BBC News theme tune composer explains how he made the iconic track

Every Brit will be all too familiar with the infectious beeps of the BBC News theme tune - and now the composer has revealed how it was created.

The tune is 25 years old, and arguably has become a British anthem, inspiring lots of remixes, and TikTok dance videos which prove it's still just as catchy today.

In a TikTok video, composer David Lowe (@davidlowemusic) has shared how the music came together as he wrote in the caption: "25 years ago, I composed the @BBC News Theme Tune, which is broadcast around the world everyday. From the precise beeps of time to the powerful bass and dramatic drums for the headlines. This how I did it…"

To begin with, he explained: "I did it with this sound [the beep sound played] - this is the pip or the beep we call it, it's got that sense of accuracy and reliability because it's clock ticking one beat every second."

The bass line was then added to "give the sense of strength and solidity and depth," and then added more drums - bass drum, kick, and hi-hat to enhance this.

"Then we wanted a big sound for the headlines and came up with this big drum," which is used on every headline.

Chords were added into the mix which Lowe described as "tricky" as they had to be neutral, going from minor to major to represent "anxiety going into calmness," with top layers being added and then coming out into a fade.

Given everyone's love for the tune, the comments section was full of praise for Lowe - with rapper Stormzy describing it as "sick."

One viewer wrote: "Genuinely created the national soundtrack to every major event since 1999."

"The man, the myth, the legend!" another person said.

Someone else asked Lowe: "Have you seen people’s interpretive dances to this theme tune?" To which he replied: "Yes and lots of remixes."

"Honestly, I hope they never change it - it’s so iconic and sets the perfect tone for news of every scale," a fourth person commented.

Agreed.

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