Ask Me Anything!

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
It's really no different from landing any other music/production based gig. The only thing that changes is the product. You still need a demo/portfolio to present (best if you have one) and you have to have a sound that is of interest.

It comes down to connecting with individuals in the sound designing industry. I would personally go into sound designing for gaming companies, you'll learn a lot there.

It also depends on what type of sound design gigs you're going after. There is synthesis, game audio, field recording etc.

Here's an interview I did with Jeff on sound design <--
 

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
The best thing to do is be yourself. If you're not a good composer, graphic artists or mixing engineer... then don't pretend to be.

Bring value to the person you are trying to connect with. People are always wanting something → Placements, advice, a listening ear with nothing to give in return.

Has to be a 2 way street.
 

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
ha ha, sorry I have quite a few sound designer friends that make Reason Refills, Live packs ETC and they for the most part say that Live packs make sell the best. I was wondering if that was the same for you.

Ah I see what you mean. To be honest I haven't worked commercially on either of those platforms. I do a lot of instrument and genre specific based projects, haven't been contract to do much platform based

ps get my email setup my friend
 

2infamouz

Mad Beats, No Angry Vegetables
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 10
How do you feel about the hardware vs software arguement? Do you think there's still a legit reason to throw out mad cash for hardware or is the advancing technology putting software on the same level. ie: synths, processing, all of it....nothing specific.
 

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
How do you feel about the hardware vs software arguement? Do you think there's still a legit reason to throw out mad cash for hardware or is the advancing technology putting software on the same level. ie: synths, processing, all of it....nothing specific.

It is what it is “just an argument”. I wouldn't say there is a need to spend a lot of money on hardware, but there are definitely some units that have a specific sound that are still worth investing (mostly preamps and processing units)

In terms of arrangement, instruments.... etc I don't think there is a need to invest in any type of hardware (racks, instruments, synths etc... not needed)

If you're a person after a specific sound... sure totally worth investing
 
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 170
What profit do major artist get by releasing free mixtapes?

In comparison, which site is superior music networking-wise, Soundcloud or ReverbNation, or another. If you could only choose 1 site, which would it be?

Do you think the RIAA will change their standards for platinum and gold sales? It seems to me nowadays, 500,000 is the new platinum and 250,000 is the new gold. Or is it just irrelevant in todays' music market?

What is a realistic range of what underground hip hop artists can make yearly in the current music climate? Think acts like Aesop Rock, Sean Price, Brother Ali. Best guess?

What is a typical day for you? Do you wake up at certain time, create at a certain time, divide your work into left brain, right brain activities consciously, have a daily routine... stuff like that

When mixing or mastering, do you have any go to references? If they are genre specific, please list them.
 

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
What profit do major artist get by releasing free mixtapes?

In comparison, which site is superior music networking-wise, Soundcloud or ReverbNation, or another. If you could only choose 1 site, which would it be?

Do you think the RIAA will change their standards for platinum and gold sales? It seems to me nowadays, 500,000 is the new platinum and 250,000 is the new gold. Or is it just irrelevant in todays' music market?

What is a realistic range of what underground hip hop artists can make yearly in the current music climate? Think acts like Aesop Rock, Sean Price, Brother Ali. Best guess?

What is a typical day for you? Do you wake up at certain time, create at a certain time, divide your work into left brain, right brain activities consciously, have a daily routine... stuff like that

When mixing or mastering, do you have any go to references? If they are genre specific, please list them.


Profiting from Free releases

You know that's really hard to discern as it would depend on how smart that artist and his marketing/management and consulting team is.

There are a lot of ways to get paid from FREE downloads. For a long time artists where working on revenue sharing deals with torrent sites (traffic/ads). Some rely ad clicks, licensing etc.. There a lot of ways to profit from offering free material, but for some reason people only see it as a lost of income... Because there wasn't a transaction that occurred 1st.


Soundcloud or Reverbnation

I don't know, I've never taken the time to compare.


My Thoughts On RIAA

I'm not sure what the RIAA will do or plans on doing. I've never been one to pay attention to status/ranks. I'm sure there is some relevancy, but that depends on where you're operating in the industry.

How Much Can Artist Make?

