human activities where attention is minimal, naive and unfocussed e.g. sightseers, tourists, gossiping shoppers, window shopping, inept workmen etc.

15 - The Geese Squadron - 3m35s - Gambolling, playful and amusing, this comical composition is nominally, a tribute to flying geese. This piece has a humorous, marching, upbeat tempo with 203 beats per minutes. It is very reminiscent of early Twentieth Century slapstick humor such as Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin or the Three Stooges.

16 - The Turkey Strut - 3m02s - Entertainingly jaunty, capricious and full of quirky movement this piece of music could be a dance for pixies, raindrops falling, turkeys strutting or the wheels of industry moving. There is a clever duo between a plucking banjo, pecking marimba and a comic plodding tuba and a smooth contrasting piano bridge.

17 - The Usual Suspects - 2m13s - A very comical, childish and mischievous piece. Perfect background royalty free music for comic sketches and funny children's television sketches. Endearing, humorous and meandering with a medium pace marching snare tempo. Mid twentieth century style, Thirties 30's, Forties 40's sound.

Acoustic Rock CD - Volume 1

2009-07-31T02:33:00.001-07:00

Whitebeetle.com proudly presents its latest Royalty Free Music CD release: This latest release is an original compilation of music in the acoustic rock genre. All ten songs were composed by the wonderful Marla Sgro and performed by herself and her band. All ten songs feature feature excellent vocals, great musicianship and interesting commercial subject matters.

Whitebeetle.com's Acoustic Rock CD - Volume 1 is professional production music/ background music for use in media production such as commercial and corporate film, drama, documentaries and advertising for television, radio, websites, pod casts and video games.

Techno CD Volume 1

2009-02-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

White Beetle proudly presents its latest Royalty Free Music CD release: Techno CD - Volume One is an original compilation of background music in the Techno genre. All sixteen tracks were composed by Steve G Veloudos, BMI apart from track 12: Safari Dance, which was composed by George McGarty/Ronnie Green. Offering outstanding value for money this compilation is rich in depth and variety, including within its genre many different musical themes with different keys and tempos.

Techno is a type of dance music featuring electronic instruments, principally electronic synthesizers and drum machines. Also its production is largely undertaken with music sequencers such as Cubase, Pro Tools and Logic. Originating in Detroit towards the end of the 1980s Techno now has many sub genres but its initial inspiration was the fusing of European synth based music with Afro American styles of music like House, Electro, funk and even electric jazz. There is a futuristic and aesthetic quality to Techno which some see as a marriage between technology and spirituality and even the transfer of spirituality from humans to machines... scary stuff!

A brief outline of the CD's tracks with audio preview links is laid out below:

1 - Can't Catch Me - 3m29s - This is a fast paced techno track with a fat bass line, heavy drum beat and great sequenced keyboard elements. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

2 - Cops - 3m05s - A fast paced energetic Techno style piece of music. Hard Rave drum beat with analogue synthesizer bass lines and chord patterns, scratching effects and other interesting array of added electronic sounds. Nineties 90's sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

3 - Do It - 4m02s - This Techno track uses electronic drum machine, synthesizer bass, synthesizer sounds, and percussion elements to create some dreamy layered parts and funky parts. Feelings of fun and positive energy. Nineties 90's Industrial/Electronic sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

4 - Faster Faster - 4m05s - (Fast and energetic Techno track. This tune makes use of heavy analogue bass synthesizer sounds and electronic drum sounds. Nineties 90's, Rave club sound. Sounds like The Prodigy, Orbital. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

5 - Game Plan - 3m15s - Electro style piece of music featuring electronic snare drum, compresses piano, analogue synthesizer chords and sounds. Has a classic club scene feel. Medium tempo and variation in the music. Nineties 90's sound. Sounds like Depeche Mode, Sneaker Pimps. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

6 - Jump - 3m48s - Techno track with a pulsating bass synthesizer and programmed electronic drums. Featuring some classic sampled effects. Medium tempo, Nineties 90's sound. To suit all kinds of media especially advertising, documentaries and film. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

7 - Number One - 3m11s - Techno/Electro piece of music with fat analogue bass synthesizer parts. Call and answer with various electronic synthesizer (DX7) riffs. Sounds like Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, MOD. Eighties 80's Nineties 90's sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

8 - Perpetrator - 3m23s - Fast paced electronic/techno track. Big synthesizer bass sounds, piano stabs and guitar riffs drive this non-stop action track. Eighties 80's Nineties 90's sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

9 - Production Line - 4m08s - An Electro/Techno piece of music. Featuring cool synthesizer bass lines, electronic drum machine grooves, sampled vocal sounds, and handclap. Has a real Electronic vibe with Roland TB-303 synth sounds and classic Nineties 90's Electro Dance Music feel. Medium tempo. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

10 - Profit - 3m40s - Techno/Electro style piece of music. Nice grooves with insistent electronic bass lines and classic Nineteen Nineties Dance record drum sounds (808). Catchy synthesizer melodies and good ambient sections of music. Medium tempo. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI

11 - Redline - 3m02s - A solid and energetic techno track with a sequenced bass and sampled orchestra hits. Medium tempo and featuring excellent drum grooves and interesting techno sound effects. Perfect for depicting a Rave club setting. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

12 - Safari Dance - 2m59s - Hard hitting techno dance piece. Classic Nineteen Nineties 80's dance sounds. Perfect for depicting a Rave club scene. To suit all kinds of media especially documentary and film. Composed by George McGarty/Ronnie Green.

