HoboSage

Respectfully, if you only actually have words you only imagine being sung in a song, then, you don't yet really have a song for a singer to sing. So, unless you're looking for a singer who is willing and able to be your co-author and create and record an actual song by singing your words a capella, then in my opinion, you should first try and find a collaborator who is willing and able to be your co-author to come up with, arrange and record a musical arrangement to which a singer might sing your words.

I think it might at least in part have to do with the shifting away from radio to streaming as the music delivery platform of choice. The median age of a radio listener is like 46, but for Spotify, it's like 33 - but that age is increasing as older listeners get more comfortable with streaming and/or as younger streamers get older.

A couple of a la cart items as food for thought in this thread: 1. What did my 17 year old daughter want for X-Mas this year? A USB/Bluetooth turntable. Vinyl sales, though apparently now slowing, have increased every year for the past 17 years. And many kids, just like my daughter, not only want their music to have substance, they want the medium by which they listen to their favorite music to have physical substance too. Sure they want to stream via headphones or in their cars for convenience when they're on the move. But many are also enamored with the whole at-home viny experience, just like we used to be - hearing our favorite music played through a stereo "out in the room" while we pour over the big album covers and jackets with pictures and liner notes, etc. Might limited vinyl runs also be another way musical artists can get "closer" to their fans and offer them something "more"? 2. The main music streaming platforms are also the main audio podcast streaming platforms. Is doing something with audio podcasts - maybe releasing a brief podcast of you talking a "behind the song/music" kind of thing along with your release of the song/music itself - something worth doing to give potential fans something more and to promote the release more? I've never recorded or released an audio podcast, but it isn't hard to do.

https://heavyocity.com/product-category/foundations/?utm_source=mc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FoundationsEC&mc_cid=a808a96498&mc_eid=8bcf42f453

First of all, the examples you mention - panning, double tracking, effects, backing vocals, etc. - have nothing to do with recording vocals. They are about mixing and arranging vocals for a song. In my opinion, there is no one-size-fits-all with respect to mixing and arranging decisions for any given song, other than to follow the general guideline of "do what sounds best to you, while fixing what doesn't sound good to you" for that song. In my opinion, you seem to be doing this by trying to "mask" your voice with effects. One effect that hasn't been mentioned though, is pitch correction, which might go a long way to helping you "like" what you hear from your voice on playback. Cubase Pro has pitch correction, and there are many VST effects plugins available too. Also, if your don't like "your voice," you could try changing your voice. Just like we can all talk with different types of voices, we can sing with different ones too. Try to mimic a singer that has better control, even if doing so breaks all the rules of how to sing "properly." As a last resort, you could utilize other singers - be they human or artificial.

Why is the snare panned hard to one side (left) and not panned center?

Though I know I'll sound my best, I'm nonetheless hesitant to bring my recording gear into the shower with me.

Like John, I couldn't answer #9, because my answer to that question is that I just recently rejoined Songstuff. I suggest you also include an All/None option for #9 as well. I also wish that question #7 was rephrased to ask what level of interest I have in production and recording, and gave me the option of "very interested." As is, it's only asking what interest I have in what is posted here, with a max level being that I find posts "usually interesting."

Nice! Seeing one of your fingers on your picking hand resting atop the Strat's volume pot near the end of the video brought back memories for me independent of the classic song. When I had a Strat, that damn volume pot was always in my way and drove me nuts!

Welcome. Do you know UpstreamCosmos?

@Peggy My answer to each subpart of your question is "not at all."

Welcome, Leo. - David

LOL That's a good "Greg-ism." I'm going to have to steal it.

The Mountain. KILLER TUNE! I wish I had written it. David

Thanks, John. That all makes sense.

I apologize if I posted this question of the wrong forum board. Please feel free to move it elsewhere. So, for a nobody like me, is it really worth it to pitch releases to Spotify's playlist editors? I have so many songs to release, and you can only pitch one at a time to Spotify editors. And yes, I realize this question likely begs the more fundamental question, "For a nobody like me, are releases to Spotify even worth it?" Thanks, Dave

Well, I don't have any stats, but since we can define a song's "success" for ourselves, I'll define it being personally and/or artistically satisfying/gratifying for me. I have two songs that stand out for me under that definition. I'm not sure if it's the lyric, or my remembering the funny thing that happened when I was recording the vocals for it - or some combination of those two things - but no matter how old this song is for me, no matter how many times I have listened to it or what sour mood I may be in when I do listen to it, to this day, when I listen to it again, it always makes me smile, and that's very personally gratifying. https://www.hobosage.com/psychobitch WARNING: This one is fairly loud. This next song is especially artistically satisfying for me because it is the only song I have ever written in moment while the inspiration for the song was in progress - actually happening. I happened to have my acoustic guitar with me at the time, and this song came out pretty much complete in short order. Musically, for me it's also a pretty cool minimalistic, yet fully produced, arrangement. https://www.hobosage.com/go-on-single

Fear the Beard! Heya, Randy. Can we open for ZZ Top?

Thanks, Tom! Good to know you still roam here. Maybe we should start a club and call it "Songstuff Dinosaurs."

Thanks, Mahesh. Good to see you again. Congrats on your continuing musical career. It's well deserved, Bro.

You can bring up the lyrics by clicking on the music player icon that looks like three horizontal lines to the right of a musical note.

HI, Peggy. Thanks.

I'm earning badges? Crossing my mind: "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" vs. "Take this badge off of me. I can't use it anymore."

Eh. I'm older. By default, that makes me wiser, right? <heh-heh>

It be me . . . again. I like what you've done with the place, John. Kudos.