If we think back before the days of MP3 players and the Internet, the only place we could get the newest recordings from an artist were brick and mortar record stores like Virgin, Tower or Sam Goody. Based on my most current research, all three seem to be now gone. The only remnants of these giants are their online stores.

I remember growing up in the eighties and going to one of the major record stores and looking at all the endless racks that were filled with just about every artist that was current. And….there  was a choice between the vinyl, CD or cassette. Eventually the cassettes died as portable CD players around and then came MP3 players. The rest is history. It is now sad to see what actually is stocked on the shelves at stores and those who work there are not even familiar with some of the artists that are requested by us seasoned die hard CD aficionados.

It truly is a shame to see the traditional record stores go by the way side of online. But, it is also sad to acknowledge that the acceptance of less fidelity is getting higher. We have lost the art of being able to truly listen to music and appreciate it in a non-personal player. Along with the sound, the ability to study the album inserts and cover art is also going away. Some of the excitement of buying a new album was in the digesting of the album notes and other documentation that came along with the album, regardless of the format.

I truly feel that an unjust movement in the music industry has transpired over the past decade. Not only have we lost giant businesses, but have lost the ability to appreciate the art for what it is in the larger sense of the matter. The unjust to live music has also sanctioned this demise of the music industry. I hope that at one point we do experience a renaissance in the old traditional sense of experiencing music and the various art forms which were once associated with the release of a new album.

A great example of this is Bruce Springsteen. When he started out with Columbia Records, he had two so-so albums before he hit a good one with Born to Run. If Born to Run had not been a success, then Springsteen would have seen the end of his recording career. Now could you imagine that as he is a rock icon 30 years later? Back in the 70s Columbia had backed both previous albums which had lack luster sales. When Springsteen began writing for Born to Run, Columbia was ready to drop him as an artist. If Born to Run had taken a dive, that would have been the end. Fortunately, that album was the beginning of the career.

Today, this would not be the case. It’s either a go or no go hit and record companies are only looking to sign for one hit. That also makes it harder to ensure a success. Therefore, the independent labels have become the king over the majors.

With new compact gear and computer recording technology, it has become possible to almost record a whole song or album in a personal project studio, mix it down and publish it to the whole world in a number of different methods. This fast paced production in some ways, I feel, has allowed music quality to become mediocre rather than good. Combined with artists who are not good lyric writers, the number of songs which are considered timeless have depleted. We still turn to recordings which were done in the old fashioned method with dedication, time, and talent.

It may be a mixture consisting of the record companies and the artists that have allowed this to happen. Since the record companies are not as daring as they once were to accept new material, artists are not willing to expend the time to create material which will be overlooked. If cookie-cutter is what is being sought after by the labels, than nothing new will ever transpire unless independent labels take over.

You play in a Band or are a Music composer or dream of becoming one… Your next big step is going to be making a timeless album…

Despite how far or near this event looks to you these seven steps should be clear to you in your mind. Helps to have a clear picture of the future you are about to embark on…

STEP 1: Ideation

The initial spark can come anywhere. Typically one band member or the composer will come up with a starting point which is typically a guitar riff or a musical piece on the Keyboards or the Piano. It is best to have all band members participate in the ideation stage so that the band is truly greater than the sum of the parts. However typically in many bands there is one person who is the creative director of the entire show.

As an individual composer, your initial spark can come from many sources including the songs and musical genres that you are currently listening. This is not the same as being “inspired” or illegally ripping off someone’s musical work. However keep listening to new genres of music to have an open mind and greater exposure.

STEP 2: Background Arrangement

Once you have an initial starting point you will need to arrange other pieces of music around the initial riff. Say for example you have a killer guitar riff (Say a progression of chords) you may want to start the song with it or use it as the verse or chorus or main melody.

The other pieced of music will act to support the rest of the song. For example if you use your initial riff in the chorus you may want to use a lighter version (say an arpeggio version) of the progression or some complementary riff for the verse. Other derived musical pieces could become the bridge or the intro to the song.

Once you have figured out the pieces of music you will have to arrange the entire background of the song from the start to the finish as you want it.

Arranging is mostly done on computers using a very powerful computers say for example a machine with a 4/8 Core Intel/Mac processor. Various software like Logic can be used for arrangements. However if you are recording demo versions at home this can be done on much less powerful machines… even of your laptop!

