Make & Submit a Beat

The two credentials

Two paths through the Capstone. Pick the one that matches your goals — completion, or facilitator authorization.

What to submit

A complete, mastered, vocal-ready beat in any genre you choose, with a 4-section minimum arrangement.

Source flexibility — pick your direction

Unlike the Sound Engineering capstone (which uses provided stems), the Beat-Making capstone is original work. Make a beat from scratch using royalty-free samples, your own recordings, or licensed loops — anything cleared for release.

• Beat must be original. No uncleared samples (BM-3 covers the legal side). Royalty-free Splice loops + your own programming = fine. Vinyl sample of a Marvin Gaye record = not fine for this submission.
• Pick your genre. Hip-hop, trap, lo-fi, house, drum & bass, drill, R&B, pop, ambient — all valid. The rubric grades the quality of the production, not the genre.
• Minimum 4 sections. Intro, verse, chorus/drop, outro at minimum. More is fine. Each section must demonstrate energy contrast.

Baseline submission package (both tiers)

1. Final mastered stereo WAV — 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz, integrated LUFS at your declared target (typically -14 LUFS for streaming or -8 LUFS for beat-tape). File: YourName_BeatTitle_Master_v01_YYYY-MM-DD.wav.
2. Stems package — 6-8 stem files (drums, bass, melody, etc.) per BM-9 spec. Important so reviewers can verify each layer. File: ZIP folder named YourName_BeatTitle_Stems_v01_YYYY-MM-DD.zip.
3. 1-page producer notes (PDF or Markdown) including:
   • Genre & intended platform (e.g., "trap, BeatStars + Spotify")
   • BPM and key
   • 2–3 reference tracks you A/B'd against, with artist + song titles
   • Integrated LUFS and true-peak readings of your final master
   • The strongest part of your beat in your opinion (1 sentence)
   • The biggest remaining flaw you couldn't fix (1 sentence) — honesty here is graded
   • Sample/sound sources used (Splice library, original recordings, etc. — confirms legal cleanness)

Tier 2 add-on (mentor-reviewed)

For the FTM-Certified Producer credential, add one of:

• Loom or QuickTime screen recording, 5–10 minutes, walking through your DAW session live. Show: opening the project, the arrangement, soloing 2–3 key tracks (drums, bass, melody), talking through one creative choice and one mix choice. Doesn't need to be polished. OR
• 30-minute live video call with Matteo — schedule via Circle. You walk through your session live, Matteo asks follow-up questions, suggests one move, the conversation itself counts as the review.

The FTM Producer Rubric

Submissions are graded across six dimensions, weighted by importance to producer craft. Tier 1 passes at 60+; Tier 2 at 75+.

Failing isn't punitive. Below threshold = written feedback identifying which criteria need work and specific moves to lift them. Members revise and resubmit, no limit on revision attempts.

The submission flow

Producer: [Your name]
Beat title: [Title]
Submission tier: [Tier 1 — Completion / Tier 2 — Producer]

GENRE & PLATFORM
Intended genre: [e.g., trap, lo-fi hip-hop, house]
Intended primary platform: [e.g., Spotify, BeatStars, SoundCloud]
BPM: [e.g., 90]
Key: [e.g., A minor]
Target integrated LUFS: [-14 / -8 / etc.]
Target true peak ceiling: [-1 dBTP]

REFERENCE TRACKS
1. [Artist] — [Song]
2. [Artist] — [Song]
3. [Artist] — [Song] (optional)

FINAL MEASUREMENTS
Integrated LUFS reading: [-X.X LUFS]
True peak reading: [-X.X dBTP]
Master file name: [filename.wav]

ASSESSMENT
Strongest part of my beat: [1 sentence]
Biggest remaining flaw I couldn't fix: [1 sentence — be honest]

SOURCES
Drum samples: [Splice library / sample pack name / programmed from scratch]
Melodic samples: [Splice / original recording / preset library / interpolation]
Confirm all samples cleared for release: [YES / NO — must be YES]

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
Anything else for the reviewer: [free-form, 2-3 sentences]

Certificate previews

The two PDF certificates members receive on passing the Beat-Making Capstone. Same template and protective legal language as the Sound Engineering certificates — adapted for the producer credential.

After you certify

For Tier 1 (Completion) graduates

• Make more beats. 1 beat per week for 3 months = 12 beats. The fastest learning happens through reps.
• Share in Circle. Workshop your beats with the community. Give peer reviews. Reviewing other people's work deepens your own ear faster than anything else.
• Pursue Tier 2 when ready. Most Tier 1 graduates need 6-12 more beats before consistently hitting the 75+ threshold for the Producer credential.
• Try beat sales / placement. Upload your best work to BeatStars or Splice. Even small sales validate the craft.

For Tier 2 (Producer) graduates

• Teach. Lead a Beat-Making session at the next FTM gathering. Run a producer workshop for FTM members in your region.
• Mentor. The next Tier 2 cohort needs reviewers as the program scales.
• Build a producer portfolio. 5+ released beats, BeatStars/Splice profile, social presence. The credential opens doors; the work walks through them.
• Cross-credential. If you also hold the FTM-Certified Audio Engineer credential (Sound Engineering capstone), you're qualified to teach BOTH curricula. The FTM Producer + Engineer combo is rare and powerful.

"A certificate is not what you've earned. The work that earned it is."

— FTM, on the spirit of certification