Production Secrets: Music Tips Directly from Skrillex

Ever wondered how electronic music giants like Skrillex approach their craft? It turns out, it's not always about complex setups or secret plugins. Drawing insights from curated conversations and interviews about his creative process, we uncover some fascinating and surprisingly simple tips from Skrillex himself.

Here are some key takeaways for anyone looking to enhance their music production workflow — straight from Skrillex:

🎵 Start Simple, Develop Later

Often, the initial idea for a track comes as a simple melody or feeling. Skrillex emphasizes starting with this basic concept — a skeleton version of the track. He mentions having a melody in his head and building around it with elements like a counter-melody and a simple bassline.

“The sounds themselves might not even be that interesting at this stage; the crucial part is getting the core idea down.”

Contrary to popular belief, many of his sounds end up being really simple. For example, he’s used dreamy, vibey textures made from just a Vengeance sample with a little glide and reverb. The real magic, he says, often happens later when processing the bounced audio.

⚡ Work Fast, Generate Ideas, Then Refine

Skrillex’s workflow thrives on speed and iteration. He often spends an hour on a basic idea, saves it, then moves on to several others. Later, he revisits them with “a fresh brain, a fresh ear.”

This strategy boosts creativity and enables more objective evaluation of which ideas are worth developing.

🔄 Be Open to Change

Photo by Håkon Grimstad / Unsplash

When revisiting his ideas, Skrillex is flexible. Love the sound but not the melody? Switch it up. The ability to pivot based on what works best in the moment is key to evolving a track.

🌍 Embrace International Sounds and Travel

Travel is "absolutely crucial" to Skrillex’s creativity. He draws inspiration from international sounds, stating:

“My whole sound is international sounds synthesized through my own brain and mind.”

Exploration and failure are both vital parts of learning — and they help shape his ever-evolving sound.

🔊 Find Sounds Anywhere

Skrillex finds sounds in the most unconventional places — cracking soda cans for snares, recording vocals on an iPhone. His philosophy? Use what you’ve got.

This approach champions resourcefulness and creativity over gear obsession.

🛠 Technology Is Your Friend — But Ideas Come First

While he keeps up with the latest tools and trends (including AI), Skrillex insists that ideas come first:

“Ideas, an aesthetic, and a concept are bigger than any tool.”

More accessible tools mean more people worldwide can now make music. That's a good thing.

🤝 Share Your Knowledge

Inspired by mentor Martin Dodd, Skrillex follows a powerful principle:

“You exchange wisdom for energy.”

He believes in giving away good ideas. The world needs more of them — so don’t hoard what you’ve learned. Share freely.

🔌 Plugins? Keep It Simple

Photo by Techivation / Unsplash

When asked about his favorite plugins, Skrillex keeps it minimal:

• EQ: FabFilter Pro-Q3
• Limiter: FabFilter Pro-L
• Honorable Mention: Ableton’s built-in Erosion

Powerful tools don’t have to be exotic — often, they’re already in your DAW.

🧬 Automate for Life and Story

Skrillex uses automation to create movement and emotion. For instance, he automates:

• Bass frequencies (from mid-range to sub)
• Wet/dry effects or reverb size
• Subtle changes at the end of measures for transitions

He likens the evolution of a track to a story:

“A baby beat that is shy but gains confidence and strength over time.”

Automation breathes life into electronic music — and tells a story within the sound.

🎯 Final Thoughts

Skrillex’s approach isn’t about complicated gear or elite techniques — it’s about ideas, energy, simplicity, and exploration. Start with what inspires you, keep it simple, work fast, stay open to change, and use technology as a means to a creative end.