Finding Your Niche and Mixing Hits
Alan Litten is a Mixing Engineer who has had six #1 hits, and many Top 10's. He has worked with artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael McDonald, and many others. Alan has built his career by focusing on building a highly regarded reputation in niche markets within the music industry. Here's a sneak peek inside this episode: [3:20] Noticing how the recording market was transitioning from professional studios to home studios, and mixing out of his bonus room [6:55] The 3 niche markets he's worked in, and how he navigated from one into the next. [13:00] The importance of looking outside the box at the outlets beyond 'pop music' to build a life-long career in music. [16:15] Stepping outside of a red ocean, into a blue ocean where you can grow. [19:20] "The people who are willing to pay for quality will find you.” [19:45] Alan's hybrid home studio mixing setup. [25:30] The plug-ins that Alan gravitates to when creating a mix. [30:20] How Alan begins the process of mixing a song. [35:40] The misuse of compression that's so common among independent musicians who mix their own songs. [43:00] The an early lesson in my career regarding how one of my favorite albums I ever worked on got ruined by over-compression. [46:20] How to build a great relationship with a highly skilled mastering engineer before you even finish mixing your album or song. [50:50] Looking at your songs as income producing assets. [54:20] How to approach your recording and mixing process with a team mentality, and getting feedback through the entire process to get a perspective of what's working, and what's not.