Hi Friends, Hope your week has been Marvellous! This week we got this question:- How do you protect a final mix that you’re sending to a client if you’re sending it before they pay you? What a marvellous question, this is something that has happened to me a couple of times in the past and something every one of us need to know how to do! I had warning signs where I should have walked away early on. Please let me know your experiences and how you’ve combatted them!
Virtually every studio I went too gave us a full copy of the music prior to full payment. It was not a final mix though. It was more for us to use for reference to give the engineer feedback. No contracts involved. Just everyone keeping there word. We did have to pay a deposit at one studio. That said we could have ran off without paying for a final mix. I suppose the studio owners have had good experiences with clients paying. As they say though, all it takes is one to ruin it for everyone.
Hi Blake, thanks for sharing your experience! Here in LA, also London and also other Cities I have worked at always asked for 50% up front. I strongly suggest you ask for that! It will save a lot of issues!
The gentlemen that mixed my music used a watermark in the mix. At an important part of the song it cut out and made a horrible effect. Completely ruined the song. No way to steal it.
When I was making a living with mixing/making music I also ran across this issue or “opportunity” a time or two but I would never really sweat it. If it cost me a little time to learn not to work with a band or artist it was simply an opportunity to gain experience and in the end I was the winner. Experience and knowledge are priceless. Now that I have moved on to a different career I am able to create and produce mix and enjoy music free of charge and that is at the end of the day one of the most valuable and gratifying things in my life so... I am strangely grateful for the artist who have lacked integrity.
For Mixers I've been using Bounce Boss since the new year and it has really been a game changer for communication about my work. The other great thing is I can set if people are allowed to download the final file or not. Their are other features like level match - really, just look them up - best thing I've found for my work in the last 5 years.
That answer about clashing ideas was incredible. Recently I have been producing this artist and some music just flows as if we are synced. However, I remember a particular song that, when we were looping/recording basic ideias, he didn't like the direction of the song. So, after a couple of days of trying he looks at me and suggests that we add a drum percussion to the song which I thought would be crazy and wouldn't work. But, since it's not my job (and will) to enforce my artistic vision over his, I tried it and it was the best idea ever, it took the song to a hole new level. I am quite happy I went with his idea.
** Watch this video a few times!! You are getting first hand top of the heap true professional advice. I’m on my second view and will likely review again in the near future. If I could give another thumbs up, this video would get it. I was incredibly fortunate enough to sit with Warren and Shelly Yakus recently. We discussed many (if not all) of these topics and Warren has echoed much of what he and Shelly discussed. Watch this video a few times!! You are getting first hand top of the heap true professional advice. How lucky are we? Thanks again Warren!
I just want to take the time to say thank you Warren and the produce like a pro community. Because of your numerous videos I have learnt a lot and have seen myself improve in making better sounding music. God bless you ever so much!
A WONDERFUL Q&A! The bits about protecting your work and stem are fantastic, but the whole part about creativity and technology is something I wish more people would understand. I always say things like, "I'm glad my car has an electronic ignition because cranking it by hand to start it, although good enough for people 100 years ago, is completely unnecessary these days." I don't adhere to the "get off my lawn!" Mentality. 🙌🏻
I gave "like" already from the title. I think the first problem as a newbie is working for friends or people we know, and it is complicated to charge them. Some of the strategies that they used with me is to try to get me involved in the musical project, with the promise of future profits. Also, it seems that instead of working for the client, it is the client who does me the "favor" of allowing me to show my work Did you have to handle similar situations in your beginnings, Warren?
Hi Sebastian Coperchio Marvellous question! Yes, I built my career on working on things for cheap and/or free! Making sure you’re not being taken advantage of is very important, having great boundaries is difficult at first, however you will learn them!
Sebastian Coperchio I think the answer to that is a pretty organic one. When you're starting off, then exposing your work, if it's good quality helps you more than the money you're getting paid at that very moment because you get the chance of making a name with that work you've done. Once you already are a known engineer, you better make sure to get paid properly and not be taken advantage of. So in a simple way: at the beginning - yes, do stuff cheap and or free to build up your reputation. Once you got the reputation and the big deals come - don't do things for free anymore, get paid!
I have sent mixes with small "watermarks" in the mix. Some little gaps of silence about 1/4 of a second in unique spots in the song. Something that can't be copy and pasted to replace that gap from another part of the song! But that's for first time clients or maybe somebody who makes my spidey senses think there's something shady.
Another great video and shirt Warren!! I have a friend of mine that I have been working with for years and we butt heads all the time when it comes to ideas and stuff and it does help the creative process. Its important to JUST try it out and see how it sounds. A lot of times good ideas can get lost in translation because ones ego or stubbornness to give it a listen will get in the way. Good communication and openness is key to a good relationship. Thanks ever so much for these videos. They always inspire me.
Warren, I love listening to my favorite music on my monitors. I like listening for good acoustics, audio dynamics, and the subharmonics. I'm at peace listening that way : ).
Hi Warren and staff. Even though your days go by like lightning I hope you all are having a great one! Can you do a quick demonstration on expanding vocals into delays and reverb a la David Bowie and Tony Visconti? This would be greatly appreciated as always. Cheers!
