“Should producers mix their music or hire a professional?” is more relevant than ever. From composing beats to mixing and mastering, the role of a music producer encompasses a broad spectrum. In my journey as a music producer, I’ve found joy in composing and sound design but have often opted for the expertise of professional mixers and masterers.
After all, doesn’t it make sense to trust those who specialized in mixing and mastering to perfect the final sound? But what are the pros and cons of this approach for modern artists like you and me?
The debate among music producers over who should handle the mixing and mastering of a track is not as straightforward as it might seem. I’ve faced skepticism from others in the industry who argue that a “music producer” should be responsible for every aspect of a song’s creation, including mixing and mastering. The expectation of wearing every hat can be overwhelming, especially when budgets are tight, and many may feel pressured to tackle these tasks themselves.
But as the role of a music producer has evolved, so too should our understanding of where expertise lies. We should not only focus on the merits and drawbacks of handling mixing ourselves or enlisting the help of a professional but also acknowledge the importance of having amazing-sounding samples as a bare minimum in modern music production. So before we weigh in on the pros and cons of how you mix your own music down, snag some of these completely free samples that we’ve curated from across the internet!
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Why Producers Should Be Mixing Their Music
The most straightforward and accessible way to get your music mixed is to do it yourself, and this path is laden with numerous benefits and merits. Since most artists are taking this route nowadays, let’s explore why producers might choose to manage the laborious steps of the process themselves.
Cost-Effective
A penny saved is a penny earned, and outsourcing your mixdowns can undoubtedly become costly. A seasoned engineer might charge $200+ for a mixdown, and that’s a conservative estimate. By handling the mixdown themselves, producers and artists can avoid this expenditure!
This benefit boils down to saving you a boatload of cash, especially over the long haul. For emerging artists and independent acts, one-hit wonders are rare. A large volume of work needs to be created and released to generate initial momentum for a burgeoning career. Relying on someone else to mix all your music can quickly add up to a substantial sum.
Creative Control
As AI permeates the industry and more producers depend on it, the “vanilla-ization” (that’s a word, right?) of modern music’s sonics may become standardized. The same algorithms and AI models may soon handle most mixdowns, and personal mixdowns could become a unique selling point for artists.
A mixdown is more than just a technical step; it’s a chance to infuse your creative essence into the music. No two engineers or artists will approach it identically. The features and qualities you emphasize can enhance the music in ways only you can achieve.
Though professional engineers may deliver a technically superior result, doing it yourself maintains an authentic connection to your work that could make all the difference.
Skill Development
Practice makes perfect; the more you mix down records, the better you’ll become. Like improving physical fitness, it requires consistent effort. Neglecting this skill can atrophy, leaving you at a disadvantage when you return to it.
The more you do your mixdowns, the more familiar you’ll be with your tools. This familiarity leads to greater creativity, as you can intuitively use your plugins as instruments for your creative sparks.
Why Producers Might Outsource The Process
While self-mixing has many merits, outsourcing can be valid, provided the cost isn’t a barrier. If you can afford professional mixing services, here are some qualities and features that justify the investment.
Expertise and Quality
Mixing engineers do this for a living, whereas producers and artists are more creatively driven and less technically adept. Hiring a professional mixing engineer will ensure that your music is punchy, warm, and meets all the qualities and benchmarks of modern commercial music.
What’s more, their expertise will allow them to take the mix in any direction that you tell them to, and if you have specific notes that you like from a reference track or just in general, they can often address those specific points cut and dry way. Below are some notes that we have given a couple of the engineers we’ve outsourced music to, and we were pleasantly surprised with the result that came back.
Unbiased Perspective
As a creative, you get incredibly close to your art, so much so that it’s oftentimes all too easy to lose the forest through the trees. You spend weeks and months writing the lyrics, shaping the sounds, selecting the samples, and producing the track that you’re too lost in the weeds to realize what’s causing the mixdown to sound so terrible. Hiring a mix engineer allows a trained professional to not only diagnose what’s causing the mix issues in your music that’s preventing it from sounding as good as it can be but also handles remedying all of the issues.
There is even a specific few engineers who you will meet that you will get comfortable enough to give up a bit of creative control to, allowing them to take a bit of creative license when it comes to drastically adjusting things like volume, filter sweets, and other things that you thought sounded good but, to the trained ear of the professional, are causing more hard than good.
Freeing Up the Creative Process
Mixing down a record involves numerous time-consuming steps. Outsourcing this task to a pro frees up valuable time for the creative aspects of your work.
For some, the time saved by avoiding this tedious process is a better investment. If you’re a ghost producer spending more time mixing than creating, having an outside engineer handle the mixdowns might be the most efficient route, allowing you to focus on what you love and ultimately increase your productivity and income.
A Way To Meet In The Middle?
Learning the rudiments of mixing and mastering offers a producer a strategic advantage. A basic understanding can be invaluable even if they don’t tackle the entire task. It grants them the vocabulary to articulate what they want, to hear the nuances that might slip past the untrained ear, and to collaborate more effectively with professional mix engineers.
Moreover, this knowledge allows a producer to be actively involved without shouldering the entire burden. They can provide rough mixes, highlight specific areas of concern, or even offer input on certain sound effects and plugins. This type of partnership ensures that the producer’s vision is preserved while also benefiting from the expertise of a seasoned professional.
Collaboration and communication cannot be stressed enough. The symbiotic relationship between a producer and a mixing engineer can be magic in the making. When both parties understand each other’s strengths and preferences, the resultant sound can be more potent and authentic than either working in isolation.
Final Thoughts
Producers who mix their music may relish creative control and potential cost savings. On the other hand, entrusting your mix to a professional can ensure technical prowess and offer a fresh perspective.
Ultimately, the choice concerns individual goals, financial considerations, and artistic philosophy. It’s essential to assess what you value most as an artist or producer. Do you prioritize the learning experience and complete control? Or do you lean towards expert polish and the collaborative nature of working with an engineer?
In conclusion, remember that music is as diverse as the people who create it. There’s no definitive blueprint or one-size-fits-all approach. Whether to mix or not to mix is a deeply personal decision, contingent upon an array of factors. As in all things musical, let your unique voice and vision guide the way.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
