The Music Producers Guild Awards at The Troxy this year felt less like an industry function and more like a proper celebration of community, craft, and long-standing friendships. My wife and I were invited as guests of the plug-in manufacturers…
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Michael Beinhorn on Working with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chaos, Chemistry and Capturing Lightning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7tNEjIbggVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Michael Beinhorn on Working with the Red Hot Chili Peppers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7tNEjIbgg) There are certain producers who do not just make records, they alter the trajectory of bands. Michael Beinhorn is one of…
JJ Blair, Mike Finnigan, and the Long Road to Finishing a Beautiful Record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivU4cpUvwBAVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Getting REAL with JJ BLAIR: Mike Finnigan’s FINAL Album feat Bonamassa, Smokey, Stills & Gadson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivU4cpUvwBA) Hi everybody, I hope you’re doing marvellously well. Every now and then, you get to talk…
Mixing Under an Empty Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtUFcbTJug&t=1021sVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: How my album was mixed by a pro! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtUFcbTJug&t=1021s) Inside My Collaboration with David Bennett at Spitfire Studio London There are certain projects that feel less like “work” and more like a…
Mixing the Lickerish Quartet Background Vocals with Ken Sluiter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgkjiWQQ8DkVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Mixing Multi Layered Vocals & BVs – Lickerish Quartet "Jellyfish, Cheap Trick, Noel Gallagher" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgkjiWQQ8Dk) Crafting Depth, Movement, and Musical Conversation There are mixes where the background vocals simply support the…
Inside the Production of “Brokenhearted” by Alicia Kalisher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9yGgH1S_WgVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Inside the PRODUCTION of “Brokenhearted” by Alisha Kalisher MIXING – Dan Kalisher – Free MULTITRACKS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9yGgH1S_Wg) Some records announce themselves with sheer volume. Others pull you in with atmosphere, texture, and emotion,…
Inside the Production of a Number One Rock Record with Mike Pepe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT8EvSXXDWEVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Producing An Alt Rock Billboard #1 With Michael Pepe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT8EvSXXDWE) What does it really take to turn a simple idea into a hit record? In this new Pro Mix Academy masterclass, producer,…
Mixing David Bennett’s Under an Empty Sky: From Drum Recording to Final Mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjV6X3ncueY&feature=youtu.beVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: MIXING David Bennett’s New Album: From Drum Recording to Final MIX – Free MULTITRACKS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjV6X3ncueY&feature=youtu.be) There is something especially rewarding about working with an artist who can do it all. David Bennett,…
Discover The Secrets Behind Modern Rock Performance and Production
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCq3VUzNHsVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Mixing Rock Guitars and The Art Of Producing A Band With Cameron Webb (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCq3VUzNHs) Producing and Mixing Guitars for Star Zero – King Saul How Cameron Webb Built Width, Punch and Trust…
The Studio Is for Creation, Not Control: Ken Scott on Letting Artists Be Artists
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YdwIgZdObQEVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Beatles Producers George Martin Vs. Gus Dudgeon With Ken Scott (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YdwIgZdObQE) In my conversation with Ken Scott, one idea comes through loud and clear. The artist is in the studio for…
Don’t Chase Perfection. Chase the Moment.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8qb9vWN-F3YVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Don't Chase Perfection (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8qb9vWN-F3Y) One of the biggest lessons I have learned from doing this for a long time is not to be too much of a perfectionist, especially when it…
ABBA’s Genius, Hook After Hook, A Conversation with Steven Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0fX0F48DBAEVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Abba's Ultimate Hook Song (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0fX0F48DBAE) “Mamma mia, here I go again.” Steven Wilson often uses Mamma Mia as the perfect example of why ABBA’s songwriting deserves far more respect than it sometimes gets, especially…
How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5HKXAXX3H-EVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5HKXAXX3H-E) One of the most fascinating production decisions on How Soon Is Now? came from a limitation rather than an indulgence. Morrissey was famously against backing vocals on Smiths…
Trevor Horn’s Lessons on Production
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o-szHBU_CLYVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Trevor Horn's Lesson On Production with Stephen Lipson (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o-szHBU_CLY) Stephen Lipson on speed, instinct, and knowing when to stop One of the most important lessons on production that Stephen Lipson learned while working…
Steven Wilson on the Trap of Chasing Modern Pop
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EcmkJsfgGHoVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: What’s Wrong In Pop Music (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EcmkJsfgGHo) In this short but incisive reflection, Steven Wilson puts his finger on one of the central tensions in contemporary pop music. The pressure to align with whatever…
