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Best Music theory, synthesis & production videos, as recommended on Hacker News

89 videos about music theory, synthesis & production that Hacker News commenters keep recommending, mentioned between 2009 and 2026. Mostly demo, explainer, music. Channels that come up most: Tantacrul, Adam Neely, Rick Beato, ANDREW HUANG. Sorted by how consistently HN recommended them over the years.

The most recommended is Music Theory and White Supremacy: HN recommends it as the canonical video on how music theory is really the theory of one Western tradition, with the raga example.

• commentaryMusic Theory and White SupremacyAdam Neely · 11 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• commentaryMusic Software & Bad Interface Design: Avid’s SibeliusTantacrul · 8 HN recommenders · 2019–2026
• documentaryTrackers: The Sound of 16-BitAhoy · 7 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• talkFunctional Composition - Chris FordClojureTV · 6 HN recommenders · 2013–2023
• tutorialIntro to Synthesis Part 1 - The Building Blocks of Sound & Synthesismatrixsynth · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• commentaryThe Marvel Symphonic UniverseEvery Frame a Painting · 6 HN recommenders · 2017–2026
• documentaryNotation Must Die: The Battle For How We Read MusicTantacrul · 6 HN recommenders · 2023–2026
• talkDOOM: Behind the MusicGDC Festival of Gaming · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• tutorialORCA Sequencer Intro (Experimental Livecoding!)Allieway Audio · 4 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• explainerHow I Designed a Free Music Font for 5 Million Musicians (MuseScore 3.6)Tantacrul · 5 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• talkK Lars Lohn - Keynote - PyCon 2016PyCon 2016 · 4 HN recommenders · 2016–2021
• lectureThe Unanswered Question 1973 1 Musical Phonology Bernstein Nortoncagin · 4 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• tutorialLearn music theory in half an hour.ANDREW HUANG · 4 HN recommenders · 2019–2023
• explainerThe most feared song in jazz, explainedVox · 5 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• tutorialMaking of "The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up" in Ableton by Jim PavloffJim Pavloff · 5 HN recommenders · 2014–2025
• musicFlying DreamGary Garrett · 4 HN recommenders · 2014–2020
• explainerTested: Where Does The Tone Come From In An Electric Guitar?Jim Lill · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• commentaryMusic Software & Interface Design: MuseScoreTantacrul · 4 HN recommenders · 2019–2024
• explainerWhy Adults Can't Develop Perfect PitchRick Beato · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• demoBytebeat: Experimental music from very short C programsVille-Matias Heikkilä (viznut) · 4 HN recommenders · 2014–2023
• explainerWhy you DON'T want Perfect PitchAdam Neely · 6 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• explainerTesting 432 Hz Frequencies (and temperaments)Adam Neely · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• talkMusic as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIslandTEDx Talks · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2018
• explainerGaslighting Your Fans w/ Dolby ATMOS™Benn Jordan · 4 HN recommenders · 2023–2024
• explainerSample Breakdown: Daft Punk - One More TimeTRACKLIB · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• demoMaking of "The Prodigy - Voodoo People" in Ableton by Jim PavloffJim Pavloff · 3 HN recommenders · 2011–2024
• documentaryI BOUGHT A WHOLE CHURCH ORGAN - Part 1 The Organs RemovalLOOK MUM NO COMPUTER · 3 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• talkNew Horizons in Music: Polyrhythms | LoopAbleton · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• documentaryHow We Made MuseScore 4 - Music App Design is Challenging!Tantacrul · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• musicLazerhawk ~ Redline Full AlbumStay Nifty · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2021
• explainerThe most mind-blowing concept in music (Harmonic Series)ANDREW HUANG · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2021
• interviewEvery Melody Has Been Copyrighted (and they're all on this hard drive)Adam Neely · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2022
• comedyPachelbel Rant from 2006 [Official High Quality Re-Post]RobPRocks · 3 HN recommenders · 2022–2024
• talkAndrew Sorensen Keynote: "The Concert Programmer" - OSCON 2014O'Reilly · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
• explainerWhy It's Impossible to Tune a Pianominutephysics · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
• explainerWhich key is the saddest?Adam Neely · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2020
• music電磁祭囃子 in NEO TOKYO 🏮ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS! · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• demoSam Aaron live coding an ambient electro set w/ Sonic PiSam Aaron · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• comedyPachelbel RantRobPRocks · 3 HN recommenders · 2012–2023
• demoSam Aaron live coding a DJ set with Sonic PiSam Aaron · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2020
• talkGet Ready to Rock with Sonic Pi - The Live Coding Music Synth for Everyone • Sam Aaron • GOTO 2018GOTO Conferences · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• documentaryHow Music Works 1 - Melody - Part 1timegrinder · 3 HN recommenders · 2009–2016
• documentaryDan Deacon - Bromst - In The StudioPitchfork · 3 HN recommenders · 2013–2019
