How A Low-Budget Song Is Made | Writing Titli for Unheard Songs

A 3 minute song, when heard on a device soothes the ears of the listener, but those soothing three minutes require strenuous and consistent work for 3 days, 3 months and sometimes 3 years. Today, I will share my experience of the time when I wrote a song and edited the visuals of it. Today, I will share my insights upon how a low budget song is made based on my personal experience of creating a song for Unheard Songs.

I have divided my experience into a series of baby steps that we followed as a team to have the song written, recorded, edited and released. These baby steps give you details on how to make a low budget song from scratch and have thus been described below.

Step 1 – Think

For any artist to create art, the first step is always to think. One of my childhood friends, Chandan approached me to create an original song for his YouTube channel ‘Unheard Songs‘. The basic concept behind the channel was to create songs that were original and never heard of before; from the music to the lyrics to the arrangement, down to the last bit.

I have edited a lyrical video for one of his songs in the past and knowing that I was more into writing than editing, this time, it was my turn to showcase my skills not just as a video creator, but as a writer too. We used to talk over calls and discuss certain themes on which we could make a song about. The process of thinking about the genre, the hook, everything is quite lengthy.

Soon we had a topic. Indian women, back in 2022 were leading the country on the front-foot and nothing suited better than a tribute to the feminine. We now had a rough thought on what our song was supposed to be like. But this time, we wanted to have a video that showcased the true meaning and spirit of our lyrics. So we had to plan accordingly.

Step 2 – Decide a Genre

After having thought the song through, we moved on to the next step, i.e. deciding a genre. With the topic women, we could have created any sort of music and added life to it, which is why deciding a genre was a task. I wanted the song to be inspirational, but at the same time, an eye-opener to the society. Chandan had similar thoughts. He’d come up to me and ask me to write something that created a spark within the heart of the listeners, but at the same time, didn’t sound too heavy on the ears.

Soon, we were ready with the base of what our song would sound like. It was going to be an Inspirational, soulful track with an essence of the traditional pop.

What is a Genre?

For the newbies, if you’re wondering what is a genre, here’s your answer:
Genre is basically a category of art, music or literature that is characterized by a unique sound, form or technicality.

How Many Types Of Genres Are There In Music?

Music has a vast list of Genres which extends to over 1300 different types. Some of the most common and most heard genres are listed below:

Step 3 – Coming Up With A Title & Hook

I do not know about other creators and artists, but for me this is the most difficult step. There’s always something within me that rejects every hook that my mind comes up with. Basically in 90% of the songs released, the title of the song is the main line of the hook and thus, once you are up with a hook, you have a title as well. The third step adds a base to your song after which you just need to add blocks and build in the further steps.

In my case, Chandan was clear about one thing that the title should be quite simple and subtle, preferably a single word. Coming up with a word that described women and their empowerment was tough. It took me a couple of days and revisions to finally come up with the word ‘Titli’ (translation: Butterfly). The word, throughout the song would be a personification of the butterfly.

What Were The Thoughts Behind Titli?

We all are familiar with the term metamorphosis. Butterflies undergo a complete metamorphosis, which means there are four separate stages in the life cycle of a butterfly (egg, larva, pupa, and adult). Each stage looks completely different and serves a different purpose in the life of the insect. I derived inspiration from this principle of metamorphosis into creating the hook for the song.

With Chandan’s help, the line we came up with was: “Banke titli usko, udd jaane do!” which simply translates to – ‘Let her become a butterfly, and fly!’

Simple logic behind the line is that when the butterfly is in the stage of a pupa, wrapped around, it is quite a painful process to come out of the cocoon and spread its wings. However, the walls are quite delicate and outward forces might end up destroying the cocoon, leaving the fly trapped for life. The line refers to women, being suppressed by external forces, which eventually prevent them from flying (achieving greater successes). And thus the line acts as a warning to the people of the society, to let her spread her wings and fly.

Step 4 – Writing The Lyrics & Structure

Now comes one of the most important steps, writing the lyrics. Without lyrics, a song is just music; Without music, a song is just poetry! Finding the perfect lyrics that fits your song is a task divided into a few steps.

Step 4.1 – Structuring The Song

When we talk about song structure, we’re looking at how a song is put together using different sections. Most songs you hear on the radio follow a similar pattern: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro. This is called an ABABCB structure, where A is the verse, B is the chorus, and C is the bridge.

Why Do Songs Sound Familiar?

Many hit songs and pop tunes use this standard structure, making them sound familiar. Our ears are trained to recognize these patterns. However, some musicians, especially those in jam bands or experimental genres, like to mix things up and create unique structures.

