Learn Unlock the Secret to Crystal-Clear Vocals in Your Mix Achieving pristine intelligibility in recording is a nuanced balancing act of audio engineering, which requires a comprehensive understanding of the diverse tools and techniques available to audio engineers.
Learn Sync Licensing: What It Is and How It Works In this article, we’ll give you an overview of the different rights involved in sync and the associated royalties, as well as the key players you need to know and how they work.
Learn 80s Music: Why the Styles and Sounds Keep Making a Comeback One decade shines especially bright when it comes to music: the 80s. Time and time again we’ve seen the phenomenon come back from the past to take over the pop charts of the present.
Learn Never Limiting your Craft with Eve Parker Finley My music and comedy feel very different, but as time goes on, I see them as different expressions of the same artistic mission: help people feel things and also help myself feel things.
Learn Resources for Women & Gender-Diverse People in the Music Industry: Part 2 From programs for creatives and business professionals, to resources like job portals and community directories, more and more support is being implemented for women and gender-diverse people.
Learn How to Release Your Music in 10 Steps We’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you get your songs to more listeners.
Learn Hanorah : Containing Multitudes “I wanted a label that respected my vision and was willing to support what I was doing and work together, not just dictate what I would be doing and what my artistry was.”
Learn Resources for Women & Gender-Diverse People in the Music Industry If you’re a woman or gender-diverse person in music – or a male colleague seeking ways to be an ally – check out these wonderful organizations featured in this article.
Learn Burnout: Finding Balance in the Music Industry Prioritizing mental health is especially important in a business that can make us feel like we aren’t really “allowed” to take days off.
Learn Uncategorized Finding Your Voice: Singing That Goes Beyond RAC shares techniques on how you can improve your singing - even when you thought you couldn't sing!
Learn Studio Equipment 101: Electro-techniques We sit down with producer Solomon Krause-Imlach to talk essential studio equipment, with a focus on mics and compressors.
Learn Blondie: The Underground Band That Influenced Pop Culture We're taking a deep dive into Blondie's influence on music and pop culture.
Learn David Bowie’s Far-Reaching Impact on Music We're taking a look at David Bowie's influence on music, breaking down how he affected several genres.
Learn How to Create Emotion in Music: Terror RAC's in-depth look at how music and audio are used to create terror in horror films and video games.
Learn What is Mastering? This article breaks down what mastering is, its history and modern uses, and shares tips on how you can master tracks yourself.
Learn How SoundCloud Changed Music Since its 2007 origins, SoundCloud has not only become one of the world’s most influential streaming services, but it’s spawned its own music sub-genre of SoundCloud rap, and helped popular independent artists of all genres thrive. In this article, we’ll revisit what made the platform so successful, and also review community practices that can help […]
Learn Mother of Rap: The Success & Controversy of Hip Hop’s Sylvia Robinson Sylvia Robinson, once singer-songwriter turned founder and CEO of Sugar Hill Records, set the musical landscape for many of today’s most recognizable names in hip hop. With millions of album sales under her belt and a handful of Billboard chart-toppers, Sylvia built a diverse – yet controversial – musical legacy. Dubbed “The Queen of Rap” […]
Learn Introductory Music Industry Q&A To be successful in the music industry, you need to understand how it operates. Networking, career paths, independent releases, and shopping for labels are all valuable knowledge whether you’re an artist, producer, or industry exec. To help you get started on your journey, we’ve sourced and answered some of the most frequently asked introductory music […]
Learn Uncategorized Introductory Songwriting Q&A The songwriting process is what allows the artist to bring their musical ideas to life. Arguably the most important part of making music, songwriting is a skill – just like production or engineering – that requires honing and continuous practice. The key to becoming an exceptional songwriter is an open mind, experimentation with writing on […]
Learn Introductory Live Sound Q&A Live sound is the most important part of a concert, film or live auditory experience. It’s also one of the highest-paid audio fields. Controlling sound in a live environment requires expertise, continuous practice, problem-solving skills, and ear training. The key to becoming an exceptional live sound engineer is education, experimentation, and experience. To help you […]
