How to Spend Less And Save More Recording an Album
So you’ve decided it’s time to make an album. You’ve been playing these songs live, you’ve recorded the demos, and people keep asking, “When is your album coming out?” You can’t wait to get these songs tracked and you’re ready to see all the music inside your head coming to life. And then you figure out how much it’s going to cost.
Recording
an album can get expensive. But it doesn’t have to break the bank. You
don’t have have to drop $10,000 to get a great record, if you go into
the process prepared. Knowing up front what is important to you can
help you decide what you want to spend money on, and what you can skip
to make the process cheaper.
So lets look at some things that will drastically affect the cost of your record, and how to drive those costs down.
Length of the Project
The length of the project will drastically affect your cost. 12 songs are more expensive to record than 3 songs.
You
have to be honest with yourself and your other band members about what
songs are good enough to go on an album. Make sure that your investment
of time and money is funding great songs. You want to make an album that
you are going to be proud of for years to come.
Do People Actually Want a Full-Length Album?
As
you make decisions about your upcoming project, you need to look at the
music industry as a whole. For the past 15 years, we have seen album
sales drop, and sales of singles rise. When you create an album of any
size, you invest time, money, and a lot of emotions. You need to be able
to get a return on your investment. Sometimes, recording a full length
album is a great idea. Creatively, getting to spread your wings and work
on 12 songs can be a wonderful thing that fulfills you as an artist. If
you have the time and money to record a full album and that’s what you
want to do, then go for it. But for many artists, recording a smaller
body of work now can result in a better return on your investment later.
If you have four really great songs that people absolutely love, and seven songs that are just okay. Just record those four songs. You’ll cut your cost drastically, and you’ll be giving fans the music they truly love.
Producers
You
also have to decide whether or not to work with a producer. Producers
have been a part of recorded music since its inception, and they are an
important part of the recording process. If you have a particular sound
in mind, finding a producer who specializes in your genre can be a great
way to make sure your music is comparable to what is currently
available. Working with a great producer can also bring a valuable
outside opinion on the music you will be recording.
A
producer can be one of the most expensive parts of your album. But a
great producer who understands you and your music can take your album to
new heights. Some artists love working with a producer, while other
musicians prefer to do it all themselves. You have to decide what’s
right for your music. If you have found a producer you trust, and can
afford them, I recommend you hire one.
Often
producers and sound engineers are the same person, especially for
smaller projects. This can help you cut costs while still reaping the
benefits of having a producer.
Studio or At Home
At
home recordings and DIY studios have come leaps and bounds in the past
few years. It’s now possible to make a great sounding record at home.
However, there are still costs associated with this. The equipment
needed to build a professional sounding at-home studio is still quite
expensive. If you don’t already have the tools you need at home, you may
find your initial budget gets eaten up quickly on equipment alone.
If
you are a beginner in home recording, even though your initial
investment in equipment may be higher, you could save money in the
future if you already have all the tools needed to make great music in
your living room.
Even
though it can be cheaper in the long run to record at home, studios are
still an important part of making great records. Studios have high
quality equipment, rooms that are acoustically engineered for great
sound, and either an in-house engineer, or a recommendation for an
engineer they trust. If you don’t have the patience or time to invest
learning how to make a great sounding recording at home, a studio may be
the best place for you.
Many
musicians work out a hybrid of the two. You may find your living room
isn’t the best place to record a full drum kit (and your neighbors might
hate you!) but it is the great place for tracking acoustic guitar and
aux percussion. Working out a deal to combine the best of both worlds
may cut your cost significantly.
Many
producers/engineers have a great home studio setup. They may charge you
a reduced rate to record there, or just bundle it in with the fee they
charge you initially. This can save you loads of money on studio hourly
fees and per day rates.
Ultimately tracking at home is the cheapest option. But you have to decide if that’s the best option for your music and your career.