STEP 3: Recording

Now as a composer or a band you need to bring in other instruments and/or vocals and record them separately.

For example you feel your composition could use a sitar solo in between or a Carnatic vocalist for backing vocals. (This is the stage to let your imagination soar!) The possibilities are limitless.

Once the lead parts of the song are recorded we can move on to the next part.

STEP 4: Music Production:

At this stage you may still want to nail a particular feel and add more instruments and effects. You may add or edit certain effects to the various musical parts you have recorded so far. The amount of processing you can do for each of the tracks you have recorded is again endless.

A word of caution: There is a point of time whereby you will not achieve much by spending sleepless nights tweaking some process into the tracks. Just be aware when to move on to the next stage! There are bands and composers who spend forever trapped in production! Just see where you draw the line between perfectionism and paranoia.

STEP 5: Mixing

This is where you give everything you have produced so far to a mix engineer and give him a basic idea of what you want to achieve in terms of the sound. The Mix Engineer will thereafter mix the song and give it the correct treatment. A mix engineer’s tool is of course the multiple Channel Mixer. In a typical professional setting it could be a 24 channel mixer with the ability to process any number of tracks.

STEP 6: Mastering

Once you are through with each of the above 5 Steps for each song that you want on your album you are ready to move into the penultimate step which is Mastering the Album.

The tracks which are produced so far are sent to a Mastering Facility where the final EQ adjustment including equalising the loudness of all the tracks takes place. The tools for this purpose used are Mastering Boxes.

STEP 7: Replication

The Mastered Tracks that are so produced are then finally sent to (hopefully!) your label company for final replication and distribution into hopefully millions of CDs.

Of course now that you album is ready for distribution you will have to make a huge effort to promote the album. That would require a lot many steps and in case you are an independent artist without the backing of a Music Label these initial steps are going to be a very difficult. Yet there is no need to lose hope if you are a band or composer who has found his sound the audience is out there. Make the effort and reach out to your audience. Use the internet to promote your music.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-7-steps-to-making-a-great-music-album-762567.html

About the Author:

Somit Bandyopadhyay is a Music Composer, Writer and hosts the Website 4guysformusic.com! The website offers a lot of resources for budding music lovers, musicians and composers including music tutorials, equipment reference, free classifieds, forums, music Genres and Artists.

Contact: 4guysformusic@gmail.com

Even though songwriting has its unique forms to follow, it all comes down to the writing of lyrics that the listener will sympathize with and understand. For example, any songwriter that writes about a breakup of a relationship will be able to have listeners understand because everyone has had those feelings. On the other hand, if we talk about a personal situation that someone else would not know, we need to paint a bigger picture containing more details about the story.

I’m not discounting that the musical portion is not important. Trust me, it is! Any good songwriter will use create a “hook” that will keep bringing listeners back to that song or album. In other words, we need to create that section that will continuously play in your head all day. A carefully crafted song should affect the mind like a drug affects the mind.

A great song will grab us, lure us into the story. It should take us from beginning to a climax where we are in great anticipation of what is going to happen and then resolve at the end. Without this recipe in a song or any piece of music, the listener will be lost or loose complete interest in the song. That is why songs from years ago still are played on the radio today. The listeners are hooked and want more. At the same time, the song become part of them. When the song is over, there is a desire for more. If this recipe were to be followed the way it used to be followed, the music of today would be as good as it was years ago.

Some of us have a talent to be able to create music to not only make ourselves feel better but also others. It is an art that some of us have that requires sharing. In sharing it, we become better people. We have always as a people come together with music to share in celebrations and mourning. Music truly is a part of human nature and will continue to be for generations. We should never forget that and creating it needs to continue and be encouraged.

We’re almost done with the first decade in the 21st century. Will we continue to hear muisal tones and ideas be borrowed from the past? Will there be anything new and exciting? I’m sure it’s out there, but finding it is more of a challenge that finding rehashed matterial.

What would make the album different? The biggest difference I could see is in the sound that they have. The JB have a sound that almost resembles The Rembrants and Rick Springfield. People really get into the home based sound and personal life involvements. That sound combined with many Christmas favorites would make for a great album.