Another interesting advice I got from an audio engineer is: Its not who you know, its who knows you. Improve yourself and others will want to be around you and work with you. Great for your career and great for your individualism.
@@nickepic1863 Don’t worry too much Nick….. it takes time 🙌🏽 The video has good advice about pursuing artists you like & believe in- that are also really good at their craft! Keep a day “gig/job” of some sort (to pay the bills 💵) while you pursue working on projects that you are really passionate about, but not relying on those projects for income- (even if you do get paid some money!) Anonymity is your biggest enemy- at all times- especially in this industry!! Let that truly sink in for a minute…… You don’t need to be the best around…… just the most well-known & networked. To accomplish that takes time & intentional effort…. KAUZII is correct…. it IS who knows you! Where I disagree with KAUZII…. is that you get more known through the process of improving your craft- that is not how you get discovered, and nobody will find you & “want to be around you” Do you need skills? Absolutely- YES! And you should be improving all of the time through experience & intentional research/training/etc. But- this is assumed…. anybody that works with you expects good results….. if you don’t get results, they’ll bounce & never refer you- (or worse yet- talk shit about you 😮) Will people hire you- if by some odd chance- they hear you are knowledgeable & skilled? NOPE…. never happens. They only want to hear the projects you’ve worked on previously….. and how “big” those artists/bands are- (which obviously vets you & lends to your credibility!) Skills are a given necessity….. develop & woodshed. Networking & connecting is key-- destroy your anonymity like it’s your mortal enemy 🧟♂️…. cause it is!! Have patience….. it can take some time! Sustaining from engineer/production work alone is a bit of a long journey….. but an enjoyable one ;). I’ve been working in the trenches since 1995…. went completely full time around 2005….. and am still going today! Funny enough- I rarely reply to anything on YT, so congrats 🎊….. hope this is helpful and inspirational 🤘🏽 Who you know > What you know
Mixing at lower volumes was a game changing idea for me. When I started doing that it really helped. Also, finishing stuff is real. If you don’t finish anything, you just don’t learn, hit export, and move one.
All great points as always Colt! I'm definitely guilty of tweaking mixes for too long! On that note, 10:14 I feel like checking mixes on tons of different speakers can turn into a rabbit hole where it's a never ending cycle of tweaking the mix for different speakers, where every change alters the mix in the next set of speakers, which could continue forever if you're not careful. Isn't it enough to treat your room and just learn your monitors + mixing headphones, provided that you are A/B'ing with reference mixes on both? I don't want to keep burning mixes and checking them in the car etc. if I don't have to.
Great advice 👍. Another point about not monitoring too loud is the middle ear is a compressor. Not only are those the muscles that fatigue but they mess with your decisions. By monitoring too loud it's easy to either under-compress because you think you've compressed enough, or over-compress because you can't hear your plugin compressing the way you want it to.
Now, 6:06 when you mention keeping the listener’s interest. I think this is true but it’s only part of the truth. I think the listener wants an emotional connection to what they’re hearing. You can have lots of interesting bells and whistles but if it’s meaningless to someone they will move on. That being said I do agree wholeheartedly with interest, movement and exploration for the listener experience! Essential and will get more people looking for your work over another.
Hey bro, thanks a lot for this video. I will apply this to my work as I'm now trying to take my work from amateur to semi-pro and also up to professional. God bless bro and have an amazing new year , i pray you will do more amazing videos.
Thank you for this. Your videos help me keep my head in the game, and you’re never condescending or arrogant about your advice. Much appreciated-keep up the great work!
Thank you for another great video in 2022, Colt! I’ve been here since the beginning and felt compelled to comment now as I’ve implemented so much of your advice into my music. I’m an electronic music producer but massively influenced by live guitars/drums and rock/metal. You deliver your advice so brilliantly that it really does cover all musicians and I really thank you for that! Hope you have a great 2023, best wishes from England 😊🤘🏼
great advice Colt, unfortunaly here in spain its a bit diferent applying these ideas but since im from the states I completly understand the concepts and appy therm here to my music and producions. unfortunatly the pay rate here is horrible, for that reason Iam beginning to reach out side of spain and do my markrting out side of the box..my take a bit of time but this are life. thanks for the info and the inspiration. happy holidays and happy new year.
Hey Colt another great informative thank you. I've noticed in a few previous videos that you have a Digitech TRS-12 but you don't have it listed in the gear you're using. I have one and I like it and use it frequently. I was wondering what you think of it and how you use it? Thank you again.
