---
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
---