Musicians never fail… They just stop trying

Everyone was born with the inherent ability to be happy. So why aren’t we happy all the time? Personally, I think it’s because we’ve taught ourselves to be unhappy. Here’s my explanation: We all have our own personal thoughts and mottos about our happiness. Many people say, “If I had money/good heath/a family, I’d be happy.” But does that mean if you don’t have money, you can’t be happy? Of course it doesn’t. But it does mean that if you… [Read More]

The Ultimate Guide to Music Promotion

The Internet can be a bit of a blessing and a curse for musicians.  On the one hand, it provides modern artists with an unprecedented number of avenues to gain exposure.  From MySpace to Facebook to music blogs, there are countless ways bands and artists can potentially reach thousands, even millions of music fans with just a few clicks of the mouse.  On the other hand, this ability for instant exposure means that anyone can do the exact same thing,… [Read More]

Choosing the right key for your song

Choosing a key for your song doesn’t just affect how high or low you will sing it. Different musical keys mean different moods and vibes for your song. You may notice one minor key sounds darker than another (Nigel Tufnel famously dubbed D minor to be the “saddest of all keys” in This Is Spinal Tap), or you might find a particular key sounds happier than the one a step below. Additionally, for instruments like guitar, the key can make… [Read More]

How minimalist music production can maximize your hit song potential

Many musicians might think that in order to record a smash hit song, they need to have a complex, full production complete with lush string sections and layers of stacked vocal tracks.  But the arrangement isn’t the part of the song that makes it a hit–a great song should really speak for itself, no matter how many instruments are added to the recording.  The most important aspect of music production when trying to record a hit song is the quality… [Read More]

Pro Session Players Are Right At Your Fingertips

You may have seen the title of this post and wondered to yourself, “How could I possibly have professional session musicians at my fingertips?  I’m an independent musician who doesn’t have the resources.”  You’re not alone in thinking that–plenty of indie musicians out there have the same mindset.  But it’s actually a lot easier than you think to have a pro session musician play on your songs. It wasn’t always this way.  There certainly was a time when you needed… [Read More]

Recording Vocals: Finding The Right Recording Studio

Vocals can make or break your song’s potential.  Having a sub-par vocal track can bring down an otherwise great song.  But an excellent, professional vocal recording can be the key element that puts your song in “radio ready” territory.  There are any number of reasons why you might want to find a recording studio to record your vocals in.  Lots of people have home recording setups, but while you can sometimes get by recording or sequencing instruments in your home,… [Read More]

Finding the Right Music Producer

Finding the right producer for my music has been about as hard as finding the right words for my songs.  Frustrated with my lack of budget to record my songs with the high quality they deserve, I’ve even resorted to asking fellow musicians to help me for free.  Because of this, “We’ll work on it next weekend” has become a phrase that I am all too familiar with…  And “next weekend” never seems to arrive. I learned that if your… [Read More]

Recording Guitar–And Making it Sound Great!

You’ve written a hit song. You have a guitar (perfectly in tune, of course) and a microphone.  You might even have a drum beat recorded and ready to go.  All the tools you need to record a guitar part are at your disposal…  But what can you do to lay down a GREAT-sounding part, instead of just a good one? BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS/SPACE Make sure you’ve set up your recording space in a comfortable setting with the lowest… [Read More]

Pre-production: the core of a professional production

Most of Studio Pros’ full music production projects start with the rhythm section tracks–first the drums, then the bass immediately after. Later on, we continue to the guitars, keyboards and any other instruments. The vocals are usually last to be recorded, right before the mixing and mastering stages. In order to get the best results from the rhythm section, we create a guitar or a keyboard “sketch” for the song before bringing the session players into the studio. What is… [Read More]

Featured Artist: Tim Knighton

Ever wondered how a full music production is made?  Here’s the step-by-step process of how Tim Knighton produced his first song. It all starts with an idea.  In Tim Knighton’s case, it was an idea for his original song called “Hail the Woman,” one of many tunes he wanted to record for an album.  “The website was easy to use,” he explains.  “So I picked a track that I knew I’d want to put on the album and thought I’d… [Read More]

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