Making a Scene Presents

Making a Scene Presents - The Indie Artist’s Guide to Token Gating: How to Turn Fans into VIP Insiders What is Token Gating (in simple terms)? Let’s start with the basics. A “token” in this context is usually a digital asset on a blockchain — often an NFT (non-fungible token). Think of that token like a golden ticket. If someone holds that token, they get special privileges: access to a hidden cha...

Making a Scene - Audio Saturation - The What, Why and How to use it in your Mix! Imagine you have a clean audio recording—say, a vocal track. Saturation is the process of gently overdriving that signal so that subtle distortion or harmonic content is added. The distortion is not harsh like a guitar’s heavy fuzz; it’s softer, more musical, more “warm feeling.” It gives extra harmonics (that is, ext...

Making a Scene Presents - AI in the Recording Studio: Your New Assistant and Teacher, Not Your Replacement Recording music has never been more accessible. What once required a massive studio full of expensive gear can now be done in a spare bedroom with an affordable DAW, a good mic, and a decent computer. Programs like Studio One ( https://www.presonus.com/studioone ), Cubase ( https://new.steinb...

An extensive guide for indie musicians on how to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to significantly improve their direct-to-fan email communication. It argues that email remains the most stable and effective channel for artists to connect with fans and generate revenue, unlike unpredictable social media platforms. The text explains that AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper can help artists transfo...

An extensive guide for independent musicians on how to proactively collect all earned royalties, which often remain unclaimed due to the music industry's complex structure. It systematically outlines the different categories of music royalties—including performance, mechanical, and digital radio rights—and details the specific organizations, like The MLC and SoundExchange, where artists must regis...

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Euphoria Station Euphoria Station is a Los Angeles–based progressive rock band whose music blends Americana, rock, and touches of jazz and folk, all tied together with a love for melody and storytelling. At the heart of the band are vocalist Saskia Kraft van Ermel and guitarist Hoyt Binder, who formed the group in 2015 to create music that feels both expan...

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Sari Schorr Sari Schorr first burst onto the Blues-Rock scene with her critically acclaimed debut album, A Force of Nature, produced by iconic British Blues pioneer Mike Vernon (David Bowie, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac).  Her most recent collaboration Joyful Sky with Robin Trower soared to #1 on the Billboard Blues chart in the USA....

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Andy B.And Andy B. – short for Andy Bernstein – has been the lead singer and primary songwriter for roots rock band The VooDUDES since 1990. As the group celebrated its silver anniversary, Andy found himself with a notebook full of songs that didn’t quite fit The VooDUDES’ style. Inspired by the growing Americana and soul music movements, he launched a sol...

Making a Scene - AI for Mixing Workflow: Automating First Passes Mixing is the stage where songs finally come alive. It’s where all the pieces—vocals, drums, guitars, keys, bass, and more—start to feel like music instead of a pile of recordings. But let’s be honest: if you’re an indie artist or home studio musician, opening a session with twenty or thirty raw tracks can be intimidating. You hit pl...

Introduction: Music Was Never Just Entertainment Music isn’t background noise. It isn’t just party soundtracks, workout playlists, or marketing jingles. At its core, music has always been a weapon, a rallying cry, and a spark for social change. It’s the heartbeat of revolutions, the whisper of resistance, and the shout of freedom. From enslaved people encoding escape routes in spirituals, to punk...

Making a Scene Presents Slate Digital VSX Headphone System: A Deep Dive Review I want to start this review with something important: I bought these headphones myself. I didn’t get an endorsement, a discount, or a sponsorship. This review is based on my own money, my own time, and my own ears. That matters because when you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of gear, you need an honest persp...

Making a Scene Presents - Building a Superfan Funnel: How AI Turns Followers into Paid Supporters If you’re an indie musician today, you already know the game has changed. It’s no longer enough to just put your music on Spotify and hope someone stumbles across it. The truth is, music discovery happens everywhere—on TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and even random memes. But discovery is on...

Making a Scene Presents - Smart Contracts & Royalty Splits: Get Paid Automatically Why Money Has Tore So Many Bands Apart You know the story well: a band records a hit, it starts making money, and then tensions emerge. Who wrote which verse? Who deserves how much? Did the producer’s studio time count toward “points”? Did the marketing team’s work deserve a slice? Even when everyone’s intention is...

