5 Things Artists Need to Do for Successful Recording Sessions

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Recording

1. BOOK AHEAD AND BE ON TIME

When recording, there’s nothing better than arriving to your studio session on time with everything ready to go. On recording day, make sure you plan ahead to ensure you’re focused on one thing, the most important thing, recording the best session possible. One of the best ways to make sure that happens is to book ahead. Trying to schedule a recording session at the last minute at a recording studio with a lot of clientele is almost impossible.
The earlier you book the better chance you have of getting the date and time you want. Come recording day, make sure you’re on time. Major recording studios have tight schedules and start your recording time when you’re scheduled to start whether you’re on time or not. It’s your responsibility to be on time and communicate properly when spending your hard earned money.

2. BRING A HARD DRIVE

It can’t be stressed enough about how important it is for artists to always have a hard drive when they record. I hear the horror stories all the time about artists that can no longer get in touch with the engineer that recorded their music. This could be easily avoided and wouldn’t even matter if the artist had a hard drive to save the session files.
Whether artists know it or not, every time they record in a studio and don’t take their session files (MASTERS), they make it easy for the theft of their music to occur and hard to prove that the music is theirs. There are several other steps that need to be taken in order to protect the music but it would be quite hard to do without the music in their possession. The easiest way to make it happen is to keep a hard drive and make sure you have the files saved before leaving.

3. OBTAIN RIGHTS TO THE INSTRUMENTALS

There’s virtually nothing that can be done without the rights to the music. The sad part is that it usually only takes a few dollars, to purchase non-exclusive rights in most cases. By doing so, it opens the possibility of tying revenue streams into the new release. Just make sure to do business with producers that have terms that suite your budget. I can almost guarantee that your engineer knows if you’re serious by wether you have the rights to the music you plan to record with.
The engineer won’t say anything because it’s the artist’s responsibility to have their business situated before recording. Whether or not that occurs, the engineer will still do their job. The question it boils down to, is, “are you in position to get paid”? Obtain rights to the instrumentals and focus on making music and getting paid if thats a goal.

4. LIMIT YOUR GUESTS WHILE RECORDING

This is one of the biggest reasons many artists can’t get anything done in the studio. Bringing the wrong people to a recording session will prevent any artist from being productive. If the goal is to record, artists should bring people to keep them on track to make their best records. There’s nothing worse than to watch an artist pay for recording time and then waste their time by getting distracted. Again, it’s up to the artist to make sure they get the most bang for their buck. Your listeners are counting on it. So before your next session, limit the amount of guests in attendance when it’s time to record.

5. REHEARSE, REHEARSE, REHEARSE!

Make the absolute best of your time by being prepared. One big difference between recording at home, vs. recording in a professional recording studio, is that in the studio, time is money. Going into the studio un-prepared will cost you both time and money, but being prepared helps create a great atmosphere around your session, and is a step in the right direction for your project. If the artist isn’t prepared it will have an affect on the entire recording process. Put time in to make sure you’re ready to go come time to record. Know your lyrics so that you’re comfortable without having to read them from a paper. It’s true! Practice makes perfect! Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!