The SonicScoop Podcast | Music Production, Audio Engineering, and The Business of Music

Fix your bottom end! The low end in your mix is both the hardest part to get right, AND the most important part to get right. Here's what's holding you back, and what you can do about it. In this episode of the podcast Justin Colletti offers his take on the three things that mess up low end on mixes and what you can do differently for powerful, coherent kicks and basses. Thanks to GPU Audio for sp...

There are secret norms and unwritten rules to making rock records sound like rock records. If you want powerful, impressive, inspiring rock sounds, Justin Colletti has the answers...and the pitfalls to avoid. Whether it's hard rock, punk, metal, grunge, thrash, classic rock, grindcore, post-rock, post-punk, garage rock revival or just heavy music in general, here are the top 10 mixing mistakes to...

Should your EQ come before your compressor or after? Should your compressor go after your saturator or before? There are so many different orders you could put your effects in. Which are best and why? And how are you supposed to remember them all? Justin Colletti gives you the principles and concepts you need to get this right every time. Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free E...

What's the most important thing in all of music mixing? Contrary to popular belief, it's NOT making everything equally audible at all times. Being able to get a "well balanced" mix is a useful skill. But when you're ready to go beyond merely competent mixing and into the world of truly memorable, world-class mixing, that touches and impresses end listeners... ...Then the key to this crucial mindse...

Want to have a sustainable career in music? Ultimately, there are only 5 ways to make an income in music production. (And honestly, any other art form you love.) Justin Colletti details all of the major approaches, with several specific examples in each. Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free Early Access to their convolution reverb at https://gpu.audio/sonicscoop ►Get Compressi...

A listener asks: "Justin, what are your pet peeves as a mastering engineer?" Hear his full response, with the complete list of the "7 deadly sins of mixing". Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free Early Access to their convolution reverb at https://gpu.audio/sonicscoop ►Get Compression Breakthroughs here: https://compressionbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https...

Is there a "right" level for listening? Yes! And it varies, depending on whether you're mixing, mastering, producing or recording. Learn how your listening level effects what you hear, and what to do about it. Justin Colletti shares the strategies the best pros use to get this part of their process right. Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free Early Access to their convolution r...

Want to get your music heard, by actual people? There are only 4 ways to do it. The most successful artists employ all four of these major strategies, while those that languish in obscurity for their whole live rarely do more than 1 or 2 with any seriousness. Justin Colletti shares all four of these approaches, as well as their benefits and pitfalls, in this week's episode. Thanks to GPU Audio for...

You're wasting your time by trying to learn mastering! ...Or are you? Justin Colletti shares why you shouldn't bother learning mastering, and focus on other parts of music production instead. (And when you should.) Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free Early Access to their convolution reverb at https://gpu.audio/sonicscoop Thanks to iZotope for sponsoring this episode of the S...

What's the best way to handle mastering revisions? Get this right, and you'll be able to avoid the #1 mistake that plagues all too many mastering sessions. Justin Colletti shares his approach, and a handful of best practices you can adopt, whether you are a mastering engineer, mixer, producer or artist. Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free Early Access to their convolution rev...

Compression and limiting are among the hardest music production skills to learn. Almost everyone makes these 5 mistakes when they first get into mixing audio. And for a long time after as well! Below, Justin Colletti gives you what you need to know to avoid the most common pitfalls of  mixing with compression . Enjoy this free podcast episode, or learn even more at https://CompressionBreakthroughs...

"Fix it in the mix!" We all know it can't be done... Or CAN it? Justin Colletti offers advice on what to do when you encounter sounds that you feel need to be "fixed" in the mix. Thanks to iZotope for sponsoring this episode of the SonicScoop Podcast. Get 10% off their plugins at https://iZotope.com/SonicScoop ►Get Compression Breakthroughs here: https://compressionbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mixing Br...

NEWSFLASH: It's not 1995 anymore. If your way of releasing music stuck in the 20th century? Justin Colletti offers some of the best strategies for putting your music out there in 2022 and getting it noticed. Record releases simply aren't what they used to be. If you're determined to record and release 12 songs and put them all out at once, before building a fanbase, your chances of having a good t...

Ouch. Does your mix suck? Here are the top 10 reasons why you might feel that way, and what you can do about it. Justin Colletti has coached thousands of mixers through his online courses, mix coaching calls and mastering services, and has identified the biggest factors that hold them back from realizing their full potential. Thanks to GPU Audio for sponsoring this podcast. Get free Early Access t...

What is the best way to compress vocals? How about compressing drums? Compression on bass? Pianos? ...Compressing the mix bus?? Justin Colletti reveals all in this new free episode on how to compress EVERYTHING. Want to go even deeper? Check out the new full length course Compression Breakthroughs at https://compressionbreakthroughs.com Thanks to iZotope for sponsorsing this episode. Get anything...

Are you trying to find more work in mixing, mastering or music production? Justin Colletti offers some key concepts for landing more clients and working on more satisfying projects. ►Get Compression Breakthroughs here: https://compressionbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: https://MasteringDemystified.com

Music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are amazing for listeners. But, are they worthwhile for artists? Justin Colletti dives into the numbers and recommends better ways to use them in your career. ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: https://MasteringDemystified.com

Not all mixing advice is created equal. Some of the most often repeated pieces of bad mix advice have a small kernel of truth in them... and a seed of destruction. Justin Colletti highlights his favorite (or least favorite) pieces of advice around mixing. What are yours? ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: https://MasteringDemystified.co...

Want an honest chance of making a living in music or music production? You have to stop approaching it with a 20th century mindset. Music and studio production is a participant sport, not a spectator sport, says Justin Colletti. Here's what that means, and the 5 ways to make an income off of music. ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: htt...

Is there such a thing as "objectively" good sound quality? How about "objectively good" mix techniques? Objectively good microphones? H ow much can we say with certainty about what we do in the studio, and how much of it is just up to taste and preference? Justin Colletti explores in this week's podcast. ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified her...

Across countless mixes that reach his studio for mastering, Justin Colletti has found that practically all of them fit into one of 4 general EQ "Shapes". What does that mean? What "Shape" are your mixes? And what can you do with that information? Dive deep in this week's episode of the SonicScoop Podcast.  ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified h...

Is it possible for a great song—or even a great production—to have a "bad mix"? And what exactly does it mean to have a "bad mix", anyway? Justin Colletti explores what we can learn from great songs that have "bad mixes"—and why they can succeed anyway. ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: https://MasteringDemystified.com

Singer, songwriter and producer Josh Turner runs a successful YouTube channel with over 150 million lifetime views. He talks to Justin Colletti about how to grow a fanbase in the 21st century, and make sure your albums get released into a receptive audience. ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: https://MasteringDemystified.com

Justin Colletti is supposed to be a pretty good audio engineer. But he's done a LOT of dumb things in the studio. Learn about some of his biggest mistakes—and what you can do to avoid them yourself. ►Get Mixing Breakthroughs here: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com ►Get Mastering Demystified here: https://MasteringDemystified.com

How loud should your master be? It's a common question, but the best answer depends a lot on your genre, production style and goals. Streaming services like Spotify would have you believe that shooting for -14 LUFS in your masters should be good enough, once their automatic volume normalization does its job. But most producers working in popular styles of music find that this target doesn't allow...