The Beat Making Process
Making a track can be accomplished a million ways. it doesn't matter if you like to sample or compose or even a mixture because the processes for each are very similar. I often think of making a track as a recipe because it has ingredients and steps for putting those ingredients together and at the end of the process you hope to have something people will enjoy. This article assumes you have access to (and knowledge of use) for various tools to make music.

Step 1: The Idea
First you need an idea. Sometimes you'll hear something that sparks the inspiration. it could be a song on the radio or an intro on some new vinyl you dug out of a crate somewhere. Thats the spark that gets thing moving.

Step 2: Rough Sketches
In this phase you start doing some preliminary work. Lay down a simple drum track, chop up some samples, pick a scale, etc. You start to lay down a foundation to build on from whatever your spark has created first. it could be a drum beat or a melody. It could be a scrtach or a bassline. Anything that stokes the fire. During this stage I usually get 4 or 8 bars going. I keep most parts simple (no drum breaks/fills for example)

Step 3: Add Ingredients
Now that you have some starting elements you need to add more ingredients. Think of the song and what feels like its missing. I like to loop my 4-8 bars and just start imagining what things I would like to hear. Sometimes all I hear is a sound or instrument, sometimes I hear a melody. it's different everytime. Try to let the song tell you what it needs. At this point I try to just capture as much as I can. To me, this is probably the hardest part of making a track.

Step 4: Arrangements
Once you have enough ingredients, start thinking about arrangement. Think about verse/chorus first and then add intro, bridges, outros and other elements as you progress. During this stage I like to make a 16 bar verse and 8 bar chorus. You might find that during this stage you want to add more ingredients and thats fine. If you feel something missing then add it. Also be on the lookout for stuff that might not fit anymore. Sometimes you will be doing rough sketches and come up with several ideas that don't blend well. Don't be afraid to get rid of the stuff that doesn't fit. You can always save it for another track.

Step 5: Adjustments
The adjustment phase goes hand in hand with the Arrangement phase. It's very likely that you'll adjust the music to flow better with your arrangement. You might make a dramatic drum break coming into the third verse or maybe play a small lead in to the chorus. Keep repeating steps 4 and 5 until the song feels completed from a musical standpoint. In other words you have nothing more to add.

Step 6: Mixdown
Now comes the mixdown. Chances are you will have added some effects already but this phase requires that you try to listen to the song as clinically as possible. Try not to get caught up in how great the song is. Instead listen for how you can improve the sonic balance and qualities of the song. This is a whole other topic on its own so I wont get too detailed. Basically you want to make sure your sounds don't clash and everything is at a proper level.

Final thoughts
At this point your track is done. You might consider "Mastering" your track. Mastering is the end of the line. This is a mysterious art to many people and many people will have it done by a professional. You can do some level of mastering on your own though. for those of us on a budget there is always the simple plug-ins that do most of the work for us.

Burn your master to a CD and you're done. Easy wasn't it?