How To Legally Use Copyrighted Music On YouTube

October 18, 2023 by Aaron

Instructional Stuff, Lickd, Music Business, Published Work

aaron j. trumm, aaron trumm, content creator tips, copyrighted music, legally using music, music, music for videos, music for youtube, music tips, nquit music, using copyrighted music on youtube, youtube creator music, youtube music

This article on using copyrighted music on YouTube was written originally for the blog at Lickd.io. I repost it here with some updates, and encourage you to check out Lickd if you’re a video maker or musician! Also – notification: I sometimes use affiliate links. Some purchases may earn me a commission! 🙂

It’s 2AM. You’ve finally figured out the edit on your brand-new YouTube post, and boy is this one going to kill when you go public. There’s only one problem. You’ve been editing to your favorite song in the world and it works perfectly, but you don’t have the rights to it. Sure, you could just throw it on there and hope for the best, but you’re sure this video will hit a million views soon, and you’d rather be on the up-and-up.

Now you’re wondering how to legally use copyrighted music on YouTube. A little Googling and you’ve landed here. We’re glad to see you, and we’d love to help! So, let’s dive into that very question.

What does “copyrighted” mean, anyway?

Before we start, let’s make sure we understand what a copyrighted song is. Technically, it’s every song that was ever written, including the ones that never got recorded. That’s right, EVERY song is copyrighted, automatically.

What does that mean? It means that creative works are always protected under the law, whether the writers are famous rock stars or bedroom hobbyists, and regardless of whether they’ve registered it. That protection means that no one can use that creative work (a song, in this case) for any purpose without permission.

Sadly, that means you’re not supposed to use it in your YouTube video without asking and in most cases, once you ask you’ll have to pay. If that song happens to be by your roommate, then knock and their door and ask, buy them a taco or whatever else they ask for, and you’re golden. It really is that simple when boiled down.

How music licensing works – is it really that simple?

Yes and no. The concept of licensing is indeed very simple. If you can get permission from the owner of a piece of music, that’s all you need.

In practice, though, the music industry is chalk full of red tape and odd complications. Chances are the song you want is represented by a record label or publisher. Or to be more accurate, the recording is owned by a label, and the song itself is owned by a publisher.

Now you’ve got to figure out WHO to ask for permission, and if it’s a big company – say, Warner Brothers – the price may be exorbitant.

That’s not all, either. When it comes to licensing music, there are several types of payment. Earlier, when you talked your roommate into letting you use their song for a taco, you negotiated an up-front licensing fee.

That may not be all your roommate wants. Perhaps they also want a burrito every time your video is viewed. Or better yet, a percentage of all your ad revenue. That’s a backend fee, and may or may not be asked for.

Royalties

That’s not the end of the story. There’s also a little thing called a royalty, and that’s a quagmire of complexity too big to dive into here. Suffice it to say that if you’re broadcasting, performing, or otherwise putting a piece of music out there that’s not yours, you could be subject to another fee, charged and collected by a performing rights organization (PRO).

These organizations collect fees for various “performances” like radio broadcasts, television uses, live performances and sometimes YouTube use. These fee structures are partly dictated by law and partly set by the PROs.

If that’s not complicated enough, other companies collect royalties from digital usage such as satellite radio, Pandora, Spotify, and so on. And yes, THAT could include your video too.

By this point, you’re may be tempted to throw caution to the wind and just use the song. Maybe nobody will notice! Well…

ContentID

Enter YouTube ContentID. To put it simply, when recordings are registered with content ID, their digital fingerprint is put into a database. If you upload a song to YouTube that’s been registered in this database, YouTube will automatically flag your video for having “copyrighted content”.

In most cases you can still post the video, but you can’t make money with it. If you happen to have permission from the owner of the song, you’ll have to lodge a dispute with YouTube, which can be tricky and time consuming.

So, throwing caution to the wind isn’t an option, and being above board is getting to be a lot of work. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easier way?

Get the problem Lickd

It turns out, there is an easier way. There’s a kind of company called, you guessed it, a licensing company. You happen to be reading this on one now. These companies (OUR company!) negotiate with artists and labels ahead of time, remove the content ID obstacle, and even gather and present music in an easy-to-browse fashion. A licensing company like Lickd is a one-stop shop for your music needs. Our whole vision is to build a world where there are no barriers to creating the best online video content. We make it affordable and easy to get the music you need, and you do not have to send us a taco.

So by all means, do your best to understand how music licensing works, and why it’s important. After all, musicians are Creators too. But if you’re ready to streamline this crucial part of your process, go ahead and browse our catalog of over 7000 songs now!

Happy creating!

If you have questions or want to talk, just hit me up on Facebook @AaronJTrumm or Instagram

Love Doing Outdoor Events? A Portable P.A. Will Help

This article on portable P.A.s was written originally for the blog at Carvin Amps and Audio. It was focused on COVID limitations but it’s still super relevant for outdoor events, which are always cool! I repost it here with some updates, and encourage you to check out Carvin’s amazing line of products! Also – notification: I sometimes use affiliate links. Some purchases may earn me a commission! 🙂

The COVID-19 pandemic lasted a lot longer than anyone hoped, and one area hit hard was the live event industry. Whether you’re a gigging musician, public speaker, or a church, you no doubt had to adjust and change your way of doing things for a while – and for some of us, some changes were permanent.

So, outdoor events have become more important – likely that will be a semi-permanent change – and so what? Outdoor concerts are awesome!

But with outdoor events, you can’t often rely on house P.A. systems, so you may want to take a look at some portable options that can deliver great sound outside (and help keep your stage organized).

