Topline writing

Topline writing is composing a melody and lyrics over a piece of music, or a beat that has already been created by a musician, band or producer.

At DyHard Productions we are hired for a lot of topline writing work, and pride ourselves in crafting melodies that fit the vision of the client, from massive hooks and choruses to more sophisticated toplines.

A song’s melodic topline is an essential element, especially in forms of popular music. It’s the part of the song that draws the listeners attention …. the part people sing along to in the car!

Below we have detailed our process, and how we can help you achieve that killer topline melody.

“What is your Topline writing process?”

Firstly we discuss with you what you looking to achieve with the song, what style you would like, what is the purpose of the song, and do you have any ideas already that you would like to share with us? This is done before we send you a custom quote, and makes sure we understand what you’re looking to achieve from the topline, and how we can work on it.

The next stage would be for us to work on the topline. We send you the topline melody, recorded in our studio using pro standard microphones. If you have already provided us with lyrics we will sing the melody using them, but if you want to write the lyrics at a later date we will sing the topline using our own words, mostly using ‘Scratch lyrics’ that convey the melody, but not fully written lyrics. If you’ve hired us to write the melody only that is where the process ends, once you’ve approved of our work.

If you have also hired us to write the lyrics we will work on them once the melody is finalised. We will ask you in what direction you would like the words, are there any feelings or subjects you would like included? Alternatively, we can write the words that we feel fit the song, it’s completely up to you!

Once you have approved the lyrics we then re-record the melody, singing the approved lyrics, so you can hear how they flow over your track.

“Can you be the vocalist on the song?”

Yes, if you would like us to the featured vocalists on your track we are able to do that. Once the entire first process is complete (the topline writing, lyrics and demo) we will then go into our studio and record the vocals for you. We are able to provide you with all of the stems, plus a roughly mixed track so you can hear them in the song.

“Do you include harmonies?”

Yes! Being brothers we have grown up singing together, and harmonies are a very strong aspect of our work. Unless requested otherwise, all our topline melodies include harmonies.

“What is the payment process & what files do you deliver?”

We accept payment via PayPal, and all prices are in USD. We request a 50% deposit before starting the writing, and 50% after your approval of the final delivery. The tracks are sent to you in mp3 format, with a DyHard Productions audio watermark. Once the final delivery is approved and the balance is paid we send you the full quality files in a WAV file.

“How many revisions do I get?”

This can be discussed before we start the process, but typically a topline melody would have 3 revisions, but we can agree to more if required.

“What is your Topline melody timescale?”

Again, this can be discussed beforehand, and we are able to write and record very fast if it’s required. A typical topline melody would take approximately 10 days, and for lyrics, it would be an extra 3 or 4 days. We can discuss your project with you and can give a clearer time frame depending on the writing and production involved.

“Can you write a song in any style?”

We have written 100s of songs in many styles, and have achieved success in various genres including rock, heavy metal, country, pop, jazz, blues, funk, soul, synthwave, retrowave, chillwave, reggae, singer-songwriter, folk and world music. Please message us to discuss your project and we will always give you an honest answer to what we can achieve in your desired genre.

“I already have lyrics or a poem, can you write a topline using these?”

Yes, this is quite a common request and we have worked with clients’ lyrics or poems and written a great topline melody with them. We can work with a lyrical idea no matter how big or small, and expand on it if need be.

“Can you be hired as a Ghost Writer?”

Yes, in music, ghostwriters are often used to write songs, lyrics, and instrumental pieces that are then credited to another person as the author. As we offer a “buy out” on much of our work, you can hire DyHard Productions as ghostwriters.

“Do I have to credit you for your work?”

For much for our work, we offer a ‘buy out’ – meaning we provide our service as ‘work for hire’ and you retain all commercial rights and copyright. In that scenario, you don’t have to credit us, and this has been the case with projects where we have been ghostwriters, however, you can also credit us if you wish and still retain all the commercial rights and copyright.

“Can I hear examples of your work?”

Yes, please check out our songwriting portfolio HERE.
The songs contained are just a selection of our work, and we have also broken down the tracks into playlists to make it easier to find what you are looking for. Each song has some written detail regarding how we contributed to the track, from full songwriting and composition to top-line writing or mixing.

We also have a comprehensive Behance portfolio with more details on some of our favourite projects.

“Can you provide Stems?”

Stems are the individual tracks that make up a ‘mix’ of a song. Yes, we can provide these, as well as our mix.