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Mella Music

Audio Recording Tips
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September 17, 2018

Important Investments That All Session Singers Should Make

A Complete List of Important Investments for Your Singing Career!

People are often shocked when they ask me how to become a professional session singer and I give them a long list of things to buy. Like any business, you need to spend money to make money. For some things, you save until you have the funds, but some things are better to splurge on up front.

I’m going to give you a list of things that I feel are worth the investment, along with what I use personally. There is always a cheaper version in case you’re not ready to make that leap, but I feel it’s important to show you the reality of the business.

Want to Be a Pro Session Singer? Here are 7 Things You'll Need!

Things Singers Should Invest In

Before we get started, I need to state up front that none of these are stocks. I know very little about investing in that sense. This is about physical, tangible investments you’ll need to make to become a pro session singer.

If you decide to make any of these investments today, please let me know!

I'm investing in my #music career today! Click To Tweet

1). Equipment

Here is a List of Items You Will Need to Become a Pro Session Singer!

This one is always first because if you have cheap equipment, you’ll sound like crap and no one will want to hire you. Here is a rough estimate of what you’ll need to get started:

  1. A Laptop or Desktop Computer – You’ll want a computer with a lot of space and speed to handle all your recording projects. I use a Mac but you can go with a PC if you need a cheaper option.
  2. A Condenser Microphone – You can get used ones online, but the quality is important so make sure you get at least a mid-grade one. This is the one I use, but I started with much cheaper options.
  3. A Microphone Cable – Don’t get cheap cables! Just don’t. They’ll cause endless issues and it’s not worth the hassle.
  4. A Pop Filter – If you’re going to cheap out anywhere, this would be the place to do it. You’ll need one regardless though.
  5. A Recording Interface – A condenser mic and interface are a must. People try to get away with using a USB mic and the quality difference is huge. Just get a condenser and interface! I use the Scarlett 2i2 which is pretty standard and easy to use.
  6. A Set of Headphones – I would get at least a mid-grade pair of headphones. If you’re going to be recording extensively, you want quality headphones that won’t hurt your ears or give you a headache. I’m currently using and loving these by Shure, but I have several pairs I switch between.
  7. A DAW – Garageband is free so you can start there, but eventually you’ll want to upgrade to a more professional DAW with bells and whistles. I started with Garageband and then upgraded to Logic Pro X.

This is the bare bones minimum, but you’ll also want to consider what type of room you’ll be recording in and invest in some type of soundproofing. I built a booth for myself so you can definitely make one on a budget, but everything on that list should be carefully considered. If you skimp on any of them, you run the risk of it malfunctioning, breaking down or wearing out, and you might be in the middle of a project.

Of course, if you do your session singing at someone else’s studio, you can skip this first one. However, I would suggest getting at least a few of those things in case you have a last-minute gig or a quick edit to make!

2). Your Business Appearance

7 Common Mistakes Session Singers Make

You are the face of your business, so you’ll need good photos of your face. Get professional headshots taken (see my post on how to get some good ones here). Not only am I a session singer, but I often hire session singers as well. It’s unnerving to see people with no photo or a bad selfie. You’ll need good photos to put on your social media, your website, and your business cards. Speaking of your website…

3). Your Website

When I first started my blog, I wasn’t sure how serious I was about it. I had something like mellassessionsingingblog.wordpress.com. How terrible is that? If I can’t show that I am capable of maintaining a professional website, it leads to a lack of confidence in my other abilities. You can make a website for free to start. When you’re ready to make it a serious business, you’ll want to upgrade to a paid site. You’ll also want to invest some time into making it look nice, or hiring someone to make it nice. Your website is the first impression clients will have of you. I have seen way too many sites that made me cringe because they had a blinking lime green background with hot pink, comic sans font. Don’t be that person. Put some thought into your brand and style and implement that into your website.

4). Your Education

Here are 6 non-musical college majors for music lovers!

