Berklee College of Music exterior

Berklee College of Music

Photo: Paul Marotta/Getty Images

News

Berklee Online Adds Master's Programs For Music Production, Business

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Aspiring record producers and music business professionals can aim high with these new online master's programs
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 6, 2017 - 1:12 pm

Berklee College of Music Online brings the premier learning institution's top-tier education experience to students all over the globe. Now, online students can pursue two new master's degree programs: Master of Arts in Music Production and Master of Arts in Music Business.

Each program involves 12 online-based courses as well as a culminating experience, which the school says could be creating a marketing plan or an album, according to Billboard. Students will have the chance "to spend a year doing everything they love and honing their knowledge and skills to advance their career in the music industry," said Carin Nuernberg, Berklee's vice president of online education.

The curriculum of these programs, which tackle many of the aspects affiliated with careers on the creative and entrepreneurial sides of music. Music Business students will study artist management, marketing, licensing, branding, and touring while Music Production students will dig into recording, mixing, mastering, vocal production, and audio for visual media.

More information on all of Berklee Online's degrees and courses can be found via website. 

Berklee, New York City Save Iconic Power Station Studio

New Year's 2018
Poll

What's Your New Year's Music Resolution?

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The New Year means a new you — how will you let music deeper into your life in 2018?
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 1, 2018 - 12:05 am

Each new year, millions of people make resolutions to be their best selves, put their past bad habits behind them and improve their lives. But why not make your resolution a musical one?

When the holiday parties are over, the confetti is swept up, and school and work resume, it's time to get back to work and make the most of 2018. The good news? Music can help!

From mastering an instrument to learning more about the craft and history of music, to supporting musicians through live shows, we want to know: What's your New Year's music resolution for 2018?

Polls

What's your New Year's music resolution for 2018?

Adele holding GRAMMY Awards

Adele

Photo: Robyn Beck/Getty Images

News

What's The Difference? GRAMMY Record Of The Year Vs. Song Of The Year

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Ever wondered what distinguishes these two GRAMMY categories? Find out once and for all here
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 26, 2017 - 10:41 am

Since the dawn of time, or at least since the 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards, casual music fans and uninitiated industry professionals alike have seemingly pondered the same GRAMMY question: What is the difference between Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year categories?

Adele wins Record Of The Year GRAMMY

If you've wondered this yourself, fear not, for you have arrived at the answer.

Simply put, Record Of The Year deals with a specific recording of a song and recognizes the artists, producers and engineers who contribute to that recording, while Song Of The Year deals with the composition of a song and recognizes the songwriters who wrote the song. That's it in a nutshell!

To dig a little deeper, let's look at the definition of each category, who it includes, and some recent examples.

Record Of The Year, Explained

The Record Of The Year GRAMMY goes to the artist(s), producer(s), and engineer(s) involved in crafting the specific recording (hence "record") of a song. For example, the winner at the 57th GRAMMY Awards for Record Of The Year was "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" by Sam Smith. As the primary artist, Sam Smith received a GRAMMY, as did the three producers (including Rodney Jerkins a.k.a. "Darkchild) and the four engineers who worked on the recording, including those properly credited for recording, mixing, and mastering the record.

Sam Smith Wins Record Of The Year

Song Of The Year, Explained

The Song Of The Year award, on the other hand, goes to the songwriter(s) (hence "song) of new material (not including sampled or interpolated material) of a song. For example, at the 44th GRAMMY Awards, the winner of Song Of The Year was "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys, and as the sole writer of the song, Keys received the GRAMMY. For this reason, Song Of The Year is referred to as a songwriter's award, one of several across the 84 categories that recognize the songwriter.

"Fallin'" Wins Song Of The Year

Does that clear things up a bit? Hopefully, it does.

The Recording Academy strives to award excellence in many facets of the music creation process, thus necessitating the distinction between the year's best recording and its best song composition.

