Composition vs. Production: The Difference between the “Song” and the “Mix”

In preparation for a new blog series, I wanted to quickly discuss an important distinction that might trip up a few bedroom producers.

Most of what I’ve written about so far has related to the production of a song: the engineering, recording, mixing, and mastering.

But there’s a whole other hat a bedroom producer might wear from time to time, particularly when producing his or her own music, and that’s the hat of a composer.

It’s important to understand that these are two very different tasks, composing and producing, that sometimes they are done in tandem, and sometimes they compete.

A bedroom producer might find, for instance, that a particular instrument, though it works for the song, does not work for the mix.

Let me give you an example:

Let’s say an artist has come to you with a pre-recorded song he wants you to mix. It contains all of the necessary components, from the drums and bass to the vocals, and everything in between.

Let's say the song has a bridge, and the artist, acting as composer, thought it would be a good idea to introduce a synth part behind the lead vocal. And maybe it is a good idea, if your focus is on the composition of the song.

But you’re the producer, and it’s your job to let the artist know when things don’t work for the mix.

It’s quite possible that the mix would be better off without that synth if, for instance, the synth interferes with the ever-important lead vocal.

Sometimes for the sake of a mix, the composition must change.

And vice versa. Let’s say, for example, the artist really doesn’t want to remove the synth.

As the producer, it is now your job to produce the song to accommodate the synth. Whether you decide to adjust the levels, utilize EQ carving, or wash things out with time-based effects, you’ll need to engineer a way for the vocal to sit on top of the interfering synth.

This is the reality of bedroom production. Composing and producing are two very different tasks, and they don’t always get along.

So with that said, the next several blog posts will relate more to the composer’s role in the bedroom studio. I’ll discuss all of the elements I find useful when composing music, how I like to use them in the song, and the approaches I take with each compositional element when it comes time to produce.

Enjoy!