The inside scoop on music mastering

Music mastering is an essential part of every hit record. Yet, few new (and even some “established”) musicians have a good understanding of what mastering is and why they need it. This often leads to many selecting the wrong mastering studio… and making many unnecessary mistakes in the recording and music mixing phases (which affects the mastering later on). This is why below are the 5 most frequently asked questions about music mastering: 1. What exactly is music mastering? Mastering is the final phase before your CDs, Vinyls, DVDs or MP3 files are produced. It’s the last chance to get the sound right… and for errors to be fixed. Mastering transforms your music from a “raw” sound into a professional, “radio-ready” sound. It gives your tracks punch, loudness, clarity, and completes your final vision. 2. Why is it so important and do I really need it? All major labels have their artists’ records mastered before they’re released. But, often many independent artists/labels wonder if they should go-ahead and get it done. The answer is a big YES! If you want to make the right impression, then at a minimum you need to get your demo professionally mastered. Because just think about when your demo hits the A & R managers’ desk, what’s going to stand-out… the professionally mastered demos (yours) or the poor quality ones? By having your music mastered, then you’re going to increase your chances of getting signed and creating loyal fans. Moreover, the single biggest advantage professional mastering offers are the “fresh” skilled and independent ears put to your music. Because after working on your music for long hours in the studio, you often become too close to your work. And, as a result, your ears can’t help but get used to mistakes. Your ears begin to hear mistakes as normal. Itґs the same effect as when you are living near a heavy-traffic street - after living their for a few weeks, you will not wake-up anymore at night because your ears get used to those sounds and blends them out. With the mastering engineer’s help, you make sure you don’t have any major errors in your music and gain advice (from an experienced professional) in what needs to be done to help get the perfect sound! 3. How much should I pay? Mastering studios charge a wide range of fees. You can pay anywhere from $5 a track or up to hundreds of dollars per hour for the most well-known engineers. The reason there’s such a large amount of fees is that there are many “budget studios” that have arisen online. These studios are often a single person who does all his or her work on the home computer. Since these people usually don’t have much experience, they often miss important problems and don’t know what to look for (every track has its own unique problems). Additionally, they don’t have tools a professional mastering studio offers to do it right. This is compared to the more expensive engineers who have years of experience and know-how in creating a “hit” sound. 4. How important is the mastering equipment? Professional mastering studios spend thousands of dollars on their equipment. The equipment gives them full flexibility in making a wide-range of adjustments. However, when looking at the equipment a studio has, you should not focus too much on it. Instead, and more important, you want to look for an engineer who also has experience with it. It takes years for an engineer to feel fully comfortable with all of the equipment and the adjustment it allows. This is especially true when learning how to adjust for different genres of music. For example, the equipment is often used differently for Rock music than Classical. 5. Should I use an online or offline mastering studio? Online mastering is a recent phenomenon. It has only been in the last few years that it has really begun to take off. There are now hundreds of different people offering mastering services via the internet. Many of these people are amateurs (and can actually make you music sound worse). While, at the same time, some of the most famous and well-known engineers have now moved online. Online mastering offers many advantages over offline studios. These include the speed at which you can transfer your music and communicate with the engineer. You aren’t stuck with the time-limitations a booked session in a offline mastering studio has. Additionally, you also don’t have to deal with weeks of waiting to go back and forth with the engineer using “snail mail” or booking several times in the studio for revisions. You can also get access to the engineer anytime using email. In an offline studio when working via snail mail, it may often be hard to get a hold of the engineer to share your ideas. Moreover, an online mastering engineer has experience with more international music. In offline studios, the engineer often only works with a certain type of music that’s popular in the area.

Beginner guitar lessons what you need to know

Beginner guitar lessons usually have basic music scales and how to position for certain chords; it is vital to have some amount of music theory so you can always fall back to it, this maybe even when you become an expert musician. If you are looking for beginner guitar lessons online it takes a bit more precaution than having private tuition at a local guitar centre or home visit. Online guitar tuition is an increasingly popular way to pick up the instrument, and to learn how to play competently. So you should always look for a book or piece of software that has been well reviewed, has good testimonials and has a 100% money back guarantee. Online guitar lessons are much cheaper and, many times, your introductory lessons are even free. Online guitar lessons offer way more bang for the buck. Online guitar lessons are made to allow you to have a great time while you are learning to play the guitar. I would also recommend that you take a look at some of the free lessons available but beware, they are very limited and the quality is often so poor it actually ends up confusing and slowing your guitar skill development dramatically. By all means, take some free advice but please be weary of any website that sucks you into giving email address for "unlimited free lessons" or similar offers. Just remember, a free lesson is ok but it is unlikely that any real guitar professional guitar teacher out there is likely to want to just give up all their years of experience for free, forever! If you are considering offline methods then that’s a good option as you will avoid many of the scams online. Guitar lessons that are taught by a professional aren’t always easier and more effective to you as well. Some Guitar lessons can cost up to $30 per hour or more, Lesson fees can soon add up, and are impractical for most people. Guitar lessons are only as successful when people are committed to making them successful. However, the downside to this is that it can become very expensive very quickly and you will always have to rely on someone else's teaching schedule. Online guitar lessons give you the flexibility to learn when and where you want, at your own pace, using material targeted just for your needs. With proper online lessons or learning material it is always there at your disposal night and day, whenever you want to take your guitar skills to a new level!