You don’t need to get an MBA, but anything you learn for your business will help. Coursera and Udemy are great options for cheap skills you can apply to your business. A few classes I would suggest are music theory, marketing, entrepreneurship, sales and customer service. These are all things you’ll need if you want to go far in this business. If you’re planning on going to college anyway, here is my post on college majors that will help your music career.

5). Your Health

7 Important Investments to Make in Your Singing Career

Obviously, this is an important investment for everyone. For singers, it’s worth the extra money to get a good ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat) doctor, a general practitioner who will see you right away for strep throat, and of course, food. Splurging on a good throat tea and keeping your diet healthy are important for keeping your voice healthy. I absolutely love fast food so I’m not judging if you do also. I’m just saying it’s important to spend money where it counts.

6). Vocal Coaching

You can find free coaching videos on YouTube and those are a great start, but ultimately you’ll want a coach to work with YOU personally. A good vocal coach might be expensive, but a reliable set of vocal chords that don’t hurt or fade over time is priceless. If it’s hard to find a coach in your area, some coaches will do lessons online.

7). An Accountant

Non-music College Majors for Musicians

I waited so long to get an accountant and now I don’t know why I took so long. Yes, there is an up-front fee that scares a lot of people away, but the benefits are HUGE. They will look through everything you did that year and see if you qualify for deductions. They’ll file your taxes for you (which is worth the money alone for me), and they’ll help you out if you ever get audited.

Just because this is my post and I have the ability, I’m going to also shamelessly suggest that you get my book, Way Less Cowbell. It’s about how to communicate with clients and avoid costly edits. It’s not really an “investment” at 99 cents, but it might help you with your gigs! Check it out here.

I am also currently giving private consultations for session musicians. We can talk about whatever you like, whether it’s investments, singing, or any other aspect of running a session business. Feel free to contact me about it here!

I hope this list gives you a good overview of what you’ll need! If you need help deciding on where to spend vs save, please drop me a comment and let me know! If you can think of any other important investments, please let us know in the comments!

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Related posts:

A day in the life of a session singerA Day’s Work As a Session Singer How to hire or become a tenor session singerTenor Session Singers: Where to Find Them and How to Become One Why a pro session singer is better than a great performer for your recording project6 Reasons for Songwriters to Hire A Session Singer 5 Easy tips to record yourself singing!5 Tips for Recording Yourself Singing – Guest Post
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4 Comments
  • Cathy Barrett
    March 29, 2019

    Hello Mella,
    Thanks for Share!!!

    I have read this post. Here has important investment information:) This post clearly explains on investment to make money. It has song & singer relevant tips. Besides, the hare has 7 thinks of important investments. Wow, it sounds very strong & effective! So, I suggest you can read this blog and collect important investments thinks. Now, I´ll share this post on social media:)

    Thanks
    -Cathy

    Reply
  • A.R. SumoN
    January 26, 2020

    Your post has been fantastic. A very informative post. Thank you very much. It’s true a microphone is a piece of equipment needed to create a high-quality recording. With the advancement in technology, there is a wide range of mics available in the market which usually differ in feel, sounds, sizes, overall personality, shapes, and most notably in price. Fortunately, you do not need to pay a premium to get a quality mic, which will guarantee the subsequent recording is of acceptable quality. A post I am sharing with you. I believe you will like it. Looking forward to your comment.
    A.R. SumoN recently posted…The Best Indoor Bug Zappers In 2020- ReviewsMy Profile

    Reply
  • Steve
    September 27, 2021

    Agree with the overall pointers mentioned in the blogpost

    Reply
  • RIFAT
    November 23, 2022

    Got to know a lot from this!
    Everything was so relatable.
    Thank you for sharing
    RIFAT recently posted…CNG TrackMy Profile

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Hi! I’m Mella

Hi! I’m Mella

I am a professional session singer, songwriter, and voiceover artist. I work with other songwriters, producers and musicians to help them complete their creative ideas by providing my voice to their song or project. I am happy you're here! Feel free to look around and contact me if I can help you complete your work!

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