13 - Spotlight - 0m60s - A concise and trippy Techno tune with a driving synthesizer bass lines and electronic drum machine grooves. Featuring orchestra hits and analogue synthesizer parts. Medium tempo. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

14 - Teamwork - 3m28s - An upbeat Techno piece of music with solid dance beat and repetitive synthesizer bass lines. Nicely implements dreamy synthesizer effects, hand percussion and House Music style piano rhythms. Ambient and Nineties 90's sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

15 - Thumpin - 3m44s - A Techno styled track with solid insistent fat bass line and drums and cool orchestration hits. Medium tempo with off beat guitar stabs and classic Roland TB-303 parts/melodies. Eighties 80's Nineties 90's sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

16 - eMarketing - 3m32s - Infectious synthesizer melody with handclaps and a Techno sound. Uses syncopated electronic tom toms and other drum sounds, piano elements and synthesizer arpeggios to create a modulating dance track. Medium slow tempo. Eighties 80's Nineties 90's sound. Composed by Steve G Veloudos BMI.

Smooth Jazz CD - Volume Two

2008-11-28T02:27:00.000-08:00

White Beetle proudly presents its latest Royalty Free Music CD release: Smooth Jazz CD - Volume Two is an original compilation of background music in the Smooth Jazz genre. All twenty tracks were composed by the very talented William E Peklinsky, BMI. Offering outstanding value for money this compilation is rich in depth and variety, including within its genre many different musical themes with different keys and tempos.

Smooth Jazz is modern blend of R&B, funk and pop music to produce relaxed, background music that features typical Jazz instrumentation and improvisational elements. Sometimes also known as new adult contemporary Smooth Jazz has a laid back tempo of between 88 and 110 beats per minute and is usually instrumental. Saxophone and guitar are popular lead instruments in this genre due to their expressive nature. Jazz purists are not generally that keen on Smooth Jazz as it is seen quite commercial and very radio friendly, some feel that it is more like background music and that it lacks originality, others though like it for precisely the same reasons finding it soothing and not too taxing.

A brief outline of the CD's tracks with audio preview links is laid out below:

1 - AMPED UP - (Latin rock) grand piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums, percussion; smooth tight groove, makes you want to move.

2 - AT FIRST SIGHT - (smooth jazz/fusion) grand piano, B-3 organ, electric bass, tenor sax, drums; velvety smooth tenor sax and electric bass play in unison while being lifted up by the driving drums and Hammond B-3 organ this song takes flight from the first note.

3 - DREAMS OF YOU - (soft jazz rock) grand piano, Fender rhodes electric piano, acoustic guitar, electric bass, synth pads, drums; Every time I close my eyes I’m faced with dreams of you...

4 - FAITH - (smooth jazz) tenor sax, electric bass, electric piano, drums; blues riffs take it to church.

5 - FRUMOS - (African rhythm) - grand piano, synth pads, acoustic bass, drums, acoustic guitar; Frumos means ‘Beautiful’ in Romanian, and this song has a beautiful melody, chord changes and arrangement.

6 - I DREAMED OF JEANNIE - (SAMBA) Fender Rhodes electric piano, vibes, flamenco guitar; a musical nod to “I Dream Of Jeannie” American TV show of the 60’s, it’s fun and whimsical!

7 - I KNOW JUST WHAT YOU NEED - (swing-nova) grand piano, electric bass, drums, acoustic guitar, electric piano, B-3 organ, trumpets, saxes, trombones, percussion; Your woman is laying down the law on this one, man! Better listen up!

8 - I RAN AWAY - ( smooth Latin rock) acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, drums;

9 - IT MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE - (swing-nova) grand piano, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, drums; swing-nova beat was started in the 60's after the popularity of the Bossa-Nova craze by jazz musicians who blended the bossa beat with the swing of be-bop. just what the title implies, you have to move to this one.

10 - LITTLE GARDEN - (soft Latin rock) grand piano, synth pads, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, drums, percussion, finger snaps; soft bluesy and sultry, with a bit of intrigue.

11 - MYSTERY MAN - (soft samba) tenor sax, electric piano, electric bass, drums, synth pads; seductive, clandestine and dangerous

12 - SAY WHAT? - (swing-nova) grand piano, acoustic bass, drums, acoustic guitar; swing-nova beat was started in the 60's after the popularity of the Bossa-Nova craze by jazz musicians who blended the Bossa beat with the swing of be-bop.

13 - SCHOOL DAYS - (soft rock blues ) Fender Rhodes electric piano, acoustic guitar, B-3 organ, drums; Elementary my dear! It’s fun kid stuff set to music.

14 - SEND ME YOUR LOVE - (soft jazz rock) grand piano, electric piano, electric bass, drums; straight ahead rock theme with a bouncy cheerful feel.

15 - SONG FOR JAMES - (soft samba) grand piano, electric piano, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, drums; sadly sweet song for my brother, or your brother...aren't we all brothers after all?

16 - SWEET REMEMBRANCES - (soft jazz rock) Fender Rhodes , electric piano, acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums, synth pads; A tender melody to reminisce on the good times.

17 - TELL ME ONE MORE TIME - (smooth jazz fusion) tenor sax, electric piano, electric bass, drums, synth pads; seductive sax brings it down and dirty, bass & drums get your groove on right here.

18 - THE WATER IS BLUE - (smooth jazz) electric piano, acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums; deep longing as blue as the sea.

