Frequently Asked Questions

Who is SongChecks for?

SongChecks is for mixers, producers, songwriters, and bands of all levels and locations. It’s for anyone who has ever wished they could get their songs or mixes in front of the very best ears in music.

There are so many choices! Who should I select to provide feedback on my song?

All of the SongChecks producers, mixers, and mastering engineers are at the top of their game and work across a wide variety of music. So you can’t go wrong regardless of who you select. But you should look at their list of credits to see which pro best fits the style of music you’re producing or mixing. You can also filter the pros by genre on both The Pros and Book A Song Review pages.

Also, when you submit your song for review, you’ll indicate how proficient you are at music production or mixing so the pro can tailor their feedback to your level of expertise. That’ll range from ‘beginner’ to ‘intermediate,’ ‘expert,’ and ‘hit me with your best shot!’ for those who think they can handle all of the technical minutiae.

How do I provide the song to the pro I want feedback from?

Once you’ve selected the pro you want feedback from, you’ll be asked to fill out a short form with your contact details and some biographical info to help the pro better understand who you are and your involvement in the song you are submitting.

On this contact form, you’ll have the option to either supply a link to where the track is hosted (for instance, on Soundcloud or Bandcamp), or you can upload an MP3 or (preferably) a WAV file of the song. If you’re doing this, please be patient while the song uploads. It will upload, but depending on the file size, it might take a little while. You’ll know when it’s done when the little wheel stops spinning.

Once you make the payment, that form you filled out, along with the song you supplied, will be sent directly to the producer, mixer, or mastering engineer, who will listen to it and make notes on how to improve it. And just like that, the magic happens.

Once I’ve selected a pro and made the payment, what happens next?

You’ll receive an email notification confirming your booking along with a receipt for your payment. You should get that immediately after you make the payment, so please check your spam folder if it doesn’t hit your inbox.

Within a week of your booking, you should receive an email from music@songchecks.com with a PDF attachment containing all your song or mix feedback from the pro you selected. If it doesn’t arrive within a week, please let us know, and we’ll chase it up for you. If you need it more urgently than that, let us know and quote your order number in the correspondence.

You can then use their feedback to make changes to the song yourself. So you should consider the SongChecks pros as a high-level sense check on your music before you release it.

What are some of the issues with my song or mix that the pros might spot and tell me how to fix?

Typical problems the pros might look for, and offer solutions to, include EQ and compression issues; Reverbs and delays that need fixing; Arrangements that need reworking; Instruments and vocals being out of time and/or out of tune; Tracks that don’t mesh; Vocals that weren’t nailed; Production that doesn’t consider all the elements and how they should work together; Overproducing your song; Not paying enough attention to the most critical parts (such as vocals and melody); Lack of focus in the low end; Timing and pitch edits not perfectly on point; and Phasing kicks. Heck, perhaps even that it’s just “not indie pop enough”. (We’re kidding!)

These are just a few things the pros will listen for and give you suggestions on how to resolve.

You can take a look at a SongChecks song and mix review by F. Reid Shippen here.

What happens after I receive the feedback on my song?

That’s up to you, but the idea is that you then implement the recommended changes in your own time. SongChecks aims to empower you to create better music by giving you honest, objective, and constructive feedback on your work.

Sometimes that feedback might be a little tougher than you’d like, but the pros are all on your side and want to help you.

Can I credit the producer, mix, or mastering engineer who provided feedback on my song? (Pssst, the answer is ‘no’)

Sorry but no, you can’t list or credit the pro who gave you the feedback on your music as someone involved in the ‘production’ or ‘mixing’ of your song in any way, shape, or form. Think of them as friendly advisors who want to help you get more proficient at your own productions, mixing, and songwriting. But they’re not actually ‘producing’ your music, nor ‘executive producing,’ nor any other prefix you can think to add before the word ‘produce.’

However, if they say something complimentary about your music, production, or mixing in the feedback they give you, feel free to use that quote on your artist website or press release unless the pro you booked explicitly asks that you don’t.

You’re giving away free plugins! How do I access them?

We’ve partnered with a few of our favorite developers (Audio Thing, Sound Particles, Mastering the Mix, and Korneff Audio) to give you a choice between three free plugins that we think will be invaluable for producing and mixing your own music.

You can use LEVELS on a 100-day free license, while Vinyl Strip and Brightness Panner are yours to keep for perpetuity.

You’ll select which one you’d like when you make your booking. Then when you get your feedback emailed to you, that same email will also contain your unique code and download instructions to access and register your new plugin.