Musicians and songwriters: I wouldn't put too much stock in skip rates. Spotify is meaningless and is no better than the local event producer who offers to "pay you in exposure". Skip rates *may* signify a decreased attention span, as Colt suggests, or they may signify a public that is increasingly aware of what it wants from a record. The wider the array of musical platforms becomes, the more discerning the listening public becomes. The most important thing is to remain unique and present something individual. Personally, I think a major contributing factor to skip rates going up is the consensus-vanishing-point effect of whole songs being written around the 45s that might score someone's tiktok video. Everything sounds exactly the same.
TL;DR - Keep making great music, but the spotify skipping stat is skewed by navigation and not something to worry about too much I think the spotify stats are skewed based on how and when people use spotify. I save my favorite songs to one big playlist and then use it in the car. I skip my favorite songs all the time because I'm just navigating that playlist while I'm driving, or because I heard that song a few hours/days ago. This is probably true in a similar capacity for many people. When I taught middle school music, I asked my 300 students how they listen to music and the vast majority go through and let playlists play, which involves skipping as a part of navigating. Spotify can't tell the difference between skipping and navigating.
Another interesting advice I got from an audio engineer is: Its not who you know, its who knows you. Improve yourself and others will want to be around you and work with you. Great for your career and great for your individualism.
That's great advice!
I know no one and no one knows me 🥺
@@nickepic1863 Don’t worry too much Nick….. it takes time 🙌🏽
The video has good advice about pursuing artists you like & believe in- that are also really good at their craft! Keep a day “gig/job” of some sort (to pay the bills 💵) while you pursue working on projects that you are really passionate about, but not relying on those projects for income- (even if you do get paid some money!)
Anonymity is your biggest enemy- at all times- especially in this industry!! Let that truly sink in for a minute……
You don’t need to be the best around…… just the most well-known & networked. To accomplish that takes time & intentional effort….
KAUZII is correct…. it IS who knows you!
Where I disagree with KAUZII…. is that you get more known through the process of improving your craft- that is not how you get discovered, and nobody will find you & “want to be around you”
Do you need skills? Absolutely- YES! And you should be improving all of the time through experience & intentional research/training/etc.
But- this is assumed…. anybody that works with you expects good results….. if you don’t get results, they’ll bounce & never refer you- (or worse yet- talk shit about you 😮)
Will people hire you- if by some odd chance- they hear you are knowledgeable & skilled?
NOPE…. never happens. They only want to hear the projects you’ve worked on previously….. and how “big” those artists/bands are- (which obviously vets you & lends to your credibility!)
Skills are a given necessity….. develop & woodshed.
Networking & connecting is key-- destroy your anonymity like it’s your mortal enemy 🧟♂️…. cause it is!!
Have patience….. it can take some time! Sustaining from engineer/production work alone is a bit of a long journey….. but an enjoyable one ;). I’ve been working in the trenches since 1995…. went completely full time around 2005….. and am still going today!
Funny enough- I rarely reply to anything on YT, so congrats 🎊….. hope this is helpful and inspirational 🤘🏽
Who you know > What you know
@@nickepic1863 me too 🙄
@@nickepic1863 I know you!
Lots of good pointers in there, will you consider using chapters on these videos please !
Mixing at lower volumes was a game changing idea for me. When I started doing that it really helped. Also, finishing stuff is real. If you don’t finish anything, you just don’t learn, hit export, and move one.
Man, Always a great piece of content from you! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
All great points as always Colt! I'm definitely guilty of tweaking mixes for too long! On that note, 10:14 I feel like checking mixes on tons of different speakers can turn into a rabbit hole where it's a never ending cycle of tweaking the mix for different speakers, where every change alters the mix in the next set of speakers, which could continue forever if you're not careful. Isn't it enough to treat your room and just learn your monitors + mixing headphones, provided that you are A/B'ing with reference mixes on both? I don't want to keep burning mixes and checking them in the car etc. if I don't have to.
Great advice 👍. Another point about not monitoring too loud is the middle ear is a compressor. Not only are those the muscles that fatigue but they mess with your decisions. By monitoring too loud it's easy to either under-compress because you think you've compressed enough, or over-compress because you can't hear your plugin compressing the way you want it to.
