Three minute reads for artists and producers
who want to make better records

By Thomas Dulin

Hey Reader, I hope you're well. I write to you from a rainy cafe in Des Moines, Iowa. I'm currently on tour mixing an amazing live show every night, so I have a bit less time to write than usual. I hope you'll excuse the shorter format the next few weeks.

A very large number of you readers are new this week! Thanks so much for reading - I hope this is helpful and enjoyable in some small way. Please feel free to reply and let me know what you think.

Here's this week's Take Three email.

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TAKE ONE: QUICK LINKS

• ​Waves has released their "AI Mastering Engine," and I struggle to remain neutral about it. I have not tried it yet, have you?
• Katy Perry sold her catalog for just shy of a quarter billion dollars. Read the story on Variety.​
• Essay: "Streaming Is Changing The Sound Of Music" (paywalled on WSJ but worth a read)​
• I offer detailed, professional feedback on your mixes for 29 bucks.

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TAKE TWO: RECENT RELEASES

I didn't work on any of these, but have been listening to them a ton this past week.

"Rustin' In The Rain" EP by Tyler Childers

"Talking To Jesus" by Megan Brown

"The Dark" LP by The Band CAMINO

Rustin' In The Rain • Tyler... Rustin' In The Rain • Tyler... PREVIEW   ​

Talking To Jesus Megan Brown PREVIEW   ​

The Dark • The Band CAMINO Told You So • The Band CAMIN... PREVIEW   ​

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TAKE THREE: The best financial advice I ever received

As freelance music creators, our income often comes from lots of different sources and in pretty unpredictable ways.

This week's "take three" is short and sweet but it's been absolutely life-changing advice for me, and has saved me thousands of dollars and years of my life in stress.

Here it is:

Set up an extra savings account in your bank.
Every month, transfer 25% of your music-related income into that account.
Every quarter, send all the money in that account to the government.

I cannot overstate how much stress this has saved me.

Most people have employers who withhold their taxes for them. As freelancers, we're stuck with the job of sending quarterly estimated tax payments.

And if you try to just save the money in your checking account, it's too easy to spend.

I remember the first few years of making money as a music producer, I would get hit with these huge tax bills every April.

Now I usually get a refund because 25% of the revenue I make goes straight to the IRS.

Many of you are not in the US, and so 25% might not be the right amount, but I highly recommending following the principle.

Do you do this already? Any other "tricks" like this that have been working for you? Hit reply and let me know!

Until next week, happy music making, Reader.

Thomas Dulin Producer / Engineer / Mixer