Record Production Chapter Thirteen

Start Thinking . . . What should a producer look for when selecting a studio? Should the artist work for the producer or the producer work for the artist? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) recording? Why is getting a big production budget from a label an advantage? A disadvantage? Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Chapter Goals Learn what a record producer does and the important elements of a production deal. Understand the five stages of record production. Learn about production budgeting and how producers get paid. Gain an awareness of recording studio design, types of studios, and how to select a studio. Learn the terms basic to the recording and mastering process. Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Details of the role vary Record Producers Details of the role vary Responsible for keeping the recording session moving toward a commercially viable master Creative control can be a challenge Selection of songs is critical Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Matching Producer to Artist Ensure a good fit Preliminary meetings crucial People skills Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Production Deals Royalties and Fees Producer contract grants percentages called “points” 1 point = 1% Most producers receive 2 to 4 points Producers receive royalty payments from Sale #1 Escalators Up-front production fee is standard Artists may also pay producer points out of their own royalties Letter of direction Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Recording Studio Studio Operation Full-time staff Technology revolution Crimped big multiroom studios Importance of human decisions Traffic managers Studio profit The importance of scheduling Studio reputations usually spread by word of mouth Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Recording Studio Studio Design Good acoustics Control room Studios The proper balance of stereo depends largely on where the mixer sits in the room 5.1 surround sound compounds this problem Orchestras and ensembles require sound diffusion Studios ultimately sink or swim on whether musicians feel comfortable Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Recording Studio Selecting a Studio Cost Location Equipment, service, and staff Downtime EQ and timbre Digital versus analog Studio’s reputation and vibe Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Recording Studio Types of Studios Home/project studios Preproduction/demo studios Independent studios Label-owned studios Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Five Stages of Record Production Preproduction: Budgeting and Planning Identify expense parameters Budget control Reasons for exceeding a budget Recording expenses = advance against future royalty earnings Arrangements and rehearsals Decide how each song is to be treated Arrangers score the charts Session musicians Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Five Stages of Record Production Basics and Tracking Capturing the basic elements Tracking sheet Producer and the engineer Deciding on the “best take” Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Five Stages of Record Production Overdubbing Punch ins or separate tracks Lead vocals Trade craft + skillful cajolery Editing software Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Five Stages of Record Production Mixing Decisions to be made: Instrument levels Performances for the final mix Tonal qualities and EQ Where to place the instruments in the stereo mix Mixing engineers are key Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Five Stages of Record Production Mastering Record company pays for mastering and final steps Mastering engineer sequences the album adds space between each song correlates track numbers makes any sonic corrections to the recording Producer’s job done(?) Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

The Five Stages of Record Production Master Delivery Master recording mixed down as appropriate Deliver letters of consent from all individuals involved Deliver letters of consent from photographers and graphic designers Furnish evidence of copyrights and mechanical licenses Submit lyric sheets Submit technical credits summary sheet Submit sign-off statement Collect wage-related forms and contracts Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Getting Started in the Business Engineer Starting as an engineer Experiment in a home or school environment Prove to be technologically adept Understand how to record various instruments Demonstrate handling high-pressure situations Remember: the artist and the producer are your “customers” Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Getting Started in the Business Producer Key requirements of a producer Will and passion to succeed Gifted in identifying star potential Talent for picking quality songs Can evaluate combined impact of material, artist’s delivery, and production sound Access to money Know how to present the artist to potential buyers Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Getting Started in the Business DIY Artist as Producer The DIY artist advantages can record when inspiration strikes controls sound can be productive during in-between moments in life experiments with sound disadvantages acoustics can be limiting little collaboration lack of experience Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

Professional Associations The Audio Engineering Society The Society of Professional Audio Recording Services The Recording Academy The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners

For Further Thought . . . What complications has the technological revolution brought to record production? Can education and training help producers better identify good takes from bad ones, or is this an innate ability? What is the most critical of the five phases of record production? Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, 11th Ed. © 2016 Sherwood Publishing Partners