Small bands and how internet helps them

The Internet has revolutionized every aspect of the world from fiancй to music. A few years ago small bands played in garages, family functions, and cafes. They cut discs and sent them to music giants in the hope they will be noticed. The World Wide Web and MP3 music has brought about many changes in the fortunes of small bands. The distribution system and marketing options changed. New media formats and many personal websites sprang up and the reach of music became world wide. Gone were small town boundaries or traveling on the road to spread awareness. The click of a mouse increased popularity. However it is not all about success after the initial boom, several music sites and bands went bust. What every band with a dream of golden discs must do is: • Weigh their options carefully and make the time to do a complete study of their options. • Create a fool proof marketing plan. • If in doubt consult marketing professionals with expertise in the music industry. To promote your creativity online you must: • Not expect any financial returns to start with. You need to popularize your music by giving it away. Put MP3s and videos on your website. When a person downloads a song and listens he may like it and play it time and again. Such a person is the one likely to listen to your next song. • Ensure that your music is traceable—if a person has your song on their IPod then they will only be able to trace you if the artist/band name as well as web address are available. • You must categorize the music correctly. Decide whether it should be placed under rock, pop, folk, or electronica. • Locate popular music distribution sites and use these to promote your music. Most people who are looking for new music and have a good listening ear visit these sites. • To eternalize your band you must set up your own website, purchase a domain name, park it with a reliable host, and optimize it so that it ranks high in search engines. Read about how to construct a successful web site and how to promote it successfully. • Build an interactive web site with stories, reviews, and other music related news. Make the site interesting so that visitors are tempted to browse and listen to your music. • Arrange to have reviews of your music and where it is available posted on community sites and blogs. Host a music forum and submit press releases to well established press release sites. • Once you have established a small presence think about ways to generate funds. You could sell the music or offer subscriptions. Alternately, the downloads of music could be free but generate money from other channels like advertisements, pay per click and so on. Or host a music related commerce site selling iPODs, Xboxes, accessories and so on. The business aspect will have to be worked out carefully. Make sure people know that your band accepts gigs. In case you like writing lyrics or jingles for small business promotions you must advertise this aspect of your creativity. The world can be yours if you are adventurous.

Start your free piano lessons today

If you are thinking about learning to play music, a free piano lesson is all you need to convince yourself the piano is your best choice. The piano is easy to learn to play, and when you learn online it is all the easier. The world of music is only a click away. For those people who aren’t already enjoying the fun and excitement of playing the piano, taking a free lesson is one way they can see just how easy it is to learn. Thousands of people are reaping the rewards of learning to play music by taking online lessons. You can play in the comfort of your own home without having to find the right piano teacher to fit your style and needs. You will receive everything you need when you decide to take piano lessons online. This includes course information, course materials, materials to get started, and what you can expect from your lessons. After your first free piano lesson, you will be more than ready to get started with the additional lessons. In no time at all you can be playing for friends and family, wowing them with your new talent. Motivation to learn is all in your own hands. You can learn a variety of music styles, such as jazz and gospel. Learning online is a great way to commit to learning how to play the piano. When you learn from home, you eliminate the need to find a qualified instructor, find the time to schedule lessons outside of your home, and make excuses that you don’t have time to learn a new talent. How fast you learn depends on your desire to play and succeed. Piano lessons are structured for the beginner who wants to learn, as well as for the experienced piano player who wants to take a refresher course to improve their playing skills. Courses are structured so you learn to play by ear and rhythm in such a way that you can duplicate any song or sound you hear. Once you learn about notes and rhythm, you will be on your way to playing simple songs and then building your skills and confidence to a higher level of experience. All you need to do is make sure you complete each lesson and learn it well before you move on to your next lesson. At Hear and Play, we are dedicated to offering an informative website located at hearandplay/ that teaches you how to play the piano in just a few quick lessons. Contact us today to learn more about a free piano lesson to get you started on your way to becoming the musician you have always wanted to be.