19 - TRAVEL BY NIGHT - (jazz rock) Fender Rhodes electric piano, grand piano, acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums; gliding through the darkness on silken wings.

20 - YOU KNOW JUST WHAT I LIKE - (smooth funky) electric piano, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, drums, percussion; feel good possibilities, happy good time blues.

Smooth Jazz CD - Volume One

2008-10-07T03:17:00.000-07:00

Whitebeetle.com proudly presents its latest Royalty Free Music CD release: Smooth Jazz CD - Volume One is is an original compilation of background music in the Smooth Jazz genre. All twenty tracks were composed by the very talented William E Peklinsky, BMI. Offering outstanding value for money this compilation is rich in depth and variety, including within its genre many different musical themes with different keys and tempos.

Smooth Jazz is modern blend of R&B, funk and pop music to produce relaxed, background music that features typical Jazz instrumentation and improvisational elements. Sometimes also known as new adult contemporary Smooth Jazz has a laid back tempo of between 88 and 110 beats per minute and is usually instrumental. Saxophone and guitar are popular lead instruments in this genre due to their expressive nature. Jazz purists are not generally that keen on Smooth Jazz as it is seen quite commercial and very radio friendly, some feel that it is more like background music and that it lacks originality, others though like it for precisely the same reasons finding it soothing and not too taxing.

Whitebeetle.com's is professional production music/ background music for use in media production such as commercial and corporate film, television, radio, websites, pod casts and video games.

Whitebeetle.com's 12th Royalty Free Music Podcast

2008-07-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Our 12th Royalty Free Music Podcast has now gone live and can be accessed in either AAC or MP3 format from our podcast page.

More and more content is coming on to the website from our team of composers and the diversity is growing day b. A great way to keep up to date with all the new music going onto our website is to subscribe to our RSS feed. That way you can see complete details of new music (and recent music - last 100 pieces) and of course you can preview them instantly as well, all this from inside your RSS reader. Neat eh? Popular RSS readers include Google Reader and if you use igoogle you can integrate your rss feeds directly into your homepage.

Happy listening from all at whitebeetle.com.

Basic rules and tips for recording music (continued) - Part 2

2008-07-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Two - Playing in Time. Ok you have got your click track all set up and you cannot wait to start laying down some cool vibes. You and your fellow musicians put down your tracks live or one at a time but when playing back it sounds slightly disjointed and, frankly, quite loose and a bit dodgy. Just knowing it sounds not quite there is a good sign. Why does it sound like this? Well this is where being a good musician comes into it. The closer you play to the click track the tighter your music will sound, you can still play to the click track while playing before or after the beat (slightly) : great musicians can do this at will but for us mere mortals it is best to try to hit the beats, that’s right : bang on the money! Practice helps enormously. In the digital domain editing can really improve slightly out of time parts but it is very labor intensive and it is not for the dabbler as once you start you have to finish to make any tangible improvements.

Three - Tuning. I do not need to go big on this one, just make sure all your instruments are in tune with each other, use a pitch fork, piano, guitar tuner or whatever but make sure all your instruments are all good to go before the tape rolls. If your singer cannot sing in tune to the detriment of the music then do not buy some auto tune software rather go out and find another singer.

Four - Level : get it down hot. No matter what type of equipment you use, how you record the signal of each instrument is crucial to the end result. People sometime get nervous about this and there are numerous articles out there that completely over complicate this issue. If a recorded signal goes over 0 DB then it will distort and generally speaking be good for nothing. If a recorded signal is weak then it is difficult to place in a mix without turning it up very loud and this can make it very noisy. On tape you can record very hot, this means the level of the signal going onto tape can be quite high.. but still you do not really want the loudest parts to over -4 to -2 db. For recording digitally your highest peaks should not probably be over -4 db: leave yourself some head room… the odd peak a -2 db is acceptable. Many of us do not use compressors while laying down tracks but if you have one and have a very dynamic part that is difficult to record then you should use the compressor to control the peaks so that you do not overload signal – be conservative so as not to squash the sound just control those naughty peaks.

Royalty Free Tango Music CD - Volume 1

2008-06-23T03:30:00.000-07:00

Whitebeetle.com proudly presents its latest Royalty Free Music CD release: This latest release is an original compilation of music in the Tango dance genre. All ten tracks were composed and performed by the very talented William E Peklinsky, BMI. All ten pieces feature several themes and are played in several different keys with differing tempos.

Tango is a musical dance that originates from Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the latter part of the nineteenth century and more precisely the Spanish /Italian immigrant communities. It took on fast and soon became very popular, spreading to Europe, particularly Paris and London before being introduced to New York before the onset of the First World War. The Tango dance is well known for its sensual and passionate qualities, usually exhibiting sexual overtones:

Photo: The Street of Buenos Aires (Tango) I - Copyright: Romain Donadio

Fast and slow tempos have been applied to this Dance which was typically in a 2/4 or 4/4 time signature. Tango dance and its music, although going in and out of style in the twentieth century, remains a popular dance and music genre all over the World today.

Whitebeetle.com's Tango Music CD - Volume 1 is professional production music/ background music for use in media production such as commercial and corporate film, television, radio, websites, pod casts and video games.

New Royalty Free Music Ragtime Piano CD - Volume

2008-06-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

Whitebeetle.com proudly presents its latest Royalty Free Music CD release: This time it is an original compilation of Piano music in the Ragtime genre. All ten tracks were composed and performed by the very talented William E Peklinsky, BMI. All ten pieces feature several themes and are played in several different keys with differing tempos.

