Mixing vs Producing | What's the Difference?

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A lot of home studio musicians get confused when it comes to mixing and producing. What is the difference? In this video, I'm explaining the difference between mixing and producing.
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Sample Libraries I HIGHLY Recommend:
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Arcade: output.com/products/arcade
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EastWest (Hollywood Orchestra): imp.i114863.net/PemxY
Spitfire LABS (free): labs.spitfireaudio.com/

[@nothingnothings2264]

As a professional mix engineer that's worked with high profile music. I always ask to be present during the production stage. And if that's not possible. 9/10 times i will just ask for all the dry tracks and start fresh and use the producers rough mix as a reference. If the producer does make a completely unique effect using some kind of vintage gear for example I just asked them to print the effect and bounce it to its own track. There's a certain professional level where almost everyone has input during the production phase. I often work with the recording engineers and producer while recording things like a string section to give my input. I know this video is more focused on home studio production but in the upper level its pretty different when there's lots of potential money on the line.

[@guthhalf5484]

Mixers should have the final say about effects like reverb and saturation that gets baked in at the recording stage. It's fine for a reference but a good mix engineer should apply effects to suit the mix as they are used to place instruments in the sound stage, not just for cool sound effects as most musicians seem to think there for.

[@davidscanlan]

Me: "Ok, time to focus on producing this song." Me, 1 hour later: *got distracted on sound design for a synth, wound up writing another song and currently trying to mix a bare guitar track*

[@EvanSam]

😭😭😭

[@SimonFlames]

The man here spitting not what we want to hear but what we need to hear 🔥

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Appreciate it! Love the support - seriously

[@AmanSharma-qw4kq]

That's an amazing observation Simon

[@ronnierandy8151]

sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid forgot my password. I love any assistance you can give me

[@hugocristiano928]

@Ronnie Randy Instablaster ;)

[@javilaroid]

100%

[@mgmthegrand]

You've been dropping gems for some time now. Glad I finally discovered your channel.

[@sweetelena]

I'm relieved I found this. I produced and mixed myself a couple of projects and until now I was unsure I was doing the right thing... I would make a rough mix while producing but then when printing the stems I would undo most if not all the processing that to me belongs to mixing stage, as well as panning and leveling. I always thought this wasn't the best or most practical way to go about it, even though it has worked well for me. I'm glad seeing someone reaffirming a workflow similar to this. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@m.a.stough4994]

Thanks! You are very clear at describing the facets of music production. I will give it a try with your offer.

[@bassManDavis1953]

Well that's cleared a lot up for me, fantastic tutorial as always!

[@lupobarbini6096]

And I also would really appreciate a video about sound design ( not specifically about synths, but also for example on DI bass or guitar and experimental techniques ) 😊

[@georgemalcolmtv]

Dope stuff.. Thanks for this!! Needed it!

[@andrewjacksonmusic]

Great video and has really opened my eyes to the process. Thanks 🙏

[@salaam76]

Great video. I agree with you on pre-mixing, it definitely helps a lot.

[@javilaroid]

I needed this man, thank you💪🏽

[@DystopianTofuTV]

Wow exactly the “tutorial” i was hoping to find (to hear stuff i already vaguely know :) thank you! Very well said.

[@oddbjornekse4603]

Thanks man🤘🏻 has been look for this answer on KZbin for a while

[@ShannonModrell]

This is incredibly helpful, thank you!

[@AlanaMaria-qz2ky]

Very informative because this is a huge issue for me thanks!

[@mcdebugger]

Thank you very much! You've answered one of the main questions in my workflow :)

[@HeadSynth]

Well explained thanks! Useful video!

[@shuttleworth47]

A video I need to watch once a week as a reminder.

[@bigeddie1669]

Blessed video. Tons of value!!! Thank youuu!!!

[@ShivaMaharajMusic]

Best explanation of this I’ve ever heard. Game changing

[@BrandiLynnColonMusic]

It’s like magic! I asked a question yesterday and voila- video today! Haha that’s awesome. Thank you! This definitely helped.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

🔥🔥😎😎

[@saxmanash]

This is a really important video and has really helped me make better decisions. Thank you!

[@a7xfanben]

Thanks for the tips!

[@serdarkaracaga]

Perfectly explained seperation. thx

[@tomfromwinchell]

Thumbs up, man. This is the video I didnt know I needed.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Thanks Tom - good to hear!

