A Mastering Engineer’s Guide to Final Mixdown
Choose a reference. Find a major label track with the tonal balance you’re looking for – ideally something that hasn’t been totally decimated in mastering, since you’ll be comparing it to your unmastered tracks. If you followed my earlier advice on using a reference during the mixing process, you’ll want to use the same track here. […]
Musician Advice: The Importance of ‘Thank You’
If there is one thing that musicians and artists should know, it’s that “getting there” takes a long while. It’s not just because of your talent or your skills that will make you a success- it’s also because of the hard work of a thousand people. Some lent you their instruments, some offered their homes, […]
Music Advice: Brand Your Band!
Madonna, Radiohead, Lady Gaga, OK Go, Kanye West, David Byrne…sure they have great talent but I am 100% sure that there are other people in the world who can sing like they do and even better. I mean yeah…they all have good voices but they’re rather easy to imitate compared to those with ultra great […]
Vinyl Record Packaging: Run Hide Survive- Show Off
A 12- Layer screenprint which was included as part of the first Showoff 12″ vinyl record pressing in LA release by Sheffield based production duo RUN HIDE SURVIVE. The 12″ record sleeve is plain white with a central hole that reveals a of colorful spectrum of colors. Pull out the enclosed record to see the […]
Music is dying. Music is Thriving. Which is it?
Music is dying if you believe the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Music is a growing business if you believe Apple, Google, Spotify, Yahoo Music, Artist Direct, My Space Music, Pandora and hundreds of other options. They’re right – all of them. The ‘good ol days’ are gone. Everything lives in phases – music […]
10 Great Music Marketing Ideas
Here are 10 music marketing ideas from the Music 3.0 Internet Music guidebook. It’s easier to sell your music if you add extra value to it, so it helps to think outside the box when it comes to distributing your music. Thanks to Bruce Houghton of the great music blog Hypebot for numbers 7 through 10. 1) Develop a package […]
To Duplicate or to Replicate?
Not too many people know that there are 2 kinds of manufacturing discs- replication and duplication. And those that know sometimes get confused and use the terms interchangeably. Their literal definitions may be nearly identical, but in practice they are extremely different. Here are some of the basic differences between CD replication and CD duplication that […]
Vinyl Packaging: Strong Arm Steady- In Search of Stoney Jackson
Artist: Strong Arm Steady Album: In Search Of Stoney Jackson Producer: Madlib Design: Lewis Heriz Year: 2010 Note: I love the lines, the texture, the colors, and the psychedelic urban feel of the whole Vinyl packaging. I also love the contrast of the front and back of the vinyl packaging- The front is overloaded with […]
Musician Tips: Intimacy is Key!
It rhymes so it must be true! As most of us already know, INTIMACY is one of the main ingredients in creating loyal followers and superfans. Fans will pay attention to you more if you make them feel that they’re special to you. If you are a musician who wants to be more intimate with […]
Yummy Band Merch
Looking for a cool concept for your band merchandise? Why don’t you print your band logo on lollipops or M&Ms like these bands did! Of course you have to be a big group like KISS so you can partner with M&Ms but basically what these yummy band merch want to say is that it’s about […]