There are a few people out there on TH-cam i.e. Damian Keyes who are saying musicians shoudln't expect to get any money from selling their music or by working in the Music Industry, he says we should start producing and selling merchandise and multimedia content and get our 'fans' to finance our musical projects via Patreon etc. I think people who say or agree with that attitude are just helping companies like Spotify totally ruin the Music Industry even more than it already has been. I mean it's hard enough to make a living doing anything creative in this day and age, yet alone trying to take money out of other peoples pockets. If we did try to start diversifying into several different things, how would we ever be expected to have the time to focus on one thing to make it worthwhile.
Hi Philly, thanks ever so much for your comment! The truth is somewhere in between! A combination of selling and licensing your music, doing shows, selling merch and every other way is the way to go! I can only speak from real experience, it's always best to take your advice from people who are making money from being a musician as opposed to people theorising about how to make money being a musician!
I really believe you're on the right path with the mixing of genres. I really think that is the future of music. Thanks to the educational channels like this one on TH-cam, the global musicianship is amazing and unreal. With the last hundred years bringing so many genres of music, at some point they have to start meshing. And you can hear all sorts of new sounds and ideas being fused from multiple genres. Fusion music, not specifically like the normal jazz fusion but in general fusion of multiple genres will be the future of music. Hip hop jazz. Psychadelic polka. Who knows? The future of music is bright!
Another marvellous video, Mr. Huart! Personally, I upload mixes privately to SoundCloud and then send the client the private link - that way they can stream as many times as they like for critical listening but can't download it.
As a songwriter I usually get paid when the song is written and I have send the client a ”demo”. I often keep the mechanical rights under my name, but that’s up to the client and what we agree upon. Before the age of Spotify I would post a signed dated cd of the song to my own adress. I’m not that paranoid any longer though. Have a great weekend !
I usually send them a 24 bit Apple Lossless file of the final mix. It gives them a better version to proof the mix, but it's not as good as a Wave file. I have never been stiffed, and in this day of social media, it's really not a good idea to skip out on the professionals working on your creative endeavors. I believe in keeping the honor system alive.
I just remember in the mid to late 80's, all the classic rock acts that simultaneously discovered MIDI, and every record they did ended up sounding like it was produced by Roland. I think AC/DC was the only band that dodged that bullet, but even Cliff Williams got sucked into playing one of those headless Steinberger basses.
Haha indeed! That's what we all have done isn the past, embraced new technology a little too much at times! Haha I remember when we went from Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzers to the DX7 Electric Piano sound!
Hi Warren, great FAQ Friday, I second it that I also think you are a fantastic musician, especially guitarist, would be excellent to hear an album done by you, thank you for all the good advice, all the best, Darren Ross.
Warren the life lessons are awesome and I appreciate it. You are are great man, thanks so much. Like painting you get the best job by proper preparation.
Thanks Warren! Great questions :) I was on holiday so I'm looking everything I've missed back now! Great content as usual. Regarding question 3 ... technology is just a tool :) Tools can also enhance creativity of course, but it's still just a tool!
My protection (when I feel I need to protect my work) is to simply add very short bursts of white noise every few seconds....just loud enough to be heard but not interfere with the listenability (is that a word?) of the music. This renders the "final mix" unusable for distribution and of course once I get paid, they get a clean mix. Just my $0.02 CAD
Hi dnafe! Thanks for sharing your insight! My customer base would be very annoyed if I did that! For me it's best to take the 50% deposit, that's been my experience as to what works best!
@@Producelikeapro Hi all, It,s about trust and from both parties, thats why the 50 deal works... And exposing distrust towards others will indeed cause bad vibes unconsciously and with that conscious a feeling of being annoyed...;) We offer real human a service, by being human and have selfrespect we work naturally...;)
@@Aeronaut1975 I totally agree but at my level some of my clients are afraid they're going to get ripped off paying money up front and actually feel more secure this way. And remember I'm only talking about maybe 5% tops and usually they are very young inexperienced artists
Alexa “Play Queen!” 😀👍 I remember buying Bohemian Rhapsody on 7” in 1975 & playing it on a mono record player. That was still pretty immersive! I think it should always be about the music first not the delivery.
Sir you just promised to release an album so do expect some “where’s the album, Warren?” from us because you are indeed very talented. Thanks for sharing that knowledge with us, take care!!
You suggest getting 50% upfront before mixing. How have you determined the final price? Is it a quote based on an estimated amount of time you think it might take to complete?
What I do with the few clients I have had is to send half the song in one mp3 and the other half in another mp3, then they check out the whole song and ask for revisions, but they can't use it for distribution or anything like that
Hi Warren! Thank you for being on your mission! Keep on going. In Russia where I was fortuned to born in 1979))) people traditionally don’t pay if they can. So they would be happy to get mp3 from you for free and disappear telling everybody that there’s no reason to pay for such a crapy mix. And then they just release it with no credits. Is it familiar to you? To get deposit may be impossible especially when you’re starting your career. You must confirm your skills by doing free trials instead. Only one effective way to protect yourself in this situation is to insert silence or other garbage in the mix to make it unusable )) Then I can send this demo )) in full quality. After payment I remove all the trash from the mix and send it to the client. Creating against cheating ))) Did you the same ever? Greetings! From Russia with love!
