Set up your recording space. If you plan to use your own instrumentation, as opposed to just mixing sound samples, plug your music hardware into your computer. This may include a MIDI keyboard, a USB interface, a mixer or live instruments. For easy digital recording, consider plugging a MIDI keyboard into your USB port using a MIDI-to-USB converter cable. This will allow you to take advantage of the software instruments provided by your digital audio program.
Open your digital audio program and create a new music project. You will need to choose a title for your beat and select a tempo, or speed, measured in beats per minute.
Click your first track to enable it for recording. Your tracks, which appear as separate horizontal spaces arranged from the top to the bottom of your mixer, allow you to record unique musical material in layers. For example, if you record a bass line in your first track and then record a drum pattern directly beneath it in the second track, your drums and bass will play together simultaneously.
Place a drum sequence on your first track. You can record your own drum sequence using a MIDI keyboard, synthesizer or drum machine, or you can use a prerecorded loop. Many digital audio programs, like Logic and FL Studio, contain a library of audio loops that you can access from your browser and drag directly onto your blank tracks. If your program does not offer audio loops, you can download them from a free loop website like Looperman and Free-Loops. Choose a drum loop or setting with a deep, low-frequency kick and a clean snare. If recording from a MIDI keyboard or drum machine, you will probably want to record your kick and snare on separate tracks to maintain full control over each sound.
Place a bass line on your next track, directly beneath your drum sequence. Once again, you can use a prerecorded bass sample or make your own custom bass line using your instrumentation. Choose a strong, thumping bass sound with a very low, vibrational quality.
Add orchestration to your next track. While percussion and bass set the foundation for any good hip-hop beat, you will need some orchestration to really make your beat stand out. This may include an upbeat keyboard sequence, a synthesizer arpeggio, or just a soft pad that sounds somewhat like an electronic violin fading into the background. You can use anything that adds a catchy hook or a melody to your beat.
Add samples to your additional tracks. If you really want to bring your beat to the next level and give it that professional, radio-friendly flare, add samples such as voice recordings and sound effects. For example, you might take a prerecorded sample of a woman shouting "Whoa" and loop it so that it plays after every fourth beat. You might also take a sound effect like an explosion or a turntable scratch and add it to your beat.
Mix your beat. Hip-hop relies heavily on kick drum and bass, so make sure to bring out the lower frequencies as much as possible. You can do this by accessing your program's EQ settings and either raising the bass frequencies or lowering the treble and mid-tones. Make sure to give the bass only a slight boost, as too much bass boost will cause clipping and ruin your entire mix. You will also want to adjust the volume faders on each track so that every section comes through clearly but doesn't drown out the rest of the mix. Also experiment with effects like reverb and echo, and apply filters like compression and distortion until your mix sounds just right.