Ragtime is an American musical genre that became very popular in Western societies at the start of the twentieth century (most people think of Scott Joplin's 1902 composition "The Entertainer" when they think of Ragtime music).

Typically in 2/4 and 4/4 Ragtime pieces usually develop three to four themes or melodies that employ syncopation to create a "swing" in the music. Many people now feel that Ragtime was an important influence for Jazz Music, perhaps as important as The Blues.

Many people also associate the background music for Black and White silent films with Ragtime. This makes it useful when TV producers and the like caricature silent movies.

Whitebeetle.com's Ragtime Piano CD - Volume 1 is professional production music/ background music for use in media production such as commercial and corporate film, television, radio, websites, pod casts and video games.

Basic rules and tips for recording music - Part 1

2008-06-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

Most of us who record music at an amateur or semi professional level are not content to rest on our laurels as the quest for better sound quality and better produced music is practically endless. When one listens back to ones earliest recordings it is usually not hard to hear inherent problems in the performances, recordings and of course, the mix. At times listening can make one cringe. The fact that they might make you cringe is a positive thing as it proves that you recognize the faults in the recordings and if you were to rerecord the pieces of music in question then you would probably want to correct certain issues immediately. This article’s sole purpose is to lay out several important techniques for achieving better recordings.

One – Tempo. Pieces of recorded music that unintentionally fluctuate in tempo are the hall marks of shoddy musicians and engineers. Many musicians get nervous and excited when they play so they need something to keep time to i.e. a click track or a metronome and yes even the drummer needs something to keep his beat steady when recording. Why bother having a click track, you ask? Well, fluctuations in tempo make it harder for other musicians to lay down their parts to the recorded music and the music will not be able to “breath” properly, sounding rushed and congested at times and dragging its feet at others. If you are recording with a DAW or a sequencer then use the click track facilities when laying down the basic tracks.

Obviously you need the click be set up for the right speed and time signature so spend five minutes making sure these are right for the music you want to record. If you are recording onto tape, such as a four track porta studio, then the easiest solution maybe be to set up your metronome and record it onto a track before you commence recording your parts. A drum machine is a perfect metronome. If you are limited for tracks then once you have solid “keeper” parts down you can record over the metronome track.

One enormous advantage to recording with a click in is that you can easily and properly edit bulk sections of your song/music piece i.e. you can cut and paste a whole chorus and it will be perfectly with the rest of the song. I record royalty free music and albums for Rock Bands and ninety five percent of the time I record with a click.

Tenth Royalty Free Music Podcast.

2008-03-05T02:38:00.000-08:00

Whitebeetle.com proudly presents its tenth Royalty Free Music podcast. Featuring excellent new music in a variety of different styles:

Regular Royalty Free Music Podcast

iTunes Royalty Free Music Podcast

Why not also take a listen to our new selection of On Hold Music CDs and a look at our on hold music squidoo?
Other news is that lots and lots of new content is coming your way and perhaps the most important news is that Whitebeetle.com will soon be available in several different languages.
First one up will be Francais, MUSIQUE LIBRE DE DROIT.

à bientôt!

Why Buy On Hold Music?

2008-03-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons to buy on hold music for your business and in this small article I will briefly outline these reasons and also offer some insight into what is really available to you in terms of On hold music and what your business should be looking for.

First things first, when a caller to your business is put on hold the fact that they can hear music through their earpiece assures them that their call is still connected. Obviously this means they are much less likely to hang up through uncertainty.

Secondly, hearing music helps the caller to not focus too much on the amount of time they are waiting for your response.

Important though is the music they hear because if the music is of bad quality, which in many cases it is, the caller will become more impatient and is more likely to hang up. The most frequently used On Hold music in the United Kingdom is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It is very, very clichéd to use mainstream classical music and the main reason it is used is that it has no copyright and is therefore free. Using clichéd music shows that the business has not thought about their on hold music very much at all and that it is not really concerned about what the caller hears while on hold. Not a good sign.

Look at your on hold music as a way of advertising or of pulling your customer in. If you pay thousands of dollars a year in advertising why your lose your potential customer at the last and smallest hurdle by subjecting them to corny and unoriginal music? Show some class, buy some music that matches the aesthetic or image of your business. You want something more relevant to your business not just some badly put together elevator music that you bought for ten bucks off the internet. Give your potential customer a good feeling about your business. Stand out from the crowd.

If you look at badly made corporate films their music is usually one of the reasons they seem so bad. A good corporate film always has good music to underline the meaning of the film. Listen to your On Hold music in this way. If your company sells pizzas then obviously you would look for some happy sounding Italian folk music. If your company sells software you probably want something more contemporary and state of the art. Where you are in the world obviously has an impact too, especially if your company operates at a local level. For example, the music tastes of people living in Texas are not the same as people living in New York State. There are lots of on hold music companies out there but all were not created equal. Look for quality and relevance not just a cheap bargain that you yourself cannot bear to listen to.

Have a listen to the On Hold Music at White Beetle.

More Royalty Free Music

2008-02-04T05:33:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,

it has been a short while since our last blog but Whitebeetle.com has been very busy. Lots and lots of new music will be coming your way this year and lots more functionality will also be added to the website. Serious film makers will find that the quality of our music is becoming topclass. Check out Peter Schreiber' new piece "Landscape" or William E. Peklinsky's "Long Lonely Highway". Cartoon and comedy makers just have to have a listen to our new section "Comedy"

Businesses now looking for quality On Hold Music need look no further than our specialised On Hold CD collection.