Remember:
Although it’s definitely possible to make great music at your house,
there is still a standard of quality that you will have to meet. Even a
casual music listener can tell when something doesn’t sound the way that
they are used too. When you are deciding between recording at home or
in a studio, think ahead to how you want the album released, and what
kind of opportunities, like licensing and radio airplay, you will want
to pursue with these songs. Then make sure the quality of your recording
matches up with other songs that are being released on those platforms.
Studio Musicians
Another
costly item is studio musicians. If you are in a band, this is less of
an issue, although you still may want to hire session players for
strings or other auxiliary instruments. If you are a solo artist who
wants an album with a full band sound, this is a much bigger concern.
Every
musician charges different rates, but there is probably a “normal”
dollar amount that musicians are charging in your area. Remember, the
quality of the musicians you choose will drastically affect the quality
of the music you are recording. Shop around a little, and find the best
musicians for your project.
To
cut costs, ask a friend who is great at their instrument if they would
be willing to help you out. If you are involved in your local music
scene, collaborating with other artists can also be a cheaper
alternative to hiring studio musicians.
Post Production
Remember
that though the tracking may be finished, the project isn’t. You will
have to pay for mixing, mastering, and your disc packaging/digital
distribution. All of these things are vital steps in the recording process that you shouldn’t skip.
Mixing
might be the most important part of recording a song. No matter if you
recorded at home, in a studio, or with a producer, mixing can make or
break your record. Do some research, and find the best engineer you can
afford.
Many digital distributors and disc manufacturers like Nationwide Disc
offer mastering services at great rates. Again, this is a step that
shouldn’t be skipped if you want your recording to be the same quality
as the songs that major labels are releasing.
There
are many factors that will affect the amount of money you spend on your
new project. But with some research you can decide what you really need
to make your project exactly what you want it to be. Once you know what
you need, you can find ways to significantly cut your budget. This
applies to a record you made by yourself at home, or a fully produced
album made in the most expensive studio in town.
If you asked a professional sound engineer or studio manager what the number one way to save money in the studio is, they will probably tell you to come prepared. When time is wasted, the dollars begin to add up quickly. So how do you prepare well? We will be addressing this issue in our next few blogs, and today we start out with something you might have overlooked as you began studio demos.
I
know you’ve heard it before. Demos from a simple recording on your
smartphone, to a fully produced track are an important step in the
songwriting process. If you are hoping to pitch your song to another
artist, a professional demo could help you get those placements.
But
the demos we are talking about function a little differently. These are
your pre-production demos. They are for you (and your band) to get to
know your music better before you hit the studio. They are for tweaking
the songs until you get them just right, and they give studio musicians
or your band something to rehearse to. If done well, they can even
function as a scratch track in the studio, saving you time and money as
you begin the tracking process.
Creating Your Demo
In
many situations, a simple recording on a smartphone will suffice for a
demo. But to use pre-production demos to their full potential, you are
going to have to go one step further.
Your
demos don’t have to be so fantastic that you don’t actually need to go
into the studio after they’re finished. But there are a few key elements
that you will need to be able to control as you create your
pre-production demos.
You will need a
Digital Audio Workstation that will allow you to have control over
tempo, and allow you to use a MIDI keyboard or controller. There are
many different kinds of DAWs at all different price points. You just
need to find one that you are comfortable using. If you already have a
more advanced DAW like Protools, use that. Audacity is a free DAW, and
Garageband comes pre-loaded on most Macs.
If you are able, I also recommend purchasing a simple USB interface, this will allow you to hook up a MIDI Keyboard,
as well as plug in your guitar and favorite microphone. However, you
don’t have to. Most Macs and PCs have built in audio recording devices,
and Garageband will allow you to input MIDI using your computer’s
keyboard. Although it may be easier in the long run to purchase a USB
interface, you can still create a useful pre-production demo for free.
Tempo
The
exact tempo of the music can drastically alter the feel of a song. Even
just a few beats per minute (BPM) up or down can have a huge impact.
Before you record your demo, rehearse the songs with a click track. If
you’ve never used a click track before, this can be a big adjustment.
