I’ve been making records for over 20 years and my mixes got on radio, went Platinum or Gold, and got into TV & film.
I’m not saying this to toot my own horn, but to show you 3 simple things that really worked for me. These are what all my mixes had in common.
If you aren’t sure why your mixes aren’t cracking the airwaves, getting lots of streams, or more importantly landing you sync placements… start with these TOP 3 tips.
Remember that to get good at something you need to work hard, BUT to be great at it you have to work SMARTER.
My Top 3 Mixing Tips for Sync Licensing
Mixing Your Music for TV and Film
I want to talk about mixing tips for sync licensing for a second.
Specifically, why mixing is both overrated and underrated.
A lot of people think that the mixing stage is the most critical part of the song making process. A lot of people don’t record their songs well at all and they end up trying to fix it in the mix - that never works.
The mix should be amplifying and express what you’ve already done.
The words that have been written, the tracks that have been recorded, and the vocal delivery are all important when mixing your song and getting sync placements in TV and film. Anything that goes into creating a song, comes to fruition in the mix.
Now, let me give you a metaphor to describe these mixing tricks that are vital to not only your success as an artist, but your success in getting sync placements in TV and film.
Right now, in California, we have one of the biggest red tides of the previous 20 years. Now the interesting thing about this red tide, is it is a phosphorescent tide or Bioluminescent tide. This means that all these microorganisms here are phosphorescent. When night falls and the waves come crashing in here, you get this amazing show.
Thinking about mixing and using this phosphorescent tide as a metaphor.
Without this phosphorescent tide, the ocean is beautiful. It has everything you’d ever need, and no one is thinking about how if only there was a red tide, the ocean would be so much better. Nobody thinks that - well, until the red tide comes.
Similar to how a great mix separates itself from the mediocre mixes.
So, what are these 3 mixing tips that separate mixes?
My Top 3 Mixing Tips:
1. Balance:
The balance of the instruments in your mix must be perfect. This includes automation, making sure that any solos jump out at the right time, the background vocals are in just the right spot, etc. All the tracks must complement each other in the mix through the volume to create this perfect synergy. You know you’ve accomplished this when moving even one track up or down half a dB, would throw off the mix.
2. Centerstage:
This is when tracks occupy the “centerstage” of the mix, but only when they need to. For example, during the verse, you might want to focus on the vocals. As soon as you hit the pre-chorus, you will probably need to introduce an element to separate the pre-chorus from the verse. This element cannot be a timid effect hiding in the background, it has to make a mark that differentiates the pre-chorus from the rest of the song - let it take the centerstage of the song.
3. The Art of the Unexpected:
This could be something that jumps out of the mix that you weren’t expecting or haven’t heard before. Or perhaps it’s amplifying a unique aspect of the songwriting through the mix. Or changing the sound of something, putting a heavy filter on a track, this keeps the listener interested. Surprise them in a great way - just like the phosphorescent tide.
Remember that to get good at something you need to work hard, BUT to be great at it you must work SMARTER.
To learn more about mixing tips for sync licensing and getting sync placements in TV and film, click here to learn about the fastest way to sync licensing success.