Also French speakers will soon be able to access our website in French very soon. More languages to come.

À Bientôt!

Weird War - Girls Like That

2007-09-19T01:44:00.001-07:00

great band with real funk rock sound, bit electro bit psychedelic too

read more | digg story

Best Rockabilly Guitarist in London

2007-09-17T01:33:00.001-07:00

I saw this guy play with his band in the Marathon Bar in Camden ( plenty of faces milling about there). You gotta go see him, this guy is one hell of a guitarist and performer.

read more | digg story

Ninth Whitebeetle Royalty Free Music Podcast

2007-09-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

our Ninth Royalty Free Music podcast is now live.

iTune users can get their enhanced podcast here and for those of us in the cheap seats the good old trusty Mp3 version can be found here.

bye for now.

Your Analogue Mixing Desk: Think Twice Before Selling It.

2007-09-12T03:10:00.000-07:00

Recently on a trip to Wales I had the good fortune to sit in with a very good sound engineer who was mixing down five tracks for a band that he had recorded. The engineer, who shall remain nameless in this article, had basically set up a digital studio in a farm house and was using an adjacent barn to record in. He had a multi core going from the barn into a small room in his cottage that was essentially his control room.

His basic set up was a 24 into 4 into 2 Behringer mixing desk which was hooked up to two delta 10/10s which were in turn connected to his PC ( a 64 bit AMD chip on an ASUS board….. that is if I am not mistaken). As a software sequencer he was using Cubase SX3 with the waves diamond pack, the waves SSL pack and an assortment of other plug-ins that I was less familiar with. He also had a Behringer stereo valve pre amp and a couple of stereo compressors. Pretty modest you might think, and you might be right but I soon found out he did not need much more. His microphone collection was nice I thought with a Neumann TLM 103 being the pick of the bunch and a Shure SM57 and AKG D112 shoring things up in the drum department.

The band he was recording was a metal outfit who were good musicians and the music being mixed displayed much prowess in structure, melody and dynamics. This however does mean it was easy to mix. When I arrived the engineer and the band’s manager were ruminating over the snare sound. In fact it was the first thing I noticed when I came in and as the afternoon wore on it became clear that this was really the only problem with the mixes. Generally speaking, though, the music sounded pretty damn good and after I made a few coffees and teas I started to ask a few questions about the engineers set up. He was the first one to admit that his gear was ordinary and that he even bought the desk second hand on EBay for less than two hundred pounds. That said, he used twelve microphones to record the drum kit and its overall sound was jaw dropping.

The engineers main point about not having an expensive set up was that you just do not need it. Why? He told me that the most important piece of equipment is your ears and of course he is right. Afterwards, he argued, knowing where to put the microphone, getting enough signal to tape, knowing how to use EQ, compression, and reverb were essential and these skills, as many of us know, take some time to master. Some never get the hang of these skills completely completely and not knowing what you are doing is going to sound just as bad through a Neve desk as it is through a Behringer desk. Point is: Technical prowess does not come in a box and there is no silver bullet.

To eliminate room sounds when recording in less than ideal environments he advocated recording as close and dry as possible and being isolated from the source obviously gives you the chance to hear what you are recording and make those essential adjustments before going for a take. A close sound could easily be made to sound more back in the mix or larger with convolution reverbs or with other types or reverbs and delays.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I discovered was how he routed his soundcards into and out of his mixing desk. Bearing in mind that most people recording with a modest setup seem to only use their analogue mixing desk for tracking and then stay in the digital domain even until after mix down. This engineer had four stereo group tracks, as well as his Buss Mix going from Cubase, through his Delta 10/10’s into his mixing desk. Of course he had routed some back into Cubase. What is the point you might ask? Well, lots to be honest. Firstly, he could easily EQ any of the stereo groups using his analogue EQ’s on his desk and I do not care what anybody says, using an analogue Equalizer is more intuitive and usually sounds better than using a digital equalizer. Remember you can send reverb and effect sends out onto these stereo Busses. This gives you much more hands on access to your mix and can really help you shape your mix or identify where it is going wrong.

He also had hands on control for muting, soloing and fading. He could easily route them back into Cubase if he wanted. He could use his outboard compressors and valve pre amps which were all patched into his desk auxiliaries and patch bay. The master Buss on his Behringer desk, had become, in real terms “The” Master Buss and was routed back into Cubase when he wanted to run off a mix.

There is no doubt to my mind that the analogue desk and outboard gear also really helps your mix to sound, well, more “Real” and warmer. Driving home, I was reconfiguring my own studio in my head and I have finished my reconfiguring and have started mixing and remixing pieces for my royalty free music website. In fact I am really happy as I have realized that I now want to keep and utilize much of the analogue gear I have that were starting to gather dust. If you are thinking about getting rid of you analogue mixing desk and all those great pieces of redundant kit you have lying around, you too should think twice.

New Flash Player!!! Juke Box on its way

2007-08-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

new royalty free music going on today includes a killer dance floor tune going by the name of Disco Daz. Also up is a classy new piano piece called Time Out.

But to improve the way you audition our royalty free music we have now installed a flash player which works at category level.. At the product level you can still use your own media player and this gives you the opportunity to download the piece as well. A jukebox will soon be added to the site and this will give you immediate access to our hottest products. As ever things are moving on.