Time is valuable and communication is key. Most need to go back and check out the U2early 90's stuff for production. Toured with them during zootv. WOO production.
You said Mixing! That's a whole can of worms! When you go back to old mixes and can't hear the low end, everyone would want to mix it with a bigger low end! Haha
Great video as always mate! Agreed with what you say about sending back a final mix. Personally I would have a contract on my website stipulating everything I needed so the client was in no doubt what is required. I would also ask 50% up from and also I would want a skype call or similar so I could speak face to face to establish some dialogue and get a feel for what that client wanted. You hit on Video games Warren and to be honest that is where the money will be at as it is the world's largest industry now. Agreed also with what you say about creativity is key. Technology is a mere tool to help us in our quest to present that sound in our head! Cheers. :-)
another fantastic video, thanks warren and the erst of the gang there :), are you familiar with airwindows vst plugins? i find them sounding absolutely amazing, thanks again, and keep up the marvellous video's :)
I was thinking, it would be fabulous if we have a service/web page that allows you to upload an audio file and once you send it, predeterminate how many times you can allow to the to audio to be listened, for example 2, the client could listen the mix just twice until you sent the real final mix and he pays
thanks for another inspiring speech! ^_^ you have drum samples, or you have recorded drums - you want that drum sound. production techniques are a bit like instruments. there are workarounds that work also. but they create the song as much as anything. and they take part in defining the genre. the name of the plugin does not matter. but in the end the sound is processed for the sake of a result that means something. to do a certain genre - what do they have, what do they use, and why? just like there is typical jazz with piano, drums, and upright bass. then, there is the idea of crossover. one can try to create a sound similar to the beatles, including "abbey road" reverb settungs. but we can add a modern EDM synth sound instead of the mellotron, still with the meaning of dark strings. and we can have a multiband comp for a flatter spectrum. if done well, we get the vintage feel, plus the feel of freshness and awareness of the now. technique has two aspects: a) what is really happening with the sound, and b) what do we do technically to make it happen? the latter can vary widely, with still getting the same feeling from the results. but that's only one way of doing work. it's different, when we add up complex plugins, using best presets etc., and experiment in a random way, until we hear something we like. it would be an educated guess, but on a different principle, with focus on distinct plugins or hardware, instead of abstract techniques. but normally I would expect both to occur in most projects.
How do you save and archive sessions and mixes after it's done? Do you just have a bunch of hard drives boxed and labeled, if so how are they sorted and organized for possible future remastering/remixing?
Can you please do a video on how to set levels when recording guitars direct through something like Guitar Rig? How much headroom are we supposed to leave for the plugin? When I record at -20 or below it becomes hard to see the visual representation of the recording. Also, I hate having to adjust levels every time I change a preset. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Really like when u talk about being able to create fast...BUT It works both ways, because with everything is fast nowadays, some of the passion/effort to create great reacords has faded.
Hi Guss! Absolutely! It's all about the budget! I love making albums over many weeks and I still do! Other times, it's over a few days! There is no way to do it! Plus some of my favourite albums were done slow others very fast!
Great FAQ, as always, Warren. Many Thanks. Would not it be great to one day host a workshop called "The Academy Produces Warren Huart's Solo Album" :-) ?
How do you know how much to charge for services like mixing where it isn't clear how long the work will be? Is it experience, and what did you do when you didn't have the experience?
Warren, you use the term "a proper backup" to the session delivered to the label. But in my view, JUST like that reel of 2" tape I gave back to the labels, giving them a final Pro Tools session with all of the edits and choices "as mixed", but WITHOUT all of my actual automation and processing, IS a proper BACKUP. I make it clear in my agreements that I'm being hired to mix a stereo mix (and options), or alternatively 'stems'. But I'm not going to turn over a session that allows them to change my final mix without my being involved. - william wittman
Do you have a tutorial on phase alignment-cancellation? I am learning the dark arts of recording live drums. Overhead phase is giving me trouble. I know you can flip the polarity on snare and overheads. How do you get it right from the start, how good is "good enough"? Big thanks, I have learned much from you and your channel.
Hi Warren, do you think a certain amount of success as a Producer/Mixer/Engineer is determined by your location? Do you think there are limits to that success outside of music industry hotspots such as LA, London, New York etc?
Whats that beautiful award on your monitor from ??? Great advice Sir. late 70 sound staging with a phase linear quad surround stereo was fun but like 3D video now not much content. With 5.1 becoming a standard it opened the window on crazy staging and fun pan/fade of vocals and efx but not much music using the full spacial area for craziness.
Regarding sample rates; lets say you have an EDM project that is entirely VSTs. Am I correct in thinking that upsampling that project wouldn't make any difference to the sound, because no information / detail can be added to those VST sounds retrospectively..? Therefore making 44.1 the obvious choice..? Thanks.
Marvellous question! Definitely if something is already recorded, then upsampling is not going to make a difference! However I would listen to the virtual instruments in 44.1k and 96k and listen to the Reverb trails etc and see if you can hear a difference. If there's no perceptible difference then I wouldn't be concerned!
How would you mic an acoustic drum set with only a matched pair of pencil condensers, a large diaphragm condenser and a SM57? What would be a good addition mic-wise to this setup?
