Voice leading is thinking about how each chord tone moves as you go from one chord to the next. Reducing large leaps and connecting to nearby notes makes accompaniment and harmony sound smooth.
The basic idea
Look beyond the chord names to the movement of the upper, middle and lower voices individually. Keeping common tones and moving only the notes that change to the closest position makes a natural flow easier to build.
Its role in writing and performing
Even with the same chord progression, tidy voice leading gives a more polished impression. It is also a useful way of thinking for vocal harmony and for string orchestration.
How to try it in your DAW
Place two adjacent chords in the piano roll and compare how far each note travels. Use inversions to find shapes that keep the common tones.
How it differs from related terms
Voicing deals with the layout within a single chord, while voice leading deals with the connection between chords. Putting the two together makes accompaniment fall into place.
If the movement feels stiff even though the chords are right, try shortening the distance each chord tone travels.
