While vocalists have never been more in demand by producers, vying for vocal placements in the dance music industry is still fiercely competitive.
And suppose you are an up-and-coming singer or even an established one looking for more paid gigs and opportunities. In that case, you can never have enough advice from the pros on landing amazing placements and features for yourself.
lau.ra is one such vocalist who has been doing the work for many years, slowly chipping away at her discography, list, and features. Each song has built upon the last as she works through the industry by collaborating with top-tier producers and talent. And with the latest release, a collaboration track with the legendary dance music pioneer Sasha, we wanted to pick her brain for the best advice she has to offer.
Stream ‘Burnt Letters’ By lau.ra Below
In true Sasha fashion, the track is a club roller that is as delicate as it is impactful. The subtle ambiance lau.ra’s vocals bring to the track elevates the song to new heights, as the repetitious keening doubles down on the reproachful aesthetic of the track.
The dark and ominous groove establishes a somber foundation for the bright cymbals to wash over, all the while the vocals keep the interest and add a new level of syncopation to the record. All in all, the masterfully crafted track is a testament to what raw talent and dedication can bring you in an industry such as this.
Be a good singer
Obvious right?
But you’d be surprised how many people are trying to get by with bad ideas and lashings of autotune. Establish a signature style both sonically, lyrically, and melodically so people know who to come to when they want that sound.
As a versatile vocalist, it can feel like you’re limiting yourself. Still, I’ve found bringing this kind of focus to my vocal sound and output has brought about more successful collaborations because everyone starts with the same expectation of what they might get.
Need Ways To Make Your Vocals More Unique? Check Out How This Producer Processes His Vocals For Unique Effects.
Be able to record and produce your vocals professionally
When I send demo vocals to producers, I mix them into the track like I am producing my finished record. I run it through Ozone to do a quick master so the mix is loud and impactful, and it makes the best impression it can.
Need Free Vocal-Processing Plugins? We Got You…
Poorly recorded vocals can disguise a great idea, so find a way to present yourself best. Remember that the producer or mix engineer can always reprocess the vocals once they’ve committed to the project, but you’ll rarely get them excited to work with you if the vocals you send them to sound like scratch recordings.
Be flexible
You want the producer/artist to fall in love with the finished track and release it, so be flexible if they want to make changes to the vocal or they chop the shit out of it and just end up using a small sample of the bigger idea you sent them. Don’t take it personally; you still get your %, and the track is likely better off.
This lesson alone is worth its weight in gold while working in the music industry. You will get exponentially more placements and work than other singers vying for those same opportunities if you are easy to work with and do well. It sounds so easy, but you’d be shocked how many people take these qualities for granted.
Ask for a demo fee
So many vocal topline requests come to nothing, but you’ve still set aside your time, energy, and creative ideas to do the work. So, sometimes, a demo fee can soften the blow when a track doesn’t get the green light.
On the flipside too, it often forced the producer to have a bit more skin in the game. If they’ve already invested a bit of money into you as an artist, they are far more likely to see the song through to the end – thus increasing your chances of having your name on the track!
Always ask for final approval
It’s your voice; you need to hear how it sounds in its final form before it gets released into the world.
Don’t be afraid to speak up if there are mixed tweaks you want to make to the vocal. At the end of the day, the music you release will be as close a thing to a resume as you would like to find in the music industry and you want to have some input on what the world will know about your work.
Just be sure to be reasonable, polite, and professional.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
