I communicate with most of my clients through a combination of email, cellphone and texting. Many will exclusively communicate in email or facebook private messaging, but any method is absolutely fine. Below is a basic how-to, to get us rolling.
1. Email an mp3 rough mix of your first song that needs a mix.
Sending a rough mix is the first best thing you can do for your mix engineer. What i’ll get out of it is what you’re looking to do no matter the quality of your rough mix. This really helps me interpret your vision and goal for the song.
2. I quote you a mix rate.
After I hear your song and know the amount of tracks to be mixed, I’ll understand enough to quote you a rate that fits the song.
3. You email or link me to a few similar popular songs for the additional reference point.
This helps me know a bit more about how you would like to sound. All artists have records they aspire and compare to. Just make sure the example songs you link me to or email are similar in tempo and track density like the instrumentation and vocal production. It may take a song or two to help you communicate those things to me but whatever works for you is great. Point being, the best way to communicate about music is through music.
4. If needed and if possible, touch up a few tracks before mixing.
Sometimes i’ll suggest a fix or an additional overdub or two that would greatly improve your final master if you have the means to do so in your home studio. If not, no worries. I’ll let you know.
5. Deliver your Multi-Track files to my FTP server or FedX a DVD.
I will provide you with your own private FTP box for all your uploads and downloads. Sometimes my clients have slow internet upload speeds so they’ll simply mail a DVDr or CDr with the session audio files. After that initial delivery, we’ll then do the rest of our file exchanges through the Songworx FTP servers.
6. I mix your song.
Average length is a little more than 10 hours of mix time before the first presentation of the mix to you.
7. I email a high quality mp3 or upload to the FTP server a full CD resolution audio file of mix #1 for your review.
You can certainly live with the mix for as much time you need to review it plus you may have some adjustments and suggestions so just let me know.
8. If you do have adjustments, I make the mix adjustments, send it to you like before and review again.
9. Continue mixing till we are happy and master your song.
After the final adjustments are made I master your song and get it ready for commercial consumption.
10. Your song is now ready for iTunes, CD, radio broadcast and world domination!
How to prepare your audio tracks for mixing.
How to deliver your mix audio files w FTP.
