How to Make a Phonk Beat in FL Studio: Step by Step

Phonk is dark, hard and often pretty distorted. The style has its roots in 90s Memphis rap. These days you mostly hear drift phonk, with a cowbell melody and an 808 that flattens everything. In this guide you'll make a phonk beat in FL Studio, from the tempo to the distortion.

What makes a beat phonk?

• A fairly high tempo, often between 120 and 160 BPM.
• A melody on a cowbell, especially in drift phonk.
• A hard, distorted 808.
• Dark sounds and short vocal chops.

Step 1: set the tempo

Set the tempo in FL Studio somewhere between 120 and 160 BPM. Drift phonk often sits on the fast side. BPM by genre shows how phonk compares to trap and drill.

Step 2: build the drums

Phonk drums are simple and hard. Pick a kick, a snappy clap or snare and hi-hats that sound like an old drum machine. A tight pattern that keeps coming back works better than lots of variation. Vary the velocity of the hi-hats a bit, so they don't sound like a machine gun.

Step 3: make a cowbell melody

The cowbell is the sound you recognize right away in drift phonk. Load a cowbell sample into a Sampler channel and play a melody with it in the Piano roll. FL Studio then plays the sample higher or lower per key.

Keep the melody short and dark. A few notes in a minor key that keep repeating are enough. Not sure which notes go together? With the free chord generator you pick a key and hear which chords fit in it.

Step 4: a distorted 808

In phonk, the 808 is allowed to sound dirty. Put a distortion on it, like Fruity Blood Overdrive. According to Image-Line, it creates overdrive distortion with a compressed, soft character. Slowly turn up the Pre Amp until the 808 starts to growl. Keep in mind: the more distortion, the fuller your low end gets. Leave room for the kick. Read what an 808 is and how to mix 808 and kick.

Step 5: vocal chops

A lot of phonk uses short voice snippets, often pitched down. Be careful with samples. You can only use part of an existing song with permission from the rights holders. Read what a Content ID claim is. Safer: record a few short phrases or shouts yourself and pitch them down, or use royalty-free vocals.

Step 6: from loop to beat

Drift phonk is often short and energetic. If you want a rapper to use it, give it a clear structure with a verse and a hook. A 16 bar verse and an 8 bar hook are common. Read what a bar is in rap. Drop the cowbell in the verse for a bit, so the voice has room.

Common mistakes

• Too much distortion on everything. Then it turns into one big mush. Choose what gets to sound dirty and keep the rest clean.
• A cowbell that drowns out everything. It can stand out, but it shouldn't hurt.
• Samples without permission. Sort it out first or make your own vocals.
• No variation. Drop something out now and then, and it hits harder when it comes back.

Want something else? Read how to make a trap beat or how to make a drill beat in FL Studio. Mostly a rapper? Browse the beats by NameOnTheBeat.

FAQ

What BPM is phonk?

Often between 120 and 160 BPM. Drift phonk usually sits on the fast side.

What is drift phonk?

A style within phonk that came up in Russia in the late 2010s, with faster tempos, a prominent cowbell and an aggressive bass. From 2020 on it blew up on TikTok.

Can I sample Memphis rap in my phonk beat?

Only with permission from the rights holders. Without it you risk claims, especially if you release or sell the beat.

Source: Image-Line's FL Studio manual, and Wikipedia on phonk.