[@daynemin]

Good insights! Thanks :)

[@RuneLightLovely]

Audio combiner in our opinion: Audio (primary) to audio (secondary) to audio (combined, with primary and secondary, like a remix, but not too long, just normal audio length, for example, initially, primary audio appears, later secondary audio appears, then primary audio appears, later secondary audio appears, and even later, both appear together)

[@jellewierda3828]

According to your previous video about mixing. The right sound selection has improved my 'mixes' dramatically. But there is a nother thing about watching mixing videos. It's addictive! Same for me as watching fitness tutorials. In the time I watched all this videos I could have published lots of tracks and become a hulk....

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

This is true! Haha. It can be easy to just binge on it rather than really working on what needs to be worked on!

[@nickjitsu]

Great video. Bang on the money. Aye, I'm definitely a producer. I started playing in studios where there was a producer, engineer, assistant engineer and tape op guy. A producer in those days knew the music side and had playing, arranging skills and vast music history knowledge. The engineer was a geek who could hear which valves were in the underpants of the guitarist in the live room!! Everyone had a different set of skills and worked as one. Now we are all in one. I am definitely more an old school style producer and an ideas man. I've had to learn engineering and mixing along the way, especially in the last 15 years. I don't enjoy it, but it's part of the job now. To be a good producer I think you need to be (or have been) a good performing musician, (if applicable) you MUST understand the mechanics and techniques of singing (you don't necessarily need to be a good singer, but be able to guide someone to a great performance), you must have good orchestration skills, a vast music history knowledge helps a lot, understand how one instrument/sound affects (or effects) the other, have good music theory knowledge (you can wing it without, but it's quicker and more reassuring to your client if you know your A from your E), be able to think quickly under deadline pressure, be objective and be a psychologist! I'll tell you what makes a good mixing engineer once I've worked out how to drive a bus compressor! All I remember about the best engineers was that they all wore black T-shirts! Like mastering, it's a dark art and too clever for me!

[@ilknurcengiz]

Hey Nathan, great videos. I've been watching you for couple months and you changed my perspective thanks for that! Also you might wanna mention that sometimes I got caught up to choose right sound for a kick,snare, or a synth etc. it takes so much time and eventually i can not create my product. How do you handle that situation? I know these kind of things take time, it is related to the experience, still hope you have some tips to share. Thanks again! Keep what you are doing.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Love it! As far as sounds - I use placeholders a lot. So I'll pick sounds that are "close' but not perfect and I'lll move on. Then I'll come back once I'm in more of a headspace to work on it. A lot of times, I end up liking it in the end and it works, other times, I need to do some digging. But yeah, experience helps a lot - knowing WHERE to find good sounds and learning what you have in your arsenal. I think it's a good idea to occasionally spend time just digging through sounds and not even really working on making a song but JUST learning what sounds you have and take note of sounds you like "ah, yeah, I could use that for XYZ" etc. Hope that helps

[@itskdn]

Great Video Brother!!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Appreciate it! Merry Christmas too!

[@mglskillz2843]

You’re great master shifu lol, I’ve learned a lot

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Haha! Thanks!

[@anugreh]

Commenting for the YT algorithm. Love your channel

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

You're awesome!!

[@DirkKrause]

Commenting to +1 this and report that the algorithm works. :)

[@Ruckustheengineer]

mIXING IS EVERYTHING!!

[@c.g.5143]

Awesome video...really love what I heard!! I already knew lots of things u said but this has been a great lesson/refresh about these two different music sessions! So, If I got a no mix track that sounds good as a whole (maybe I'm really satisfied with it..), and it has its glue with its sounds, how can I understand when it's time to send it to the mix engineer to get that specific sound I want, similar to some final references that inspire me?? I mean in terms of power, compactness and loudness..Thanx again!

[@hallelujahaudio542]

Thank you so much 🥰 sir

[@bryanketcham9922]

salute bro thanks for this

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

🙏🙌🏻😎🔥

[@lupobarbini6096]

Thanks for this video and your videos in general: I think that you are the only one on YT that talks mixing and producing as different processes. I feel like in my songs the missing thing is arrangement because I see other producer's logic projects and they have a minimum of 80 tracks, but I can only reach 30 or 40. Can u give me a tip about this problem? (sorry for my english writing skills, I'm from Italy 😂)

[@Pheicou]

I don't know if this helps, but I used to think my productions had very few tracks as well until I started just layering my sounds a bit more and splitting my song into sections, for example having multiple guitar tracks per section of the song instead of just one guitar track for the whole song.

