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Honestly, if you were to go to Google and search "how to produce a song in 2024", you'd find a lot of guides in the form of YouTube videos or forum posts (like this one, ironically) selling you "10 Steps to becoming a pro producer" or something like that. I'm not knocking them; they are telling you the truth. Being a producer is relatively simple - the selling point is where they blend the concept of 'simplicity' and 'ease' together. It's not easy to be a great producer. That's why producers are so valuable. Obviously, becoming a great producer takes sweat & tears, like anything else in life that's worth obtaining. But I do have to admit, an interesting phenomena has been slowly unveiling itself in recent times. As I've mentioned in my "Audio Mixing & Mastering (Now vs Then)" forum, the hardware for mixing that was originally in the possession of the "gatekeepers" of the music industry had started to become "digitized" and sold to the mass market. Now it's possible for any engineer with enough ambition to learn how to use those tools, build a home based studio to their own specifications, and build up their own clientele. As a result, the volume of engineers has skyrocketed; it's easier than it's ever been to find an engineer for your musical needs, but that doesn't mean that they're all of high level quality and professionalism. This is why major record labels are still in business despite the boom in independent contractors. Music producers fall under the same umbrella. The tools we have at our disposal make the title of 'producer' less prestigious than it might've been even 10 years ago. They're many producers out there now, some of which are great producers. Finding the great ones, let alone the right one for you, can be a real challenge. My advice - your search for a great producer will come down to these key points: Resume Now when I refer to a producer's resume, I'm not simply alluding to the kind of artists that they've produced music for, though that's a valid evaluation. If a producer's client creates music that's similar to yours, it's a strong indicator that the producer in question is a great fit for your creative process. However, artists tend to be lazy. They rather work with the more well-known producers or the producers who worked with more verifiable artists, because it's the quickest way to ensure they're getting the desired quality for their music. But you miss out on plenty of "hidden gems'' - producers who have the skills but simply need the right opportunity. It's wise to be diligent in your search, inquire of a producers resume, and intently listen to the producers body of work to see if you've found a potential match...which leads me to my next point: Professionalism The volume of a producers body of work is a strong indicator to the level of their professionalism - if they've managed to satisfy their clients over and over, their resume will grow larger and larger. Acertaining the skills of a producers is only half the battle. Once you've connected with one, it's important that you evaluate how the producer carries himself/herself: organization, attention to detail, communication skills - these are the factors that should be evaluated within the first few exchange between you and the producer, as it's the determining factor of the ebb and flow of your creative process. Rate Let me first start by admitting that this is a dynamic that isn't so easily navigated between two parties of ANY business venture, unless it's between two parties that already have some degree of history between eachother. With that being said, it's important to remember that many producers are able to contribute towards their living now, regardless of their skill and professionalism, due to the ease of use that is now prevelant in music production. This allows poducers to price themselves in accordance to their own sense of worth rather than any actual soft or hard skillsets that they have to offer. So bear that in mind, lest you find yourself overpaying for a service that you could find at either a higher quality or more affordable price somewhere else. To enlist my services as a producer for your next project, go to: https://www.fiverr.com/elijahdoyle?up_rollout=true

I believe that the blended sound of multitrack recordings should be nothing short of the standard quality sound you hear in the industry today. And you hear it all the time whenever you start streaming Spotify or Apple Music, or tuning into your favorite radio station to listen to your favorite song. What you hear on those platforms IS the standard, more or less. Learning how to mix a recording was honestly a byproduct of my pursuit of learning to consistently create great musical arrangements. It started back in my junior/senior year of high school - I'd take garageband plug-ins and try to replicate the sounds I heard on the radio. (Streaming was really on the rise at the time). But it wasn't until 2015 that I had begun to realize that mixing was something completely distinct from musical production, yet was the hinge that could make or break a record. That's when my research really began to take off, and my findings almost deterred me. I saw all of these “masters” on YouTube with giant $100.000 mixing consoles, racks filled with numerous preamps and compressors that I couldn't even pronounce. I had eventually gone to a session in a studio like this, and the owner of the studio told me straight up that he spent decades collecting gear just to eventually get to the point where he could build his studio to this absurd capacity. Naturally, I thought there was no chance to ever be able to mix my own music - but unbeknownst to me...something was happening in the music industry. All this hardware I saw the veteran audio engineers possess, They were becoming digitized as "plug-ins" and being sold to the mass market. Native Instruments, Waves, Alchemy; Plug-ins that were the "go-to''s of the professionals - aspiring engineers like me slowly gained access to. The only obstacle in my way was the learning curve of mastering those plug-ins. That's where things are brought up to speed. I learned extensively from the veterans on how to use these new tools, and now I'm one of many engineers who can attest to the fact that a massive studio and thousands of dollars are not required for a professional mix. From simple home recordings to complex multitrack arrangements, your creative vision should be realized at an affordable price. To enlist my services as engineer for your next project, go to: https://www.fiverr.com/elijahdoyle?up_rollout=true