Luckily, that’s exactly what my friend at Carvin Audio specialize in, so I thought now would be a good time to introduce you to a few of their portable systems.

Carvin Audio’s TRX Series

Carvin’s top line systems are our TRX series. The TRC600A is an 8000 watt system which projects up to 400 feet. This is a fully equipped system, including two pair of TRX390 0 column array loud speakers and four TRx3118A 200 watt powered subwoofers.

With DSP processing, incredible power and clarity, and a super lightweight design, the TRC600A provides enough power and portability for any event, any time. Rock bands, DJ shows, big outdoor church services: you name it.

Who should consider the TRC600A and TRX series systems

Churches, music venues, bands – anyone who’s got a big audience and needs to move things outdoors would do well with the TRC600A. If you feel like you don’t need quite that much, you might look to the TRC400A or even the 2000 watt TRC200A.

These systems offer the same transparent audio, small footprint, power, and built in DSP, with fewer components, for those “pretty big” outdoor events that don’t call for as many speakers and subs, but still need a robust solution.

An even simpler solution

Even if you’re not putting on big events, you still may find yourself outside, looking for a portable sound solution. Carvin’s Audio’s QX15A is an active P.A. loudspeaker suitable for use as a main or a monitor. With 1000 watts of bi-amped power, these can deliver plenty of crystal-clear sound for a wide variety of events and outdoor spaces. Since they’re powered, you don’t have to have a separate amp, and since they come with a built in 3-channel mixer with Bluetooth connectivity you may not even need a separate mixer.

The QX15A’s work perfectly as stage monitors too, so you can expand and contract your set up as needed. Using the Bluetooth feature, you can link cabinets together for a true stereo, wireless solution, or even link up the SCx18a subwoofer for a complete, fully wireless sound system with real oomph.

For an even more affordable solution, the QX15A’s little brother, the SCX12A main/monitor, provides just as much wattage in a smaller footprint, giving you the flexibility to travel and perform on even the smallest outdoor stage. The SCX12A packs a punch in a small package, includes a 2-channel mixer, and utilizes a DSP limiter to protect the driver and horns from peaks during a performance.

These active loudspeakers even have fly points, so they can be included in a multitude of setups.

Stay Safe, Make Noise

We’ve all had to make adjustments, and some may be permanent – but even without that, who doesn’t love outdoor concerts?? So, if you’re looking for a way to keep rocking, keep inspiring, and keep making noise – outside – Carvin’s portable P.A. systems are a great solution! 🙂

If you have questions or want to talk, just hit me up on Facebook @AaronJTrumm or Instagram

Do I Need a Website?

September 20, 2023 by Aaron

Instructional Stuff, Music Business, Music Thoughts, Rants, Randomness

aaron trumm, are music websites dead, do i need a website, do musicians need a website, indie music, music websites, websites, websites for musicians

OR: Are music websites dead?

Trolling around on Facebook and other social media accounts as I do, I often come across questions or debates about the usefulness or need for a website. It’s not only musicians, in fact, that tend to debate this. Usually, the commentary around the subject strikes me as misguided. Things like “websites are dead!” or “you need a website or you’re nobody” are the basic extremes that are both – well, too extreme.

Just ten minutes ago, in fact, a fellow musician asked this question in a group, and I was in a terrible rush to answer with some thought before the deluge of incomplete and extremist responses sent this person reeling. Let’s look at what I said (I reserve the right to make this better as I go):

Do I Need a Website – or – Are Websites Dead?

A website can be an important tool, depending on your strategy. However, it’s also a tool that is super duper misunderstood, and in many cases completely unnecessary.

You’ve touched on the truth of it when you say no one has found your site so far. I like to use this analogy:

People often think of a website like a TV commercial. Put it out there and a captive audience will be sure to see your message. This is false. A website is more like a storefront. But it’s a storefront hidden in a back alley in a dark part of town with no sign.

Clearly, no one will ever find the site buried in the back alley, hidden along with literally 1.9 billion other websites – so it is not, as some people imagine, a promotional tool.

In fact, a website can be a powerful tool – either for sales or some other purpose. But the website itself must be promoted in order for it to be seen. It’s actually the opposite of a promotional tool. It’s the thing you need to promote.

For some businesses, the website is really only a digital brochure. That is indeed useful for some businesses. After all, it’s cheaper and cooler to give someone a simple URL and have them read all about your services or products, with the added bonus of being able to dynamically change information and have them call you. Even Web 1.0 style sites are useful this way.

For some businesses (ahem Amazon), a website is the entire business. We have a term for that now, um let’s see, what is it – oh yeah – “e-commerce”. 😉

For some businesses or individuals, a website may serve to communicate authority and professionalism – and indeed, if you purport to be a business and your card or email signature points me to a Facebook page, you look like an amateur. A website provides a more professional look – the most important part of this may actually be the dedicated domain and email address, though!

Do you trust bobsplumbing@yahoo.com more or less than sales@bobsplumbing.com ? (Please don’t lie to me just to be argumentative…)

Music Websites

For a musician, this depends on strategy. Someone who’s entire strategy is to push traffic to Spotify does not need to waste time or money on a website. There’s zero need – why? Because you’d have to drive traffic to the website via some channel – probably social media. Then you’d have to point them from there to Spotify. You’ll lose half your traffic that way. It’s dumb. It would be dumb to maintain a website if your entire goal was Spotify (that goal is also dumb – usually – but that’s another post).