Making a Scene Presents - The Art of Mic Placement: Getting a Pro Sound from a Cheap Mic Introduction: It’s Not About the Price Tag Every indie artist knows the struggle: you look at your bank account, then you look at those glossy ads for $3,000 microphones, and your heart sinks. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get advertised enough—you don’t need an expensive microphone to get a professional s...

Making a Scene Presents an interview with Ra'shad the Blues Kid Larry McGill, better known as Ra’Shad the Blues Kid, was born on September 30, 1987, in Laurel, Mississippi—the heart of the Piney Woods region. Though no one in his family played music, Ra’Shad grew up surrounded by soul and gospel, planting seeds of inspiration early on. As he says, “The love of music was put in me before I could ev...

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Vic Wayne of Star Collector Star Collector is a rock & roll band based in Vancouver, BC, known for their high-energy performances and melodic, guitar-driven sound. Over the years, they’ve built a reputation as one of Canada’s hardest-working indie rock bands, touring extensively across Canada, the United States, and Europe. http://www.makingasce...

Making a Scene Presents Suno Studio: A Deep Dive into the First True Generative Audio Workstation The world of music production has always lived on the edge of technology. From the tape machines of the 1950s to the MIDI revolution of the 1980s and the digital audio workstations (DAWs) of the 2000s, each leap forward has reshaped how artists create. Now, in the mid-2020s, we’re entering a new era:...

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with the Resurrection Blues Band Born from good times, hard times, and a deep connection to the blues, the Resurrection Blues Band has carved out a reputation as one of the most exciting and versatile acts on the scene today. Their journey, fueled by passion and grit, led them to win the Herald-Palladium Readers’ Choice Award in 2024 for Best Local Entertainmen...

Making a Scene Presents - Microphone Basics: Dynamic vs. Condenser vs. Ribbon and When to Use Each If you’re an indie musician setting up your first home studio, one of the most confusing things you’ll run into is microphones. Walk into any music store, and you’ll see a wall full of mics—big, small, fat, skinny, cheap, and insanely expensive. The big question is: what’s the difference? And how do...

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with The Gravel Project When music is in your soul, nothing can hold it back. That unstoppable drive fuels The Gravel Project, a band built on passion, authenticity, and the joy of sharing music with anyone willing to listen. Led by founding member, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Andrew Gravel, the band features an all-star lineup: keyboardist Jordan Grave...

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Robin Nutley of The Revenant Formed in 2023, Revenant deliver a powerhouse rock sound infused with a southern edge. Their debut EP, What A Time To Be Alive, dropped in May 2024 to critical acclaim and quickly established the band as one to watch. Onstage, they’ve been turning heads across the UK festival and club circuit—including a standout per...

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with AEvn Ævn grew up immersed in the worlds of trip-hop and lo-fi, sounds that shaped the foundation of a deeply personal musical journey. Influenced by boundary-pushing artists like Portishead and Joji, Ævn crafts music that blends moody textures with cinematic atmospheres, weaving mellow beats, haunting melodies, and subtle layers that reward repeat listenin...

Making a Scene Presents - Cubase 14: A Deep Dive into the Future of AI-Powered Music Production The Long Journey of Cubase When we talk about modern digital recording, it’s hard not to mention Cubase. This software has been shaping the way music is created for over three decades. Steinberg, the company behind Cubase, first introduced it back in 1989 on the Atari computer. At that time, it wasn’t n...

Making a Scene Presents - Decentralized Streaming Platforms: The Spotify Alternative When most people think of music streaming, Spotify is usually the first name that comes to mind. It’s the giant of the industry, with over half a billion users worldwide and more songs than anyone could listen to in a lifetime. For indie musicians, Spotify seems like the obvious place to be. You upload your tracks...

Making a Scene - AI Metering and Loudness: How Smart Tools Are Changing the Way We Mix Introduction: Why Loudness Matters More Than You Think If you’ve ever turned on your favorite playlist and noticed that one song blasts out of your speakers while another sounds much softer, you’ve experienced the problem of loudness. For decades, musicians, producers, and engineers have been caught up in what m...