Now, 6:06 when you mention keeping the listener’s interest. I think this is true but it’s only part of the truth. I think the listener wants an emotional connection to what they’re hearing. You can have lots of interesting bells and whistles but if it’s meaningless to someone they will move on. That being said I do agree wholeheartedly with interest, movement and exploration for the listener experience! Essential and will get more people looking for your work over another.
Always here with valuable content. Love this channel so much!
Excellent, actionable contact (yet again. Thank you Colt!
Dead on, nailed it yet again. I've come to truly value this channel so highly, thanks for sharing such a wealth of knowledge!
Bro you got me hooked on your stuff bcz of focal monitors review ...i see your room is great to review monitors, pls do more shootouts between gears
Thank you Colt!! Doing the majority of these already and it’s definitely moving me forward!!
Hey bro, thanks a lot for this video. I will apply this to my work as I'm now trying to take my work from amateur to semi-pro and also up to professional. God bless bro and have an amazing new year , i pray you will do more amazing videos.
thank you colt for your endless knowledge it means so much to all of us that you share it with us you are truly an inspiration!🙏❤️
he really is!
"Endless"
Thank you for this. Your videos help me keep my head in the game, and you’re never condescending or arrogant about your advice. Much appreciated-keep up the great work!
Thank you for another great video in 2022, Colt! I’ve been here since the beginning and felt compelled to comment now as I’ve implemented so much of your advice into my music. I’m an electronic music producer but massively influenced by live guitars/drums and rock/metal. You deliver your advice so brilliantly that it really does cover all musicians and I really thank you for that! Hope you have a great 2023, best wishes from England 😊🤘🏼
Hey @samjoiner2226 ---- is there any place to hear your music? And/Or are you open to collaborating with a vocalist?
Thanks Colt!!
Colt this is priceless advice! Great info!
I guess, only laziness is holding down my progress. =)
Thanks for the video! Repeating the right things once again does help to remember them well.
Very practical and genuine consideration.
Thanks!
Well, in order to be able to do everything yo have mentioned you have got to be a pro... Well done and thank you!!!
Awesome wisdom! Thanks!!!
great advice Colt, unfortunaly here in spain its a bit diferent applying these ideas but since im from the states I completly understand the concepts and appy therm here to my music and producions. unfortunatly the pay rate here is horrible, for that reason Iam beginning to reach out side of spain and do my markrting out side of the box..my take a bit of time but this are life. thanks for the info and the inspiration. happy holidays and happy new year.
All excellent points.
👍👍
Thanks!
Excellent advice!! Much ❤️ Colt!!
Hey Colt thanks for all the info my cousin Kenneth Dowdell told me about ur vids he lives in Tenn I'd luv to work with ya
Hey Colt another great informative thank you. I've noticed in a few previous videos that you have a Digitech TRS-12 but you don't have it listed in the gear you're using. I have one and I like it and use it frequently. I was wondering what you think of it and how you use it? Thank you again.
I love theses advices !thank you
What is your recommended way for comparing your mix to a reference track? Spotify, Apple Music, or is there a better method?
Great stuff buddy!
Let’s goo…
Musicians and songwriters: I wouldn't put too much stock in skip rates. Spotify is meaningless and is no better than the local event producer who offers to "pay you in exposure".
Skip rates *may* signify a decreased attention span, as Colt suggests, or they may signify a public that is increasingly aware of what it wants from a record. The wider the array of musical platforms becomes, the more discerning the listening public becomes.
The most important thing is to remain unique and present something individual. Personally, I think a major contributing factor to skip rates going up is the consensus-vanishing-point effect of whole songs being written around the 45s that might score someone's tiktok video. Everything sounds exactly the same.
What whiskey do you like?
In for the first like ! Merry Christmas and happy new year colt
How common is it for a producer to work on more than one piece at a time (obviously not literally at the same time, you get what I mean)?
#1 - guilty...but art is never finished, only abandoned, said someone who could never finish anything.
Yes sir
♥️
TL;DR - Keep making great music, but the spotify skipping stat is skewed by navigation and not something to worry about too much
I think the spotify stats are skewed based on how and when people use spotify. I save my favorite songs to one big playlist and then use it in the car. I skip my favorite songs all the time because I'm just navigating that playlist while I'm driving, or because I heard that song a few hours/days ago. This is probably true in a similar capacity for many people. When I taught middle school music, I asked my 300 students how they listen to music and the vast majority go through and let playlists play, which involves skipping as a part of navigating. Spotify can't tell the difference between skipping and navigating.
👍🏻