Similarly, a website isn’t necessarily the first priority for a dedicated sync artist. It can house audio samples and information, but the more important tool for a dedicated sync artist in this time period is a Disco account. Why? Because in the sync world, the culture is to use Disco. That platform is more likely to successfully stream audio to the recipient, it allows a host of features that would be hard to build on your site, and so on. Is a website a bad idea for a sync artist? No! It communicates professionalism and you can certainly point people there to find out more about you! Is it necessary? No.

However, some artists (myself included) maintain a website for very different purposes. For a digital direct marketing business model, the website, tied to an email autoresponder service, is the key infrastructure tool for building sales funnels, which is the basis of the model. So, in that case, the website is mission-critical. But the most important part of that infrastructure isn’t the front page, about page, audio page, video page, etc. It’s the backend infrastructure, cart and funnel software, and landing page system – all of which would be invisible to anyone visiting “soandso.com”.

Also, in my case, I maintain a pretty extensive blog. Do I need to do this? No. But I happen to be a writer for my “day job”. I write about things musicians would be interested in, so the crossover makes sense. And content marketing is a known entity – a powerful tool for businesses. What is the point of my blog? To help you, of course, silly!

Oh and also, from a business point of view: to establish industry authority and build relationships, maintain a powerful portfolio, and leverage revenue generators like affiliate linking and ads. This is not a vanity blog, kids, it’s part of the business. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t do it.

(I love you guys and all, but kitty needs a new pair of kick toys.)

The point: the website is a tool. It should have a purpose. If it doesn’t, you don’t need it.

At the End of the Day

In summation, the question “Should I have a website” isn’t a question that can be answered generically. It’s like asking “Should I own a hammer?”. Well, maybe. Do you need to drive nails regularly?

So, if someone says to you “Websites are dead!” or “All you need is a Facebook account” OR “You have to have a website or you’re nobody!” they’re wrong – maybe. It all depends on what your goals are and how you plan on getting there.

I hope this diatribe has been helpful! 🙂 If you need help building a website, determining what kind of website you need, or consulting on your overall internet presence, I just happen to be opening my doors as a web developer and consultant once more – email me at aaron @ aarontrumm.com to find out more, talk about your project, or book a free initial consult!

3 Great DAWs for Podcast Editing

This article about great DAWs for podcast editing first appeared in FlyPaper by Soundfly. I reprint it here with permission and I encourage you to check out their courses. You can get a 15% discount code on a subscription using the promo code AJTRUMM15. Finally, you may come across affiliate links, and I may make a commission if you buy.

It seems that right now almost everyone has a podcast. And why not? It’s a great way to present almost any kind of talk and audio-based content – from discussions about music to political ranting to story telling to playing roll playing games on air (yep, that’s a thing).

If you’re reading this, you probably already know what a DAW is (digital audio workstation). The question is, which DAWs would be great for podcasting? After all, a full fledged ProTools system is a bit overkill for podcasting, and if the software’s too much, it could be inefficient to work with. Not to mention the cost of a full-on music production suite.

So, here are 3 great DAWs for podcast editing – specifically.

Audacity

Audacity is free and open source. You can use it on a Mac, Windows, or Linux machine, and it’s a rock- solid piece of software. Many professionals who have big fancy recording rigs with ProTools or Logic still have a copy of Audacity for quick, simple work. In fact, Audacity makes certain work – like separating mono tracks or converting audio formats – way easier than in a bigger DAW.

Audacity can also function as a more complex solution as well. It can do multiple tracks, apply effects, normalize tracks, and do most of the audio work that you would do in any other package – even record multiple tracks at once. It can be clunky for full-on music production (even though it technically does just about everything), but for vocal and podcast editing, it’s near perfect.

GarageBand

GarageBand makes the list because it’s free, easy to use, and comes with any Mac. Although not all who read this will be Mac users, plenty are. GarageBand can handle edits, processing, multiple tracks, and everything you’d need for a podcast.

As it turns out, GarageBand is the main production tool for plenty of musicians, complete with a sound library of its own. So, if you were so inclined you could slap together some music of your own for your podcast, right in the same session. And of course, given its non-existent cost, GarageBand would be a great choice for any Mac-based podcaster.

Hindenburg Journalist

At $95 for the individual version and $375 for the pro version, Hindenburg’s Journalist is the only non-free DAW on our list. It works on both Windows and Mac and is intended specifically for podcast type work.

As such, Journalist offers a ton of podcast-specific features such as merge (to merge edits and takes), voice profiler (to “set your ideal on-air sound”), chapters and images, and one-click publishing. If you’re ready to get just a little more serious and streamlined about your podcast, and you’re not worried about the price tag, Journalist is one the best options out there.

Its up to you!

At the end of the day, what you use to edit your podcast is up to you. If you’re already equipped for full music production and you’re comfortable with your ProTools or Logic rig, there’s no rule against using that for podcasts – even if it’s overkill. Some people opt to have few different software options for different jobs, and that’s alright too.

And of course, many audio interfaces and mixers come with free software such as Tracktion (Mackie and Behringer products), StudioOne 3 Prime (included with PreSonus gear and now actually free), or Cubase LE (Steinberg interfaces).

Whichever way you go, good luck – and happy podcasting!

I’m a producer, vocalist, and writer. I like acoustics more than I should. Let’s talk about it on Facebook or Instagram

Don’t Wait. Create! Creativity and recording

This article on creativity and recording first appeared in Recording Magazine. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to subscribe to that publication, as they are a stand up bunch of folk! PS: you may find affiliate links in this post and I may get a commission if you buy something. 🙂

Long ago, in wood-paneled control rooms and expensive cathedral studios far away, there was no way to make a record without gaining access to a top-notch facility. Home recording wasn’t a thing in the beginning days, save for a few absolutely awful sounding demo tapes circulating around. Fact was decent recording technology for every person just didn’t exist. Now it does.

