How do I prepare for my first studio session?

How finished should my song be before I book?

Finished. The studio is the most expensive room you'll work in, so write and arrange at home. Before you book, you should know:

• The structure: intro, verses, choruses, bridge, and how long each one is.
• Every lyric, written down, with no “I'll figure it out in the booth” lines.
• The tempo (BPM) and the key.
• Who plays or sings each part.

A voice memo of the whole song, start to finish, is enough of a demo. If you can't play or sing it through once at home, it isn't ready for the studio.

How do I practice so the session goes fast?

Rehearse the way you'll record. That means a click (a metronome) at the final tempo, in your headphones, for full takes from top to bottom.

• Singers: sing from memory, not from your phone. Warm up before you arrive, and sleep well the night before; your voice is the instrument.
• Players: practice with the beat or the band's demo, not alone. Change strings or drumheads a few days before, not the morning of, so they settle.
• Bands: rehearse together with a click at least once. Playing in time together is the skill the studio exposes most.

The goal is simple: every minute you pay for goes to takes, not to learning the song.

What should I send the studio before the session?

Send it two or three days ahead, so the engineer can set up before you arrive:

1. Two or three reference songs whose sound you like, and what you like about each.
2. Your lyrics.
3. Your demo or voice memo.
4. If you're recording over a beat: the instrumental as a WAV file (not an MP3), plus its tempo and key. Ask the producer for the separate tracks (stems) if you'll want it mixed later.
5. Who's coming, and what each person will record.

Ask two questions too: does the hourly rate include an engineer, and how long will setup take? On Sky EKO you can ask both in the note on your booking request; your card is charged only if the studio accepts.

How many hours should I book?

Book more time than you think you need. Setup and a sound check usually take the first part of a session, and everyone gets tired faster than they expect.

• Vocals for one song over a finished beat: plan on two or three hours.
• A band recording one song live: plan on a half day.
• Your first time in a studio: add an hour to whichever applies.

It's better to finish early than to rush the last take because the clock is running.

What should I bring on the day?

• Your instrument, tuned, with spares: strings, picks, sticks, reeds, a tuner and cables.
• Your own headphones, if you're used to them.
• A hard drive or USB drive to take your files home.
• Your lyrics, printed or on a tablet with the screen set to stay on.
• Room-temperature water. Skip dairy and very cold drinks before you sing.

Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. Most studios bill from the time you booked, not from when you walk in.

What should I get before I leave?

Before you pack up, make sure you leave with:

• A rough mix of what you recorded, so you can listen at home.
• Your files: the multitrack session or the separate tracks, or a clear date when you'll get them, and how.
• Who did what, in writing. If anyone helped write the song in the room, write down each person's share before you leave, while everyone agrees. It's much harder to sort out once the song is out.

Then book the next step: more takes, or a mixing engineer to turn your recording into a finished song.