Following up on the topic of sending the entire session to the label so that they will have a backup of it. What are the odds that the label in 20 years time will be able to open that session that was made with a specific version of ProTools (or whatever DAW that was used) with a long list of plugins at specific versions? All of that software may not be available anymore. And newer versions that are still available may not be compatible and/or may not sound exactly the same.
5:20 Well, considering that "even" 5.1 home-theater systems (as crappy as those tiny plastic ones are, not to mention ones that are at least half-way decent) aren't all that widespread, i can't help but be highly skeptical about the (potential) popularity of things "beyond" that.
The most full proof way in my opinion is just sending the client a dropbox link... They can be able to listen but just edit the permissions so they cant be downloaded... problem solved 😊 , more or less
Last week I had a client refuse to pay me for a project, after agreeing to an hourly wage. Unfortunately I had already delivered the final tracks. A month ago they told me that everything sounded amazing and no schedule or deadline was ever discussed. Now they say they won’t pay for a “late and subpar product” and blocked me on Facebook. What should I do, besides never work with them again?
Sadly, I've also been there, and I feel your pain. I would say just cut your losses and move on. Legal action is expensive, and there is no guarantee you win - and then you would lose a lot more time and money than you've already lost. Good luck!
Thank you for the replies, I don’t think it’s enough to take legal action, I think I may just have to learn from this and have written contracts and deposits with any bands that I work with in the future.
ok ok one day no no Warren come on you need to do your thinking its time just do it for US .O bye the way I get all thanks' GO TO ME AHAHA NO. . ROCK ON MY MAN . PS we ALL will put in to help Warren IF HE NEEDS OK . IT, JUST ME DAN PELTIER . O ONE DAY ? DAY.
Hi Friends, Hope your week has been Marvellous! This week we got this question:- How do you protect a final mix that you’re sending to a client if you’re sending it before they pay you?
What a marvellous question, this is something that has happened to me a couple of times in the past and something every one of us need to know how to do! I had warning signs where I should have walked away early on. Please let me know your experiences and how you’ve combatted them!
Virtually every studio I went too gave us a full copy of the music prior to full payment. It was not a final mix though. It was more for us to use for reference to give the engineer feedback. No contracts involved. Just everyone keeping there word. We did have to pay a deposit at one studio. That said we could have ran off without paying for a final mix. I suppose the studio owners have had good experiences with clients paying. As they say though, all it takes is one to ruin it for everyone.
Hi Blake, thanks for sharing your experience! Here in LA, also London and also other Cities I have worked at always asked for 50% up front. I strongly suggest you ask for that! It will save a lot of issues!
Done!! This is now pinned!
The gentlemen that mixed my music used a watermark in the mix. At an important part of the song it cut out and made a horrible effect. Completely ruined the song. No way to steal it.
When I was making a living with mixing/making music I also ran across this issue or “opportunity” a time or two but I would never really sweat it. If it cost me a little time to learn not to work with a band or artist it was simply an opportunity to gain experience and in the end I was the winner. Experience and knowledge are priceless. Now that I have moved on to a different career I am able to create and produce mix and enjoy music free of charge and that is at the end of the day one of the most valuable and gratifying things in my life so... I am strangely grateful for the artist who have lacked integrity.
Wow! Thanks for the amazing insight and incredible positive attitude! I agree with you 100%!!
For Mixers I've been using Bounce Boss since the new year and it has really been a game changer for communication about my work. The other great thing is I can set if people are allowed to download the final file or not. Their are other features like level match - really, just look them up - best thing I've found for my work in the last 5 years.
That answer about clashing ideas was incredible.
Recently I have been producing this artist and some music just flows as if we are synced. However, I remember a particular song that, when we were looping/recording basic ideias, he didn't like the direction of the song. So, after a couple of days of trying he looks at me and suggests that we add a drum percussion to the song which I thought would be crazy and wouldn't work. But, since it's not my job (and will) to enforce my artistic vision over his, I tried it and it was the best idea ever, it took the song to a hole new level. I am quite happy I went with his idea.
Wow! Thanks ever so much my friend! I really appreciate it Diogo!! You Rock! Thanks for sharing your experience!
** Watch this video a few times!! You are getting first hand top of the heap true professional advice. I’m on my second view and will likely review again in the near future. If I could give another thumbs up, this video would get it. I was incredibly fortunate enough to sit with Warren and Shelly Yakus recently. We discussed many (if not all) of these topics and Warren has echoed much of what he and Shelly discussed. Watch this video a few times!! You are getting first hand top of the heap true professional advice. How lucky are we? Thanks again Warren!
Thanks ever so much Matty! You Rock my friend!!
I just want to take the time to say thank you Warren and the produce like a pro community. Because of your numerous videos I have learnt a lot and have seen myself improve in making better sounding music. God bless you ever so much!
God bless you too Waji!! Thanks ever so much!
You're right Warren, it's the creative mind that is responsible for great music.
Hey Warren,
I look forward to this every Friday, thanks so much brother.
Thanks ever so much Paul!!