Gigging artist can make 0 - whatever, but there are a lot of factors... Following, number of gigs per year... Licensing, Album Sales (if any), revenue sharing, affiliate based things... It's hard to say it depends on what they lined up for the year..


A lot of live performing Djs/producers are pulling in more than 20k a show and do at least 10 shows a year. Look at people like Kflay, she has 5-6 this month alone. They're not HUGE mainstream (radio), but they have a good followings.


My Day 2 Day

I wake up whenever I wake up, shower etc. Make something to eat as I'm checking my emails for projects or updates on contracts/projects.

Next I go to my membership folder, it's a folder where all my members emails dump into. I make sure I touch base with them and get questions, mentorship meetings and all that's taken care of

I'm always creating, if im going to the store or watching Tv.. Ideas are always floating around. If I'm at home I'll lay it down if not I'll record or note it for later reference.

I make it a mission to create something everyday, doesn't matter if its new synths, sound fx, tracks whatever. If i'm working on a project I work on the project 1st before anything else. Most of the time I've been paid up front a % so I put my clients 1st then everything else later (person projects etc)

I try to book/plan and arrange everything at the beginning of each month: tutorials, tracks, photo shoots, business meetings etc.

Sometimes everything works as planned other times it doesn't. Some days I don't create anything because I'm handling business all day, it really just depends on whats going on. I've been accustomed to being flexible because things happen, projects flop, contract/budget hangups etc.

This sounds like a lot, but it's not most of this stuff is all done at the same time

I try to knock out multiple birds with one stone. If i'm working on a sound project I'm prepping those sounds for other uses at the same time. If i'm following up projects or negotiating things, I make it a tutorial as well for my site. Everything I do has to have multiple uses otherwise it's a waste of time (in my mind)

Using Reference Tracks
I always use reference tracks, I'll use whatever sounds good to my ears at the time. Perfect example, I was hired to rewrite a temp track for a low budget film and the temp track they used for the theme was from the movie Gladiator.

I'm not to proficient with that type of music... so I had to use the theme as a reference. Now if I came across another client that needs that type of music or just film like writing in that style... I wont have to really mix again I just delete the old sequences and make new ones.

The sounds and levels are already where they need to be. Frequencies aren't clashing.. Granted I may have to adjust a couple levels to taste but its pretty much mixed as I'm creating it

I can do this until I find better track to reference or get a wild hair up my ass to attempt a better mix.

Here's another view my current process → Music Licensing Case Study Update 3
 

Relic

Voice of Illmuzik Radio
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 83
3 men went to a hotel to rent a room, the cost of the room was $30. Each man paid $10 to the bellboy and proceeded to there room. After a little while the bellboy realized that there was a special on rooms that night and the price for the mens room should have been $25. On his way to the mens room to give them back $5 he was puzzled how he was going to split $5 as he had no change. He decided he would give them each $1 and keep the remaining $2 for himself. So each man originally paid $10, but after the bellboy gave each man $1 back, each man paid $9. 9 x 3 = $27 plus the $2 the bellboy put in his pocket equals $29. The original price for the room was $30. Where did the last dollar go?
 

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
3 men went to a hotel to rent a room, the cost of the room was $30. Each man paid $10 to the bellboy and proceeded to there room. After a little while the bellboy realized that there was a special on rooms that night and the price for the mens room should have been $25. On his way to the mens room to give them back $5 he was puzzled how he was going to split $5 as he had no change. He decided he would give them each $1 and keep the remaining $2 for himself. So each man originally paid $10, but after the bellboy gave each man $1 back, each man paid $9. 9 x 3 = $27 plus the $2 the bellboy put in his pocket equals $29. The original price for the room was $30. Where did the last dollar go?


Nice, but false premise, wording is a bit misleading the total 30 is still there.

$30 - $25 = $5

$5 – 3 to the men = 2 leftover to the bellhop

2 + 3 +25 = $30
 
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 170
Who are some producers that inspire you and why?

Who are some mix engineers that you admire?

Is Music Dealers credible?

What is your overall opinion of the VRM box?

How long did it take for you to get to the point where music was your primary job.

What is your go to compressor, eq and saturation plug ins?

On your site, your Platinum Plus package claims paid production gigs. Splain.
 
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