PreSonus Blog

Watch the independent artist and Wiz Khalifa producer cook up a song in a single day

Imagine meeting someone for the first time and making a song together. That’s what independent artist KOTA the Friend and Wiz Khalifa producer RMB Justize did, producing a complete track at PreSonus HQ in just one day – with Studio One as their “one-stop shop [for] production, vocal recording, [and] mastering,” and TuneCore to “release the music, put a cool picture on it, put our name on it, and let the world hear it.”

Watch the making of their track “She’s Gone” below, and read on for more behind the scenes content.

Everyone loves a good collaboration – but working with others can be a challenge, especially when you’re a fiercely independent artist like Kota the Friend: “I record myself, make my own beats a lot of the times, I even mix myself sometimes.” It’s a boldly autonomous philosophy that informs his artistic approach and extends to the process of getting his music out into the world: “I’ve been able to sustain success as an independent artist just by constantly putting out music, putting out content, feeding the fans, and really going out on the road, going out on tour. We go to Europe every year. You know, people listen to the music and they’re vibin’ with it all year – in their houses, in their cribs, in their cars, on their way to work. And so we try to be there for them.”

“I even mix myself sometimes,” he says, but even a fiercely independent philosophy has its limits: “then I send it off to somebody who can really get the job done.” Enter GRAMMY-nominated producer and in-house Taylor Gang engineer RMB Justize. In addition to his star-studded production credits, RMB Justize was also an early adopter of TuneCore: “I’ve been using TuneCore since 2013. Once I realized how simple it became to just release the music, put a cool picture on it, put your name on it, and let the world hear it – it got real.”

In just a few short hours, these total strangers came together to produce a vibey, low-key masterpiece – recording, mixing, and mastering in Studio one, and releasing it on TuneCore without a label ever being involved. For independent artists, the simplicity, efficiency, and financial incentives are simply unbeatable: “Because TuneCore exists, I was able to release music on my own without a record label. And for us, especially years and years ago, that was monumental. For us to be able to just upload and put out music and get some kind of money from it…they gave me the opportunity to monetize off of my music when that opportunity wasn’t really around. And as artists, sometimes we forget that that’s what it’s about. And now we have an opportunity to reach our fans and get some money, so shout out to TuneCore. It’s always love to TuneCore.”

“She’s Gone” by KOTA the Friend & RMB Justize now streaming everywhere.

Listen Now: Spotify, Apple Music

With the integration of TuneCore within Studio One, users can now get their music across the finish line and into TuneCore’s hands for distribution without ever closing out of their DAW. To learn more about how to effectively distribute your music with TuneCore, check out our Distribution 101 article. And for a limited time, all existing and new Studio One+ subscribers get 50% off their first year of TuneCore Rising, Breakout, or Professional plans. Learn more.

PreSonus products used: Studio One, PreSonus HD9 Professional Monitoring Headphones.