How to make a record? Trust the recording process

I get this question a lot - how to make a record? I can totally can see why it can seem like a mysterious process. Like, all I have to do to listen to music is hit that Spotify app and access all music ever created (for almost nothing, while by the way, the artist barely gets paid. If you want to truly support an artist, buy their physical record). Is making a record that easy?

No, it's not easy. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Meta Monde recording vocals at Faust Records

There are a lot steps. I trust the recording process.

1. Write demos. Tons. Write as many as you can. And, simply by writing, you'll become a better writer. The perfect songs for your EP might be the 3rd, 10th and 15th song you wrote. Maybe you can take your best hook from one demo and simply rewrite the verse, so it pops better.

2. Record Demos. I have no problem with the voice memo, I do it all the time. But, if you have the ability to use a simple DAW, to add some extra instruments to flush out your idea, that's amazing.

3. Find Your Favorite Musician(s) and Producer you can afford. Some bands are your best friends, other are session players, these people will make your ideas sound real and way better than your demos. Then, bring in your favorite producer (that you can afford), who will continue to shape your songs and your band's ideas - it's scary and amazing at the same time.

4. Record - Part One! The basic session - this is the moment we're all nervous about. Your small band is in the same room (think just drums, bass and a piano or guitar), the engineer is setting up microphones and the producer is getting sounds that'll be perfect for the finished mix. We're here in the studio to get the bones of the songs, the essence, the character and the feel just write. It's super nebulous, it's an open pallet, but we have your songs to work off, and you have trusted hands and ears on your side.

5. Record - Part Two! The Overdub Sessions - these are the days where we record anything else that needs to be done - all vocals, horns, strings and any other weird vibes and sparkle we can create. This could be a different studio. I love overdub sessions, all the crazy hard work is done, setup is fast, and the songs truly come to life. We'll dial in some special sounds, tweak your parts just a bit or simple write new one in the creativity of the session.

6. Mixing & Final Arrangement. Now, the critique turns from the being on the artist to the mix engineer or producer (often the same person). It's the time to blend each sound in your songs to come out in the way to best get the emotions across. Mixing with emotion in mind is key. We may fix some mistakes that were missed in tracking, and mute some parts that aren't helping, but the goal is to make the songs ready for mastering.

7. Mastering. What is the world is mastering? It seems no one knows, so here's a link. In simple form, it's a touch of EQ, a touch of compression and balancing the levels of all tracks together so they may play as one cohesive record. Again, great mastering engineers are listening globally, to how the record makes them FEEL.

8. Promotions. I feel this step is overlooked a lot. There is so much to do here, and if possible, as much attention should go into promotion as it went into creating your record. With 49,000 songs being uploaded to Spotify each today, doing work to stand out is a must. Unless you're ok with no one listening? I don't believe it has to be fancy music videos and high paid publicists (we're not all wealthy). For some, acoustic iPhone videos with $20 bucks in Facebook ads will go a long way in promoting your music. I've done this with an artist, giving them nearly 750 likes (real people) for $160 with an amazing iPhone recording near a desolate lake. Promotions should be constant. Playlist pitching, radio push, social media, telling your friends, bringing fresh baked cookies to your first 100 fans, just getting the word out in the coolest way possible that best resembles your art.

9. Release. Yeah!! All that work is alive for people to finally hear it! Let's use services like Distrokid or Tunecore to upload your music to DSP's (Digital Streaming Platforms). Go play a release show! Get everyone and their dog excited about your music! Did I mention promote?

10. Perform. To me, this is my favorite part, playing your album live. Take what we can from the studio and make an amazing live band. Hopefully, it's the same players from the studio, but regardless, let's take the parts we worked so hard to create, and play them live, with sounds that most closely match the record. Of course, you likely won't have the Moog Voyager or 9' Yamaha grand, but there are plenty of ways to get good sounds live. Did I mention you should promote?