For bonus points, let's look at one more example from the 59th GRAMMY Awards. The GRAMMY for Record Of The Year went to "Hello" by Adele, earning GRAMMY gold for Adele as the artist as well as producer Greg Kurstin and the eight engineers who worked on the record. The GRAMMY for Song Of The Year also went to "Hello" — however, only the songwriters, Adele and Greg Kurstin, received the Song Of The Year GRAMMY.

So now, when you're watching the 60th GRAMMY Awards live on CBS Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, you'll be able to dazzle your friends with your insider knowledge. For a rundown of this year's nominees in both of these major categories, check out our Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year roundups.

Home Recording Studio

Home Recording Studio

News

Home Studio Slip-Ups: 10 Common Mistakes And How To Fix Them

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Learn the most common home studio pitfalls and how you can avoid them so you can get back to making music
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 20, 2017 - 1:43 pm

The rule of thumb for building out a recording studio is this: it will cost three times as much and take three times as long as you estimate. In my experience, this is sad but true.

Jack White's P&E Wing Speech: "Let The Music Tell You What To Do"

But for those looking avoid the pitfalls of setting up and running a functional recording and/or mixing space at home, help is on the way. Music Think Tank recently published their Top 10 Home Studio Mistakes And How To Fix Them.

The helpful list focuses on prioritizing purchases, seeking valuable feedback, staying organized, and taking action. It all starts with laying out a game plan.

"Think about what goals you have, what are you trying to achieve and figure out what will take you there," writes Emma Becker. "Make some priorities and use your budget accordingly."

To that end, be sure to stay focused on finishing the job. You will be tempted to begin working just as soon as your DAW is up and running. But don't forget about the other pieces of the studio puzzle, or you may end up with unhung acoustic panels, messy cable runs and an overall clunky workflow.

Becker also makes a great point about reference mixes. Use them!

"The fastest way to get closer to your heroes is to compare your work to theirs and get it as close as possible until you form your own taste and opinions."

Listen to those recordings you know best to gain perspective on your new environment. Want to know what the pros are using as references? Check out what GRAMMY winner Rafa Sardina (Lady Gaga, Luis Miguel, Alejandro Sanz) and 11 other top engineers name as their essential reference mixes over on SonicScoop.

Another pitfall of getting caught up in the excitement of a home studio is neglecting to stay organized. As an engineer, producer or self-recording artist, file management, as quotidian as it may sound, is of paramount importance.

"Spend a bit of time to come up with a folder structure that would work for your type of projects and force yourself to use it," says Becker, adding that creating a template project folder can save you tons of time, force you to save properly and keep your files consistent.

There is much to remember when building and running a home studio, especially considering your true intention is to focus on making music, but with these tips (and a little discipline) you can avoid some of the biggest and most common mistakes. Happy recording!

Ode To Reverb: From Led Zeppelin To Phil Collins, 8 Examples Of Delightful Decay

Whitney Houston holding a GRAMMY Award

Whitney Houston

Photo: Images Press/Getty Images

News

Whitney Houston's 'The Bodyguard' Reissued For 25th Anniversary

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The GRAMMY-winning soundtrack gets refreshed along with a reissue of the 1992 film in honor of the 25th Anniversary
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 12, 2017 - 6:21 pm

Whitney Houston's jaw-dropping performance on the soundtrack of 1992's "The Bodyguard" solidified her spot in the top echelon of pop vocalists then, now, and forever.

Whitney Houston Wins Album Of The Year

Twenty-five years later, "The Bodyguard" celebrates its quarter-century anniversary with a new soundtrack collection and a reissue of the film.

To commemorate the film's soundtrack, which won the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year for the 36th GRAMMY Awards, Legacy Recordings is releasing Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard on Nov. 17. As Billboard outlines, the new collection will feature previously unreleased live recordings, alternate versions, and a remix of "I'm Every Woman."

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will also reissue the film on Oct. 31, along with new special features. "The Bodyguard" was also Houston's film debut as an actress, proving her talents truly knew no bounds.

Deep 10: Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard" – Original Soundtrack Album