What is mixing?
Mixing is the process where a A person who blends separate recorded parts of sound recording together to create a cohesive and balanced sound. mixes all the separate recorded tracks and blends them together to create a cohesive and balanced Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law.. Recorded tracks can include drums, guitars, strings, synths, and any other vocal or instrumental contributions by In the context of music, a creator playing a musical work live or on a sound recording..
To read more about recording roles, you can explore our Recording topic.
During the mixing process, final decisions are made concerning which contributions make it into the sound recording. The Sometimes called a studio producer or record producer, a person who typically helps a recording artist record a musical work. They are usually responsible for the entire recording process. will often work closely with the mixing engineer to select which recorded tracks to use. For example, if there were multiple Anyone who contributes to creating or performing a musical work, a live performance, or a sound recording. and multiple recording sessions involved in the making of a single sound recording, it’s possible that one creator played guitar in the first recording session and another played guitar in the second session. If the music producer selects the second creator’s guitar performances for the final mix, the mixing engineer must ensure the correct guitar tracks are used.
The mixing engineer will adjust various recorded tracks levels, The process of placing a sound to the left or right side of the stereo field. the audio, and adding effects like Short for equalization, it is an audio processing technique used in music production to adjust the frequency balance of a sound or a mix. and An audio processing technique used in recording and production to control the dynamic range, which is the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of a sound or a mix. levels, Short for reverberation, an audio effect used to add depth and dimension to sound recordings., and An audio effect that plays back duplicate of sound to create echoes or depth to create a balanced mix. When completed, this mix is sometimes referred to as the final mix.
The music producer will instruct the mixing engineer on which contributions to use and to provide all contributor names of all those involved. The music producer is also responsible for that information being included in the Label copy is a document or collection of information relating to a sound recording, for example, title, performer names etc Data that describes other data, for example, information that describes creators, other rights holders, musical works, and sound recordings. when delivering the sound recording to the A company that invests in, manufactures, distributes, promotes, and monetizes sound recordings on behalf of the artist. and Submitting information relating to musical works and sound recordings to an appropriate registration body, for example, copyright ownership information submitted to a Collective Management Organization or copyright office. it with the relevant Collective Management Organization: An organization that acts collectively on behalf of the rights holders it represents and collects and pays remuneration to rights holders.. The mixing engineer is usually responsible for making sure the right contributions make it onto the final mix.
We have more information about metadata, registering, and responsibilities in our Getting Credited and Paid topic.
How does mixing affect rights?
Mixing engineers usually receive compensation for their work from the recording studio, record label, or other sound recording owner and, therefore, don’t have any The controls creators or rights holders have over what they have created or produced and over their identity and image. in the sound recording. In some cases, mixing engineers may manage to negotiate a share, also known as A term used to describe a royalty share, usually taken from the artist's share of royalties. Typically, one point is equal to 1 percent of the revenue (royalties)., of the rights and Money paid for the right to use a musical work, performance or sound recording, typically but not always in the form of recurring payments.
Since mixing implies selecting the contributions to the final sound recording, this can determine which performers are entitled to credits and rights in the sound recording and, in some cases, also affect the Each rights holder's share of the rights in and income from a musical work. on the An original musical composition with or without lyrics..
To learn more about contributor roles, rights, and royalty splits, visit our Songwriting and Recording topics.
Image credit: Tiffany Orvet