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How was music made 100 years ago vs. how is it made now?
Metadata
- title
- How was music made 100 years ago vs. how is it made now?
- description
- In this episode I talk through all of the different jobs that go into making music—and how most of those jobs have been combined.
- status
- complete
- date
- 2022-06-20
- kind
- solo
- guestSlugs
- —
- listenUrl
- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/How-was-music-made-100-years-ago-vs--how-is-it-made-now-e1k6b20
- appleUrl
- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-was-music-made-100-years-ago-vs-how-is-it-made-now/id1567355195?i=1000567134407&uo=4
- spotifyUrl
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/5amImtzpYQE5yCRLvR7xXa
- topicsDiscussed
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Music production
- The music business
- History of music creation
- Modern music technology
- Creative limitations
- Music industry economics
- hostNote
- A hundred years ago, making a record meant a composer, a lyricist, an arranger, a recording engineer who understood rooms and microphones like a scientist, a mixer, and a mastering engineer, all separate people, all specialized. Now it's often one person wearing every hat. Less money in music means more roles per artist. I walk through each of those jobs: what they actually do, where they came from, and how they've collapsed into a single creative workflow. Mixing is turning a bunch of ingredients into a cake. Mastering is weird and I don't do it myself, but the gist is it makes everything louder and more done. The punchline is that less specialization means less stuff getting between you and the goal, which is moving people.
- selectedMoments
- label
- Discussion on job roles in music
- startSec
- 2
- note
- I reflect on simplifying the complex vocabulary around music production and the roles involved.
- label
- Concept of multiple roles
- startSec
- 50
- note
- Explores how financial constraints in the music industry lead to artists performing multiple roles.
- label
- The traditional songwriting process
- startSec
- 135
- note
- Examines the collaboration between composers and lyricists, highlighting historical examples.
- label
- Role of recording engineers
- startSec
- 225
- note
- Describes the scientific approach to recording that engineers took before modern technology offered more options.
- label
- Emphasis on mixing importance
- startSec
- 630
- note
- Discusses the crucial process of mixing, where multiple elements of a song are combined to create a final product.
- label
- Mastering in music production
- startSec
- 945
- note
- Defines mastering and its significance in bringing a polished finish to music.
- label
- Reflecting on music evolution
- startSec
- 1081
- note
- Analyzes the shift towards less specialization, encouraging a more intense personal imprint in music.
- label
- Personal reflections on technology in music
- startSec
- 1174
- note
- I argue that modern technology empowers creators rather than limits them.
- excerptQuotes
- text
- There's less money in music now, and so a lot of the times people are wearing multiple hats, people are taking multiple roles.
- startSec
- 87
- reviewed
- true
- text
- One of my all-time favorite songwriting consortiums going back to the Motown era is Holland Dozier Holland.
- startSec
- 90
- reviewed
- true
- text
- The recording engineers originally were basically like scientists, where they would understand a room, understand microphones.
- startSec
- 228
- reviewed
- true
- text
- Mixing is the process of turning a bunch of different ingredients into a cake; we're going to mix it up and then we're going to bake it.
- startSec
- 628
- reviewed
- true
- text
- Mastering is very weird because I don't do it; the gist is it makes everything louder, then it makes everything more done.
- startSec
- 943
- reviewed
- true
- text
- There's just less stuff getting between you and the goal, which is moving people.
- startSec
- 1218
- reviewed
- true
- faq
- question
- What were the roles of musicians 100 years ago?
- answer
- Musicians 100 years ago had specialized roles including composers, lyricists, arrangers, and recording engineers.
- question
- How has technology changed music production?
- answer
- Technology has streamlined music production, allowing more people to fulfill multiple roles and create music in accessible ways.
- question
- What is the significance of mixing in music production?
- answer
- Mixing combines various elements to enhance the overall sound, making it a crucial step in producing music.
- transcriptPublished
- false
- draft
- false
Content
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