So you’ve landed a gig to record live music, and you want to make sure that you deliver a successful, high-quality final product. But whether it’s your first or fiftieth time recording a live music performance, every single experience is unique – and can come with its own set of challenges.

With a few fundamentals and a solid recording set-up, you can be ready to create a live recording that checks all the boxes. We’re giving you our best tips for recording live music, including some of the important decisions you’ll need to make, so you can get the job done right.

How to Record Live Music: Key Considerations

Before we talk about the technical aspects of live music recording, let’s cover a few basics. 

No matter what kind of live music performance you’ll be recording, keep these essentials in mind regardless of where you are in your career.

Communication and Flexibility Are a Must

Unless you’re the head engineer and it’s your venue – which it might be – it’s best to come in with an open mind. You won’t necessarily get to dictate where you set up your recording rig because, simply put, it’s not your show. That being said, effectively communicating with the band, production manager, and other crew members will help you get the best recording possible. 

If you have complex set-up needs, be proactive in communicating regarding set-up time and space. Ideally, the performers will be happy to spend a little bit of extra time during soundcheck to let you perfect recording levels. However, you might not have as much time or space as you’d hope for, so being flexible (and ready to improvise) will come in handy.

Know the End Goal

Before you even start recording, you should know exactly what results you’re aiming to achieve. 

For example, is the goal to produce fully-polished audio recordings for a live album? If so, then you should plan enough time for a complex, multitrack rig. On the other hand, if you’re recording audio for video, you might not need such a high level of production and post-production. A quick turnaround is usually the top priority for live performance recordings for social media, so a good stereo mix will generally be the goal.

Plan, Prepare, and Have a Backup Plan

When it comes to getting ready for a recording gig, there’s really no such thing as too much preparation. Make a checklist of everything you’ll need, then check and double-check that you have it all. Don’t forget to pack extra batteries, cables, and the like, because the last thing you want is to run into an issue on-site. 

It’s better to have too much and end up not needing it rather than needing something and discovering you don’t have it.

Be Ready to Make Key Decisions

There are two big decisions you’ll need to make for live sound recording, each of which significantly affects the final product:

Stereo recording vs. multitrack recording

With stereo recording, you can quickly obtain usable results. However, you’ll need to be adequately equipped to do so. In terms of quality, multitrack recording is a step up. Depending on the final product that is needed, putting in the extra effort to create a multitrack recording might be necessary.

Oftentimes, you can opt to set up a simultaneous stereo and multitrack recording – so know that that may be an option as well. 

Hardware Recording vs. DAW Recording

Hardware recorders come in a multitude of models, each one offering up a variety of features. Known for their impressive stability and typically compact design, hardware recorders do have one important limitation – their storage space is capped by their internal hard disk or card media. With DAW (software) recording, you gain flexibility and convenience. This method can be slightly less reliable, but working with a dedicated recording computer can help. 

Go from Gigs to a Full-Time Career

It’s exciting to score a recording gig for live music – but wouldn’t it be even better to turn it into your everyday job? With an education in audio production from the right media school, you can enjoy the creative, fulfilling career you’ve always hoped for.

At the Beonair Network of Media Schools, with campuses in Miami, Chicago, Colorado, and Ohio, our Audio Production program can prepare you to succeed in the fast-paced media industry. We take a hands-on approach that provides a myriad of learning experiences, both in the classroom and in a real studio setting. 

For more information about how to get a job in audio production, contact our team today!