Learn Introductory Sound Design Q&A Sound design creates and transforms the universe of a project. Building an auditory experience from scratch requires years of sound sourcing, ear training, and trial and error. The key to becoming an exceptional sound designer is training, experimenting, and getting your hands on the materials. To help you get started on your sound design journey, […]
Learn Introductory Production Q&A The production of a song is one of the most integral, if not THE most integral, parts of creating music. Building a track’s sonic universe requires years of experience, experimentation, and continuous ear training. It can be challenging to master without professional guidance, and overwhelming to know where and how to begin. To help you […]
Learn Introductory Mixing Q&A The mix of a song can make or break the final product. Making sure that all the sonic elements of a beat or track are intertwined to create a professional-sounding result is an art form in itself and requires continuous ear training and critical listening skills. The key to getting good at mixing is practice […]
Learn Work What’s your unique selling point? It’s what will determine how an audience or market sees you, and whether or not they will see the value in what you have to offer. This article is borrowed from a lesson in the Music Industry course taught during the third semester at Recording Arts Canada. Scenario 1: Selling beats Trent is a hypothetical beat-maker trying […]
Learn The Sound of 007 Lush orchestration, driving electric guitar, tense rhythms, and dramatic string arrangements have become synonymous with ‘spy music’ thanks to the decades-long work of the Bond film series. With 25 official films on its roster including the forthcoming No Time To Die, the James Bond franchise spans an ever-growing fictional universe. Building a strong brand identity […]
Learn Introduction to Deathstep feat TenGraphs Deathstep artist TenGraphs reflects that the genre “is very dark, aggressive, visceral. It comes from emotions of anger, fear, and hatred. It embodies those emotions with very harsh tonalities and brutal arrangements.” In other words, deathstep is the emotional exorcism you didn’t know you longed for, filled with precise and hard-hitting sound designs aimed at […]
Learn Sampled by Dr. Dre Dr. Dre, whose personal music collection included an alleged 80 000 records, has an almost encyclopaedic musical knowledge and fine-tuned ear for killer hooks. His ability to discover and revive older music helped him become the wildly successful producer that he is today. In this article, we’ll look at some of Dre’s most influential songs, and review how […]
Learn Polykrome’s Guide to Establishing a Unique Sound Palette Creating a unique visual brand for yourself in the music industry helps set you apart from the crowd. But, equally important is your sonic brand. The sounds you develop and use in your music will play a key role in shaping you as an artist. Let’s look at how I developed my sound palette for “Braindeath”. Step […]
Learn Evolution of Hip Hop As we approach rap’s 50th anniversary, Evolution of Hip Hop chronicles the history of the genre’s early days in New York City to its present day domination of the pop charts. In 2018, hip hop replaced rock music as the best-selling genre of music in America, marking an incredible rise in popularity that all started […]
Learn Polykrome’s Guide to Producing Compelling Electronic Music Today I’m going to break down “Braindeath”, a song I recently released on Dack Janiels and Wenzday’s label 40 Oz Cult. I’ll go over my approach to producing compelling music in the absence of vocals or other dominant melodic voices, from establishing my sound palette, to composing and arranging my song, to the final mix. […]
Learn How Auto-Tune Changed Music It’s a technology of perfection that’s been called both the electric guitar of our age and one of history’s worst inventions. Auto-Tune, and its underlying pitch-correction technology, have forever changed the music industry. Initially meant to help recording engineers and artists reduce the time needed to get the perfect take, pitch correction software has become […]
Learn How MIDI Changed Music The music creation process has changed a lot over the past 50-odd years as music technology shifted from an analog reality to a digital one. Whereas sheet music, guitar tabs or even simpler notation is what is most often used by performers playing acoustic or electric instruments, MIDI offers a similar language for digital devices to play […]
Learn Evolution of House Music This series celebrates house music’s 40th anniversary by offering a glimpse into its early roots and chronicling its rapid growth; from the ashes of disco, to the dominant family of genres it has since become. The rise and fall of disco in popular music left clubs with a shrinking supply of new dance music at […]