But that doesn’t stop some of us from getting caught up in “I need this before I can start” syndrome. Some of our would-be recording brethren even wait years before they flip a switch, for fear that the gear just isn’t enough (or expensive enough).

Vocalists can be found shopping for the perfect microphone, even saving for months and selling off prize possessions to try and get a $20,000 U47. Drummers pine over interfaces and pre-amps. Guitarists have more pedals than finished songs. Bassists collect world class cabinets and don’t record any licks. Beat makers spend more money on plugins than their kids’ educations – never to release a track.

If this is you (and in truth, hasn’t it been all of us at least a little?), our message is simple: Don’t wait. Create!

It’s a trope at this point, but it bears repeating: now is the most exciting time ever to be a musician! You can get started with a funky old laptop and some free software. If you have even a little spending money, even the most inexpensive interfaces do an amazing job, and if you haven’t shopped for microphones lately, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. You can do quite well for under $100.

Back in the digital day…

When the infamous ADAT first appeared, a major debate came up. Analog vs. digital. Can you possibly get great sound with digital recording? No no, no way, the pundits and experts said. They had a point – there’s just something about analog tape, and digital recording at the time was in its infancy.

There were even articles about famous artists using ADATs and the question was “can you possibly make a hit this way??” and of course – people did. Not surprisingly, genres like hip-hop were at the forefront there. Those genres and artists who were barred by resources from stepping into a $200 an hour analog studio turned to this new, cheaper technology.

Remember “Regulate” by Warren G. and Nate Dogg? ADATs. Outkast’s “Players Ball”, “Pork Soda” by Primus – Allanis Morrisette’s “Jagged Little Pill”. Yep.

We don’t have to pretend these acts didn’t have some pretty serious resources but at the time, ADATs were considered by some to be way too cheapy to do anything good. In truth, it’s the art and the craft that made those records.

And tech has come a long way. No doubt you’ve heard that pretty much everything Billie Eilish has done with brother Finneas was recording in his bedroom in the family house. Like the ADAT pioneers above, those aren’t just hit songs, they’re beautiful works of art.

And yes, Billie Eilish records now are mixed and mastered by high falutin engineers – but they weren’t always, and the point is – it doesn’t take much outside of some fun recording and creativity to make great records.

The golden age?

So, are we living in the golden age of affordable recording tech? Maybe. Certainly, tech will advance, get smaller, get cheaper. But we may see new formats and expectations from the market that are only doable in expensive facilities.

That seems far off, though. In the meantime, it’s getting easier and easier to record with great quality, so this may be only the beginning of a long golden age.

Now does that mean every song you record will be gold? Sorry. You’ll still have to work your creative muscles. And now you have a lot more competition. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean you can’t just throw money at a recording project and expect it to kill. All the expensive gear in the world won’t make a record on its own (although it might inspire you).

Now’s the time

By now you see the point. We love toys, and you should get what inspires you and you can afford. After all, outfitting a studio is fun! But time comes to create, don’t sit around pining over gear you don’t have. Just create! Right now! Because you can!

I’m known as the MacGyver of Recording as of now. Talk about jury-rigs, cheap and expensive gear, and creativity with my on Instagram or Facebook.

Protecting Your Hearing in the Studio

This article on protecting your hearing was written originally for the blog at Carvin Amps and Audio. I repost it here, and encourage you to check out Carvin’s amazing line of products! Also – notification: I sometimes use affiliate links. Some purchases may earn me a commission! 🙂

We talked recently about protecting your hearing on stage, which is vitally important if you want to continue performing for any length of time. What’s not talked about as often is protecting your hearing as a studio musician, engineer, mixer, or producer.

It probably won’t come as a shock to find out that recording studios can be just as loud as stages, and the same risks are inherent in working in a studio.

Not only are live drums common, so are all the other rock-n-roll basics – loud guitar cabinets, booming bass amps, and screaming keyboards. In addition, monitor speakers are often cranked up, headphones are blasted, and sessions can go for hours and hours, which can build up a cumulative listening fatigue.

So, it’s just as important to take care of your hearing in the studio as out on the stage. Here are a few ways you can do just that.

In The Studio

Limit headphone volume (and time) – Common wisdom is that you shouldn’t do much mixing in headphones anyway (although there’s debate around that in modern recording), but you should also try to keep volume and exposure time reasonable during tracking, editing, and mastering sessions.
Mix at low levels – Another common bit of wisdom which is not debated is mixing should be done at comfortable volumes. Generally, try to mix at a low enough volume that you could have a conversation while playing back the track. This will help protect your hearing and have the added benefit of making your mixes stronger.
Get away from the sound – It may seem obvious but increasing the distance between you and a sound source – say a big loudspeaker or a drum kit – is a good idea whenever possible. While you’re at it, moving yourself off the main axis of a source (by moving to the side) will also help lessen the impact of loud sources.
Take breaks – Just as on stage, make sure sessions include break time, and try to find a quiet spot for some down time. Don’t listen to other tunes or really anything, if you can help it.
Get an SPL meter – A sound pressure level meter is a crucial tool for the studio, not only when you want to calibrate speakers, but also so you can make sure you’re staying within healthy level listening levels. Many engineers place an SPL meter on the desk so that clients can see when the levels are too high, which may discourage them from constantly asking for more volume.

Out Of the Studio

Especially if you’re a studio professional, you’ll want to protect your hearing when you’re not in the studio too. Here are a few good habits to keep.

