FAQs: Music Production
Preparation is crucial in order to make the most of your studio session. Ideally, you should have a good idea of the style of your song and, if possible, bring reference tracks that you like or which have a similar style to what you are aiming for. Bring any recordings or annotations you have made of the songs or parts of the song so that the producer can develop these further and, of course, if you can perform the song in the studio then all the better.Once you are working with the producer, it is important to have a very clear idea of your goals but also be prepared for suggestions and be open to new ideas. Remember, it's a collaborative process which relies on trust and honesty. The producer is on your side and wants to achieve the best result as much as you do
Arrive in good time for your session so you stand the best chance of starting the session off in a relaxed way and achieve your optimum level of performance quickly.
In the studio, the producer's role is to help an artist develop ideas into a complete song and oversee the recording to ensure that stylistic and technical goals have been reached. In many cases, the producer will work with what might be very basic music and lyric ideas and help transform them into full songs which can be recorded. This may involve changing or adding to a song's structure if needed or helping the artist to piece together their ideas so that the ideas can become a full song. So, the producer generally has a good knowledge of a wide array of musical styles and trends as well as an awareness of some of the techniques used to create them. Above all, though, the producer brings a good pair of ears, their experience and their collaboration skills to work with the artist to create the best possible result in the most efficient way possible. Producers and engineers work closely together in the subsequent recording of the song.