A WONDERFUL Q&A! The bits about protecting your work and stem are fantastic, but the whole part about creativity and technology is something I wish more people would understand. I always say things like, "I'm glad my car has an electronic ignition because cranking it by hand to start it, although good enough for people 100 years ago, is completely unnecessary these days." I don't adhere to the "get off my lawn!" Mentality. 🙌🏻
I gave "like" already from the title. I think the first problem as a newbie is working for friends or people we know, and it is complicated to charge them. Some of the strategies that they used with me is to try to get me involved in the musical project, with the promise of future profits. Also, it seems that instead of working for the client, it is the client who does me the "favor" of allowing me to show my work
Did you have to handle similar situations in your beginnings, Warren?
Hi Sebastian Coperchio Marvellous question! Yes, I built my career on working on things for cheap and/or free! Making sure you’re not being taken advantage of is very important, having great boundaries is difficult at first, however you will learn them!
Sebastian Coperchio I think the answer to that is a pretty organic one. When you're starting off, then exposing your work, if it's good quality helps you more than the money you're getting paid at that very moment because you get the chance of making a name with that work you've done. Once you already are a known engineer, you better make sure to get paid properly and not be taken advantage of. So in a simple way: at the beginning - yes, do stuff cheap and or free to build up your reputation. Once you got the reputation and the big deals come - don't do things for free anymore, get paid!
It's a business. Not just an art. Or Hobby.
Establish guidelines and expectations from the start.
Yes, indeed! It is Art, however, it's also business!!
I have sent mixes with small "watermarks" in the mix. Some little gaps of silence about 1/4 of a second in unique spots in the song. Something that can't be copy and pasted to replace that gap from another part of the song! But that's for first time clients or maybe somebody who makes my spidey senses think there's something shady.
Another great video and shirt Warren!! I have a friend of mine that I have been working with for years and we butt heads all the time when it comes to ideas and stuff and it does help the creative process. Its important to JUST try it out and see how it sounds. A lot of times good ideas can get lost in translation because ones ego or stubbornness to give it a listen will get in the way. Good communication and openness is key to a good relationship. Thanks ever so much for these videos. They always inspire me.
Warren, I love listening to my favorite music on my monitors. I like listening for good acoustics, audio dynamics, and the subharmonics. I'm at peace listening that way : ).
That's wonderful to hear Sheila! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hi Warren and staff. Even though your days go by like lightning I hope you all are having a great one! Can you do a quick demonstration on expanding vocals into delays and reverb a la David Bowie and Tony Visconti? This would be greatly appreciated as always. Cheers!
Very interesting idea my friend! WE are going to Hansa Studios in May, that would be cool to do there!
There are a few people out there on TH-cam i.e. Damian Keyes who are saying musicians shoudln't expect to get any money from selling their music or by working in the Music Industry, he says we should start producing and selling merchandise and multimedia content and get our 'fans' to finance our musical projects via Patreon etc. I think people who say or agree with that attitude are just helping companies like Spotify totally ruin the Music Industry even more than it already has been. I mean it's hard enough to make a living doing anything creative in this day and age, yet alone trying to take money out of other peoples pockets. If we did try to start diversifying into several different things, how would we ever be expected to have the time to focus on one thing to make it worthwhile.
Hi Philly, thanks ever so much for your comment! The truth is somewhere in between! A combination of selling and licensing your music, doing shows, selling merch and every other way is the way to go! I can only speak from real experience, it's always best to take your advice from people who are making money from being a musician as opposed to people theorising about how to make money being a musician!
I really believe you're on the right path with the mixing of genres. I really think that is the future of music. Thanks to the educational channels like this one on TH-cam, the global musicianship is amazing and unreal. With the last hundred years bringing so many genres of music, at some point they have to start meshing. And you can hear all sorts of new sounds and ideas being fused from multiple genres. Fusion music, not specifically like the normal jazz fusion but in general fusion of multiple genres will be the future of music. Hip hop jazz. Psychadelic polka. Who knows? The future of music is bright!
I love Jeff Beck too. Loved the stuff he did with Tal Wilkenfeld on bass. She was a perfect fit.
Absolutely Troy! Agreed! Great combination!
Another marvellous video, Mr. Huart! Personally, I upload mixes privately to SoundCloud and then send the client the private link - that way they can stream as many times as they like for critical listening but can't download it.
Josh Dalviken fantastic! Thanks for sharing your insight!
As a songwriter I usually get paid when the song is written and I have send the client a ”demo”. I often keep the mechanical rights under my name, but that’s up to the client and what we agree upon. Before the age of Spotify I would post a signed dated cd of the song to my own adress. I’m not that paranoid any longer though.
Have a great weekend !
Thanks ever so much JD for sharing your insight my friend!
Communication is everything
I usually send them a 24 bit Apple Lossless file of the final mix. It gives them a better version to proof the mix, but it's not as good as a Wave file. I have never been stiffed, and in this day of social media, it's really not a good idea to skip out on the professionals working on your creative endeavors. I believe in keeping the honor system alive.
So much great info had to listen 2 or 3 times to absorb it all! Thanks for your insights and experience Warren.
Thanks ever so much Paul! You Rock!!
I just remember in the mid to late 80's, all the classic rock acts that simultaneously discovered MIDI, and every record they did ended up sounding like it was produced by Roland. I think AC/DC was the only band that dodged that bullet, but even Cliff Williams got sucked into playing one of those headless Steinberger basses.
Haha indeed! That's what we all have done isn the past, embraced new technology a little too much at times! Haha I remember when we went from Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzers to the DX7 Electric Piano sound!