A warm hello goes out to all participants and staff for the thirty day challenge

bye for now

Royalty Free and Commissioned music

2007-07-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone.

the music keeps coming and so do the podcasts. The eighth and and most recent Whitebeetle.com Royalty Free Music Podcast features one of our newest writers who goes by the name of Mike Cusato. We are very excited to have him on board as his musicianship and engineering skills are exceptional. Here is a taster of some of his electric guitar skills.
Tasty huh?

To augment what has been for us a busy week, Matthew, our piano man, has also added some splendid Royalty Free Music. There is definatley a buzz about what we are doing at the moment and there is the feeling that we are starting to offer music that has that little extra thrown in...... more feeling and less cheese.

Seventh Whitebeetle.com Royalty Free Music Podcast

2007-07-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone.

It is here! The seventh and latest Whitebeetle.com Royalty Free Music Podcast is here and features a new and varied blend of our music catalog. Enjoy!

Music Loops Are Here

2007-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yes it is the Here. Prepared Music Loops have come to Whitebeetle.com .....
and there are many more to come. Goto Whitebeetle Music Loops to check them out.

Have you Ever been to Audio Effectsville? The Pit Falls of Audio Plug-in Effects – Part I

2007-05-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Have you Ever been to Audio Effectsville? The Pit Falls of Audio Plug-in Effects – Part I
These days most people who write and record music use a computer somewhere in their audio recording set up. Some of us, me included, record, edit and master our recordings without actually leaving the digital domain. In the old days, before reliable digital processing was available, everything stayed in the analogue domain; everything was recorded onto a multitrack tape recorder and would then be mixed onto two track tape recorder, which in many cases gave way to the dat machine, before being mastered onto a vinyl master which would then be used to duplicate the music. One might think that all this “progress” had led us to higher quality audio recordings. This has become a hotly debated issue over the last twenty years or so and it seems as if the jury is still out. Personally, I have to concede that if you want to know what quality is then try listening to Steely Dan’s greatest hits as it will give you a few pointers.
The top studio’s all use digital equipment but you can bet your last buck that their “business end” processing will be mostly analogue and most of it you or I will never be able to comfortably afford. So where does that leave us mere mortals? Well the humble plug-in has become a cheap substitute for expensive analogue processing and allows us unprecedented levels of audio manipulation. Naturally these plug-ins need a sequencer such as Cubase or Logic or an audio application such as Sound Forge to be of any use but anyone can, even with a reasonably humble computer, get these applications and plug-ins to run. Also, most audio sequencers also come with an array of plug-in effects built in so you need not to spend much before being able to play around with effects plug-ins.
When you first start to play with audio effect plug-ins, especially if you have no experience of studio or analogue type recording, you will probably be over-awed with the possibilities for manipulating sound. Indeed it seems that whatever type of effect you need there will be some space age plug-in that is available with more parameters than you know what to do with. It is like being a child in a sweet shop, there is too much choice and you want to try everything all at once. You will get sucked in like a fly to the proverbial turd. As your pc grinds to a standstill and you manage to turn off all the plug-in effects all you are left with is the humble sound you started with and after hearing it with phasers and pitch shifters and distortion and delay and reverb and autopanners it suddenly sounds small, uninteresting and useless. When you reach this point, and you might not realize that you have, you have fallen into the audio limbo where you will waste many hours on music that will never see the light of day and even you will not be able to bear to listen to it even years later. You have reached audio Effectsville where nothing is real and everything is out of phase. ...... to be continued

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-0edb96083d678a634d40adfd4a3cbc6f}

Garage Band in the hills

2007-04-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend of mine and myself decided to take some time out and head up to the mountains for some rest and recuperation. The pressures of city life are only too obvious these days and the desire to get away from the office and computers were main motivating factors. We planned to do some hill walking, relaxing, eating and drinking. Both being musicians it only seemed right that we take a few instruments with us to help us wile away the nights. It had to be on an acoustic basis so I took my flamenco guitar and my friend took his little Ukulele. Just before setting out on what would be a five hour journey we pondered on whether we should take my friends Apple laptop. After thirty seconds of weak resistance we caved in and decided to take it. As my friend picked up his Apple laptop I noticed his little USB audio/midi interface sat next to the laptop. He looked at me and smiled “well there’s plenty of room in the car might as well take the C1000 and the SM58, just in case we record anything, we can improvise some stands if needed …..oh this little slim line two octave midi keyboard might be good too.” He did not even mention the headphones; they just went straight in the bag. So there it was; a small sports bag with a portable recording studio inside it.

“What music software do you have on there?” I asked as we drove away from the seemingly unending urban sprawl that is London. “Not much really, Garage Band is on there though…. Not really checked it out yet. We can always have a bit of a play with that, let’s try not to get too geeky …….” My friend replied.

We did not even bother plugging in the laptop for the first couple of days and really enjoyed just jamming with the guitar and uke. If you have not got a Ukulele then I can heartily recommend that you buy one. They are such great fun, easy to play, cheap to buy, and easy to carry around with you. I think it was the third night when we decided to try to record an idea that we had been playing around with. Setting everything up was a breeze as the USB audio/midi interface and USB midi keyboard needed no external power units to make them work so we just plugged them straight into the Apple laptop. We used the USB audio/midi interface as the Garage Band audio inputs and the laptops internal sound card for the Garage Band audio output. Normally we would not have needed to use the onboard sound but we had forgotten our quarter inch mono jacks to phono leads. Luckily we did have a 3.5mm stereo jack to phono lead (very useful cable to have lying around!!). To record without using the stereo hifi’s speakers we just plugged the head phones into the hifi’s headphone socket.

