The Recording Academy™ Producers & Engineers Wing® has announced a new education initiative focused on best technical practices for music recording. Based on the Wing's published set of Guidelines and Recommendations for the production and delivery of recorded music projects, the initiative launched in Los Angeles in June with local recording education programs and is now gearing up to expand nationwide with updated versions of the Recommendations in partnership with the Recording Academy's 11 other Chapters and their Producers & Engineers Wing committees.
These living documents, created by committees whose members span regions, styles and genres, are updated on a regular basis in order to address today's ongoing evolution of the recording industry and its underlying technologies. With the goal of making the recording supply chain more standardized and efficient, while also maintaining high levels of sonic quality and integrity, the documents address such hot topics as secure backup and storage, versions and stems, file hierarchies, naming conventions and proper crediting. In our current digital world – where recordings are frequently produced in multiple versions by multiple participants in multiple places – the documents offer clarity and suggested best practices for management of the overall recording process.
Nashville-based producer and engineer Jeff Balding (Dan + Shay, Eagles, Brynn Elliott) and digital entrepreneur John Spencer, co-founder of the influential recording data management firm BMS/Chace, have led this year's committee for its review of the Delivery Recommendations for Recorded Music Projects. Leslie Ann Jones, multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer/producer and Director of Music & Recording for Skywalker Sound, and who chaired the committee behind the Recommendations for Hi-Res Music Production, has overseen the update of that document.
"I'm constantly amazed by what these volunteer committees and their leaders are able to accomplish by pooling their individual knowledge and experience," said Maureen Droney, Recording Academy Managing Director, P&E Wing and Recording Technology. "Their commitment to their craft, and to the betterment of our industry overall, is a constant reminder of the power of collaboration and is also truly inspirational."
