Have you ever wondered how much work goes into a good CD? There is a lot of work behind it, with long hours of editing and post-production. There are many stages of music production, as it is generally a long process that requires a lot of attention in all its phases or stages. Below, we will explain the characteristics of the entire production process so that you have an idea of everything that is involved. Let’s get started!
What are the phases of music production?
As a future music producer, you should know that there are 4 stages of music production to be completed before obtaining the final product, that is, a CD or EP. Let’s see what they are and what they consist of:
Pre-production
After composing the songs, you need to design an action plan. The reason is quite simple: you will organize your work better. Not too many years ago, musicians spent months in the studio. Later, it was decided to reduce this time and rehearse as much as possible before going into the studio.
In the 21st century, home studios became more popular. As this phase took too long, people ended up working in a somewhat disorganized manner. For this reason, writing a plan is ideal for knowing how each song will sound and what arrangements it will have. This little script is always recommended for entering the studio with clear ideas.
It would be a good idea to outline aspects such as timing, participation of guest musicians, and similar details. It is very advisable to have all the songs well rehearsed in order to make the most of the time available.
Recording and music production
They are not the same, but they are closely related. Recording is almost a mechanical act and music production is a matter of personal taste, hence the importance of the pre-production plan. It is useless to go to the studio, record something, and then cross your fingers that the production will fix the sound that you were unable to achieve.
It is much more advisable to get the exact sound before recording in order to shorten the timeframe. Also, during this phase, there may be ideas that do not come to fruition or that can be improved. This is, without a doubt, the longest phase, since the success of the recording will depend on it.
The music producer must always be clear about his objectives and even give his opinion on them. Although the issue seems trivial, on many occasions we have heard great albums ruined by poor production. Once again, defining objectives and following the work plan are the best options to avoid spending an eternity in the studio.
Whether you’re recording in a home or professional studio, shortening your timeframe has a direct impact on the quality of the finished product.
Post-production
Once you have recorded what you want with the chosen musical production, the last phase arrives, which consists of the following parts :
Edition
After receiving the recording, the individual tracks are equalized. Sound effects are also added and the sound is given a professional finish. Typically, several tracks of each instrument and vocal are edited until they are almost perfect. When each track sounds the way you want it, it is time to move on to the next phase.
Professional mix
We should start by pointing out that the mixing engineer is not usually the music producer. The latter is in charge of achieving the above. The engineer is limited to mixing the tracks already produced, so he cannot do much to improve something that has been recorded incorrectly or with poor sound quality.
The goal of mixing is to unite the tracks in a way that makes the result pleasing. The goal is always to be able to distinguish the details. It is also to eliminate common errors such as the singer’s breathing or the occasional out-of-place note. Aside from the technical aspect, mixing should go back almost to the beginning of music production. That is, the engineer should understand how you want each song to sound. He should also pay attention to how to convey the feelings with which you compose it.
Needless to say, this phase is the one that takes the longest due to the disparity of criteria. In addition, it is common to observe different trends depending on fashions. For example, in the 1970s, people also opted to introduce these small errors to make the recording closer to the listener. Nowadays, people are more inclined to the perfect mix, which ends up taking away the naturalness of some songs.
Mastering
This is a stage in music production when an EP, an album or a single song is being released. If the recording is professional, it is common for this process to take place in a different studio. The sound engineer will be in charge of normalizing the volume of the entire recording. The order of the songs is also usually chosen.
The opinion of a new technician is of vital importance to finish ironing out the small existing errors. In addition, this professional cannot change anything in the production, he only limits himself to giving it a certain homogeneity. Equalization, multi-band compression, or volume limiting are processes that end up improving the sound efficiently.
It should be noted that in this phase the engineer may encounter:
A bad production.
A bad mix. If the mixing engineer is not experienced enough, he will think that the mastering engineer can fix his mistakes. It is essential to stress that the latter can only slightly hide some errors. If he encounters these two situations, he either limits himself to doing his job or recommends that the process be started again.
The reputation of the music producer
It should be noted that mastering engineers have just as good a reputation as the best producers. In fact, they are the ones in charge of leaving their mark on each work. Studios such as New York’s Sterling Sound, among others, have managed to specialize in this field thanks to their excellent work.
After the previous phases comes the most anticipated moment: the decision of the potential audience for each recording. Access to music has evolved constantly and distribution is now almost immediate thanks to streaming.
We hope to have clarified the fundamental characteristics of musical production through its stages. We remember that planning, rehearsals, and production are, possibly, the three great secrets to enjoying the fruits of the effort made.
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