The Main Parts of a Song

Here are the six main parts of a song:

1. Intro: The introduction sets the stage for the song. It should grab the listener’s attention without being too overpowering. Usually, intros are slower and more laid-back, helping to establish the rhythm, tempo, and melody.
2. Verse: This is where the story of the song unfolds. The lyrics in the verses tell the tale and build the message. Each verse can add more to the story or introduce new emotions and ideas. Verses are where you can be creative with your storytelling.
3. Pre-chorus: Not all songs have a pre-chorus, but when they do, it helps build anticipation for the chorus. It can use a familiar chord progression and offer a chance to try out different harmonies or break the pattern.
4. Chorus: The chorus is the heart of the song. It usually contains the hook, which is the catchiest part, and sums up the main idea of the song. The title often appears here. Choruses are typically the climax, where all the big ideas come together.
5. Bridge: The bridge offers a break from the repetition. It usually comes between the second and third chorus. The bridge can change the pace or introduce a new musical element, like a key change or a solo. It’s meant to jolt the listener and add variety.
6. Outro: The outro signals the end of the song. It often mirrors the intro but in reverse, usually by slowing down. Many outros are simply a repeat of the chorus with a slow fade-out.

What Are the Most Common Song Structures?

When it comes to songwriting, many pop songs follow similar structures because they work well and appeal to listeners. Here are some of the most common song structures used across various genres:

1. AABA (32-bar-form)

This structure was popular in the early 20th century with artists like Bing Crosby and Cole Porter. It includes two eight-bar A sections, an eight-bar B section that contrasts with the A sections, and a final eight-bar A section. This form was popular in rock songs in the 1950s and ’60s but was later overtaken by the verse-chorus structure.

2. Verse-Chorus Form

This is one of the most popular song structures and is used in pop, rock, and blues. The chorus stands out with a different rhythm and melody from the verses, making it a memorable part of the song. This was what we used when writing Titli for Unheard Songs.

3. ABABCB

This structure is a variation of the verse-chorus form with the addition of a bridge. Here, A is the verse, B is the chorus, and C is the bridge.

Variations on Common Song Structures

1. No Chorus

AABA or Verse / Verse / Bridge / Verse In this structure, there is no chorus. Instead, verses might start or end with a refrain—a line that repeats throughout the song. This structure is seen in songs by artists like Billy Joel and The Beatles.

2. No Bridge

AAA or Verse / Verse / Verse This structure involves repeated verses with no bridge, relying on variations in the melody to keep the song interesting. It is less common due to its repetitive nature.

The song we were working upon had this structure: Verse 1 – Chorus – Verse 2 – Chorus

This is probably the most commonly used structure today, especially in pop music. If you were to listen to the top 10 songs on the Billboard Top 100, most or all of them would have a VCVC structure or its close cousin, Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.

Step 4.2 – Deciding Upon The Rhyme Scheme

What is a Rhyme Scheme?

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line in a song or poem. Think of it as a blueprint for your lyrics, guiding how they will sound and flow. By learning different rhyme schemes, you can make your lyrics more interesting and unique.

How to Choose a Rhyme Scheme

Choosing a rhyme scheme often depends on how the lyrics feel as you write them. Trust your instincts and let the lyrics guide you. Sometimes sticking to a rhyme scheme might feel too restrictive, and that’s okay—changing the scheme to fit your lyrics can lead to a more natural and creative result.

The rhyme scheme that we used while writing Titli was ABCB. You can refer to the lyrics of the song to understand the rhyme scheme used.

Step 4.3 – Writing The Lyrics

Once you have a structure and a decided rhyme scheme, the only step left is to fill in words. You must make sure that the words convey a message and are able to create an impact.

Titli Lyrics | Unheard Songs

Titli Lyrics | Unheard Songs | Hindi

Titli Lyrics | Unheard Songs | Translated To English

Step 5 – Getting The Team

Once you have a title, a structure and lyrics, you need to find the right voice to record and the perfect music to back the track. In short, you need a short team.

The main task began once the lyrics were drafted. Chandan’s Unheard Songs had many skilled and young talents, but we had to make sure that the person we choose, does justice to the song. Chandan chose Victor Paul, another school friend of mine, as the lead vocalist.

Victor, apart from having great vocal controls, was also a great musician and our first choice for music as well, but we wanted some more life. And just when we were looking for someone, Victor suggested to us his teacher, our senior, Olive Ghosh.

Olive Ghosh is a Music Producer, music teacher at NMAG India, Sound Engineer and Designer, Keyboardist & Guitarist at Syncwizards, Gold Medalist at fine arts from Lalithkala Fine Arts Academy, Bangalore and an Artist at Spotify, JioSaavn and Various digital Music Platforms worldwide, who completed his Jazz Specialization from Berklee College of Music.

With all those qualifications, comes a heavy fees, but we were low on budget. In fact, the entire song was a zero-budget project. To our surprise, Olive Ghosh was so happy by our work, that he gave us his beautiful music for free, shows how kind at heart he is. We soon had our song ready.

Step 6 – Video Concept & Editing

Coming to the last part. For a few artists, just the album art or cover art is necessary. They prefer to save the time and efforts, after all, a song is know for the way it sounds, not the way it looks. But our song was made for YouTube and thus, it had to have a great visual.

We had a zero-budget plan for the song and thus, the video was not shot, but edited using stock footages available for free on sites like: Pexels and Adobe Stock. What the final video turned out to be like is attached below:

To Sum Up

“A song doesn’t have to be highly priced, to be highly praised.“

With the right amount of creativity and concept, you can turn anything to gold. An artist is known for creating art even when the resources are a bare minimum. I thus, hope that I was able to give you an answer to how a low budget song is made with an example of how I wrote and edited Titli for Unheard Songs.