Loudness war and the side effects

By explaining something I occasionally experience as a mastering engineer I think I can help people understand some of the detrimental issues that relate to the loudness war in an easy manner. I will often send a master to a client and they will then say the track sounds excellent but they have had a listen to the track and it is not as loud as “X” as a reference. Firstly if loudness is an important factor it is always a good idea to provide a reference track so that the mastering engineer understand this is an important aspect of the audio mastering. My response to the client is often one which explains the non existence of a “loudness button” that exists independently of overall fidelity.

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How To Become A Better Rapper

There are many up and coming rappers out there that want to know how they can become better rappers. I have put together four main keys on how up and coming rappers can become better

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Take Your Show To The Next Level!

All genres, all types of bands, solo artists, etc. - Do you know what it takes to win over your audience, sell more merchandise, book more shows, get more money for your show, and get the industry pro’s checking you out?

Talent alone is not enough. Your image is not enough. And certainly relying on your Facebook friends is no where near enough. However, learning the the tricks to win more fans is the key.  An awesome fan base is crucial. So, work out a show for your fans with a “wow factor” and watch your audience grow quickly in numbers.  

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Musicians, Actors, and Comics Addictions and Recoveries (Infographic)

With music legends Etta James, Ray Charles, and Johnny Cash illustrating the power to overcome addiction, others can find there is still hope for the music industry’s biggest addicts. Over the past couple of years, the media and paparazzi has learned that there is a lot of money surrounding the exploitation of celebrities and their addictions. With TV shows like Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew becoming a popular series among many other reality shows, this infographic, provided by established drug and alcohol rehab center, Clarity Way, looks back on some of our favorite musicians and celebrities that have struggled with addiction, but many of which who have found solace and success by undergoing rigorous rehabilitation.

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Requiem in Shallows (excerpt) by Jeff Sampson

“History is littered with examples of great civilizations, cultures, and economic empires that reached a point where they could no longer sustain themselves….” To read the rest and hear the entire 49 minutes, click here

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Is it Possible to Build a Portable Recording Studio For Less Than £250?

When pro audio gear reached the masses seven or eight years ago, the ‘home studio’ dream was born for tens of thousands of musicians all around the world. A couple of years later many of the leading manufacturers of recording gear such as Mackie and Motu started catering to the nomadic musicians and the touring artist with portable gear. 

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Random Writing Tip From Producer / Songwriter Joe Solo

Random Writing

Here’s a fun way to come up with cool new chord progressions you wouldn’t normally write:
Put a bunch of chord names in a hat and randomly pick out 3 or 4. Then commit yourself to writing a song section based on those chords. 

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NDE - Chillinois (Feat Shawn Lat)

Due for releases on EzRecordings

http://www.ezrecordings.com

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Music Without Labels Live Tour 2012

At Music Without Labels & Beat-Play we know you want, and deserve, exclusive coverage of all of the best summer festivals and concerts; which is why MWL Live is embarking on journey across the United States! MWL spokesperson, Katie McVeay, and leading videographer, Shane Suski, are crossing state lines to showcase musical acts at festivals, small town concerts and everywhere in between, providing up-to-date photos, video interviews, and giving you the opportunity to interact with today’s top artists and musicians.

During Shane’s first year with MWL, he has had the opportunity to photograph over 75 artists including big names like Immortal Technique, GZA, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Young the Giant, and more! Katie McVeay started her MWL work in NYC where she interviewed numerous up-and-coming bands such as Caged Animals, Dustin Wong, The Beets and Canon Logic. In February, Katie relocated to MWL Headquarters in San Diego and has had the chance to interview talented acts such as Puscifer, Lost in the Trees, Rachael Yamagata, Talkdemonic and many more!

MWL Live will be traveling approximately 11,000 miles in 108 days featuring popular musicians at Sasquatch, Free Press, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot Music Festival and everywhere in between! We also know that not all of your favorite musicians are located near hub cities where their music can be properly showcased, reviewed or featured. Are you one of these artists? Do you know a great band in your location? We are reaching out to artists and fans! We want to visit you during the MWL Live Tour!

A trip like this takes funding! How much? $10,000! Right now we have $5,749 towards the project, but it’s not enough! Our Kickstarter goal of $6,000 helps cover the (high) price of gas, food, accommodations, tolls, festival fees, equipment and other expenses that we need to make the MWL Live Tour 2012 a reality!

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Lifetime Opportunity to Open Concert for Kunal Ganjawala

Kunal Ganjawala, one of the greatest singers alive is all set to perform at Shivamogga. Here is your chance to open the concert for the great singer and your chance to meet face to face with him.

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Wow! There are Giants in the Land!

I just had an incredible month! Sometimes my job is a combination of rewarding, fun, great music, great people, relationship building… and work! While a lot of my work is helping independent artists (which I love a lot) and teaching (like at New Music Seminar, or Berklee College of Music, or Canadian Music Week), I also work with some of the most well known artists in the world. While exhilarating, it can also be awfully stressful at times!

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Learning Piano With an iPad?

There are dozens of piano apps out there that tell us they are “the easiest way to learn piano”. Of course, that’s pretty stupid. No iPad app is going to replace a piano teacher any time soon. However, there’s one new piano app that made a nice step in the Mus-Ed direction, and let’s you play dozens of songs using your own piano or keyboard (or on-screen touch piano). it’s called Piano Dust Buster and it’s even free.

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Music Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is a relatively new field in marketing that many artists and brands haven’t really adopted yet. With the vast majority of the American population owning a mobile phone, its surprising that many brands have yet to start using this medium as an option to reach consumers.

Mobile marketing is a great way for artists to keep in touch with their fans and notify them of when they are coming into their city. Since, mobile marketing is an addition to the many forms of marketing which are currently available in today’s landscape, it’s important that the mobile marketing doesn’t come off as a nuisance to the consumer. Musicians should carefully plan how they will utilize each form of marketing to reach consumers, and make sure that they don’t overlap, or else it could lead to bombarding the consumer through different marketing mediums.

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Life Coaching & The Music Biz

I’ve been working in the music industry most of my life. I’ve been working as an entertainment life coach for about a year. The 2 questions that I get asked the most are…1) What is a life coach? Well, that’s easy. A life coach helps you reach your goals easier and faster than you would on your own. 2) What does an entertainment life coach do? Well, with that question, I find , it is easier to give you a scenerio…

Let’s sat you’ve been studying voice.(or another instrument, or dance etc. Singer/songwriter is just an example) You’ve been working your butt off. Maybe you have one of the best vocal coaches on the planet. You can sing anything. You especially sound amazing when you sing the songs that you’ve written. You work with experienced co-writers and spend time and money going to workshops to make sure your song is just right! You go to other interactive workshops given by some of the best on-stage coaches in the biz. They work with you on how to create a magical show, with your beautiful songs and your kick ass voice. You’re ready to go! But wait….

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