Three minute reads for audio engineers and music makers

By Thomas Dulin

Hey Reader, happy Wednesday.

I LOVED reading your replies last week. You may be interested to know there are all kinds of folks on this email list. I heard from film composers, mix engineers, DJs, songwriters, touring audio engineers, and church volunteers from three continents.

However you found yourself here, thanks for reading. I sincerely mean that. And I hope something in each email is helpful or inspiring in a small way.

Here's this week's Take Three email.

TAKE ONE: QUICK LINKS

• ​Hornet "Spikes" transient processor plugin is free for a limited time if you use the code "SPIKESFREE" at checkout. I haven't used it, but I love free plugins.
• Tidal announces plans to clearly label all AI-generated music and will NOT pay royalties on those songs, effective today, via Variety​
• iZotope is acquired by AV software company Boris FX, via CDM​
• "Music influencers are getting paid to promote songs — and they're not telling you" fantastic reporting from NPR​

TAKE TWO: RECENT RELEASES

Handful Aniston Pate PREVIEW   ​

"Handful," Aniston Pate (mixer, BGV engineer)

Knuckleball Joel Guptill PREVIEW   ​

"Knuckleball," Joel Guptill (mixer)

TAKE THREE: WHO ARE YOU SERVING?

One of the MonoMate ads that I run on Instagram and Facebook from time to time has the text "Your client just sent 65 stereo audio files. MonoMate analyzes and fixes them in one click."

Here are some real screenshots from some of the comments I've received on that ad.

Believe it or not I could share about a dozen examples, many of them more spirited than these, but all with the same position:
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"I am the most important person in the universe and my client better make my job easy or I'll refuse to work for them."
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What makes this silly viewpoint even sillier: not only is it terrible business practice to think of your clients this way, but it's also objectively easier to just use MonoMate and fix them with one click than go back and forth on email, wait for your client to re-export everything to your specifications, re-download everything, and start over. I digress.

More importantly, it goes against the spirit of serving your client.

Don't be like these people. Serve your clients. If you don't, your competitors will.

Until next week, happy music making, Reader.

Thomas Dulin Producer / Engineer / Mixer