Top 5 Books For Music Producers

Whether you are a complete beginner; a home studio enthusiast or a professional music producer. You probably know that learning and mastering music production is a lifelong process. It takes a lot of knowledge and experience to master the art of music production. The more you learn, the more you grow.

Reading books and implementing that knowledge into your work can help you grow as a music producer. Learning from the experience of people who have years of expertise in the same field will save you a lot of time and money.

In this article, I have shortlisted a set of 5 Books For Music Producers that will help you learn and understand different aspects of music production.

Do read these books if you are willing to learn music production aspects like recording techniques, miking techniques, mixing, mastering and music business.

Top 5 Must-Read Books For Music Producers

Here is a list of Top 5 Books For Studio Music Producers:

  1. Modern Recording Techniques — by David Miles Huber
  2. Recording Engineer’s Handbook — by Bobby Owsinski
  3. Mixing Secrets For Small Studio — by Mike Senior
  4. Audio Mastering Secrets: The Pros Don't Want You To Know! — by John Rogers
  5. Music 4.1: A Survival Guide for Making Music in the Internet Age — by Bobby Owsinski,

Modern Recording Techniques — by David Miles Huber

Modern Recording Techniques — by David Miles Huber, is a bible to sound and music recording. David is a Grammy-nominated composer, producer and author. 

Why Do I Recommend This Book?

In this book, David educates basic and advanced topics in detail to help you learn the ins and outs of audio engineering and production. There are steps and techniques mentioned in the book that you can try in your studio with the downloadable files samples.

This book covers all aspects from recording and studio acoustics to arrangement to mixing mastering and even topics like music law and business.

Modern Recording Technique can act as a reference book full of technical and practical details on all aspects of sound.

This book is also used as a textbook in many institutes for sound engineering.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for artists who want to know what goes behind the recording of sound. Even if you are in a home studio environment, you will get to learn how the workflows in professional studios.

Whether you are an amateur or a professional music producer who wants to step up the game. There is something all of us can learn from this book.

Make sure you get the latest edition of this book.

 

Recording Engineer’s Handbook — by Bobby Owsinski

Recording Engineer’s Handbook — by Bobby Owsinski, is a brilliant book on tracking techniques for different sound sources. This is a handbook with a comprehensive overview of the recording process. Bobby Owsinski is an American audio engineer, producer, musician, author, and coach.

Why Do I Recommend This Book?

In this book, Bobby Owsinski teaches why tracking is the most important aspect when it comes to producing songs. Every aspect of tracking is covered in this book.  You will learn about miking techniques, session workflow, how to track different instruments, dedicated lessons for drum recording, how to track vocals and a lot more.

This book has a list of suggested microphone positions for a wide variety of instruments. This book can help you figure out how to conduct a recording session, whether you want to record in your home studio or a professional studio.

The book also include interviews by some brilliant engineers.

This is a must-have guidebook to learn about the fundamentals and advanced concepts of the recording process. There’s a lot to learn from the long section of interviews with some famous recording engineers.

Who Is This Book For?

Everyone! If you learn to track properly, the whole production process becomes a lot easier and better. This book teaches you all the nuts and bolts of audio tracking. Every lesson is a step-by-step approach that you can easily follow along and implement.

I still find myself going back to this book over and over again.

 

Mixing Secrets For Small Studio — by Mike Senior

Mixing Secrets For Small Studio — by Mike Senior, is a bible to mixing skills for small studio enthusiasts. Mike Senior specializes in adapting the techniques of top producers for those working on tight budgets.

Why Do I Recommend This Book?

This book has lots of tips and tricks for mixing in a small space environment. This is a complete beginner’s guide to start mixing your song without spending a lot of money. 

In this book, Mike Senior shares small space techniques and secrets to produce much more professional music without relying on expensive equipment. He shares the importance of the initial groundwork needed before starting a mix. He mentions the problems to look for and how to fix them. 

The author refers to many free plugins and stems available on the internet to practice mixing. 

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for producers who want to make professional music on a budget. This is a must-read reference book for small space mixing engineers or just anyone interested in the fundamentals of mixing.

Read this book to learn the secrets of mixing. 

Audio Mastering Secrets: The Pros Don't Want You To Know! — by John Rogers

Audio Mastering Secrets: The Pros Don't Want You To Know! — by John Rogers, is a brilliant, in-depth book based on a step-by-step approach to mastering audio. John Rogers is an audio engineer and a best-selling author of several audio mastering books.

Why Do I Recommend This Book? 

What sets this book apart from the rest is it lays out a clear overview of what mastering is in a step-by-step approach. 

In this book, the author has simplified the overall complex process of audio mastering down to basic concepts and combinations of techniques you need to properly master music. He has covered in-depth instructions and examples on how to professionally master your audio. 

This book is designed to help independent producers to master and make their songs stand out up to the other commercially mastered songs. 

Various secrets and professional techniques like multi-band compression, M/S mastering technique etc are shared.

Who Is This Book For?

Mastering enthusiasts or anyone who wants to become a professional mastering engineer, this book is for you.

Learn the correct way to master audio from this book and professionally master your own audio.

 

Music 4.1: A Survival Guide for Making Music in the Internet Age — by Bobby Owsinski,

Music 4.1: A Survival Guide for Making Music in the Internet Age — by Bobby Owsinski, is another brilliant book that helps you understand the evolution of music. Bobby Owsinski is an excellent audio engineer, however in this book he lays out up-to-date information about the music business of this era.

Why Do I Recommend This Book?

Music is more than art, it is also a business. End of the day, most of us wish to sell what we create.

This book is good for individual music producers to understand the marketing strategies, working of music labels, publishing, distributing, monetizing the music videos and overall music business of the 21st century to earn a living as a music producer.

In this book, the author imparts his considerable knowledge of the new streaming services and all the ways to monetize recorded music in the post-CD era.  

Who Is This Book For?

If you are a music producer who is willing to learn about the music business, earn with music as a product, make a living with your music and is willing to learn how the music business works. This book is for you. 

 

 

Read the books, implement your learning, and above all enjoy the process.

Suggested Reads

Suggested Read: Top 5 Books On Studio Miking Techniques

Suggested Read: Top 5 Books On Mixing Music

Suggested Read: Top 5 Books For Audio Mastering

Suggested Read: Top 5 Books On Sound Design

Suggested Read: Top 5 Books To Learn Beat Making

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Udeeksh Sood on

Udeeksh is an Audio Engineer. He loves to produce music, research music gear, play guitar, go on treks and road trips.