As someone who does a lot of work on the content side of things, I really do like it when I see someone else nailing it. Take Ableton, for example.
Who or what is Ableton?
Ableton creates audio production software (called Live) which makes the process of making music incredibly simple and intuitive. Its other product, Push, is a premium MIDI controller which has quickly become the industry standard. Needless to say, it integrates seamlessly with Live.
I bought a copy of Ableton Live a couple of years ago when I decided to get back into one of my favourite pastimes – making music. Producing electronic music, to be specific. Quickly afterwards I upgraded to the premium ‘Suite’ version, so I could take advantage of all the extra instruments, samples and sounds. I also picked up a MIDI controller – the Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII. Super easy to use, super portable, and of course USB-powered. The final piece of the jigsaw was Focusrite’s Scarlett 2i2 USB recording interface, which allows you to use a guitar or microphone input.
Post-purchase experience
As a result of this renewed love of making music, I also started reading/viewing the content that Ableton creates for its community of users. And what an amazing community feel they have created. Interestingly, this content wasn’t limited to digital content only. I picked up a copy of their book Making Music which was written specifically for people like me (procrastinators). A series of short essays intended for the time-poor, which outline simple techniques for increasing productivity. I suspect that this will continue to be an essential companion for years to come.
One Thing…
Most recently I’ve been watching Ableton’s series of videos on its website called One Thing. There are other categories containing longer pieces, such as artist profiles and events. But this category is where they truly are killing it in my opinion. In a similar vein to ‘Making Music’, they are short, bite-sized pieces where well-known producers show you a single, practical production technique. Like with the book, they offer short, easy-to-implement tips for creating music. I have watched most of the series already and I have picked up a few ideas which I can’t wait to try out. It is, quite simply, a wonderful content strategy.
Partially inspired by this, I’m currently in the middle of putting my first few tracks together in a long time. I will of course be sharing them here once I am done.
But enough about that for now… take a bow Ableton, and keep that superb content coming!
