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1. Reggaeton has taken the Spanish speaking music scene by storm, combining the beats of Jamaican dancehall with soca melodies and Latino rapping. But its infectious, almost march-like, rhythm is credited as first appearing in the late '90s Shabba Ranks track Dem Bow. This rhythm remains the basis of most reggaeton, so listen to this track to get an idea of where it's coming from.

2. Every music scene needs its superstar DJs (or producers). The biggest names in reggaeton are undoubtedly Luny Tunes. Responsible for hits by many top artists, including Daddy Yankee's Gasolina, they've also released a number of their own albums. In a similar way to big hip-hop and R&B producers, they like to name-check themselves during tracks, so this is a technique you should consider if you want to get noticed.

3. Although the beats programming in reggaeton can sound deceptively simple, the character is all in the sounds. Listen to the latest tracks and pick your sounds to match. The main beats should be raw with a variety of snares, the bass deep, with the remainder of the instrumentation carrying the Latino flavour. Common instruments used in reggaeton tracks include flamenco guitar, harpsichord, strings, timpani and just about anything percussive sounding.

4. Your track should make the dance floor shake, so dial up a good solid sub-bass sound, filtering off any unwanted higher frequencies.

5. Keep the structure simple.Most tracks work in eight-bar sections, with an instrumental intro and middle section. Build up two different eight-bar sections and alternate between them. This creates the feel that the DJ is slamming between different backing tracks - a technique that you'll often hear in dancehall. With rapping filling up a lot of the space, try to keep these sections free from clutter, making the beats loud and proud.

6. In its simplest form, the reggaeton beat has kicks on all four quarter-notes, with snares falling on 16th-notes 4, 7, 12 and 15. Add a sub-bass to quarter-notes 1 and 3 and hats to all four quarter-notes, and you have a starting point. To create more movement, look to the snare pattern rather than the hats, putting in extra 16ths while varying velocities to add feel.

7. You won't find many hi-hat parts on reggaeton tracks, but that doesn't mean there's a lack of short percussive sounds. For a cutting sound, try a basic square-wave with a tiny decay. Alternatively, go for an electro cowbell or some timbales. Program quick patterns in 16ths and 32nds.

8. Switching between different eight-bar sections creates interest, but you still need to mark the changes with some fills. Rather than using sampled fills, program your own from the sounds you're already using.