At first we had a quick dabble to see how it all worked and we soon found that Garage Band has some very usable midi instruments available. We were getting maybe 8-10 milliseconds of latency using the midi keyboard and one of Garage Bands on board piano sounds. This was more than acceptable. Using the phantom power on the USB audio/midi interface enabled us to record the flamenco guitar and ukulele with the C1000 and we were both surprised by the quality of the recorded sound. Another massive bonus was that the apple laptop was so quiet.

We found Garage Band to be a very useful piece of software. It is great for throwing ideas together and if you really went at it you could probably create something of note using just garage band and live instruments. You have to be careful as there are some very tired sounding drum loops in there but they are useful to sketch ideas with and the time stretch facility works quite well. If you want to piece together a John Bonhamesque drum track it should not take you long in Garage Band. All the built in midi sounds are a little too manicured for my liking but having said that they fit in well and I particularly like the electric piano sounds. My only real gripes are the transport and locator features; after using Cubase for years it feels quite restricting in how you drop in and out and navigate around your little project….. They need to sort this out.

In the end we used Garage Band to record a kind of Eastern European polka type instrumental which featured just the flamenco guitar and ukulele. We obviously used a click track to record and did play around with several midi instruments to experiment with the piece. In the end, though, it seemed quite apt that the piece that became known as Boris the Red should remain a simple instrumental duo of guitar and ukulele. I was that pleased with the piece that I put it on my Royalty Free Music website, Whitebeetle.com. I like the fact that you can hear the acoustics of the room, while it does not have a polished sound it does have character and I find it, ultimately, a believable piece. The simple recording set up we used helped us concentrate on just the music as we wiled away our evenings. Top marks to Garage Band and the little set up we used. It now really fascinates me that one can get away from it all, travelling relatively light, and still have all the marvels of the digital age at one’s finger tips to help the creative process. I am already dreaming of stating in a cottage in the Tuscan Hills…… with my guitar and laptop.

Singing and recording : What has changed?

2007-04-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

Following up my last entry I decided to try to write a better article:

The techniques used to record vocals these days are essentially the same as those used fifty years ago. Microphone technology has not really progressed; pre-amplifiers and compressors have not really changed either, though they might sport more features and controls. Even though the way we capture the sound has changed some people still prefer to record onto ferrous tape. Digital recording is no longer new either and dates back to the early nineteen eighties.

So what has changed?

Well, software and accessibility. We are now able to manipulate what we record beyond our wildest dreams. When I started recording in the late nineteen eighties I was using an eight track tape machine which meant when you recorded a vocal it had to be a near to perfect as you could get it because timing and pitch could not be altered at all. Today with a few clicks of the mouse you can move every word around to your heart’s content in an audio sequencer. Auto-tune plug-ins can correct pitch issues in very near real time. To top it all, most people with a pc, microphone, pre-amplifier and a modicum of interest in music and recording can have access to all the marvels of the making music in the digital world right there in their front room or bedroom. It does not, however, guarantee they will become the next George Martin or say, Freddy Mercury but it does mean they can record and edit to a pretty decent standard with limited means. For musicians these advantages are obvious as they no longer need to pay for expensive studio time to record their music. Perhaps they will record just the drums at a studio then edit the results to tighten the performance before laying down the other instruments in the comfort of their own home at their own leisure and speed. There is also so much information on the internet that if you do have a technical issue then someone, almost undoubtedly, will have posted a solution on the internet that you can find within minutes. Go back fifty years and you would have struggled to find someone who knew what phase cancellation was in your own city never mind find someone who knew how to correct or avoid it. Skills are therefore becoming less specialized as more information is available to us all.

You would think that this technological revolution would mean there are more amazing singers being discovered. Sadly, the answer is probably no. Why? Well, software is making people lazy and blunting their performance skills. For instance, I record someone singing a vocal; the take is ok but slightly out of time and out of tune. I try to coax another take out of him but he is tired or needs to be somewhere else. “Come on John, a bit of auto tune and a nip and a tuck here and there and it will be fine” he might tell me. On one level he is right. If it is not too bad then it can be corrected using software and good judgment but that will not make him a better singer. These days everyone thinks they can sing. Probably half the singers in the top forty cannot sing properly and their careers rely on clever engineers and the latest software. Let us face it: you need to have talent or work very hard to become a good singer! If I can offer any advice laymen advice it would be as follows:

It is important with vocals as with all REAL instruments to learn how to ''get them down". By that I mean how to get a good take down. Identify your weaknesses and work to overcome them rather than relying on software that can sometimes often cheapen the results. Always try to get a good signal recorded. You should not exceed -2 decibels. Try not to record with any equalization and if the performance does not need compression to control it then you can leave that until later too. Always use a pop shield.

A good tip is too really practice singing your lines without the music and indentify where you are going wrong. Then break it down and focus on the bad bits. Let the microphone do the work, you do not need to shout or force it. Try to control your breathing from your diaphragm (this takes practice). Practice your vowels and mouth sounds too as this helps develop clearer execution. Good timing is essential but not difficult to master if you know your lines. Try to know your lines off by heart so that you are not distracted by reading at the same time as you are trying to sing.

