Previous FM Winners
RECORDING STUDIO EXPERIENCE
Advise on preparing for a recording studio session.
Recording studio experience: Whether you have had previous recording studio experience or not, preparation is the key to success. Preparing for a recording studio session can save you valuable time and money. Making sure that you and your material are ready to record is vital for a focused recording session. Read on for our hot tips for preparing for the studio and gaining recording studio experience.
RECORDING STUDIOS - REHEARSE, REHEARSE AND REHEARSE!
- Once you’ve selected the song you wish to record, the first thing to do is to make sure you have rehearsed it to perfection. The recording studio is not the place to rehearse as you’ll eat into valuable studio time!
- Practice singing your song with a metronome to avoid timing issues, especially if you are used to singing along live with instruments.
- Rehearse your techniques! Vocalists should practice warm up and breathing techniques as studio microphones will pick up all nuances no matter how subtle. Guitarists should practice to avoid finger sliding squeak noises and drummers should always bring spare sticks!
- Make sure you pick the right studio to record in! Visit them beforehand and take into account price, recording equipment and the environment itself.
PREPARING YOUR SONG FOR THE STUDIO
- Have a clear idea of what you want the end product to sound like. Perhaps prepare a mood board to take with you that includes genre/similar artists etc. to give the producer a firm idea of your vision.
- Do you want the song to have backing vocals or any additional instruments? Deciding this before you visit the studio will make life easier for the producer if he knows everything in advance.
- Try to keep the song length to no more than 3.5 minutes (the length of a standard pop song). Make sure in rehearsals you tighten the song to the length required for the recorded version.
- Make sure the song grabs you straight away with a catchy hook line (this can be an instrumental or vocal line). Most people will decide if they like a song or not within 30 seconds, so ask yourself questions like ‘is the intro too long?’ and ‘does the song show off my sound and abilities best?’
RECORDING STUDIO EXPERIENCE
Check out our other useful tips and advise for songwriters below and check out our 2015 Songwriting Competition performance dates by clicking here.
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