[@bryndayy]

Just found you and you are 100% the voice I needed in this moment. One question - you didn't mention much about automation here. Level automation especially, but others as well. Where does that fit? It feels like it should be part of producing (especially when it's defining which elements should be the focus, movement towards transitions, etc.) but won't doing changes in levels and such cause problems with compressors and stuff in the mixing phase? Going to check out your session breakdown and maybe that will help me answer this question.

[@bunjumun]

i'd like to bump this question. but also think, might be a good idae to just make a duplicate of all of your tracks before you do any 'production' and that is where the mix engineer can start while using your 'mixed' tracks as reference tracks

[@thenextinsect]

@@bunjumun Automation can only be printed down. Unless you’re sharing an actual copy of the entire project file (i.e. Protools .ptx, Ableton .als, Fruity loops .flp, Cubase .cpr, etc.) you can’t send automation to a mixing engineer as stems. So, without getting into interwebz arguments about it, at the very least, automation would have to be added back at the mixing stage in any situation that involves sending stems and/or changing to another DAW But… there’s no reason a producer couldn’t do automation as part of their process first and/or a mixing engineer couldn’t decide to use it later

[@ericwala4367]

Thanks

[@jonathangarcia293]

Hey Nathan! Thank you so much for these videos. Your content is priceless! Do you happen to review other peoples productions or, in that matter, original music? I consider this would be a great idea for the channel too, where your subscribers submit their project and you review/critique it.

[@meljustdiit]

✍️ I'm already writing this down in my brain 🧠

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

😎😎😎😎

[@PLANETWATERMELON]

Thanks for great videos here. I am planning going into mixing. My music writing is a hobby, but I am planing on getting into mixing for other artists. Does the mixing engineer also do the mastering or is that someone else? Thanks!

[@hleet]

makes sense

[@chrissears1593]

Nat. What's your advise on number of stems to send out for mastering?

[@kalelisuperman]

I’m digging the shirt bro

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Haha legit new shirt. Decided I wear the same stuff too much

[@migullityo2448]

for anyone that uses Logic Pro i suggest you ‘start a new alternative’ it’s like having a new session but it’s all on the same project file, saves you from exporting everything into a folder and into a new session

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

This is definitely a good option. I've done this before. For some reason I really like having two separate sessions but it really basically works the same. Main thing is to have a clean slate

[@p3picturesshortfilms907]

How do you defined mixing and mastering in one word...

[@gbigbo_zjebeezjeboo]

Excellent explanation trying to position production and mixing. I was struggling with that. I only hope I understood it correctly ;-) I assume the explanation also holds true when producing and recording a 100% virtually in the DAW, using only midi, virtual instruments and effect vst plugins and/or audio samples ? Correct ? Am I right to say that already during production, whether totally virtual or not, plugins can be added to get the sound you have in mind for the song you are producing. That is, it's not the intention that during production, recording, whether fully virtual or not, only dry/raw sounds (for eg bass, guitars, synths, vocals, ...) are used isn't it ? Therefore also the overlap between production and mixing. The same plugins could be used in those stages but for a different purpose/goal. Correct ?

[@kdvr60]

Hey Nathan! I play piano and guitar as a hobby and at church. I want to start producing music and I havent the slightest idea on how to do it. EQ, compression, reverb etc are thing I don't know much about. I have decided to invest my time in learning these things but i just don't know where to start. Is what im looking for music production, or mastering, or mixing given that my field of expertise is playing raw instruements? What is among these 3 things that I should learn? Or is there something else I should know? Thanks!

[@lintojoevarghese104]

Is sidechaining done in production

[@upt_smokey5966]

The only way to overcome obstacles is to mix more than anything else

[@daddydanny5588]

gr8 vid .. but what about mastering?

[@progrocker84]

I feel most inspired to produce when the monitored sound is amazing (i.e. mixed), but getting a killer monitored sound can kill the vibe and get in the way of production. Any thoughts on this?