@@Producelikeapro "The Joshua Tree" Patch, as we liked to call it!
You're a legend Warren!
Uros Todorovic you’re very kind my friend!!
Hi Warren, great FAQ Friday, I second it that I also think you are a fantastic musician, especially guitarist, would be excellent to hear an album done by you, thank you for all the good advice, all the best, Darren Ross.
AW shucks thanks ever so much Darren! That's very kind of you my friend!
Warren the life lessons are awesome and I appreciate it. You are are great man, thanks so much. Like painting you get the best job by proper preparation.
Wow!! Thank you ever so much Rick! That really means a lot my friend!
Tell ya what Warren, whether it's for tracking, mixing, or a bag of weed, I'll pay you 100% up front, no questions asked. You're a trustworthy guy.
Make your album with the help of musicians in the mix academy. That would be a fun project for the community.
Yes, agreed Adam! You Rock my friend!
Thanks Warren! Great questions :) I was on holiday so I'm looking everything I've missed back now! Great content as usual.
Regarding question 3 ... technology is just a tool :) Tools can also enhance creativity of course, but it's still just a tool!
Great insights Warren!
matty6strings thanks ever so much my friend!
Thank you Warren. Great advice.
Really important stuff to know! Thank you Warren!
Thanks ever so much Audrey!! You Rock!
Your TEC award looks good there (y)
J.P. Winter Sichelschmidt haha thanks ever so much my friend!
Produce Like A Pro اييسيظء1
Your hair is marvelous Warren! :) I’m a huge fan btw :)
Patrick Kreman haha thanks ever so much my friend!!
Marvellous video!
Thanks ever so much!
Thank you! Love these responses.
Great stuff! Thanks ☺
Barney Curran thanks ever so much!!
Super interesting questions and great info. Always really enjoy these videos 👍
Thanks ever so much Darryl!!
Thanks for the wonderful tips, as always. You're the best, Warren, as are the rest of the team behind PLAP!
My protection (when I feel I need to protect my work) is to simply add very short bursts of white noise every few seconds....just loud enough to be heard but not interfere with the listenability (is that a word?) of the music. This renders the "final mix" unusable for distribution and of course once I get paid, they get a clean mix. Just my $0.02 CAD
Yeah, I've heard a few people doing that, it's like an audio watermark.
Hi dnafe! Thanks for sharing your insight! My customer base would be very annoyed if I did that! For me it's best to take the 50% deposit, that's been my experience as to what works best!
Hi mezsh, I personally wouldn't do that as my customers would be quite annoyed! haha
@@Producelikeapro Hi all, It,s about trust and from both parties, thats why the 50 deal works... And exposing distrust towards others will indeed cause bad vibes unconsciously and with that conscious a feeling of being annoyed...;) We offer real human a service, by being human and have selfrespect we work naturally...;)
@@Aeronaut1975 I totally agree but at my level some of my clients are afraid they're going to get ripped off paying money up front and actually feel more secure this way. And remember I'm only talking about maybe 5% tops and usually they are very young inexperienced artists
Priceless tips!
Thanks ever so much!
Perfectly said.
King Ech thanks ever so much my friend!
I say send half the song
If that works for you then that's great to hear!
Alexa “Play Queen!” 😀👍 I remember buying Bohemian Rhapsody on 7” in 1975 & playing it on a mono record player. That was still pretty immersive! I think it should always be about the music first not the delivery.
Haha I hear you my friend!!
Sir you just promised to release an album so do expect some “where’s the album, Warren?” from us because you are indeed very talented. Thanks for sharing that knowledge with us, take care!!
AW shucks that's very kind of you my friend!
Great video Warren.
Thanks ever so much my friend!
No. Thank you sir. Your information is absolutely crucial to all of us. Keep it up man.👍
Wow! Thank you ever so much my friend!
You suggest getting 50% upfront before mixing. How have you determined the final price? Is it a quote based on an estimated amount of time you think it might take to complete?
Vocal Ink Music yes! I always price according to how long I think something is going to take me!
What I do with the few clients I have had is to send half the song in one mp3 and the other half in another mp3, then they check out the whole song and ask for revisions, but they can't use it for distribution or anything like that
Hi Austin, thanks ever so much for sharing your insight my friend!
Hi Warren!
Thank you for being on your mission! Keep on going.
In Russia where I was fortuned to born in 1979))) people traditionally don’t pay if they can.
So they would be happy to get mp3 from you for free and disappear telling everybody that there’s no reason to pay for such a crapy mix. And then they just release it with no credits.
Is it familiar to you?
To get deposit may be impossible especially when you’re starting your career. You must confirm your skills by doing free trials instead.
Only one effective way to protect yourself in this situation is to insert silence or other garbage in the mix to make it unusable ))
Then I can send this demo )) in full quality.
After payment I remove all the trash from the mix and send it to the client.
Creating against cheating )))
Did you the same ever?
Greetings!
From Russia with love!
Time is valuable and communication is key. Most need to go back and check out the U2early 90's stuff for production. Toured with them during zootv. WOO production.
Thank FAQ its Friday ;)
Thanks ever so much Leon!
@@Producelikeapro Thank you Warren for everything you do, its a pleasure to be on this ride. :)
Great info! 🎸🎤🥁🎼👍🏻
Thanks ever so much Ryan! You Rock!!
