3 Things Every Budding Record Producer Needs

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While bands and singer-songwriters may be internationally famous and beloved by fans, they are all supported by a team of talented people behind the scenes who turn creative visions into reality. Among the most important of these people is the record producer, who acts much like a director does on a feature film. They have many, varied responsibilities which can include overseeing the audio mix, changing key parts of a song's arrangement, and collaborating with an artist to develop new ideas. If you are interested in becoming a music producer but aren't sure what exactly you need to get started, take a look below at three of the most important things.

Studio Headphones

There is no point in producing music if you have no idea how it actually sounds. Yet if you attempt to produce a record using consumer-grade headphones, this is exactly the problem you'll run into. Studio headphones don't pump up the bass levels or artificially boost treble. Instead, they give you clear, high-fidelity audio that you can use to confidently make the right mixing decisions. Without a good pair of studio headphones, producing music becomes something more like trying to play a video game on a screen with horrible glare. 

Digital Audio Workstation

Once you've got a nice pair of studio headphones and are confident that the sound you're hearing is of high quality, the next absolute must is a digital audio workstation. Virtually all new music producers work with digital files, and so are in need of software to handle them. This is where digital audio workstations, or DAWs, come in. They allow music producers (and radio, podcast, and television producers for that matter) to compose, edit, and mix digital audio in almost limitless ways. New producers will want to seek out a DAW with an intuitive user interface, support for MIDI controllers, and a huge library of effects.

Access to Samples

One of the easiest ways to get started creating a track — or at least brainstorming ideas for one — is by accessing samples. Online subscription-based sample libraries offer an easy way to do this, as they allow you to play around with millions of sounds that you can then make your own as part of a recording. Good producers know how to take what might seem like an otherwise unremarkable sample and turn it into the basis of a hit song.

For more information, contact a Motown record producer near you.

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20 April 2022

creating a music playlist that's non-offensive

Are you planning a party, gathering or celebration in which you will be inviting a mixed group of people? If so, one of the most difficult elements of the planning process is choosing the music that you will play during the event. Since people have such varying tastes in music, it can be hard to find a playlist for a mixed group without offending someone in the crowd. So, how do you do it? This blog will give you several ideas that can help you plan the music playlist using music that won't offend your guests but that will keep everyone entertained.