How to Make Lo-Fi Beats: A Complete Production Guide

Genesis Mix Lab is an AI-powered mixing and mastering platform that understands genre context. Lo-fi requires a different approach than trap or pop: the warmth and imperfection are intentional, and our processing preserves the lo-fi character rather than "fixing" it. This guide teaches you how to produce lo-fi beats from scratch, whether you are sampling records or building everything from software instruments. For more genre-specific production tips, explore our lo-fi genre page.

The Foundation: Jazz-Influenced Chords

Lo-fi's harmonic language comes from jazz. Simple triads (major and minor chords with three notes) rarely capture the lo-fi mood. Instead, use extended chords that add color and complexity: major 7ths (Cmaj7), minor 7ths (Am7), dominant 9ths (G9), and suspended chords (Dsus4). These chords create the dreamy, nostalgic quality that defines the genre.

Start with these common lo-fi progressions:

• Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 - Am7: A classic ii-V-I-vi progression that sounds warm and circular. Perfect for study beats.
• Fmaj7 - Em7 - Dm7 - Cmaj7: A descending progression that creates a melancholic, reflective mood.
• Am7 - Dm9 - Gmaj7 - Cmaj7: Smooth and flowing, with the 9th chord adding extra sophistication.
• Em7 - A7 - Dmaj7 - Gmaj7: Works well with guitar or Rhodes, evoking late-night warmth.

Play these chords on a Rhodes or electric piano virtual instrument for the most authentic lo-fi sound. Apply a light chorus effect and gentle low-pass filter to soften the high frequencies and create warmth. The chord voicings should feel relaxed: spread the notes across octaves rather than clustering them tightly.

Lo-Fi Drums: Swing, Texture, and Imperfection

Lo-fi drums sound like they were sampled from a dusty record, even if they were programmed in a DAW five minutes ago. The key ingredients are swing, texture, and deliberate imperfection. Perfect quantization kills the lo-fi feel. These drums need to breathe and groove.

Kick and Snare

Use warm, round kick samples with a soft attack rather than punchy, clicking kicks. The snare should be tight but not snappy: think vintage funk or soul snare sounds rather than modern trap snares. Apply a low-pass filter to both to remove harshness above 8-10 kHz. Add a subtle layer of vinyl noise or tape hiss to the drum buss.

Hi-Hats

Lo-fi hi-hats are understated. Closed hats with a short decay, filtered to remove brightness, and velocity-varied so no two hits sound identical. Some producers use shaker or tambourine samples instead of traditional hi-hats for a more organic feel. Avoid the rapid hi-hat rolls common in trap; lo-fi hats should be sparse and laid-back.

Swing and Timing

Apply 55 to 70 percent swing to your drum pattern. Then manually nudge individual hits slightly off-grid (1-15 ms early or late) to simulate the feel of a human drummer or an MPC with imperfect timing. This human feel is the single most important element that separates authentic lo-fi from sterile imitations.

Melodic Elements: Warmth and Nostalgia

Beyond the chord progression, lo-fi beats use melodic layers that reinforce the warm, nostalgic mood. Common elements include:

• Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano: The quintessential lo-fi instrument. Warm, bell-like tones with natural tremolo and chorus. Play sustained chords or gentle arpeggios.
• Nylon or jazz guitar: Clean, warm guitar chords or single-note melodies add an organic, intimate quality. Sample from jazz records or play them live with a clean amp setting.
• Vinyl samples: Chopping and flipping samples from jazz, soul, and bossa nova records is a core lo-fi production technique. Pitch samples down for a darker, slower feel or up for a brighter, more energetic vibe.
• Pad textures: Soft, filtered pads that sit underneath the main elements add atmosphere without competing for attention. Use long attack and release times with heavy low-pass filtering.

The Lo-Fi Processing Chain: Degrading With Purpose

Lo-fi is one of the few genres where degrading audio quality is a creative choice. The processing chain that creates the lo-fi aesthetic typically includes:

• Low-pass filter (8-12 kHz): Roll off the high frequencies on your master buss or individual elements to create warmth and remove digital harshness. This is the single most impactful lo-fi processing move.
• Tape saturation: Apply subtle tape emulation to the master buss for gentle harmonic distortion, slight compression, and high-frequency roll-off that mimics recording to cassette tape.
• Bit-crushing: Reduce the bit depth to 12-bit or 8-bit on specific elements (not the entire mix) for a gritty, retro digital texture. Use sparingly: a little goes a long way.
• Vinyl noise: Layer a vinyl crackle sample at low volume underneath your beat. Filter it so only the mid-range texture comes through. It should be noticeable during quiet moments and invisible during busy sections.
• Pitch wobble: Apply subtle, slow pitch modulation (chorus or tape wobble effects) to create the feeling of a record player with slight speed fluctuation. Keep the depth very low: 1-3 cents of detuning maximum.

Apply these effects in moderation. The goal is warmth and character, not unlistenability. Professional lo-fi beats sound vintage and cozy, not broken and distorted. For mixing your lo-fi beats to release quality, explore our AI mixing tools and our genre-specific mixing guides.

Arrangement: Keep It Simple and Evolving

Lo-fi arrangements are minimalist but not static. A typical structure:

• Intro (4-8 bars): Start with just the chord progression, possibly filtered or with vinyl noise. Set the mood.
• Main section A (16 bars): Introduce drums, bass, and the primary melody. This is the core groove.
• Transition (4 bars): Drop out drums or filter down for a brief breath.
• Main section B (16 bars): Return with a slight variation: add a new melodic layer, change the hi-hat pattern, or introduce a vocal sample.
• Outro (4-8 bars): Strip elements back down. Let the beat fade naturally.

Total track length for lo-fi beats is typically 1:30 to 3:00. Streaming platforms reward tracks over 30 seconds for royalty purposes, but lo-fi listeners appreciate brevity. Do not pad a two-minute idea to four minutes. Let the beat be exactly as long as it needs to be.