Carry ear plugs – You could find yourself at a concert, in a noisy bar, or next to a jackhammer almost any time. Carry a set of ear plugs with you at all times and use them liberally.
Stay aware of your aural surroundings – Being alert and aware of noise levels in the environment around you is crucial if your ears are your living. Trains, traffic, yelling, ball games – you’ll want to understand the effect various environments could have on your ears.
Turn off the car radio – After a long day of work, most of us may want to jam on the way home. If you’ve been using your ears all day, though, consider turning the car radio off on the way home.
Quiet time at home – Make sure you have time (and space) at home to rest your ears. As an audio professional, you may spend more time without the TV or stereo on than other people. Doing so will help you in the long run.
Get checked – As a professional listener, you’ll want to get a regular hearing check up to keep tabs on your hearing health. Doing so may just help you head off permanent damage and will certainly keep you on track.

If you take your hearing health seriously, you should be able to make records for your whole life without issue.

If you have questions or want to talk, just hit me up on Facebook @AaronJTrumm or Instagram

My Almost Vegan Superfood Protein Smoothie Is Everything, And I Think I Know Why

August 15, 2023 by Aaron

Music Thoughts, Rants, Randomness

aaron j. trumm, aaron trumm, covid, healthfood, nquit copy, nquit music, pandemic, protein drink, smoothie, superfood, superfood smoothie, vegan smoothie

My Almost Vegan Superfood Protein Smoothie Is Everything, And I Think I Know Why

“Have you been eating raw garlic again?” She says I smell like garlic every day.

“I put a little in my shakes…” Confession: I put 2 or 3 entire raw cloves in my Almost Vegan Superfood Protein Smoothie every morning. And more in my Totally Vegan Breakfast Bowl Of Awesome. This ritual has been keeping me sane for months now. At a time when it’s seemed like everything is out of control, in my life, in the world, in the universe at large, finding a daily something that’s good for me and better for the environment, even if it’s just this one thing, is helping bring things back into balance.

I wasn’t always so fond of ritual – or eating right. Back in college, I might get out of bed any time from 6 AM to 2 PM. Sometimes I’d leave the house for the first time at 5 PM, just in time for wrong direction rush hour. The next day I might be seen in study hall at 8 in the morning. Consistency just wasn’t my bag.

And boy what a diet! When asked by a potential date what I’d eaten for breakfast, I responded (truthfully), “Two swiss roles, a jelly doughnut and a coke!” I was even proud of it! I thought this showed how invincible I was. She didn’t agree.

Going with the flow

It goes without saying that I couldn’t have kept that up long. But it also says something about the life I was privileged enough to lead that I could bounce around so randomly, eat so crazily, eschew all sense of personal responsibility, and pretend to be superman – all the while being relatively assured that the world around me would remain the same. At any point, I could grab hold of that solid ground around me – society, business, culture – and I’d be right as rain.

Perhaps we all did that just a bit. And why not? After all the world can be so structured. School, work, family, sports, church – so many obligations. So many things conspiring to keep you hemmed in. There’s something to be said for riding the wave, going with the flow, letting life do what it will.

Everything changes – including freedom

And then 2020 happened. Even if you’re reading this in 2030, you know what happened in 2020. Hemmed in took on a whole new meaning, as we took to our homes and stayed away from everyone and everything, waiting out a pandemic we had no idea would last all year – and beyond.

And in a cruel irony, while I felt trapped – more trapped than I could have anticipated – I simultaneously lost all sense of coherence. The world wasn’t just evolving – it had completely changed overnight. Nothing seemed in control. Nothing seemed predictable. We had a global virus – unequaled in scope and devastation for the past 100 years. We had fires – and not just in California – the Arctic, Siberia, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina – the whole world seemed to be on fire.

If that weren’t enough, we had political and social unrest. Here in the U.S., we fought tooth and nail over civil rights, racial justice, voting rights, healthcare, guns, and of course climate change. Meanwhile, South Asian countries have faced unprecedented financial pressure, including rising unemployment rates, slowing national growth, and recession – not to mention political unrest in various countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Needless to say, that solid ground we’d relied upon – the structure that gave us freedom – it was gone.

Garlic, ginger, blueberries

For me, uncertainty was laid upon uncertainty as I moved into 2020. After six years of pristine health following life-saving double lung transplant surgery, I had unexpected issues. I was admitted to the hospital twice at the end of 2019 and found myself in almost constant communication with my medical team in 2020. I was even admitted once more in June. Not only was the world going mad with the pandemic and everything else, I was suddenly unsure if I’d even be around to see the end of it.

With everything going on and almost no way to influence any of it – I had to take control of something.

So, I took control of my diet. Luckily, I’m a certified personal trainer and I knew a fair amount about nutrition already. I dove into extra research and found out about anti-inflammatory foods, plant-based diets, Asian diets, Mediterranean diets, the works. I reached new levels of understanding about calories, macros, proteins. I learned more than I could explain about the benefits of plant-based eating – even when it’s not a full-on vegan commitment – including environmental benefits.

Armed with all this new knowledge, I designed my very own morning shake. As mentioned above, I call it the Almost Vegan Superfood Protein Smoothie, and yes it includes blueberries, garlic, and ginger. It also includes vegan protein powder, peanut butter, plain non-fat yogurt, spinach (or kale), and if one must – milk (or soy milk). The yogurt and optional milk are what makes it “almost” vegan.

It has everything I decided I’d need to help protect my health so I could celebrate the end of 2020 with everyone else. Does it taste great? Yes, I think so. But I would feel bad if I didn’t mention that I can’t smell. So, there’s your fair warning.