[@sethdrosche8333]

Coming from an amateur mind you, but I do the same. I usually use good sounding presets in synth/drum/guitar during the creative process and overall song construction. Each of the sounds are roughly 80-90% of the tone/style of instrument that I am desiring for a final mix, but I don't fret over the specific tones until the song construction is complete. Then I will shift mindset to more mixing and stop figuring out song construction and tailor each instrument to the role that they must satisfy. Hope that helps ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@EvanSam]

I didn't know the difference till now😭

[@NonnyStrikes]

There are tiers S-D. (S=Well known, experienced with prod/mixing) (D=Amature, very basic knowledge of mixing/prod) If you're anywhere from D-B tier, I'd suggest listening to all tiers. You'll learn a ton from everyone. Even at S and A tier I'd say, but most of the time you can translate what most are relaying. This world is a wonderful mix of talent, knowledge, perspective, INSANE work ethic, and MUSIC. The ones that succeed, are the ones that have fun with even the dullest of moments! Failure means you're growing, allow failure, allow horrible experiences. It's GONNA HAPPEN. Just have confidence that if you keep learning from those failures/experiences, you will progress! Learn all aspects of how music is put together, LIVE AND STUDIO. That will take you to a whole new level of artist, believe me, when you hear yourself sing and what it takes to make it sparkle in a song, you're already ahead of 70-80% or MORE of other artists.

[@mrjenybean]

More than ten years making music including university and no-one ever told me this

[@ashtonboitz]

So during the production phase should I be leveling the sounds if some are too loud or keep everything at 0 until I bounce everything to mix?

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Yeah balancing levels is definitely something you'd be doing during producing - it's just during mixing it's all gonna reset. I am almost always doing some "rough mix work" while I'm producing but I'm not in a "mixing headspace" mentally and that's not my goal

[@itsrelativ3967]

A lot of so called producers don't even know how to properly track out the individual audio stems for the mix engineer.

[@RyanFloom]

Do you use busses/aux tracks during the production phase or mainly just for mixing?

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Both - I usually use busses while producing to keep CPU low and I definitely like getting things sounding pretty good right away - there's definitely overlap and lines can get blurred depending on your workflow.

[@mahaphoublue7644]

Wait what about what about wet track, am I the only who use these track? Or there someone else too

[@atta1798]

There is production while mixing big time.....so for electronic music no production as in tracks alone.....the definition of production is bigger than just the recording/sound ....etc

[@derinsony]

Goood.

[@KatieCardin]

Thank you! I’ve noticed that so many people get them mixed (no pun intended) up. I’ll explain that I’m a mix engineer and they’ll say “send me some beats!”. Then I’ll try to explain to them in a minute what you just explained in 12 😄

[@OfficialMrRite]

This whole time I thought a producer was someone that actually makes the song 😅

[@sgfdancecompany]

Totally different mind sets, so important to know, and if you do both in a song, really break the process in two. Sometimes when you produce you can go further and maybe have more elements than maybe you can use it at the mixing process. Also, when you are producing you need to make a decision and don't drop this to the mixing engineer, perfect example 6 different sounds of the same guitar take, etc.

[@faneeshmunjal3308]

👍

[@vladv5126]

TLDR: Producing is aesthetic processing, mixing is functional processing.

[@exe4156]

Thanks glad

[@alitajvidi5610]

💯💯💯💯💯🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝

[@NikosKatsikanis]

Sifu nath

[@djXodos]

In Russia we’d say “The gold words, man”, that means you a telling the very important truth.

[@jeremietessier7775]

First

[@jellewierda3828]

2nd

[@Jg-be7it]

If you're asking yourself what is the difference between mixing and producing, then you've never done either one. I need to get this channel out of my recommended. What are your credentials, again?

[@stclairmusicuk]

If you already know all this stuff then why you even here? if it's not for then don't watch....

[@Jg-be7it]

@@stclairmusicuk he markets the channel as if it is a professional audio and production source, so it ended up in my recommended. After watching a few vids, it became obvious this is a strictly beginner channel. Which is fine, except its trying to pretend this is pro level stuff. Its not. He markets himself as a "professional producer," yet I can't find a single credit for him. What has he produced as a professional? I would have no problem if it was made clear to everyone that this is basic, basic beginner stuff.

[@stclairmusicuk]

@@Jg-be7it my comment still stands; if you get nothing from it then stop watching/commenting on the content and the algorithm will stop putting it in your recommendations 🤷‍♀️