Why should every musician know the basics of audio production?
The goal of every musician is to master their chosen instrument to perfection—in rehearsal, in the studio, and live—but these days it's almost unthinkable to develop as an artist without knowing the basics of sound recording and audio production. How this will help us become better musicians will become clear in the following lines.
Independence through technology
One of the best things about digitization is that technology, including musical equipment, is now not only accessible but also much more intuitive and easy to learn. We can quickly and cheaply turn our computer, tablet, and even smartphone into a portable recording studio. This allows us to record any idea we have and then turn it into a finished composition. Knowing how to use music software allows us to sketch out demos and turn them into high-quality audio products that are ready for radio or streaming platforms. This saves us money and time and makes us more independent as artists.
Speaking the same language as engineers
Skills in sound recording and post-production do not mean that you will stop visiting professional studios and working there, quite the contrary. Knowing sound processing, with all its terminology, techniques, and approaches, will help us communicate more effectively and easily with professional audio engineers. This way, you will not only speak the same language, but you will also show that you know what you want to achieve with the sound of your tracks – both live and during recording.
An interest in production will teach you, when creating your own tracks, to think not only about performance and composition, but also about how they are recorded, mixed, and mastered. This will allow your music to reach its full potential. Knowledge of audio production adds a new dimension to your musical pursuits. The more you know about these processes, the higher the quality of the music you create and share will be.
New skills, new directions for development
Our experience in audio production and sound recording allows us to expand our opportunities for musical collaboration and realization. Knowing the sound recording process, we can now easily work with guest musicians who do not even have to be physically present with you. Many modern music software programs allow for online collaboration in shared project files. The only limits to musical creativity are now our own skills.
If you delve into the depths of sound processing, this will allow you to work not only on your own music, but also on the music of other artists. Not everyone has the patience, skills, and ear of an audio engineer or producer. This is an activity with a lot of potential for career development, which you can pursue in parallel with your activities as a musician.
Beyond music
The fields of sound recording and post-production can open other doors that may prove lucrative in the future. Experience with audio software, effects, mixing, and recording can be useful if we want to develop in the field of studio audio, live sound, and other sound-oriented fields such as sound design, film music, video games, or advertising, as well as podcast, vlog, audiobook, and voiceover production. These are some of the ways we can earn extra money if we are interested in working with sound.
If all this sounds exciting to you and you want to take your first steps in audio production, our friends at Urban House Studio have some interesting blog posts on the topic, the first of which is at this link.