Circumventing insanity

It’s not the shake itself, obviously. You’d have to be crazy to put raw garlic in a smoothie. It’s the ritual, the commitment to health, and the win-win of doing something that’s a little better for the world. The shake ritual has calmed me each morning, reminded me that I do have a say in how I feel, and that I can do something – even if it’s small – to help.

The shake led to the Totally Vegan Breakfast Bowl Of Awesome, which led to daily workouts again, which led to better sleep, which led to better coaching for my clients, which led to more income, which led to a few donations to environmental charities and food banks, which led to an overall better feeling about the world.

It led me back to meditation, to letting petty things go, to doing whatever I can to serve and see the greatness in people. I notice the good news again now and I finally feel as strong as I did in early 2019. I find myself impressed with all the creative ways people are coping, helping each other, and finding new ways to get things done.

It may sound nutty but for me the Almost Vegan Superfood Protein Smoothie was the key to staying sane while the world goes crazy. All of the insanity shall pass, but I think I’ll hang on to this.

I make music, and I write stuff. Want me to write stuff for you or your brand? Email me or check out copy.nquit.com.

Setting Up a Home Studio? You CAN Deal with Acoustics

This article about setting up a home studio and acoustic treatment first appeared in FlyPaper by Soundfly. I reprint it here with permission and I encourage you to check out their courses. You can get a 15% discount code on a subscription using the promo code AJTRUMM15. Finally, you may come across affiliate links, and I may make a commission if you buy.

If you’re putting together a home studio (who isn’t these days?), you’ve probably spent plenty of time researching DAWs, monitors, headphones, mics, synths, plugins, computers, guitars, cables, mic stands, mic clips, mouse pads, flooring, studio cats…anything but acoustics. After all, acoustic treatment is the exclusive domain of professional studios and concert venues, right?

Well, no. Because contrary to popular belief, you CAN deal with acoustics at home – and it doesn’t have to break the bank. And it turns out the number one way you can improve your sound is by doing a little strategic treatment.

The Goal – Soundproofing or Acoustic Treatment?

Before you start, consider the goal. Often acoustic treatment is referred to as “soundproofing” but soundproofing actually means isolation – aka isolating a room so your vicious drumming doesn’t drown out Bob the Builder in the living room – or vice versa. Isolating a room turns out to be trickier – and a very different endeavor – so for this piece we’ll leave that out, even though it may be desirable to isolate a space – a vocal booth for example.

The goal of acoustic treatment isn’t as to isolate a room as much as tame the coloration a room gives to sound – both while recording, or when playing back. Since most rooms aren’t built with acoustics in mind, an average bedroom imparts a lot of coloration. This happens because sound waves reflect off hard surfaces and interact with other reflected and direct sound, changing the nature of what you hear and what’s recorded.

Taming these interactions can help a room record more evenly and of course will improve your mixes.

Absorption vs. Diffusion

There are two ways to handle reflections in a room. Absorb them or diffuse them. Diffusion breaks up reflections and spreads them around in various directions, so interactions are less extreme. Big studios and concert venues often use diffusion of various types to make a space sound even but not too “dead”.

Diffusion is a little difficult to use effectively in a small space such as a bedroom studio because it requires a lot of space to really do anything. So, for most home studios, absorption is the only option.

Absorption – if you hadn’t figured it out – simply means to absorb sound waves at reflection points (eg: walls, ceilings, floors, etc.). In concept it’s pretty simple – soft things absorb sound waves.

This might cause you to go nail a blanket to every wall. This would make some difference at high frequencies, but it’s a bit more complicated than that – and as it turns out doing it “right” will yield a far less nauseating effect.

Frequencies: Low vs. High

It turns out low frequency sound (say below about 200-400hz or so) needs to be treated differently in most cases than high frequency sound. This is simply because the wavelength of lower frequency sound is larger – in some cases longer than the length of the room in question.

The key thing to remember here is that there are two factors to consider when it comes to a given piece of absorptive material – whether that’s a blanket, a piece of rockwool, or professionally made acoustic panel:

The absorption coefficient of the material (some materials absorb sound better than others)
The thickness of the material (a thicker piece of the same material will absorb to a lower frequency)

If you had the space to put up 2-foot-thick absorbing panels, spaced 2 feet from the walls – well then you would indeed be absorbing at all relevant frequencies. If you did this for every surface (ceiling and floor included), you’d approximate an anechoic chamber – a room with no reflections at all – and you might find it disturbing.

In real life, low frequencies that can’t realistically be absorbed with high frequency absorbers can be absorbed in other ways. This is important to consider, because it’s the lows that are the most problematic in most rooms. Low frequency interaction can cause a boomy room, thin spots where you can’t hear the bass, and can wreak havoc on the lows in your mixes.

When you hang those blankets on the wall, you’re only absorbing very high frequencies – enough to hear when you snap your fingers, but not enough to get your studio in order. Furthermore, if you were to place those two foot mattresses on the walls and ceiling, you might be doing too much, creating a space that’s just too dead, where no joy can exist – as if dementors had done your acoustics.

What to do about it

Don’t worry, it’s not rocket science (it’s acoustic science, but you can ignore that).

