How to cut music for dance

1. 1

   Copy the song by converting it to an AAC version. Open iTunes and select the song you want to edit. Click "File," then "Convert." Select "Create AAC version" or "Convert to AAC." This will give you an exact copy of the song.[7] X Research source Go to source

   • To avoid confusion, you can rename the new copy of the song. Right-click it, click "Get Info," and click on the "Info" tab. Under "Name," write the name of the song, followed by "Part 1."
   • With this technique, you’ll make 2 copies of the song. You’ll trim the first so that it plays from the beginning to the undesired part. You’ll crop the other from the end of the undesired part to the end of the song, then combine the 2 parts with a blank CD.
   • You can use this method on both PC and Mac as long as you have iTunes.

2. 2

   Cut the copied song at the part you want to remove. Right-click the new copy of the song and click "Get Info," then "Options." Select "Stop," then enter the time that the undesired section begins. Click OK.

   • For example, if you want to keep the beginning of a song up until 1:14, you’d select "Stop" and enter "1:14" in the text box.
   • To figure out when exactly to stop the song, you may need to listen to the song a few times. Write down the exact timestamp at which the undesired section begins.

3. 3

   Save the shortened version by creating another AAC version. To make these changes permanent, click on part 1 of your song. Repeat the steps of creating a new AAC version, going to "File," then "Convert," and selecting the AAC option.[8] X Research source Go to source

   • To avoid confusion again, rename your new AAC version with the name of your song, then "Part 1 - AAC," or whatever is most convenient.

4. 4

   Copy the full song again by converting to an AAC version. Go back to the original version of the song and make an AAC copy of it. Rename that copy with the name of the song and "Part 2" if it helps you keep track.[9] X Research source Go to source

5. 5

   Edit the beginning of the song so it starts when the undesired part ends. Right-click the new copy of the song, then click "Get Info" and "Options." Select the "Start" checkbox and write the time that the undesired part ends. Click OK.[10] X Research source Go to source

   • For example, if the part you want to cut starts at 1:14 and ends at 1:50, you’d change the start time of this AAC version to be 1:50.

6. 6

   Save the second half of the song by converting it to an AAC version. To make these changes permanent, select the edited part 2 of the song and make an AAC copy of it.[11] X Research source Go to source

   • This is the last AAC copy you’ll be making! Rename this last copy to be the song name and "Part 2 - AAC version," or whatever helps you to distinguish it.

7. 7

   Drag the 2 halves of the song into their own playlist. Make a playlist in the left-hand column of your iTunes library and drag the 2 edited halves of the song into it. Make sure that part 1 is listed first and part 2 is listed second.[12] X Research source Go to source

   • You can name the playlist after the song name, then write "Edited version," or simply leave the name blank.

8. 8

   Burn the playlist onto a blank CD. Insert a blank CD into your CD drive. Select your playlist, then click "File" and "Burn Playlist to Disc." In the window that pops up, find the "Gap Between Songs" pop-up menu and select "none." Click "Burn."[13] X Research source Go to source

   • The CD will probably take 1-2 minutes to burn. You’ll hear a chime sound when it’s finished.
   • Eject the CD when it’s done burning.
   • If you don’t want to waste a regular CD, you can also use a CD-RW, which allows you to burn the song, erase it when you’re done, and re-burn it with new tracks.

9. 9

   Re-insert the CD into the disc drive. Wait until the computer recognizes the CD. If a pop-up window appears asking if you’d like to import the CD, click "No."[14] X Research source Go to source

10. 10

    Select both songs and join the CD tracks on iTunes. Highlight both tracks on the CD, then click "Options" in the top right corner of the iTunes window. Select "Join CD Tracks."[15] X Research source Go to source

    • You should see a small line connecting the 2 tracks on the screen.
    • You’ve now joined together the 2 halves into one continuous track.

11. 11

    Import the CD to get the song onto your iTunes. Click "Import CD" in the upper right corner of the iTunes screen. Wait for the CD to import, then eject it.[16] X Research source Go to source

    • The new, joined track will be named after the album it was on, but you can now rename it anything you want.
    • Listen to the track. The undesired part of the song should be completely cut out.
    • You can now delete all the copies of the original song that you made earlier.

Are you leading a cheer or dance team and wonder how those other teams get custom music mixes? Of course you are! Do you want custom mixes, but can't afford to pay for them? Try mixing music yourself at home on your computer!

It takes a little practice, but you can learn to do it easily. Once you get the hang of it, you can create simple pieces or get creative and make layered pieces for routines. We'll show you how.

1. 1

   Get with the program. Download a music editing program. There are some great ones out there.

   • Audacity is one that runs on Mac, PC, and Linux, and other operating systems—and it's free!

2. 2

   Find a few different songs that go well together. Let your team members help pick the songs.

   • Look for songs that have a similar beat or feel, or look for songs that are timed to the tempo of your routines.

3. 3

   Open the songs in your sound editor. At the same time, create a new blank sound document.

   • Find the pieces in each song that you want to use.
   • Cut each piece, in order and place into the empty sound file.

4. 4

   Add sound effects! You can buy CDs or download thousands of sound effects to add flavor to your cheer routine. Cut these and overlay them in various places of your music.

5. 5

   Timing is everything! Make sure the finished music meets your requirements. Listen through your mix with your teammates, and see what they think. After you do a couple of these, it'll be second nature!

6. 6

   Burn to a CD. Congratulations, you just made a great mix, and now it's time to use it. Make copies for your friends, pass them out, and get your team on the floor!

• Can I do voiceovers as well?

  I would put voiceovers ONLY in the beginning of the mix. Just record yourself by hitting the "R" on your computer keyboard. I'd also recommend adding some echo to it and removing background noise.

• How to choreograph a dance?

  Choreographing a dance isn't that hard if you think of what your body would naturally do after a certain move. Find a song that opens your mind more to different moves. Get a song with a good beat in the back. Know all the dancers' best abilities and apply them. Creating a dance is a lot of back and forth. Don't get flustered.

• Do I have to pay for my music?

  Definitely. Paying for music shows the artists/producers your support for their music, and also gives you a sense of entitlement, as compared to illegally downloading music online.

• Computer
• Internet Access
• Music (either on the computer or on CD's)
• Music editing software (some can be downloaded for free)
• CD's to burn the finished music on.
• Sound effects (Optional).

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Co-authors: 56

Updated: July 27, 2022

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Categories: Audio

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