Why does my music need mastering?
Home recording is easier and more affordable than ever, which makes the role of mastering ever more important. Here are some objective reasons that make the case for mastering your recordings. Read the post
Audio Mastering
Features a collection of articles from the Disc Makers blog that relate to music mastering, including advice from post-production engineers from the SoundLab at Disc Makers.
How to maximize music income from songwriting and recording: Part V
The fifth and final chapter in our series on maximizing music revenue with your songwriting and recording focuses on the various final versions and formats you can create and the different ways you can promote and earn money with them. Read the post.
Make your music easy to license for TV, ads, and film
To license your music, you need to understand the role of the music supervisor as well as how to prep your music. Follow these steps to increase your chances of getting your music licensed. Read the post.
How to record better tones in your home studio
From potato chips to preamps, decoupling to drum heads, these 13 tips can help you get better tones when you’re recording in your (not-acoustically pristine) home studio. Read the post.
When it comes to vocal tuning, one size does not fit all
Choose the vocal tuning and pitch-correction tools, techniques, and workflow that will give your music the finished vibe you’re looking for. Read the post.
How to sequence an album for best results
Perfecting your song order when you sequence an album can mean the difference between a great artistic statement and a nice mixtape. Read the post.
The Indie Music Minute’s greatest hits
Here are three of our most popular Indie Music Minute videos so far, tackling the topics of being your own record label, mixing vs. mastering, and getting a mechanical license for YouTube. Read the post.
CDs just sound better
I listen to a lot of music and listen to a lot of streaming when I drive or while I travel — and I also listen to vinyl. And while I love all of it, when I want the best audio quality, nothing sounds as good as a CD. Read the post.
Why indie musicians make CDs [Infographic]
Independent artists rely on the tangible media that is the music CD. As a physical representation of their hard work, a means of increasing revenue, and to establish their brand, independent musicians use CDs in ways major label artists don’t. Read More.
Actively test – and improve – your listening skills
Making decisions that improve the quality of your final product – based on what you’re hearing – is the basic skill underlying all successful music production. Here are some strategies for improving your listening skills. Read More.
Introduction to Audio Mastering
In our July Disc Makers Twitter chat (#DMchat), Brian Lipski, mastering engineer and manager of The SoundLAB, gave us an introduction to audio mastering for musicians of all genres. Read More.
Mastering Gear and The SoundLAB at Disc Makers
Do you have questions about what mastering engineers do and how they achieve their results? This introduction to the mastering gear in The SoundLAB gives you a glimpse into our mastering suites and the gear we use to make your music sound great. Read More.
Stereo width and audio mastering
Using stereo widening plug-ins in audio mastering to try to expand your mix’s stereo width won’t sound natural and could cause major issues with your finished track. Read more.
Avoid these common mistakes to get the most from audio mastering
Supplying audio files in compressed formats or applying heavy limiting or compression during mix down can compromise your master and negatively impact your audio mastering results. Read more.
Audio mastering basics for your home studio
If you focus too much of your work on a single instrument in a complex arrangement, you likely will miss the fact that even if you have improved the sound of that one instrument, everything else may have been impacted negatively. Get the mix you want, mix down to a stereo file, and then perform mastering as a separate last step. Read more.