The Smart Way to Build Song Structures in Studio One

Intro: The Problem

One of the biggest challenges in music production is going from idea to finished track. Most DAWs—including Studio One—don’t give us a simple way to manage song structures. Templates help, but what if you could build a reusable arrangement library that grows with you?

Today, I’ll show you a Studio One trick that DAWs never thought of—yet it’s all possible with built-in tools.

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Why This Matters

Song structure is everything. Whether you’re producing pop, house, R&B, or cinematic tracks, having tried-and-tested structures ready to go saves time and keeps creativity flowing. Instead of reinventing the wheel for every session, you can drag in a full arrangement map and start creating instantly.

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Step-by-Step: Build Your Structure Library in Studio One

1. Create Your Master Template

Start by creating a new empty arrangement in Studio One. Save it as template.song in an easy-to-locate folder. This will become your personal Structure Library.

2. Map a Reference Track

Grab a song you love. Drag it into your session and use either markers or a simple MIDI track with section names (Intro, Verse, Chorus, Breakdown) to map its structure.

3. Remove the Audio

Once the sections are mapped out, delete the audio track—keep only the structure you created.

4. Update Your Template

Save the updated version of template.song.

5. Access It in the Browser

Go to Studio One’s Browser → Songs, locate your template.song, expand it, and click the Tracks folder.

6. The Magic Step: New Tab from Here

Right-click the Tracks folder and select ‘New Tab from Here.’
Now you have a dedicated tab in your Browser showing your entire arrangement collection.

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Bonus Tip

Keep enriching your template.song with structures for different genres, formats (radio edit, extended mix), or even recurring setups (FX buses, instrument stacks). Over time, you’ll build an instant-access creative toolkit.

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Pro Workflow Add-On

Combine this with Studio One’s Arranger Track and Scratch Pads for even more flexibility.

And if you want to take this concept further, check out Toolbox for Studio One—packed with workflow enhancers like the Magic Macro Toolbar and tons of pro features.