Creating a Recording Session Plan

Are you planning to lay down some tracks, but needing to know how to structure your day?

On this page, from River Recording Studios in Southampton

Creating a recording session plan will enable you to make better use of your valuable studio time. Having a schedule – and sticking to it – will also have you looking like a true professional. The more musicians that are involved, the more important this is.

Whether you’re a solo artist or part of a band, read on to find out what should be included in your own plan.

Creating a recording session plan

Artists and bands break their time into sessions. Recording can be a stressful and time-consuming process, so having a plan will help it run more smoothly. The session is simply the time that you spend in the studio. A session can be a couple of hours or a couple of days.

Writing down a plan for your session and a schedule for the entire record (whether that’s a day or longer) will mean that everyone knows what to expect. It should include approximate timings, who/what is involved, order of recording and breaks. It’s a good idea to distribute the plan to everyone ahead of time.

What do I need to know before recording a song?

Work out how much time you need

This is the key piece of information you’ll need before you start. You can’t book a session unless you know how long you need.

It’s really tough to know how long to book your session for. Some studios charge by the hour, others by the day or half-day. A solo artist laying down vocals over an existing recording could get away with a few hours or half a day. Recording as a group is more time-consuming. You can find out more about how long it takes to record a song on our blog.

Make sure you and anyone else you’re recording with know how much you’re prepared to spend before you start booking. Take a few test recordings on your phone. This will give you a better idea of how much time you need. It will also aid you to get a more realistic budget together and encourage you to make the most of your time.

Decide on the kit you’ll be using

What exactly do you need in the way of amps, monitors and instruments?

It can help to draw a diagram of the studio, plotting where everything will go.

How long is a recording session?

It depends on the length of the slot you book. It could be one hour, a half-day (usually three hours, or a full day). You’re paying for this period. So do make the most of it. Ensure you arrive, park and load in with a bit of time to spare. You may need to set up drums, tune up and warm up before you can think about recording. If you are bringing your own amps, they will need to be mic’d and you will have to think about who is going where and which order everyone is recording. If you get there on time, you won’t feel rushed. You can have a chat with the engineer and have your plan clearly explained and work through any issues that may crop up.

Write down the parts

If you’re recording as part of a band with a lot of instruments, you’ll need to think about how many parts you’ll need to lay down. This will help you to establish the duration of the record. Consult the studio, because their experience will help you work out the time you need. A good rule of thumb is that, with a full band, it will take a whole day to record the music and at least half a day to get the vocals down too. Then you’ll need time to mix and master.

What is a recording plan?

No matter how long you’re recording for, a recording studio session plan will make a world of difference. You should know your song(s) inside out too. It’s much easier to play from muscle memory rather than having to really concentrate. What’s more, the performance you deliver will be much more organic and natural if you are already used to performing it.

Break the day up into several sections

If you’re just recording for a day, write out a plan. Divide it up into sections of 2-3 hours at a time. Preparation is the key. You can send the engineer examples of how you want to sound before you even set foot in the studio and this will mean that even as they are setting up, your sound is being catered for.

How do you start a recording session?

It’s crucial that you start the process knowing what to expect and how you’ll achieve the desired results. Recording as a singer, songwriter or musician is one of the most exciting things to do in the music industry. However, if you don’t know how to record, it can be a stressful process. No two studios, tracks, engineers or producers are the same. Each and every session is different, presenting its own set of unique challenges.

Dissect your songs into manageable chunks

For most songs, you will first lay down a guide track. This is the most basic version of the song which you will then use to play along to later.

The next job will be to lay down the drums. This forms the backbone of the song and contributes a great deal to the ‘feel’ of the recording.

Next, the bass, guitars, keys, synths, strings and other instrument parts will be laid down to fill the main body of the tune.

After these, comes the vocals. Here the main vocal and double-tracking take will be recorded, followed by any backing vocals/overdubs.

When you are happy that you have all the parts down, the mixing begins. It’s here that you can develop the feel of the song and add the technical elements like effects, fades, overdubs and anything else you fancy. You may send your track away for this, or leave it with the engineer to do.

An additional consideration to your plan may include pre-recording practice, transport and possibly even accommodation. If you’re not comfortable creating a recording session plan from scratch, you can download a planner template.

Recording studio schedule

Create a schedule for the entire record

Before you even set foot in the studio, you should create a schedule. If possible create this with the sound engineer once you know your budget and have booked studio time. If you plan to record for a week or so, this is especially important and forms the bigger picture.

Be clear about your expectations and communicate with your engineer. Remember that they’re not mind-readers, they don’t know your song and they have no idea how good you guys are. So, speak up if things aren’t going as expected. Be clear about the structure of the song, the tone of the tune and the expectations you have of the soundscape you would like to achieve.

Don’t forget breaks

When your focus is on the work, it can be easy to leave the all-important downtime out of your schedule. But this is a key part of the plan. The days can be really long. So include breaks every few hours and add them to the schedule, so everyone knows when they’ll get time out for a drink and snack. If there are lots of you involved, these can be staggered to maintain productivity. Although the engineer may be working solo and will still need their own downtime. Do check with your engineer to find out how often and how long they’ll be needing.

How recording studios work

In terms of technical knowledge, you don’t need to know all that much about the workings of the studio itself. The engineer is there to make sure you sound at your very best. But make sure you make his or her job as easy as possible by knowing your own parts, knowing how you want to sound and delivering your best possible performances for each and every take.

Very often, due to financial restrictions, you will have to break your recording time into sessions. This is even more likely if the studio you pick is popular. You may have to fit around a bunch of other artists and their recording timetables. This makes planning even more essential because you have to be patient and organised. Each and every time you set foot in the studio you are productive and chipping away to achieve that final goal.