Ever listen to a famous song and think, I wish I had a shot at remixing that one!
Haha I can neither con from nor deny that may or may not have been something I may have (or may not have!) ever thought! Haha
Musicians often say, I could’ve played that better. Producers are no different!
You said Mixing! That's a whole can of worms! When you go back to old mixes and can't hear the low end, everyone would want to mix it with a bigger low end! Haha
Great video as always mate! Agreed with what you say about sending back a final mix. Personally I would have a contract on my website stipulating everything I needed so the client was in no doubt what is required. I would also ask 50% up from and also I would want a skype call or similar so I could speak face to face to establish some dialogue and get a feel for what that client wanted.
You hit on Video games Warren and to be honest that is where the money will be at as it is the world's largest industry now.
Agreed also with what you say about creativity is key. Technology is a mere tool to help us in our quest to present that sound in our head! Cheers. :-)
another fantastic video, thanks warren and the erst of the gang there :), are you familiar with airwindows vst plugins? i find them sounding absolutely amazing, thanks again, and keep up the marvellous video's :)
I was thinking, it would be fabulous if we have a service/web page that allows you to upload an audio file and once you send it, predeterminate how many times you can allow to the to audio to be listened, for example 2, the client could listen the mix just twice until you sent the real final mix and he pays
thanks for another inspiring speech! ^_^
you have drum samples, or you have recorded drums - you want that drum sound.
production techniques are a bit like instruments. there are workarounds that work also.
but they create the song as much as anything. and they take part in defining the genre.
the name of the plugin does not matter. but in the end the sound is processed for the sake of a result that means something.
to do a certain genre - what do they have, what do they use, and why? just like there is typical jazz with piano, drums, and upright bass.
then, there is the idea of crossover. one can try to create a sound similar to the beatles, including "abbey road" reverb settungs. but we can add a modern EDM synth sound instead of the mellotron, still with the meaning of dark strings. and we can have a multiband comp for a flatter spectrum. if done well, we get the vintage feel, plus the feel of freshness and awareness of the now.
technique has two aspects: a) what is really happening with the sound, and b) what do we do technically to make it happen? the latter can vary widely, with still getting the same feeling from the results.
but that's only one way of doing work. it's different, when we add up complex plugins, using best presets etc., and experiment in a random way, until we hear something we like. it would be an educated guess, but on a different principle, with focus on distinct plugins or hardware, instead of abstract techniques. but normally I would expect both to occur in most projects.
hey, Warren hope you are well. my question is would you mic a ukulele the same the same way you would an acoustic guitar?
That's marvellous question! I like too accent mic the Ukulele! So it's pulled back a foot or so and gets the whole instrument.
How do you save and archive sessions and mixes after it's done? Do you just have a bunch of hard drives boxed and labeled, if so how are they sorted and organized for possible future remastering/remixing?
Single speaker AM radio !
Haha Yes, I remember it well my friend!
Can you please do a video on how to set levels when recording guitars direct through something like Guitar Rig? How much headroom are we supposed to leave for the plugin? When I record at -20 or below it becomes hard to see the visual representation of the recording. Also, I hate having to adjust levels every time I change a preset. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Really like when u talk about being able to create fast...BUT It works both ways, because with everything is fast nowadays, some of the passion/effort to create great reacords has faded.
Hi Guss! Absolutely! It's all about the budget! I love making albums over many weeks and I still do! Other times, it's over a few days! There is no way to do it! Plus some of my favourite albums were done slow others very fast!
Is it nerdy to hear aliasing when you talk? Great FAQ Warren! :-)
haha yes! Have a marvellous day!
Great FAQ, as always, Warren. Many Thanks. Would not it be great to one day host a workshop called "The Academy Produces Warren Huart's Solo Album" :-) ?
another way to protect your work and send the client a good quality file is to create a one minute wav file with 20seconds clips from 3 songs.
A simple BEEEEEP every 3ß seconds and you are safe.
How do you know how much to charge for services like mixing where it isn't clear how long the work will be? Is it experience, and what did you do when you didn't have the experience?
Brian May rules!
Warren, you use the term "a proper backup" to the session delivered to the label. But in my view, JUST like that reel of 2" tape I gave back to the labels, giving them a final Pro Tools session with all of the edits and choices "as mixed", but WITHOUT all of my actual automation and processing, IS a proper BACKUP. I make it clear in my agreements that I'm being hired to mix a stereo mix (and options), or alternatively 'stems'. But I'm not going to turn over a session that allows them to change my final mix without my being involved. - william wittman
Do you have a tutorial on phase alignment-cancellation? I am learning the dark arts of recording live drums. Overhead phase is giving me trouble. I know you can flip the polarity on snare and overheads. How do you get it right from the start, how good is "good enough"? Big thanks, I have learned much from you and your channel.
Hi Warren, do you think a certain amount of success as a Producer/Mixer/Engineer is determined by your location? Do you think there are limits to that success outside of music industry hotspots such as LA, London, New York etc?
Whats that beautiful award on your monitor from ???
Great advice Sir.
late 70 sound staging with a phase linear quad surround stereo was fun but like 3D video now not much content. With 5.1 becoming a standard it opened the window on crazy staging and fun pan/fade of vocals and efx but not much music using the full spacial area for craziness.
