How to Make Your Own Cheerleading or Dance Mix: 2 Ways

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Use free software or online creators to edit cheer mixes

Co-authored by Dannica Robertson and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: October 1, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using a Free Audio Editor

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Using a Cheer Mix Creator

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Video

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Expert Interview

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Are you leading a cheer or dance team and wondering how those other teams get custom music mixes? It takes a little practice, but you can learn to do it easily. Once you get the hang of it, you can create simple mixes or get creative and make layered pieces for routines. We'll show you how to make a custom music mix for cheerleading or dance, with music tips from certified dance-aerobics instructor Emilia Richeson-Valiente and cheerleading coach Dannica Robertson.

Creating a Custom Cheer or Dance Mix

To make your own music mix, use free audio editing software like Audacity or GarageBand. Download songs for your mix (songs between 145 and 150 BPM work best), then open them in the editor. Trim the songs to select the best clips and arrange them in the preferred order for the duration of your mix.

Section 1 of 2:

Using a Free Audio Editor

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A simple free option is Audacity, which you can download for free for Windows, Mac, and Linux from audacityteam.org. If you have a Mac, you can use GarageBand if you prefer.
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Find a few songs that go well together. "When putting together a routine," Richeson-Valiente explains, "you want to start with a song that's a bit slower and kind of build excitement from there." Later in the mix, she suggests, use songs with big expressions of feeling.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Emilia Richeson-Valiente
Certified Dance-Aerobics Instructor

Expert Interview}
- Robertson suggests choosing music before choreographing the routine. "I always pick the music first and then match the steps to the music," she says. "I look for songs with dynamic levels because they add more excitement and dimension to the choreography. Once I have the music down, I start creating movements that match the rhythm and feel of the song."^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Dannica Robertson
  Cheerleading Coach
  
  Expert Interview}
- Keep in mind that you cannot use copyrighted music, even if you purchased it, commercially. To make sure you're using music that's licensed for use in the cheer and dance community, download music from the USA Cheer music provider directory.^{[3]
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- Need help downloading music? Check out our guides on downloading music from any website and downloading music safely.
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For example, in Audacity, you can drag and drop music files right into your project, or you can go to File > Import > Audio and select all the tracks you want to combine in your mix.^{[4]
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Trim each track down to the parts you want to use. Cheer mixes traditionally use an 8-count mix, which counts to 8 over and over for the length of your dance routine.^{[5]
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Research source} Most cheer mixes are made of 28 to 47 8-counts, usually around 145 to 150 BPM.^{[6]
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Research source} When trimming and arranging your clips, keep the 8-count in mind.^{[7]
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- In Audacity and most other music editors, you can trim a clip by dragging either side of its boundaries until only the part you want to keep is visible.^{[8]
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- As you create your clips, place them into the sound file in order..
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Add transitions and sound effects. You can add pauses, crossfading, and other transition effects between songs as needed, and incorporate sound effects to enhance the overall mix. "Pauses or changes in tempo can dramatically shift the dance’s energy," says Robertson.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Dannica Robertson
Cheerleading Coach

Expert Interview}
- You can buy sound effect CDs or download thousands of sound effects from sites like Pixabay and Mixkit to add flavor to your cheer routine. Cut these and overlay them in various places of your music.
- Timing is everything! Make sure the finished music meets your requirements. Listen through your mix with your teammates, and see what they think. After you do a couple of these, it'll be second nature!
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Save your mix. If you need the file to be the best possible quality, you can export it as a WAV or ^{[10]
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Research source} If you want, you can burn it to a CD, save it to a flash drive, or upload it to the cloud so you can access it from anywhere. Congratulations, you've just created a great mix, and now it's time to put it to use. Make copies for your friends, pass them out, and get your team on the floor!
- In Audacity, go to File > Export Audio > and select MP3 to save the file. If you need the highest possible quality, choose WAV instead.^{[11]
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- If you're using GarageBand, click Share, then select Export Song to Disk… Select the MP3 format to ensure the file is compatible with all music players. If you need higher quality than that, choose AIFF.^{[12]
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Section 2 of 2:

Using a Cheer Mix Creator

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If you don't feel like you have the technical skill to make your own custom mix, plenty of services will help you blend the songs you want, exactly how you want them blended. Check out these options:
- 8 Count Mixer: This fun tool allows you to choose clips from popular songs and arrange them in order using your web browser. Then, you'll pay a fee that allows you to download and save the mix and covers the licensing costs, so you don't have to worry about copyright infringement.^{[13]
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- Limelight Cheer Music: If you want to choose what goes into your mix but don't want to make the mix yourself, this service offers a variety of packages, popular songs, and the option to add custom vocals and beats. Prices vary by package.^{[14]
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- Cheercutz: Create custom cheer or dance mixes using your choice of songs, including a catalog of cover songs. The fee covers the license, so you can use the mix as you wish.^{[15]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you make a good mix of songs?

Emilia Richeson-Valiente
Certified Dance-Aerobics Instructor
Emilia Richeson-Valiente is an AFAA Certified Dance-Aerobics Instructor and the founder of Pony Sweat Aerobics. Located in Los Angeles, CA, Pony Sweat started in 2014 as a way to share joyful, non-competitive dance with others. Emilia has since brought Pony Sweat events to cities throughout the country like New York City, San Francisco, Boston, and more. She has performed at events ranging from neighborhood punk shows to Coachella Music Festival, and has choreographed dance aerobics routines for the music videos of Alice Bag, Hayley Williams, Gal Pals, Shark Toys, and Wallows. Emilia received a BFA in Acting from Emerson College.

Emilia Richeson-Valiente

Certified Dance-Aerobics Instructor

Expert Answer

Start with a warm-up song that has a slower BPM and a feeling of excitement and anticipation. You want people to recognize the beat and get on the floor to dance. Once their bodies have warmed up a bit on the dance floor, their inhibitions are down, and they're feeling more confident, transition to songs with bigger energy where people can really have big expressions of feeling.

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Can I do voiceovers as well?

Community Answer

I would put voiceovers ONLY in the beginning of the mix. Just record yourself by hitting the "R" on your computer keyboard. I'd also recommend adding some echo to it and removing background noise.

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How to choreograph a dance?

Community Answer

Choreographing a dance isn't that hard if you think of what your body would naturally do after a certain move. Find a song that opens your mind more to different moves. Get a song with a good beat in the back. Know all the dancers' best abilities and apply them. Creating a dance is a lot of back and forth. Don't get flustered.

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Tips

Listen to mixes that other teams are using for inspiration, but avoid copying their mixes.

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Be original. Check out our song recommender to find something fresh!

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With music editing software, you can easily cut, paste, sample, and overlay music together. You can speed up or slow down music. This way, you can use songs that might be a bit too fast, just slow them down a bit.

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Warnings

Be careful when downloading music online. It may be illegal, and you could accidentally download a virus.

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Be sure to make backup copies of your custom mixes. You may want to incorporate parts of those into future routines.

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