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Pro Studio Sound: Tips and Tricks for High Quality Home Recordings
Musician’s Checklist: 7 Tips for a Successful Recording Session
With a little preparation, you can nail every gig. This checklist will help you show up to your sessions ready to perform.
Preparing for the Perfect Session
When it comes to recording sessions, a little preparation goes a long way. It can be the difference between getting that one-of-a-kind take and completely missing the mark. Follow these tips to prepare for a successful session:
- Review Your Contract: Nothing is more awkward than having to clarify an agreement after the session is complete. Having everything hashed out ahead of time can save you a bunch of discomfort. Make sure everyone has agreed on the price and scope of the work. How many revisions can be requested? How much time is expected to be spent? If you skim over details, you might get the short end of the stick, so be careful! And make sure to always get a signature!
- Check Your Gear: To perform your best, you need your gear to be at its best. Check your pickups and inputs, clean or replace your strings, wax your bow—you know what your instrument needs! Maintaining reliable gear that consistently performs showcases your professionalism to clients and helps you stay confident during sessions. Make sure to come prepared with extra strings, picks, wax, etc. just in case anything breaks.
- Test Your Room: If you’re recording remotely, make sure to test your room’s audio quality. It’s not a bad idea to record some test takes in your own time and see how the recordings sound when you play them back. For help troubleshooting your space’s sound, check out our Recording Readiness Checklist.
- Note: If you’re recording at someone else’s studio, they’ll likely know the best way to set up and record in the space.
- Practice Your Part: Were you provided with a specific piece to play? Commit your part to muscle memory. Having more of a working session? Practice some tunes your client might like based on what you’ve discussed! If you know your part well, you won’t waste time during the session recording extra takes. Plus, you can impress your clients!
- Prepare Your Body: You know what’s right for you, but here are the basics: drink water throughout the day, eat food, and get loose before each recording session. Warmup exercises help you stay relaxed and perform at your best throughout the longer gigs.
- Compose Your Mind: What does it take to get you in the right mindset to record? Meditate, exercise, dance, sleep, eat, relax, hype yourself up—whatever it is you need to do, do it! A sharp mind keeps you on your A-game throughout the session.
- Watch Your Time: Nobody likes waiting around. Try to get remote work done and back to your clients in a reasonable amount of time, without sacrificing quality, of course. And if you’re meeting someone in person, definitely don't be late!
Looking for remote recording work?
No matter how musically talented or well-prepared you are, securing enough work to sustain yourself through music alone can still be challenging. If you’ve ever hit a slow period where the gigs just aren’t popping up, you know what we’re talking about. In search of ways to fill the gaps in their work schedules, many musicians turn to (ideally music-related) side hustles. If you’re on the hunt for your next side gig, Performidi is the site for you! It’s a new type of collaborative recording platform that makes it easier than ever to start getting paid for your talent. Sign up now for instant access to paying gigs.
Want to learn more about how Performidi works? Check out our help article: How it Works
About the Author
Adam Davault is a seasoned multi-instrumentalist who has produced music for 10+ years. Before that, he was a member of multiple rock and alternative bands and had the privilege of playing at major festivals like Sweetwater 420 Fest and Shamrock the Station. Witnessing the struggles musicians and producers face firsthand, he made it his mission to shed light on the industry's often-guarded secrets.