Do you have advice for reducing flutter echo in a small room?
Hi JJ, marvellous question! Definitely breaking up the room with furniture will make a huge difference!
When its released its hard to protect😂
Trust comes hard its earned.
Yes, indeed Andreas! Get your deal agreed before the material is released!
Regarding sample rates; lets say you have an EDM project that is entirely VSTs. Am I correct in thinking that upsampling that project wouldn't make any difference to the sound, because no information / detail can be added to those VST sounds retrospectively..? Therefore making 44.1 the obvious choice..?
Thanks.
Marvellous question! Definitely if something is already recorded, then upsampling is not going to make a difference! However I would listen to the virtual instruments in 44.1k and 96k and listen to the Reverb trails etc and see if you can hear a difference. If there's no perceptible difference then I wouldn't be concerned!
My Alexa played queen lol
haha YES!! Well done Alexa!
FAQ my life.
Haha indeed Adam!
@Produce Like A Pro Warren,When you were talking about Alexa she heard you!😂She’s shuffling songs from Queen👸on Spotify!
Haha nice Omar!!
How would you mic an acoustic drum set with only a matched pair of pencil condensers, a large diaphragm condenser and a SM57? What would be a good addition mic-wise to this setup?
Following up on the topic of sending the entire session to the label so that they will have a backup of it. What are the odds that the label in 20 years time will be able to open that session that was made with a specific version of ProTools (or whatever DAW that was used) with a long list of plugins at specific versions? All of that software may not be available anymore. And newer versions that are still available may not be compatible and/or may not sound exactly the same.
Hi Niklas, marvellous question! In my estimation, most major labels have been on top of the back ups process, having been involved in that myself.
If a client wants the session for archival purposes, maybe you could give it to them after the album is released?
In the rap world these guys will load the MP3 on whatever platform. They don't care about quality.
Thanks ever so much for sharing your experiences with us.
Warren just wondering what is the standard that a label requests for digital quality. 24bit 96k? or higher?
Were you ever in a band that put out albums?
Yes! Many bands! I've had 5 record deals in total!
Produce Like A Pro where can i listen to the music
?
@@Producelikeapro could you tell me some of the bands? So that I check them out?
Hi Sphinct! Star 69 and Dis Inc are two of them!
I like using a “watermark”. Add something in the middle with a ridiculous effect. They get the idea of the mix but can’t use it.
Hello, how do I ensure I maintain ownership with my music while collaborating with another producer or artist in person?? Thank you!
What do you think about hifi voodoo? Like 5000$ RCA cables or 30000$ speaker cables. I want your professional opinion.
Haha that's crazy prices!! Without hearing them I have no opinion, however, gee, that's a lot of money! I wouldn't personally spend quite that much!
@@Producelikeapro Would be interesting to test it, with your trained ears.
Thanks Lorenzo! That's very kind of you!
5:20 Well, considering that "even" 5.1 home-theater systems (as crappy as those tiny plastic ones are, not to mention ones that are at least half-way decent) aren't all that widespread, i can't help but be highly skeptical about the (potential) popularity of things "beyond" that.
The most full proof way in my opinion is just sending the client a dropbox link... They can be able to listen but just edit the permissions so they cant be downloaded... problem solved 😊 , more or less
Thanks ever so much Wade for sharing your experiences my friend!
They can still rip the audio over IP.
Yes, indeed Johnny, although the quality won't be that good. Best way is to get 50% upfront and a basic agreement in place!
Good hair day 😃
Last week I had a client refuse to pay me for a project, after agreeing to an hourly wage. Unfortunately I had already delivered the final tracks. A month ago they told me that everything sounded amazing and no schedule or deadline was ever discussed. Now they say they won’t pay for a “late and subpar product” and blocked me on Facebook. What should I do, besides never work with them again?
Sadly, I've also been there, and I feel your pain. I would say just cut your losses and move on. Legal action is expensive, and there is no guarantee you win - and then you would lose a lot more time and money than you've already lost. Good luck!
Thank you for the replies, I don’t think it’s enough to take legal action, I think I may just have to learn from this and have written contracts and deposits with any bands that I work with in the future.
It's okay to clash... when you have 50% up-front. :)
Haha yes, indeed!
TOP ! 👍👍👍👌🎥 🎸 🎼🎶🎶🎶 🎤 💋
Thanks ever so much!!
slow down on the lingo.. please .. vocals up vocals down?
Yes! Turn the Vocals Up and Turn the Vocals Down!
hi, do you have a brian may guitar? if yes show us playin it, and maka a queen rewiew, thanks
Hi Juan! I do! It's also been in some videos!!
Don't record hip-hop acts that don't have major label deals. Or, demand payment up-front.
Let your hair go grey. It'll look better.
Haha thanks for the hair conversation!
@@Producelikeapro thanks for the great videos 😉
You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed the videos!!
you shor do talk purdy my friend Im like Testify!
ok ok one day no no Warren come on you need to do your thinking its time just do it for US .O bye the way I get all thanks' GO TO ME AHAHA NO. . ROCK ON MY MAN . PS we ALL will put in to help Warren IF HE NEEDS OK . IT, JUST ME DAN PELTIER . O ONE DAY ? DAY.