As 2011 comes to a close, you have to ask yourself the question: How much music did I make this year? Whether you are primarily a musician trying to record your own material, or an engineer trying to produce other peoples’ music, the question is the same. How much did you actually record, edit, mix, and release in the past 12 months?
If the answer is disappointing (that you didn’t produce much after all), then you need to assess what went wrong this year. Were you just not writing much music? Were there not many clients? Or perhaps, you were distracted in your studio time doing other things like troubleshooting, re-organizing, or drooling over new gear. If it’s more of the latter, then I’d like to (If I may) offer some suggestions for the coming New Year.
Via Sean MacEntee Flickr
It’s All About The Music
No matter what anyone says, recording and mixing in the studio at any level is always about the music. If you truly care about the music you’re recording or you care about making a living off of producing the music you’re making for someone else, then you have to elevate the music above all else. This means not focusing on the wrong things like gear, or peoples’s weird opinions.
If you are spending too much time wondering what gear you need to take your music to the next level, or what technique will totally make your mixes 100% better than you are off track. Rather decide right here and now that you won’t devote nearly as much energy on studio related pursuits that don’t actually get you making more music. It’s just not worth it.
You Need To Set Deadlines
One of the best truths you’ll ever learn in life is that limitations actually make us more productive. Fewer choices actually help us make better decisions and get more done. And this includes our time. If you impose deadlines on your music making it won’t suck the life and passion out of you. Rather it will ironically squeeze more creativity and productivity out of you and you’ll be happier for it.
Why not take the One Song One Month Challenge and produce 12 songs this year. Your album will be done by this time next year! Or go the EP route and follow my step by step plan to record and release a new EP 6 months from now. Whatever you do, just make a plan and stick to it. Seriously, by simply finishing a project (even one song) you’ll get better as engineer. Just finish something!
Invest In Your Skill
As fun as it is to believe that next piece of gear or DAW upgrade will make your mixes better, the truth remains that investing in your self and your craft is always a better option. This can be as simple as committing to read my blog (and others like it) every week for the whole year. Soak up as much knowledge and tips as you can. It could mean reading more books on recording and mixing, or getting more technical and studying the science of audio (if you like that kind of stuff). It could even mean attending a workshop or getting some formal audio training via a school or video course/tutorial.
But let’s get even simpler. By simply doing more recording and mixing next year you’ll be gaining valuable insight and knowledge. The more I record and mix, the more mistakes I make (and learn not to make again), and the more techniques and workflows I develop and comprehend. Just get out there and make music and you can’t help but get better at it.
Make This Year Count
Music is an incredible thing. Clearly you have a passion for it, or you wouldn’t be here today. Clearly you want to present your music in the most professional way possible. So why not commit to making this next year count in a huge way by making the absolute best music you can possibly make, no matter what it takes. No more believing the myths and the hype. Just getting down to the nitty gritty and making it happen. You can do it!
Do Not Create Another Song Until You Read This Guide
(Price: $17 Free Today)
Discover the 6 Steps for Creating a Radio-Worthy Song From Scratch
My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
Working at the bank 8 hours a day and trying to record and be creative can be quite a challange. However, I will try my best to make time (and set deadlines) to complete all my projects that I,ve always wanted to finish.
I know it can be hard to find time. Just a little at a time and set goals!
Thanks for the inspiration this year Graham. 2011 was an amazing year for making music and learning the in’s and out’s of putting a studio together. As of August 2011 I had 7 clients and completed 20 songs for those clients. I created my studio’s website, attended local workshops, invested in online tutorial (yours), stayed connected to websites like yours, Joe Gilder’s and Pensado’s Place. I bought gear and realized later I didn’t really need it. I learn to focus on learning the gear that I do have and making an effort to master those tools. I’m starting to understand compression a little better now. I’m learning how to play DRUMS!!! I appreciate the power of a simple EQ plugin. I’m embracing the less is more mentality. I realize that running a studio is hard work and that I need help from others to do it. My goals for 2012, to put out one of my own original songs a month and have a album out by Jan 2013. Almost done with Song 1 for the month of January. Another goal is to team up with a local entertainment group to get more experience and exposure as well as network to get more clients. All in all I have to say it’s been a learning experience to say the least. Thanks for your advice and all the hard work you do. It means a lot to guys like me just getting started.
What an encouraging report Mitch! Excited for your studio.
I’m just happy to say that the recording revolution has re-sparked my interest in recording. I appreciate your honest blog and the videos are excellent. My whole goal is to become good enough to provide that major sound with a home studio budget. God bless
I Just want to say that I didn’t have much time to spend on a music project, so I set a 3 month for a song. The time passed, and I didn’t have time to finish every detail as I wanted. But in order to complete it, I had to sacrifice some pieces.
I am a newbie, and this was my first song that I’ve started and finished!! (I had around 10 that I never finished…) The secret was: set a dead line! The song It’s far from perfect, but at least I’m encourage to spend the next 3 months doing another song project, and will not repeat some of the mistakes done on the first finished song. This way I think I will grow in skill: doing, finishing, correcting, doing, finishing, etc…
Cheers!
mlm
My 2011 has been a hard year, here in Italy the world crisis is really heavy, but some things are gone really well.
I’ve done three documentary’s soundtracks, one of them has had a good response at the Torino Film Festival and the production wants to make a Dvd of it, and a national broadcast television will give it a chance in the prime time.
My studio is almost done with a Petrof grand piano and some enhancements in the audio chain: more converters, a bunch of mics, a more controlled environment ( in my blog there are some pictures of the whole studio).
Next year? A friend from Senegal wants to make some recording at my studio and need support on the production side.
One of my sons is studying acting and is trying to make some short movies. I’ll support him, with caution: he’s a teenager, I’m still the enemy, sometimes…:-)
If my country resists to the crisis I hope to develop my really tiny network in the cinema world to find some other job there…
Just putting the finishing touches on my new EP/album (the third one finished this year, although the previous two were started way back in last year). My previous two attempts at albums took way too long and didn’t turn out all that well, so I simplified things down, worked hard with my gear, and set deadlines to finish. 6 months for 6 songs, even while busy with work and college. I am very pleased with this new one!
Graham, I stumbled on your site and immediately bookmarked it. Although I have a decent Home PROJECT studio, with some nice gear. You really drove home the idea/question of WHAT exactly have I recorded. I’m pleased to say that getting a late start in 2011, (November) and after 2 weeks off in December, we have recorded consistently for the last 3 months, and tracked roughly 7 songs (Ill post them sometime soon) The other thing I got from your site and (Insight) was to start selling off a little gear. As I grow more confident in my mixing / engineering skills, I realize I do not have to rely on the extra toys at my disposal.
(I’m keeping the Avalon vt-7373) 😉
Thanks
~Scott
Hello Graham, one thought… if man makes a good release in one 1..12 hour, then what release is that which man dedicates 3..12 months
(I mean just one track) ?
(assuming that
…the technical things (compressing, mixing, sound palette choice, etc) were all limited to one week and the rest of it is several months creative period).
…And that its made by professional, and not by amateur ( who can afford only 3 hours per day time for it).
thanks.
Thank you so much for all the tips and wonderful motivation on your site. I just got myself the Book “How to write your best Album” by Geoffrey Williams and combining your tips it motivate me so much. I gave myself a goal to complete a new album by end of October and as i have my own recording studio I will start recording in November and hope to release in Dec or Early January 2013. Thank you so much once again….
Kind Regards
Awesome! Good luck with the album!
I wish you are my mentor , i feel you man .
Audio began playing anytime I opened up this website, so frustrating!