The main aim off my final project was to compose, produce, and release two original compositions while developing my skills in music production and composition, and developing a basic understanding of how to properly market and release songs so that they have a chance in the saturated market. Overall, i believe this project went successfully as i produced two original tracks, which through the process improved my understanding of recording, mixing, and composition. I also developed my understanding of artist branding, marketing, and social media use for artists.
One of my key objectives was to develop my technical skills using a DAW and gain confidence using plugins, virtual instruments, and production techniques. Throughout the project i explored different methods for recording, microphone placement, and mixing workflows. compared to the previous projects where i relied heavily on pre-recorded, third-party samples and sound design, this project involved creating more original material, and making more creative decisions regarding arrangement. this all helped me develop a deeper understanding of the professional production processes.
My research was crucial to the success of the final product, especially the research involving microphone types, polar patterns, recording techniques, professional producers, and software because they helped me make more informed decisions during recording sessions. For example, when i was researching into acoustic guitar microphone placement, it lead me to having a very clear and more natural sound, where i could also have freedom of how i wanted the guitar to sound by altering different mic levels. Researching into marketing strategies influenced how i’d promote the the final products.
In the project proposal i identified how important planning and organisation are to ensure success. Overall, my time management could have been better. The time plan that i wrote missed out a lot of steps during the planning and production phases, witch made it difficult to stay on track, especially given how important sticking to deadlines is in the music industry. SMART targets where a helpful part of time management because they ment i make my on-campus study time useful because i could take advantage of tutor support and college facilities, such as there music production equipment, acoustically treated rooms, and instruments. There were some occasions where creative decisions took longer than expected in the songwriting and mixing stages. However, the planning structure was sound enough for me to get back on track. This was still an improvement from some previous projects where communication and organisation occasionally caused issues with sticking to time management strategies.
A major strength of the project was the improvement of my songwriting and production skills. As someone with experience singing covers, I rarely had the opportunity to write loads off original music, so i wanted the project to contain a strong personal and musical identity, which i showed through the honesty and rawness of many off my lyrics. The finished tracks successfully reflect my influences such as Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray, which in my research i looked into what gives them there sound.
The promotional aspect of the project was successful. I created promotional photographs witch provided a professional looking visual identity for when i release and showed a lot of my character witch i want to mach with the songs. If repeated, i would consider a wider variety of promotional content such as short-form video content, behind the scenes footage, or additional social media campaigns which would further increase the audience reach.
Although the project was successful, there are multiple arias where i could improve. Given the chance to do redo this project, i would spend a lot longer refining the mix and mastering stages so i could achieve a better consistency across all different playback systems. I would also try to get more audience feedback throughout the production stages rather than just at the final stages, this would allow me to implement changes earlier. Additionally, i would have started the marketing strategy and release schedule to build more engagement before the release witch i could have documented in my digital space work.
Through researching release strategies and artist branding i learnt how music can function as both an art form and a business. I learnt that creating a strong song is only one part of success, and that many other things like marketing, audience engagement, and consistent branding are equally important in the modern music industry.
This project has provided a stronger foundation for my future study and employment opportunities within the music industry. Since i plan to go to university in the next academic year to study audio engineering and sound production, my work on production and recording will be valuable for any projects that i do there.
Overall, the project successfully achieved the aims i set out in the powerpoint and proposal. i produces two original compositions, developed my songwriting, production and marketing skills, expanded my technical knowledge and gained further experience in all sectors. The final product demonstrate my current abilities given the time frame and build up my portfolio.
“I confirm that the attached assessment is all my own work and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself. Any assistance, including the use of generative AI tools, has been appropriately acknowledged, and all sources have been properly referenced.”