Steve Lillywhite and the Art of Sonic Space
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QboblNMbjNAVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Leaving Space In Music (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QboblNMbjNA) Producers often spend years chasing “bigger” sounds, when the real magic lies in something far more elusive and far more powerful than boosting EQ curves or…
Jimmy Webb and the Art of Songwriting
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oPjiB3RYTEAVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Get The Listeners ATTENTION: Jimmy Webb Explains How (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oPjiB3RYTEA) Opening with a Line That Grabs the World There is a moment in every great song when the writer either captures the listener…
Eric Clapton on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, As Told by Ken Scott
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lQUdOEUq9LwVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Eric Clapton Sounding Like The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps – With Ken Scott (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lQUdOEUq9Lw) Every Beatles story takes on a mythic shape over time, however nothing beats hearing…
Stephen Street, Linger, and the Moment The Cranberries Found Their Sound
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0sUuGvRdr1sVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Cranberries Iconic Intro Could have Been VERY Different (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0sUuGvRdr1s) When Stephen Street first heard the demo of Linger, he instantly recognised what so many of us now hold as obvious. Dolores O’Riordan’s voice…
Darrell Thorp Recording Robert Jon and The Wreck at Sunset Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIOtiQsfvDcVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Producing, Recording and Mixing a Full Track with Darrell Thorp (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIOtiQsfvDc) A masterclass in tone, feel, and the art of capturing a truly great band Walking into Sunset Sound Studio 3…
Sculpting the Sound of Grunge: Michael Beinhorn on Crafting Iconic Guitar Tones
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s4oPZMQIy-kVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Grunge Guitar Tones With Michael Beinhorn (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s4oPZMQIy-k) When Michael Beinhorn talks about tone he’s not referring to presets, plug-ins or quick fixes. He’s talking about identity, the sonic fingerprint that makes…
Embracing the Imperfections: Why the Magic Lives in the Cracks
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o3V65RDPOBcVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Mistakes Can Be Gold In Productions (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o3V65RDPOBc) One of the things I’ve learned over the years, both as a producer and as a lifelong fan of great records, is that the…
Labor Day Free Gift: PRODUCING COUNTRY MUSIC with ‘You’re Not My Dad’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1LgzZC5jok&feature=youtu.beVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Producing Country With 'You're Not My Dad' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1LgzZC5jok&feature=youtu.be) To celebrate Labor Day, we’re giving you FREE access to an incredible production deep-dive with the duo ‘You’re Not My Dad’—featuring bassist Jackson Eppley…
Get It Right at the Source: Why ‘Fix It Later’ Is the Fast Track to Frustration
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HsWgowMg49gVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Fix It Later? (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HsWgowMg49g) In the world of music production, there’s a phrase that’s haunted many a mix engineer: “We’ll fix it in the mix.” While it might seem like a harmless shortcut, this…
The 5 Key Home Studio Components – Still True Over a Decade Later (with some notable exceptions!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03jihZBOQtkVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The 5 Key Home Studio Components: Don't Let Budget Hold You Back – Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03jihZBOQtk) Hi, it’s Warren Huart here, I hope you’re doing marvellously well. This…
Produce Like A Pro Academy: Where Community Makes the Music
When I first imagined the Produce Like A Pro Academy (PLAPA), I didn’t want to just teach recording and mixing, I wanted to build a community. A place where musicians, engineers, and producers from all walks of life could come together, support…
Create Together, Grow Together: The Future of Music Production
In an era where technology connects us more than ever before, something truly powerful is happening in the world of music production. At Produce Like A Pro Academy, we’re seeing a quiet revolution—one where musicians, producers, and engineers from different…
MetalCon 2025: The Ultimate Metal Production Experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YK4e1p6uBIVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Ultimate Metal Production Experience: MetalCon 2025 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YK4e1p6uBI) MetalCon 2025: The Ultimate Metal Production ExperienceMay 30 – June 1 | Studio 301, Frankfurt, Germany🎟️ Tickets on sale now at metalcon.music/tickets Get ready for MetalCon 2025,…
Push, Pull, Pocket: The Real Secret to Great Groove and Feel
How to produce rhythm sections that breathe, move, and feel unforgettable. We live in an age of pristine production, where everything can be snapped perfectly to the grid and polished to a mirror shine. Yet, when you talk to people…
The Ultimate Pro Tools Course with Jon Connolly – Now Only $67
If you’ve ever dreamed of producing music to the same standard as the records you grew up with — the ones that shaped your taste, your memories, and maybe even your career path — then this is your moment. The…
Top Drum Software for Realistic Sounding MIDI Drums