However, playing to a click track is vital for studio work. The better
you are at staying locked into the click, the smoother your recording
process will be.
As you are rehearsing,
try changing the BPM of the click, and playing the song at new tempos.
You may find your song works really well as a ballad instead of the
mid-tempo rock song you thought it was.
When
you find a tempo you think works, create a click track in your DAW and
record a simple track, guitar or keyboard and probably vocals. Have
other people listen to the song. Have your guitar player or drummer play
along with it. If they think it’s too fast or too slow, play around
with it. If you record MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keys
as your basic track, it will be easy to adjust them to a new tempo
without re-recording. If you recorded acoustic guitar, you may need to
re-record. That’s okay. Better to spend a little time up front on these
demos than to discover halfway through tracking in an expensive studio
that the song is too slow.
Key
As
you are playing through a song, you may discover that the key you wrote
the song in is not the best key to record the song in. The ability and
range of the primary vocalist is the biggest determining factor when
choosing a key. You need to make sure your vocalist is comfortable, and
can achieve the sound you want in the key the song is written in.
It’s
also important to remember that different instruments work best in
certain keys. If you know you want to feature brass heavily on a song,
it’s best not to record that song in a key with 7 sharps. Brass players
usually feel more comfortable in flatted keys, string players feel
better in sharped keys. Keeping your instrumentation in mind while
you’re choosing a key can help you get a great finished song.
Production
Pre-production
demos are also a great place to work out auxiliary parts for your
songs. Once you determine the tempo and key, you can use your MIDI
keyboard to do some experimentation. If you think that a song needs
strings, try adding a string part with a virtual instrument. Doing some
of your production this way will allow you to communicate better with
session players, a producer, or a sound engineer.
This
is also a good time to get your lead guitarist to nail down his solo.
While you should allow for creativity to happen when you’re actually
tracking, having a plan and knowing exactly what parts you want for each
song will make your life easier when it comes time to actually record.
Save Time, Save Money
The
biggest reason that pre-production demos are important is their role in
saving you time and money as you prepare to lay down tracks. This is
true whether you use a home studio, or a professional studio.
Pre-production demos allow you to tweak your songs easily, let you play
around with sounds, tempos, and meters, and let you know exactly how the
songs is going to be structured. That way when it’s time to record, you
have a clear picture of what you want. This can be especially helpful
if you are in a band and want multiple band members to have input on the
overall direction of a song, but don’t want to spend time discussing it
in the studio. Regardless of where you are recording, saving time means
saving money and pre-production demos allow you to be prepared.
Listen, Listen, and Listen Some More
In
addition to allowing you to experiment with your songs, pre-production
demos can help with the song selection process, and deciding the order
of songs in your project. Although you might already have a good idea of
what you want, these demos can help you iron out the rough patches.
Listening to the pre-production demos and allowing other people to hear
them can give you a good idea of what songs are actually good enough to
make it on the album. After you have a good idea of what your best songs
are, you can begin to listen to them in the order you think they belong
in. This allows you to listen for any odd transitions between songs.
Pay special attention to what keys your songs are in at this phase.
Transitions between keys can greatly affect the mood of your album.
You
should also listen to how tempos are grouped. If too many slow songs
are together, the album may drag. If too many high energy songs are
paired with each other, the audience may get bored. A good way to combat
this problem is to have a non-musical friend give you their opinion.
Though they might not know exactly what is going on musically, they will
be able to listen objectively and point out some issues you may have
missed. Listening through your pre-production demos can help you solve
these potential problems before you ever get into the studio.
The
great thing about pre-production demos is that they are unfinished.
Their point is to be a continual work in progress. Let yourself have the
freedom to experiment and tweak them. If you use your demos well, you
can have better communication between band members, producers,
engineers, and session players. They can also help you to achieve a
better finished product for less money.
How
have you cut costs on albums you’ve recorded?
What part of an album do
you think artists should invest the most money into?
Let us know in the
comments below!
