Recording Artist’s Workflow: Writing to Mastering

Everybody’s first few recordings – whether that means three or thirteen – usually go the same way. The deadline’s fast approaching and hardly anything is done. What has been done doesn’t sound right. Your fellow musicians have no idea what they’re supposed to be doing and nobody in the room is really sure what the next step in the process is.

For most beginners, developing a recording workflow isn’t a priority. But professionals will tell you that time is money and that’s why they’ve worked so hard on making theirs work. The quicker you can do your work, the more your effective hourly rate is, and the quicker you can do your work, the less you pay to hire studios, equipment and staff. It works from both an expense and an income perspective.

Here’s a look at the process and flow of a recording project that’s done properly, with tips for optimizing it further.