Learn Start Using Metaphors to Create Catchy Lyrical Hooks To improve your songwriting, start using metaphors that turn imagery and emotion into catchy lyrical hooks The goal of your music is always to get listeners coming back for more, and when it comes to catchy lyrical hooks, short and memorable is the name of the game. There’s no better way to masterfully create catchy […]
Learn Start Using Sidechain Compression for More Oomph in Your Mix Do you ever feel like your kick drum and bass are behaving like two children fighting for the front seat of the car? Using effective sidechaining techniques, you can get them acting more like best friends. Sidechain compression is a technique as old as signal processing itself, yet its purpose and use remain a mystery to many emerging […]
Learn Inside the World’s Most Popular Christmas Song With the holiday season upon us, let’s take a look at the best selling Christmas single in the 21st century, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is still the #1 selling Christmas song of all time, but when it comes to the modern era, nothing comes close to […]
Learn How to Create Emotion in Music: Tranquillity Imagine a serene environment; you’re lying on a beach, soft sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface, and you drift into a deep and introspective meditation. Now, imagine trying to recreate that sense of calm in music. What are the elements that go into producing that tranquil feeling? Slow tempos, consonant harmony, repetition, and ambient noise […]
Learn Beginners’ Guide to Listening Levels Imagine completing your latest project after a long day of mixing, cranking the volume knob up to 10 and appreciating your hard day’s work. Who doesn’t love blaring their speakers to an awesome mix once in awhile? But doing so could mean more than missing out on the perfect mix, it could also cost […]
Learn Creating a Big Room Sound with Plugins Most modern recording sessions don’t take place in big budget studios like they once did. These days, there are hardly any limitations in terms of space, compared to when consumer recording interfaces first hit the market. CPU processing and plugin algorithms have come a long way in a short amount of time. We have access […]
Learn Common Mistakes that Make Mixing Harder Whether you’re a sound engineer or musician, it’s very important to consider the journey that a production goes through from start to finish before hitting record. Oftentimes, it’s counterproductive to treat your tracking, mixing, and mastering sessions as completely separate steps in the process. Let’s check out some common mistakes that people make during the […]
Learn How to Create Emotion in Music: Rage Rage is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as extreme or violent anger. Rage can be very difficult for music creators to capture in their work, as there’s a lot more to it than screaming or just making everything louder (although that’s definitely part of it). To provide some insight into how rage can be expressed […]
Learn Mixing Bass Guitar: Pro Tips There are several factors in a mix session that must be considered to make an instrument like the bass guitar sit just right for the song. Do you want the instrument to dominate the low end and be the star of the show? Maybe it will play a better role as a supportive track, reinforcing […]
Learn Top 10 Reverb Plugins for Music Production Reverb helps to create space and depth within a mix. It’s an invaluable tool because it creates an environment for the vocalist/instrumentalist to live in. Your choice of reverb has a huge influence on the vibe and spatial chemistry of your track. When thinking of incorporating it into a track, it’s important to ask what […]
Learn Problem Areas When Equalizing Vocals Mixing the lead vocal track is often considered the most difficult part of a production. It’s usually the absolute focus of a song, and it can set the tone for the overall quality of the recording. A great vocal track can make an otherwise mediocre album pop and come to life. Conversely, a poorly-produced vocal […]
Learn Optimizing Your Room for Pro Vocals There can be a lot of variables that shift around from session to session when it comes to pro vocal recordings. The microphone, preamp, position, and voice selection will all switch up depending on the aesthetic of the song. However, one thing stays incredibly consistent in all of these ever-changing decisions: how well the […]
Learn Understanding Proximity Effect One of the most important skills to learn as a tracking engineer is the fine art of microphone placement. Getting a great sound takes a lot more work than just dropping a mic in a room and pointing it at what you want to record; it’s a skill you want to develop by using your […]
Learn The Colourful World of Microphone Preamps An often overlooked consideration of a recording chain is the brand of preamplifier chosen when bringing signals up to a usable level. Some engineers spend just as much time considering this as they would which microphones to use during a recording session. It’s important to have a thorough conversation with the recording artists about the […]