Most people tend to sing out of tune when they cannot hear what they are singing properly i.e. the mix is too loud in their headphones or the bass is too loud in their headphones. In fact headphones are difficult to use for many singers; some top producers have the mix coming out of the control room monitors with the singer and microphone in there in front of the monitors (you can use a noise gate to take out the spill later). Try it and see if works for you. Remember not to have the volume too loud or the microphone pointing at the monitors. It is essential, however, to always use a pop shield.

The gap between mediocre and great music is narrower these days as more and more people are having a go at making music and in general we are getting used to hearing mediocre music while thinking it is something special. If you are serious about singing, recording, or making music then strive to improve continually in every area. Do not rely on software to make you sound good rather use it wisely to help nurture and express your music. I record royalty free music for whitebeetle.com and album for artists and I am constantly trying to improve what I do. To me it is an endless quest.

Singing and harmonies

2007-04-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

Somebody was moaning to me the other day about having lots of trouble singing in tune and laying down harmonies. He had basically thrown the towel in and was looking for software to make him sound like a star. I tried to offer him some encouragement and this is what I told him:

auto tune may help you for small pitch adjustments. I'm not aware of melodyne but it is important with vocals as with all REAL instruments to learn how to ''get them down" so it is really important to work to overcome you difficulties rather than relying on wares that can sometimes cheapen your results.

A good tip is too really practice singing your lines (without the music helps) and indentify where you are going wrong. Let the mic do the work, you do not need to shout or force it. Remember to breath from your diaphram. Practise your vowels too as this helps develop cleaner and clearer execution. Timing is key too ( editing can really sharpen a performance).

Most people go out of tune when they can not hear what they are singing properly ie the mix is too loud in their cans or the bass is too loud in their cans. In fact head phones are difficult to use for many singers, some top producers have the mix coming out of the control room monitors and the singer in there singing (you can gate the spill out) in front of the monitors. This way you might feel more comfortable with the music.

Remember a bit of eq can make all the difference with vocals and always use a pop shield.

Putting down harmonies is fun but write out the part on a midi piano track if you cannot get it and practise singing along with the midi part without the main melody. If you want lush harmonies then put two or three down for each harmony.

hope this helps. Also when I started recording I was really bad at singing and it took me a while to find where I was going wrong

New pieces and more to come

2007-04-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Spring is here and everyone sems to be beavering away coming up with new ideas and getting projects started.
What amazes me is the number of people and companies buying our music to enhance their podcasts and other online content such as websites and even trailers for digital products such as Ebooks.

Were busy too and have some secret projects on the go at the moment which we hope to showcase in the coming months.

The latest piece to go live is a reggae number......royalty free music.

laters...

Whitebeetle.com.

Podcast on Itunes has been updated

2007-03-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-0edb96083d678a634d40adfd4a3cbc6f}

Whitebeetle's Enhanced itunes podcast!

Feed Shark

Guitar, Guitar, Guitar

2007-03-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

White Beetle has now added a Guitar section to the royalty free music catalogue. This obviously makes looking for guitar pieces a lot easier. Click the link to have a quick look Royalty Free Guitar Music.

The latest piece to go onto the this section was Happy Valley which is a delightful acoustic guitar piece. Click the link to listen.

Whitebeetle.com

New Royalty Free Music

2007-03-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well Spring is very nearly here and we have new composers contributing to White Beetle's Royalty Free Music. Our latest piece Royalty Free Music piece, called Safari Dance,is a belter by two Mancunians, George McGarty and Ronnie Green. There is no point in me telling you what it is like, have a listen instead..... these guys are great!

There is more to come from them that is sure. Keep abreast with all our new additions to our Royalty Free Music catalogue with our live rss feed.

Bye for now.

Whitebeetle.com

New Podcasts (#3)

2007-03-14T08:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Everybody,

our new podcast is out today and for those of you using itunes you can take advantage of the enhanced features. Both podcasts feature the same samples of music and we hope you enjoy them and that they encourage you to explore our royalty free music catalgue. Both links are below.

Our Whitebeetle Royalty Free Music Podcast for itunes

Our Whitebeetle Royalty Free Music Podcast for Media Player

Many thanks,

Whitebeetle.

Breaking news...... skype phone....

2007-03-07T02:24:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

another new and useful addition to our website is the Skype me option on the contact us page.

So if you are all skyped up then contacting us will cost you nothing !!

Good news eh?

Whitebeetle.com

News......Royalty Free Music Podcasts

2007-03-07T02:09:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

a new feature on our website is our Royalty Free Music Podcast page where links can be found to our enhanced iTunes Royalty Free Music podcast and also a regular Royalty Free Music podcast for other media players. Please note that the actual audio is identical on both versions.

The objest of the podcast is to showcase the music from different categories, showing you the excellent quality of sounds we produce with the helpful narration of a tall dark stranger whose identity is a well guarded secret.

We hope you enjoy.

Whitebeetle.com

Royalty Free Music RSS FEED

2007-03-07T02:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Whitebeetle.com now has a live royalty free music RSS feed .

The advantages for the user are obvious..... our complete catalogue with descriptions all on one page and updated automatically. It's proving popular as hundreds have subscribed in just a few days. Why ont try it out?

Thanks froms All at Whitebeetle.com

Welcome to the Whitebeetle.com Blog

2007-03-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to Whitebeetle.com's weblog.

The aim of this blog is to keep you all up to date with with developmants at Whitebeetle. Ofcourse, every new piece of music will be described and linked from this blog and all news will be posted too. Discussions will also be added on music production, search engine optimisation, the media industry... etc. So keep tuned and feel free to contribute.

Thanks from all at Whitebeetle.com