How to Create a Reference Library

How to Create a Reference Mix/Music Library

Listening is one of the most important skills you can develop. Critically listening to high resolution audio files is an essential part of the process. Create a folder called something like “Reference-Music” and then create subfolders in that folder for various types of reference music.

Audio files for references should be lossless files NOT an MP3 or M4A. At the very least, it should be 16-bit 44.1k WAV, AAF, or FLAC. Downloading a file from YouTube or Soundcloud is not good enough to use as a reference mix.

What to use for Reference Music:

1. Check out Billboard charts for the top 10 songs in a given genre
2. Choose genres or artists of music that you love. These can be from any style of music or time period.
3. Here are examples of reference mixes that would be advantageous:

One reason to stay aware of the top hits on Billboard is because these songs represent the latest state of the art audio quality that is available. Even if you don’t love the artist or genre in the top 10, you are listening to productions where money is no object. The people making these records are the BEST at what they do. If you can’t find any music in any genre in the Billboard in the top 10 then rethink your major!

• Include examples of reference mixes that are problematic. For example, sibilant vocals, punchy midrange, etc.
• Whats a song that you really think is really well done that has BIG low end?
• Whats a song that you think is really well done that has very thin low end?
• Whats a song that you think is really well done that has a bright vocal, thats a little siblant?
• that has a kind of darker, muted vocal?
• That has a scopped curve? Like a lot of lows and highs
• Whats a song that you think is really well done that you think is very mid rangy (like Snoop Dog from the 90s or something)
• Thats pushing the volume loudness real far but still works. Moves lots of air but does sound bad
• Having a song that uses an 808 as a bassline is a great idea

*Note: Music produced in different time periods have different sonic qualities.