High Frequencies

Since high frequencies act basically like a ray of light, bouncing off reflective surfaces at the same angle they approach, it’s easy to deal with them. You’ll just place high frequency panels where they will help the most. Here are some tips:

Floor vs. ceiling – Carpeted rooms or rugs can make a huge difference right off the bat, but pro tip: leaving the floors uncovered and treating the ceiling can yield a more natural result.
Reflection free zone (RFZ) – Reflections from studio monitors play havoc with the accuracy of what you hear when you mix, so it’s helpful to set up a reflection free zone around the mix position (where you sit). This means directly to the right and left and above you.
Recording spaces – If you’re trying to create an even space, not just at one position, you don’t necessarily have to treat every square inch. Try evenly spacing acoustic panels around the room.

Low Frequencies

To absorb low frequencies without having to put up 2-foot panels everywhere, you can take advantage of their large wavelengths, which make them behave differently in a small space than high frequencies:

Corner traps – Corner traps come in a variety of configurations, but the general idea is they absorb bass that tends to build up in corners. Fill every corner you can with some sort of corner traps.
Panel traps – Panel traps (which you can buy too) are especially cool because they can absorb low frequencies without being very thick, owing to their operating on a very different principle of absorption called a resonating membrane. They’re also awesome for taming low end without absorbing high frequencies (because they’re hard faced). This is super desirable, because you can almost never absorb too much low end, but you can definitely make a room sound too dead at high frequencies.
Go beyond the obvious– To absorb enough lows, you may have to look beyond the vertical corners. Corner traps work at the junctions between wall and floor or ceiling too. Panel traps and other kinds of low frequency absorbers can be placed strategically around the room (remembering you really don’t have to make every surface a high frequency absorber).

Materials and DIY

We’ll keep this part short and sweet. You can build this stuff yourself or you can buy it. If you want to save money (and you can save a ton), you can build treatment in an almost endless number of ways and make it look almost any way you want. Just follow a couple guidelines:

The big 3 materials – You can read a tome on acoustic materials, but in our humble opinion you really only need to know about three. Owens-Corning 703 rigid fiberglass insulation, Rockwool, and acoustic foam (ala Auralex panels). There’s no reason to “build” an Auralex panel – if you’ve bought the material, you’ve bought the panel. So, if you’re building, the main absorptive material you’ll be using is either OC-703 or Rockwool. Pick one. Their absorption coefficients are almost identical.
Cover the panel – Rockwool and OC-703 are both ugly as sin. OC-703, while more widely used in acoustic materials, is also incredibly itchy and can even be bad for your lungs if little pieces of it get into the air. So, you need to cover the panels in some sort of soft, breathable material. This is your opportunity to get creative and create a piece of art! Just cover it fully (not just the front). You can even frame it if you want. When you’re working with it, wear long sleeves, pants, gloves and a mask – trust us on that.
Thickness – AS stated above, for normal absorptive panels thickness determines the range of frequencies absorbed. Very thin material absorbs only the highest frequencies. Thicker material absorbs more and more of the spectrum. If you want to skip the deep science, here’s a short cut: Two inches. Many kinds of premade panels come in 4-inch thicknesses, and this is great for reaching down into the mid-range, but it’s pretty unwieldy. One inch isn’t enough. And two inches happens to be a standard thickness for both Rockwool and OC-703 panels.
Space from the wall – You don’t have to do this, but if you can manage to space your panel away from the wall – perhaps via some ingenious mounting bracket – you can increase its effectiveness. The amount of space should be equal to the thickness of the panel if at all possible.

Dig Deeper

Admittedly, acoustic is science is a deep well, but we hope we’ve given you enough to see that it really is doable and desirable to treat your home studio properly. Your mixes will thank you for it. That said, if you’d like to go deeper, by all means, go for it!

Start with the “Master Handbook of Acoustics”, by F. Alton Everest. This book is a great look at treatment, isolation, and even purpose-built structures. For a little more focus on home studios specifically, check out “Home Recording Studio: Build it Like the Pros”, by Rod Gervais. Finally, to get the best possible foundation and a real understanding of the physics of sound, try Thomas Rossing’s “The Science of Sound”.

I’m a producer, vocalist, and writer. I like acoustics more than I should. Let’s talk about it on Facebook or Instagram

Recording Studio Feng Shui

This article on recording studio feng shui first appeared in Recording Magazine. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to subscribe to that publication, as they are a stand up bunch of folk! PS: you may find affiliate links in this post and I may get a commission if you buy something. 🙂

I’ve lived a lot of places and built a lot of home studios. Once, someone came in and said, “this place will drive you insane”. That was probably because every wall was covered in ugly yellow egg crate bed foam purchased from Target – a bad acoustic solution and an even worse environment to spend time in.

In a later space, we had an “old man clothes room” – a walk-in closet stuffed to the brim with an entire wardrobe inherited from the deceased father of an ex. We squeezed a condenser in there with enough room for a singer with a ukulele. It sounded great, but it was creepy. A drunken artist vomited in there once, and somewhere we have the recording.

In Oakland, my space was acoustically ideal – potentially. We framed a double wall and everything, and now I knew how to treat a room- mostly. For reasons of poverty and ignorance, we stuffed the double wall not with fiberglass – but the clothes from Houston’s old man clothes room. We spray painted Chinese creativity talismans inside the drywall – and never installed a door or window.

None of these crazy spaces was sustainable. Some of them sounded good. And some elicited tons of creative output.

Your space is yours

Your space should and will reflect who you are.

Yes, a studio needs some things to be technically sound: acoustic treatment, gear, ergonomics that suit your workflow. You don’t want to be hunting for cables for an hour every time you have an idea. You don’t want your back to hurt from a crap chair. You don’t want headaches from computer screens you can’t see.

You need the right gear. If you’re a mixer, you need accurate monitoring. If you’re a singer, you need the right mic(s) for your voice, and maybe a booth. If you’re a drummer, you need space for drums.