Using drum software is one of the quickest and easiest means to lock down your song’s backbone. As a matter of fact, drum software has gotten so good that it isn’t uncommon for solo artists to release finished albums with…
The 13 Best DAWs for Windows [2024 Complete Guide]
Most of today’s DAWs are cross-platform, making it easy to choose if you’re running PC. Some titles are Mac-only, like Apple’s own Logic Pro, but for the most part options won’t be limited if you’ve chosen Windows as your primary…
12 Best Kontakt Libraries for Every Collection in 2024
Native Instruments‘ free sample player, Kontakt, is every music producer’s entry point to the industry’s largest collection of sampled instruments. Kontakt is a universal host to hundreds of realistic sampled libraries from dozens of manufacturers. The best Kontakt libraries should…
Making Music on Your Phone: The Best Apps for Mobile
Musicians’ creativity doesn’t stop when they’re on the road. In a perfect world, we’d all have access to the comfort of our home studios 24/7, churning out music as often as we’d like. But whether you’re a full-time artist/producer or…
The 14 Best Drum VSTs for Any Budget [2024 Guide]
The best drum VSTs we’ve gathered run the gamut between $89 all the way up to $700! Thankfully, this means there’s a variety of choices to suit any budget. Of course, there are free options as well so you can…
The Ultimate List of Free Pro Tools Plugins 2024
If you’re looking for third-party plugins to expand your growing collection, look no further than The Ultimate List of Free Pro Tools plugins. Whether you need a Pultec-style EQ or a trigger gate for electronic music stutter effects, this list…
![The Best Pitch Shifter VSTs in 2021 [Free & Paid]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/The-Best-Pitch-Shifter-VSTs-in-2021-Free-Paid-909x606.jpg)
The Best Pitch Shifter VSTs in 2024 [Free & Paid]
A pitch shifter is a useful tool that can be used for both subtle pitch correction and heavy-handed effects. Auto-Tune is one of the most popular pitch shifters, and it serves as a great example of how pitch correction can…
The 9 Best Rhodes VSTs [Free & Paid]
The Rhodes electric piano was an incredibly popular instrument throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek was one of the first prominent musicians to start playing the Rhodes, picking up one of the earliest models in 1965. Its…
FM Synthesis: The Classic Synthesizer Sound
Lots of classic keyboards like the Yamaha DX7 use FM synthesis to generate sounds. If it seems daunting at first, that’s because FM synthesis really is more complex than other types of synthesis. FM is much more theory-driven, so trying…
![21 Best FREE VST in 2021 [with Links!]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-Best-FREE-VST-in-2021-with-Links.jpg)
21 Best FREE VST in 2024 [with Links!]
Steinberg developed Virtual Studio Technology in 1996 to bring synthesizers and effects into digital audio workstations. It’s a plugin format that numerous major DAWs host, like Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, Digital Performer, and Reaper, amongst others. VST instruments are a…
14 Best Orchestral Strings VST in 2024
Using string samples instead of real ones offers a lot of obvious advantages for the average home producer or songwriter. Just from a logistical standpoint, booking studio time and hiring musicians is costly and time consuming. But with samples, you…
Best Resources for Drum Loops in 2024
Drum loops are a quick and easy way to set up the foundation of a song. We’re lucky to have so many ways to chop up loops and samples, so they can actually become an integral part of any production…
5 Crucial Tips For Success in Music with Marc D. Nelson
In this video, Grammy Nominee Marc D. Nelson (known for his work with Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz) discusses 5 crucial concepts found inside Warren Huart and Jerry Hammack’s #1 Best-Selling book 'Home Studio Recording: The Complete Guide.' These are…
Recording an ALL STAR Jazz Quartet – FREE Multitracks Included
Today, I've got a VERY special treat for you! Recently, I've had the honor of recording a band of a-list Jazz musicians, all performing in the same room together, and making up song arrangment on the fly. It was an…
10X Grammy Winner Darrell Thorp – Top 5 Plugins for Mixing
In todays video, 10x Grammy Winner Darrell Thorp spills the beans about his favourite mixing tools! Darrell is an incredible producer and engineer who has worked with the Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Switchfoot, Molotov, Beck and countless other a-list artists. A…
Mixing tracks recorded by LEGENDARY engineer Geoff Emerick
In todays video, Grammy Nominee Marc D. Nelson (Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz) walks you through his mix of a song produced by the late, legendary engineer, Geoff Emerick. Geoff Emerick has engineered FOUR The Beatles albums alongside George Martin, recorded…
Mixing With A Limiter ON? FAQ Friday With Warren Huart
In this edition of FAQ Friday, Warren shares his thoughts on mixing decisions, time management for budding engineers and producers, and dispels the myth of being "too old" to learn new recording techniques. Let's dive into the insightful world of…
Music Producer Vs Mixing Engineer? A Conversation with Mike Pepe & Lurssen Mastering
In today's music landscape, understanding the nuanced differences between a music producer and a mixing engineer is essential. This exploration will delve into the key distinctions that define their roles and shed light on how their responsibilities intersect and diverge…
Abbey Road’s Software Collaborations with Waves Audio, Spitfire Audio & Native Instruments
Abbey Road Studios: A Legacy of Excellence Abbey Road Studios, located in London, holds an unparalleled place in the annals of music history. Its legendary status stems from its role in recording timeless albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and…
The 16 Best Chord Generator VST [Free and Paid]
A great chord progression is one of many factors that contributes to a quality piece of music. It forms a template, or the backbone, from which the rest of the song can be built. But finding chords that go together…