17.10.2023 Thomas Schweizer
The creative process, the development of a song from the idea to the mature, released song, is a multi-stage and exciting development, an expression of feelings, views, moods, and philosophies, inspired by the world, the reality in which we live, seem to live, since, after all, the perceived reality is a highly individual perception, acquired through a personal mental process.
The idea, usually a song fragment or a chip of a lyric, which forms the basis of a new song, manifests what preoccupies you, moves you, in a new form. Either the idea is then developed further alone or shared with a fellow musician, a companion in matters of artistic expression, whereby from this side usually begins a return flow of creativity and creative power, which inspires and drives the development process of a song. This is how the "raw song" is born, a first, supposedly finished song, which can be played and further developed in an ensemble, in a band.
This creates a mature version of a song that can be recorded in the studio. Today, many songs are recorded and produced in the home studio, thanks to the now inexpensive digital recording processes. This is cheaper and often faster than recording in a professional studio. Especially with electronic music genres, the home studio opens a wide range of possibilities. However, if analog instruments such as piano, acoustic guitar, violin or similar are used, better results can usually be achieved in the professional environment of a studio, as sound-optimized rooms and a selection of high-quality recording equipment are available.
One should also not underestimate the influence of an experienced sound engineer on the music. Often new ideas and facets emerge from the input of recording professionals, which complement and enrich the song with exciting new details and nuances. The additional costs for a professional studio can be well worth it.
After recording, the song is mixed and mastered. During mixing, the individual instruments and voices are adjusted to each other in terms of volume and stereo image. During mastering, the mixed song is refined and made a kind of radio ready.
This is followed by the release. Which today is often done purely digitally, so that the song is available, retrievable in the popular streaming and download portals.
It should not remain unmentioned that on a sidetrack other crucial elements must mature, which make the release of a song possible. Every song, every album needs an artwork, a cover picture, which illustrates the song, the album in a suitable way. A music video may be created as well. Before the release, the song must be protected, i.e., registered by a copyright organization such as SUISA.
As you can see, the creation of a song is an elaborate process that ultimately brings music lovers and artists together.
translated from the original German version
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