How to Make a Custom Music Mix (for Cheer or Dance)

Last Updated: July 27, 2022

Are you leading a cheer or dance team and wonder how those other teams get custom music mixes? Of course you are! Do you want custom mixes, but can't afford to pay for them? Try mixing music yourself at home on your computer!

It takes a little practice, but you can learn to do it easily. Once you get the hang of it, you can create simple pieces or get creative and make layered pieces for routines. We'll show you how.

Steps

1
Get with the program. Download a music editing program. There are some great ones out there.
- Audacity is one that runs on Mac, PC, and Linux, and other operating systems—and it's free!
2
Find a few different songs that go well together. Let your team members help pick the songs.
- Look for songs that have a similar beat or feel, or look for songs that are timed to the tempo of your routines.
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3
Open the songs in your sound editor. At the same time, create a new blank sound document.
- Find the pieces in each song that you want to use.
- Cut each piece, in order and place into the empty sound file.
4
Add sound effects! You can buy CDs or download thousands of sound effects to add flavor to your cheer routine. Cut these and overlay them in various places of your music.
5
Timing is everything! Make sure the finished music meets your requirements. Listen through your mix with your teammates, and see what they think. After you do a couple of these, it'll be second nature!
6
Burn to a CD. Congratulations, you just made a great mix, and now it's time to use it. Make copies for your friends, pass them out, and get your team on the floor!

Community Q&A

Question

Can I do voiceovers as well?

Community Answer

I would put voiceovers ONLY in the beginning of the mix. Just record yourself by hitting the "R" on your computer keyboard. I'd also recommend adding some echo to it and removing background noise.
Question

How to choreograph a dance?

Community Answer

Choreographing a dance isn't that hard if you think of what your body would naturally do after a certain move. Find a song that opens your mind more to different moves. Get a song with a good beat in the back. Know all the dancers' best abilities and apply them. Creating a dance is a lot of back and forth. Don't get flustered.
Question

Do I have to pay for my music?

Community Answer

Definitely. Paying for music shows the artists/producers your support for their music, and also gives you a sense of entitlement, as compared to illegally downloading music online.

Warnings

Be careful of downloading free music online. It may be illegal and certainly can lead to computer viruses.

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Helpful 19 Not Helpful 2
Don't try your skills for the first time with an important competition routine. Practice a while first!

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Helpful 15 Not Helpful 4
Be sure to make back-up copies of your custom mixes. You might want parts of those in future routines.

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