These are the basics. Ergonomics, workflow, proper treatment, accurate capture, and accurate reproduction. But you also need inspiration. You need to want to be there. You need a bit of studio feng shui.

This looks different for everyone. Trent Reznor once appeared in an interview with candles dripping on monitors in a darkened lair. One of my mentors operated from a ghetto one bedroom apartment and filled the recording room with little gifts from clients. Ocean Way Nashville is housed in a 100-year-old Gothic revival stone Church. I lined one control room wall with old CDs – for some reason.

A few tips

While every studio is as unique as its owner, there are some things I’ve noticed that you may want to think about:

Everybody wants a dark lair – until they realize how depressed they are. Consider some natural light. Acoustics gets trickier with windows, but light can be really refreshing.
Anticipate change. You may grow out of phases, so don’t lock in extreme stuff – like a whole wall of devil paintings or a ceiling full of pansies raining pollen.
Consider modular treatment. If you move a lot, you may want to build treatment that can move with you.
You’ll be there a lot. Certain things can be great at first but get really overwhelming after a while. Dark red walls are an example. Bright orange walls. The aforementioned wall o’ CDs. Groupies.
Make space. A lot of studios are cramped like a space capsule. It’s fun, but if you don’t have room to move, it’s inefficient and tiring. A least make yourself some desk space for writing lyrics and notes.
Keep it clean. It’s tempting to let a studio space reflect your insane (ingenious?) mental process. But if you die of dysentery because you left your pudding cup on an amp for 6 years, you’ll miss the Grammys.
Make space for others. This may not apply to DeadMau5, but likely you’ll want a collaborator or significant other to come over at some point. Plan accordingly.

Have fun with it

Studios are awesome, and half the fun of making your own is turning it into a super inspiring den of mind-blowingness. Rather than just throwing a laptop into a box and hoping for a hit, go ahead and put a little creativity into your space – it’ll feed you for a long time.

I work in one room with lots of light, moveable treatment, and a nice little daybed. It’s way better than the student ghetto lair with beer bottle caps and stained sheet music littering the floor. Discuss on Facebook @AaronJTrumm or Instagram @AaronJTrumm

Protecting Your Hearing On Stage

If you’re like most rock-n-rollers, you like it loud. And who doesn’t? But if you’re serious about making music for a long time, you’ll want to protect your ears from long term damage. Contrary to popular belief, your ears don’t “get used” to being exposed to super loud music over time. Instead, they get damaged, and eventually, that damage can become permanent, leaving you at a disadvantage on stage or in the studio.

To drive it home a little bit more, consider the following numbers. Hearing damage can start to occur with long exposure (over about two hours) at as little as 80-85db, which is about the level of a noisy restaurant, heavy traffic, or a leaf blower.

A rock concert typically gets to 95, 100, even 115 db from the audience’s perspective, and it could be quite a bit louder on stage. At this level, hearing damage can start within a few minutes.

So, here are a few ways you can protect yourself on stage.

Control stage volume – You don’t have to crank it to 11 on stage to give the audience a powerful show. Give some thought to controlling your volume on stage, which will help you sound better as well.
Try in-ear monitors – An in-ear monitoring system like Carvin Audio’s EM900, the Shure P3TRA215CL Wireless System, or almost any other good system can not only clear up your stage sound dramatically, it can save your hearing too, by allowing you to dial in the sound you need without having to blast the monitor wedge. In-ear monitors can also simultaneously act as earplugs to protect you from loud sources like the drums. Just remember not to crank them up too loud, or you’re defeating the purpose!
Use ear plugs – If you can’t use in-ear monitors, a well-tuned set of ear plugs can work wonders for you on stage. Try a set of plugs specifically designed for musicians, as these type of plugs attenuate sound more evenly across the frequency spectrum than standard foam plugs. This will allow you to keep a clear picture of your sound – only quieter. Even if you have to use a set of foam plugs or a rolled up wet tissue, get used to how you sound with them and use them.
Take breaks – The longer you expose yourself, the more damage you may do. If you can give yourself some breaks throughout the night and over time – say by scheduling recovery days in-between gigs, you’ll do yourself a big favor.
Protect yourself off the stage too – If you’re a musician, you’re probably a music fan too. Remember that a set of cranked up headphones can do as much damage as a big amp, and so can a concert or even a movie. If you’re serious about your hearing, you should carry a pair of earplugs with you at all times, and keep volumes reasonable at home.
Exercise – Believe it or not, hearing is one of the many things that may be helped by regular exercise. Specifically, cardio exercise is thought to help ear health in a number of ways. Just beware of one thing: you can’t exercise your way out of actual damage. Once you cause permanent hearing loss with too much exposure, you can’t get it back. So, protect yourself early and often.
Get checked – Especially if you’re a professional musician, you should keep tabs on your hearing with a regular hearing test. This will help you gauge how your hearing is doing, which will help keep you on track.
Early warning signs – Watch for early warning signs that could indicate the beginning of hearing damage, including tinnitus (that hollow ringing you get after every show), having a hard time discerning speech in busy places, favorite songs sounding a little off, or hypersensitivity to certain frequencies. These are signs you may be causing damage, and a good indicator to get your hearing checked and change up your stage habits.

And of course – keep your head away from the snare and out of your guitar cabinet!

If you’re smart and consistent about protecting your hearing, you should be able to keep your ears healthy for a long time and keep rocking long after some people have called it quits.

If you have questions or want to talk, just hit me up on Facebook @AaronJTrumm or Instagram

aaron-trumm

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