Why Niche Matters In Music Production
I never order the steak.
As someone who is a big fan of steak, this seems an odd rule to have imposed upon myself when I’m eating out. However, there is one exception to this, and that’s if I’m in a restaurant that only serves steak. Then I’ll order it because I know it will be done really well. If I’m not in such a single-item themed restaurant then by ordering steak, I’ll probably have chosen the most expensive thing on the menu and will be disappointed by it. From a grubby Steak ‘n’ Eggs in St Petersburg, Florida to one of the many Hawksmoors in London, I’ve never been disappointed in a steak restaurant that completely owns its niche. Which brings us to my point (before I bore you to death with my culinary adventures). Niche matters.
Perhaps the most overwhelming aspect of modern life is the abundance of choice. From Spotify providing instant access to almost all music ever recorded, and Netflix offering over 36,000 hours of entertainment, to FIvver giving you access to a global freelance workforce on tap, and Wikipedia offering you an opinion on every subject under the sun (if not the actual facts). How, as an individual, do you make yourself heard in the midst of all this information. Well, I would argue that you find your niche and you double down on it.
You Already Do It For Yourself
Imagine your boiler has broken down, the house is freezing, and you need it to be fixed yesterday. Do you look for someone who offers to take on ‘all plumbing jobs to matter how big or small’, or do you call the guy who advertises with ’25 years of boiler servicing and maintenance’. You pick the second guy every time, because the house is cold, and you don’t want to mess around. The second guy has honed in on the boiler niche, and you can be confident that he’s going to nail it. The first guy might get it right, but it’s a gamble you don’t want to take and it’s worth spending a bit extra on getting in an expert. It’s the same reason why you don’t see a Ferrari in your local garage. It’s not because they don’t break down (they do), it’s because if someone’s invested that much in their car then they will make sure it’s only worked on by an expert - a car mechanic who has identified a narrow super-car niche and run with it. People who can identify and own a niche will always be better paid and more in demand than people who offer a long and vague list of skills and abilities. Because here’s the secret - people don’t actually want choice. It’s tiring having to read a 26-page menu in restaurant. People actually want a one-page menu with twelve things on it that the chef can cook to perfection. They want a curated playlist on Spotify that narrows down a world of music to the small ‘acoustic morning’ niche they want to hear with their first cup of coffee. They want to know the #1 trending series on Netflix because that’s probably worth checking out. Curate your career for your clients - pick your niche.
What Is My Niche?
Many people’s answer to this is to ask you what you love doing. I don’t agree. I like the opinion of NYU professor Scott Galloway who says that anyone who advises you to “follow your heart” is probably a millionaire already. Instead, work out what you’re good at and do that. You’ll be surprised how quickly you come to love doing something that you’re really good at, well respected for, and well paid to do. I know it’s very tempting when you start out to say ‘yes’ to any work that might come your way (I know because I succumbed to this temptation more than once, and regretted it every time), but if you are out of your niche then there are a couple of problems that quickly surface. Firstly, this isn’t the thing that you’re good at so it will take you longer to do, you’ll do an average job at best, and your poor performance will damage your self-confidence. Secondly, your reputation will take a hit for a less than stellar job done. Reputation is really all you have - it’s what gets you work and it’s what gets you known. It is not to be taken lightly or gambled away on the promise of a bit of cash.
Multiple Niches
“But,” I hear you cry, “what if your niche was recording bands in studios, or live engineering on tours” - in a pandemic-weary world we are all aware of how quickly a niche like that can go up in smoke. Very true, and well spotted. To use myself as an example, I have opted for a multiple-niche approach. I could never have predicted the madness that was 2020, but about five years ago I decided to forge a ‘portfolio career’ approach that I had read a lot about and thought I might enjoy. I love a challenge! To be clear, this is no jack-of-all-trades route, it really is about being very niche, just in more than one area. In my case I added to my ‘mixing and producing for organic pop artists’ with ‘educating others in how to better mix their own music’. I tutor an MA course at Leeds Conservatiore, guest lecture at universities all over the world, and run The Mix Consultancy which allows anyone to get the advice of a Grammy-winner on the mix they are working on (links below). So it’s still a niche, but it’s another one, and while my reputation as a mixer and producer feeds into it, it stands alone. Co-incidentally it proved very useful when I was unable to go into a studio with any artists during lockdown, as simultaneously more people were stuck at home trying to mix their own tracks (and turning to The Mix Consultancy for help). Way more to do with luck than judgement on my part, but then there is a grain of truth in the phrase ‘you make your own luck’.
But that is just my story. The point of a niche is that yours will be different and based on your skillset and experience. So, find that, and then run with it.
More Recording Resources From Dom Morley
Dom is the founder of the Mix Consultancy, a zero risk (money back guarantee) way to get notes on your tracks to help improve the sound. Whether you're an artist who likes to mix all their own work, a composer putting together a pitch on a limited budget, or an engineer who wants a discreet second opinion before sending a mix off to a client - we're here to help.
“I just completed a mix with the help of Dom Morley & The Mix Consultancy. The mix we turned over was qualitatively better than the one I would have gone with on my own.
It's been said that "a mix is never done, it's just abandoned", but the truth is, you *really* do feel a sense of completion and closure having worked with Dom because you know in your heart that you did everything you possibly could to get the best result possible for the client.
The beauty behind the process is that not only do you get a better mix for your client, but Dom's advice contains all kinds of gold that you can borrow and deploy in future mixes.”
Geoff Manchester
From engineering tips to production advice, EQ and compression basics to mix specifics, we’ll give you the information and guidance that you need to take your mixes to the next level. Find out more here
In addition to the one-to-one advice Dom has produced some excellent online courses;
Everything You Need To Know About Recording Vocals
Preproduction, DAW set-up, preparing the studio, psychology, equipment. Literally everything you need to know.This is a short, free, mini-course on the four things that you really need to know in order to get great mixes, and the four things that you really don't!