• demoThe rigs we've created for chipsynth MD's emulation.plgDavid · 3 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• explainerEmulating the DX7 the HARD wayplgDavid · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• demoMicrotonal Guitar (Fixed Fret) - Tolgahan ÇoğuluMicrotonal Guitar - Tolgahan Çoğulu · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2022
• musicBach, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, organsmalin · 3 HN recommenders · 2010–2026
• comedy4 Chords | Music Videos | The Axis Of AwesomeThe Axis of Awesome · 3 HN recommenders · 2012–2025
• demoWhy guitarists USED TO play more in tune! (Microtonal Frets)Brandon Acker · 3 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• demoTeenage engineering OP1 - Live looping [Thoj]Thoj · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2018
• demoTested: Where Does The Tone Come From In A Guitar Amplifier?Jim Lill · 3 HN recommenders · 2024–2026
• commentarySonification & The Problem with Making Music from DataTantacrul · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• musicJustin Bieber 800% Slowerturinpt2 · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2024
• explainerWhat Makes This Song Great? "Into You" MAX MARTINRick Beato · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2022
• musicIn The Bleak Midwinter - Jacob CollierJacob Collier · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• demoBobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale | World Science FestivalWorld Science Festival · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2023
• musicEduard Artemyev - Siberiade theme (1979)gobodrodiont · 2 HN recommenders · 2010–2023
• comedyAxis of Awesome - 4 Four Chord Song (with song titles)random804 · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2025
• demoJust Intonation vs Equal TemperamentTrippin' on Cookies · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2020
• demoiMUSE Demonstration 2 - Seamless TransitionsPeter Silk (KestrelPi) · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• demo#VoCo. Adobe Audio Manipulator Sneak Peak with Jordan Peele | Adobe Creative CloudAdobe Creative Cloud · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2024
• commentaryMusic Software & Interface Design: Steinberg's DoricoTantacrul · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2021
• musicIannis Xenakis - Metastasisjarkkkoo · 2 HN recommenders · 2010–2022
• demoDan Tepfer: NPR Music Tiny Desk ConcertNPR Music · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• commentaryHow Children Develop Perfect PitchRick Beato · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• otherRay Kurzweil on "I've Got a Secret"Sidewinder77 · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2016
• demojacob collier tunes the pianoGeorge Collier · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• demoLarnell Lewis Hears "Enter Sandman" For The First TimeDrumeo · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
• explainerJacob Collier Explains Music in 5 Levels of Difficulty ft. Herbie Hancock | WIREDWIRED · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• demoAmiga Samplers : Budget dance music in 1990debuglive · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2022
• interviewFatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank | Het verhaal achter het nummerTop 2000 a gogo · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2021
• explainerThe Art Of Poison-Pilling Music FilesBenn Jordan · 2 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• tutorialSamplerates: The Higher the Better, Right?FabFilter · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2023
• commentaryMusic on Reality TV is Insanely ManipulativeTantacrul · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• musicFirst Techno (Kraftwerk 1970)PhineasFreakers · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2026
• commentaryCorporate Music - How to Compose with no SoulTantacrul · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2023
• explainerHow A London Orchestra Broke International Law12tone · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2022
• tutorialPolyend Tracker // Review and Full Tutorial from Sample to Songloopop · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2022
• musicCYMATICS: Science Vs. Music - Nigel StanfordNigel John Stanford · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2023
• explainerThe music theory of V A P O R W A V EAdam Neely · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2025
• commentaryThe Story Behind AudacityTantacrul · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
• interviewMy Squirrel Recording is in a MOVIE! 📽 DUNE: Mark Mangini, Oscar Winning Sound DesignerDani Connor Wild · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2026
• demosCrAmBlEd?HaCkZ!johndoe3 · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2023
• talkDon Knuth - Constraint Based Compositionccrmalite1 · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2020
• demoKefrens - Desert Dream - Amiga Demo (HD 50fps)RetroDemoScene · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2021
• musicCharanjit Singh - Raga Bhairav (1982)prop4g · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2021
• demoBytebeat: Music from very short programs - the 3rd iterationVille-Matias Heikkilä (viznut) · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2024
• musicAmiga music: Captain - Space DebrisKuokka77 · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2022
• tutorialHow to replicate Teenage Engineering OP-1 and OP-1 Field for free. | GAS Therapy #35playpm · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2024