What You Must Know Before You Record Your Songs

Today I want to help you decide when you are ready to record your songs and what you must know before you book a session in a recording studio. At some point every singer either wants to or is required to record and there are some common mistakes and misconceptions about the recording process including cost and how to make sure you come out with a great recording. With such an abundance of home equipment, small home studios as well as larger ones, it can be confusing as to what you need and when you need it. How do you know how many hours you need? Or what a reasonable cost is? Take a look below at 3 key areas that if you take them on board will make your recording experience one to remember in a good way!

Be rehearsed and prepared
Decide why you are going into the studio. This is not as crazy as it sounds. Is it for experience, for a demo, a more professional calling card, a competition or audition requirement? With all the home recording equipment available today unless you personally know how to create a quality sound you will be shooting yourself in the foot by cutting corners. Those that get on show they are committed to working with those who have a proven track record in creating a good product.

You get what you pay for
Personally I think that applies at any stage. Whatever you do on the cheap shows up cheap. That doesn't mean hiring Abbey Road when you are a complete beginner. Many people actually do not know what a good recorded sound is. Having started my career in a recording studio, it's easy for my ear to discern, muddy backing track sounds, out of alignment vocals, bad drum sounds, no separation of instrumentation - the list goes on. It can be like buying a car, there's so much about the product we are buying we don't know so checking the credentials of the person recording you is more important than the equipment they are working with.

Be aware of the process
We are often naive about the amount of work that goes into creating a great recording. The singer needs to know their stuff well and be able to focus in an environment where there is no audience but create the feeling that they are singing to one. If using backing tracks they must be high quality WAV files not mp3 or mp4. The singer must be warmed up and prepared to sing several sections over and over again if needed. If using musicians allow several days not simply a few hours for the recording process and understand that most of the technical side to create your recording goes on after you have sung and played. The producer needs sometimes several hours if not days to finalize the product and mix it depending on how involved it is.