MIXERMAN'S Ultimate Guide to PRODUCING Records, Music & Songs

MIXERMAN'S Ultimate Guide to PRODUCING Records, Music & Songs: Everything You Need to Know About Producing, Recording, Mixing & Mastering Music at Home or in the Studio

This book is available now for pre-order at a low Introductory price, but for a limited time. This post will be updated once the book is released to retailers in paperback on Amazon, and as an ebook on Apple Books, and Google Play.



The Book Every Modern Producer Needs

Let’s face it, these days everyone is a producer. Artists have to be producers, songwriters and musicians have to be producers, even engineers have to be producers—and all of those producers now have to operate as recordists, mixers, and mastering engineers.

Rather than to reject that premise in an attempt to hold on to some archaic elitist notion of the past, I decided to write a book on Producing that addressed everything for everyone.

Well! That was a monumental task! Nearly 600 pages later, and we have the most comprehensive book I’ve ever produced.

Each of the disciplines—recording, mixing, mastering, and producing—require many thousands of hours of practice in order to do them well. The engineering is technical and tedious, and takes time to understand. And it can be difficult to get accurate engineering information and strategies online. Misinformation and bad advice run rampant, and strategy is all but ignored.

An important part of the Producer’s job was (and still is) to keep the technology out of the way, and that was often achieved by hiring engineers and mixers. This way, the Producer could concentrate on the arrangement and performances, the Artist could focus on being an Artist, and the engineer could mind all the technical details of the capture and the mix.

Today? You need to learn it all. Which is a little bit of a problem, because it took me nearly my whole life (thus far) to learn everything that I share with you in this Guide.

For most of my career, songwriting, sound design, mixing, and mastering were separate jobs and processes. But they’re actually wholly interdependent. All of the decisions that you make along the way directly affect what comes next in the process. The mix is the culmination of your recording and arranging decisions. The quality of your master depends on your mix. And all of your decisions need to relate directly to the song itself. I take a more holistic approach, so that you can better arrange your productions from the ground up. This way, by the time you get to the end of the process, you’ve produced a track that does everything it should.

I set out to arm you with strategies to help you achieve your vision, and to create music and songs with intent, exactly as you hear them. Ultimately, music is meant to evoke feelings from great songs, and sound is just a means to that end. This is art. There is no right or wrong in art. There is only your intent, and how that intent ultimately connects with an audience. 

What's Inside?

This book is built to guide producers at every level through the entire process of making effective and compelling records—from songwriting to final mastering. Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Introductions
A quick tour of producing now compared to yesterday, my journey, and what to expect

Chapter 1: The Producer
What Kind of Producer Are You? Identifying your strengths, workflow, and creative approach, whether you're producing yourself, other artists, or working as a hired gun.

Chapter 2: Songwriting & Arranging
Techniques to maximize the power of your song and production, from structure to instrumentation and arrangement strategies.

Chapter 3: The Home Producer
A full breakdown of gear, mics, plugins, acoustics, gain staging, signal flow, with simple technical explanations and practical strategies to achieve professional results from home.

Chapter 4: The Many Roles of the Producer-For-Hire
A guide for producers working with artists and bands that bring their own material, including how to manage and organize sessions, communication, and workflow.

Chapter 5: The Business of Producing
How to navigate the business side of music production—understanding contracts, budgeting, and getting paid for your work.

Chapter 6: Studio Projects
Strategies to help producers operate efficiently and creatively in the studio—session management, getting the most from musicians, and keeping the energy on the right track.

Chapter 7: The Politics of a Band Entity
Navigating the complex dynamics of a band—managing egos, resolving conflicts, and maintaining creative momentum—while ensuring the music remains the priority.

Chapter 8: Mixing & Mastering
A producer’s guide to finishing your record to maximize impact—balancing creative vision with technical execution. 

Conclusion
A look towards the future

Who is This Book For?

Whether you're a home producer, songwriter-producer, self-producer, engineer producer, or a for-hire professional, this book is built to help you work efficiently and creatively—whether doing everything yourself or managing a team in the studio. I go beyond explaining how to produce records, music, and songs; I explore why we make certain decisions—musical, technical, organizational, and political—so you can develop your own instincts and systems to create works that make you proud.

Who am I?

I’m Mixerman, a gold and platinum award-winning producer, mixer, and recordist with a diverse discography spanning rock, hard rock, hip-hop, pop, soul, roots, pop punk, folk, singer-songwriter, jazz, country western, and electronica. Over nearly four decades, I’ve navigated seismic technological shifts while making records that stand the test of time.

I’ve produced and mixed records for major labels in world-class studios and independent projects entirely from my home studio. I’ve worked with budgets ranging from $500,000 to nothing at all. Along the way, I’ve written several popular books on the recording arts, including:

Zen and the Art of Mixing
Zen and the Art of Producing (now out of print)
Zen and the Art of Recording
Musician's Survival Guide to a Killer Record
The Daily Adventures of Mixerman

Praised for their accessibility, my books blend deep technical knowledge with engaging storytelling, humor, and hard-earned industry insights. Now, I’m delivering my most comprehensive and modern production guide yet—giving you everything you need to bring your records to life.

Preorder now

Enjoy, Mixerman