by Alexander Louther (prodby.Z1M)

Over the last month I’ve been watching the Traktrain insight trends way closer than usual. Not in a corny “chase the algorithm” way, but because they actually reflect what artists are searching for in real time. And honestly, it lines up with what I’ve been making naturally.

“Acoustic,” “Guitar,” “BNYX®,” “Sample,” “Yeat,” “Veeze,” “Trap,” “Detroit,” “R&B”—these are sitting at the top of the Hottest 10 right now. It’s funny because those are literally the exact textures I gravitate toward. Tight drum programming, clean melodic layering, guitar loops with character, sample-driven R&B atmospheres… it’s where my ears live.

I graduated from SFSU’s BECA program for audio mixing, and for years I treated production like something I did in the background. Now it’s finally the center of everything I’m doing. I’ve got an EP in the pipeline, I’m releasing new beat collections every week, and soon I’m launching a subscription service for artists who want consistent drops from me without paying per-beat.

And right now feels like the perfect time to double down because the trends are opening up in interesting ways.

Fresh Trend Energy: What’s Hot, What’s Rising

When I looked at the Hot Newbie section—Russ, Kevin Gates, SLIME, polo perks, Trill Phonk—I realized a lot of artists are shifting toward darker, minimal, more personality-driven production. I’ve been experimenting with that lane: Detroit bounce drums mixed with more alternative, almost grunge-influenced textures. Think “Detroit ↑” attitude but filtered through something personal.

The A Confident Leader list reads like my entire sound palette:

Acoustic, Guitar, BNYX®, Yeat, Sample, Alternative Rock, Grunge, Veeze, Trap, Pluggnb.

Those are the lanes dominating the last 6 months, and honestly they define the blueprint for modern artists right now—something emotional but still hitting.

Then the Impressive Growth charts showed me how fast things are moving:

Detroit ↑, Black Kray ↑, Type Beat, Playboi Carti ↑, Future ↑, 6LACK, Frank Ocean ↑, Jerk Rap ↑…

This is the stuff artists are gravitating toward as they try to break out of default YouTube loops and actually look for production with identity.

Even the Guess Who’s Back? section made me laugh—Detroit ↑ again, Type Beat, Babyface Ray ↑, NF ↑, Tyler, The Creator ↑.

You can feel the shift: artists want substance again. They want beats with character, not presets slapped on a grid.

So I’ve been building exactly that.

What I Just Dropped on Traktrain

New catalog update includes:

• Acoustic & guitar-led trap beats (top of the “Hottest 10” and “Confident Leader”—easy W)
  
• Detroit-influenced drums and underground bounce patterns
  
• Sample-heavy R&B and alternative textures
  
• BNYX® / Yeat inspired modern synth energy
  
• Grunge-touched loops and Alternative Rock accents
  
• A new loop pack for producers who want instant inspiration without scrolling through 500 folders
  
• Pluggnb-friendly melodic ideas
  
• “Trill Phonk” and “SLIME” influenced sound pieces now rising in the Hot Newbie chart
  

Everything in this drop was built with one idea: give artists something they can ride immediately, and give producers something they can flip without fighting the sound.

Why I’m Doing This Now

Because the market is shifting fast. Trends rise, dive, come back out of nowhere. “Alternative Rock” and “Acoustic” took a hit this month on the Rapid Dive list—but that doesn’t mean they’re dead. It just means artists want those sounds blended differently.

And that’s the lane I’m chasing:

not repeating the trend, but shaping the next version of it.

I’ve been doing this long enough now—mixing, producing, building my own sonic approach—that I’m not scared to follow my ear and let the data support the direction, not dictate it.

Promo Deals & What’s Coming Next

Right now on my Traktrain:

• WAV leases are discounted
  
• Bundles are available
  
• Loop pack is live
  
• Exclusive licenses are open
  
• New uploads coming weekly
  
• And the Beat Subscription Service is in development
  
  (unlimited downloads, private catalog, early drops, custom files… all coming soon)
  

Browse everything here:

https://traktrain.com/prodbyz1m

If you’re an artist building something real, or a producer looking for inspiration, I appreciate you tapping in. Every purchase, every listen, every DM—it’s helping me build the next step in this journey.

More drops soon.

—Alexander “prodby.Z1M” Louther