Learn Are Your Mixes Loud Enough? Do you often find yourself replaying your mixes and find them flat compared to other radio-finished songs? If this sounds familiar, then your mixes may not be loud enough. Regardless of whether your background is technical, musical or otherwise, loudness can greatly affect our perception of music due to psychoacoustic phenomena. Let’s take a look […]
Learn Entry-Level Audio Interfaces Worth Checking Out The audio interface, a central hub of connectivity in any budding home studio, is a crucial starter piece of equipment. Investing in a quality interface will always be worth your while, but for those of you who are building your home studio on a budget, we’ve rounded up five options that you can find at […]
Learn Cable Management for Beginners: Tips and Tricks for Your Production Stage Managing cable lines, while absolutely essential, is a step in production stage building that is often overlooked. Proper technique in cable management can enhance the appearance and safety of the event all while differentiating an amateur production stage from a professional one. Part 1: Floor Cable ManagementThere are two main forms of floor cable […]
Learn iZotope Trash 2 Distortion Plug-In Review Almost 20 years ago today, iZotope released its renowned plug-in Trash, only to wait another 10 years before releasing the newest version, Trash 2, at the end of 2012. Why is this plug-in so recognized and used by so many engineers and sound designers? Let’s take a look. What is Trash? Trash is known for […]
Learn Home Studio Layout: Vocal Tracking for Under $1000 Building a home studio is a common dream for any music creator or audio enthusiast. Today we will break down two typical setups that homeowners will likely have for vocal tracking, all while working within a $1000 budget. Part I: Layout and Acoustic Treatment The two scenarios we will analyze are: A room that […]
Learn Entry-Level Microphones for Your Home Studio One of the most cherished pieces of gear that a recording artist can own is the sensory piece of hardware that connects reality to the electrical and digital realm: the microphone. Like most audio hardware and instruments, each make and model has its own flavour, so that leaves a recording artist with tough decisions […]
Learn Ableton Live – Working Faster Using Default Templates Templates help you work faster and get into a creative mood quicker when you have an idea. That said, it is important to be careful not to fall into a habit of using the same sounds for all of your projects or tracks. The following tips are based on Ableton Live 9 and 10 […]
Learn Audio Interface vs. Audio Mixer: Which is Right for You? With today’s access to the wealth of information online, it is easier than ever to build a portfolio of work in a home studio if you’re an aspiring music creator or recording engineer. Recording from home can be as simple as getting a microphone, computer, and a recording device. As with much of your equipment, […]
Learn Unleash Your Creativity With Sound Design Sound design is the process of creating a new sound, or morphing a sound into something else altogether. You can use samplers, synthesizers, instruments, or any other sound-making or sound altering device. The beauty of having such an open canvas and so many different tools at your fingertips is that you can experiment and be […]
Learn Creating a Transition Using Reverse Reverb There are many ways to create transitions between sections in a song. Regular reverb may be the most widely used, however another easy way to create these transitions is to implement a long reverse reverb. In the example below, we’ve created one using a crash sample, a reverb with a long decay, and Pro Tools […]
Learn Bringing Life to a Mix: a Beat Maker’s World With Sean Paine In the first two instalments of our Sean Paine Workshop series (credits: Gucci, Future, Young Thug, 2Chainz, Migos, Fetty Wap, Waka, Sosa, and more), we covered getting wider reverbs and working with distorted vocal tracks. For this last article, Sean answers some questions and shares his pointers on how to create a memorable mix. With […]
Learn Working With Distorted Vocal Tracks With Sean Paine In the first part of our Sean Paine (credits: Gucci, Future, Young Thug, 2Chainz, Migos, Fetty Wap, Waka, Sosa) Workshop series, we took a look at how the renowned engineer gets wider reverbs using the S1 Stereo Imager. For this article, we’ll be looking at Sean’s tips on how to remedy distorted vocal tracks. Imagine […]
Learn Getting Wider Reverbs With Sean Paine During the first part of the Sean Paine Workshop (credits: Gucci, Future, Young Thug, 2Chainz, Migos, Fetty Wap, Waka, Sosa, and more) at RAC, Sean spoke about his journey through the industry and how he got started, and also shared some of techniques he uses. As with most engineers starting out, Sean stuck to certain […]
