If you write music, I'm guessing you use some sort of app to quickly record tunes or riffs when you're jamming out. Most people I know use the standard Voice Memo app that was already on your phone when you took it out of the box. Sound familiar?
I'm with you. I used Voice Memos to record new tunes forever and wanted to share 5 tips I picked up along the way. I use soundmate now because it's just as easy and was built for musicians specifically but if you're still on the Voice Memo train, here are a few things to keep in mind to make the most of its (limited) capabilities when you're rocking out.
Ready to record but unsure of the best way to do it? Checkout intro2sound, our basics guide to learn more about how sound turns into music.
1. Remember to record!
You know just as well as I do that it can be a real bummer when you get into a sweet groove or a fresh lick that you could imagine hearing on the radio, only to find out after that you didn't hit that record button. It's never really the same when you try to go back and re-create that moment, right?
2. (Try to) give a description right away
This might be the toughest of the 5 to actually put into action, but if you can get into the habit of labeling your recordings right away, it'll save you lots of time sifting through different tracks down the line. Remember...you're not naming your song here, you're just giving the recording a unique ID so you can differentiate between your tracks down the line.
One trick I heard from a friend a while back was to pick a totally random category (animals, fruits, cities, people you went to high school with, etc.) and give each (worthy) track a unique name.
As the song develops, you'll probably come up with a new name down the line but during the writing process, who cares if you call a song-in-progress bananas or Frank Johnson?
3. Back it up!
Because it's the right thing to do. You don't want to be that guy who lost everything when your phone is eaten by an alligator. We've all been there, and if you're looking for ways to keep your music safe check out soundmate, a backup, editing and publishing platform built for musicians.
4. Add it to your iTunes library
Once in a blue moon, you somehow pull a full song out of the air on the first shot, but most of the time you'll be working on it in a few different stages. The best tip I have for you is to export your best tunes in progress to iTunes and listen to them on your way to work while you slam down that first cup of joe. It's not as hard as it sounds and you might be surprised by what you can come up with after a solid night sleep. For a step-by-step for syncing to iTunes, click here.
5. Send it to someone and get some feedback
Uncle Larry or your buddy Frank Johnson from high school may not be producer-gurus, but they may be able to give you some good ideas and the confidence to keep going. The trick here is to remember that it's early in the writing process-take all the good feedback and ideas that you can get but block out unhelpful negativity.
It's your song, just because Uncle Larry favors Polka over Punk Rock doesn't mean that your song stinks.