by Glitchhog » 19 Nov 2013 17:02
Ex prelistener for EqD here. It depends what you want to get into. Spotlight or MotD? Spotlight's standards are high and your track generally has to be fairly high quality to get into it. MoTD's not so much, but it still needs to be a quality track.
As far as using Audacity goes; don't use it. It's fine for audio editing and messing with sound samples, but I'd advise against using it as a DAW. I recommend FL Studio or Ableton, both are capable of producing complex arrangements and both are used by industry professionals.
It also takes time to develop the skills needed to produce a 'good' track. Spend more time practicing as opposed to trying to get onto EqD. EqD isn't the be-all and end-all of what determines good music anyway. I've gotten more hits on some of my non-pony songs than I ever got through EqD with a pony-related track. Having said that, EqD is a great way to gain more exposure, but honestly, only if you hit spotlight. Either way, don't aim to make something Equestria Daily will post; aim to make something you love and you feel is good. A true artist doesn't write for anyone else.
As far as theory goes, I feel you need a little understanding of the basic concepts, but that's it. There are plenty of artists who don't use theory when writing tracks people love (my mate Edd from AcousticBrony, for example.) Know the basics, use your intuition and instincts to control the rest. That said, there's nothing wrong with learning more and it can only help (unless theory kills your creativity like it does for me, in which case, I dunno. Figure it out.)
SONG STRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT if you write in a popular style of music. If you're into Noir Avant-Garde Jazzcore, then go nuts with the structure. Hell, don't even use one. However, if you're writing the next big pop hit, you might want to read up on proper song structure and how it works both on a practical and on a psychological level.
I think that's about it... in short; make something high quality (good mixing/mastering/arrangement), make something memorable and make something for YOU, not for EqD.