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Billboard's Keith Caulfield (Managing Director, Charts and Data Operations) and Katie Atkinson (Executive Digital Director, West Coast) offer weekly Billboard chart breakdowns, discuss the hottest music news and cover the year’s biggest musical events. Casual pop fans, chart junkies and everyone in between are invited to this weekly half-hour discussion.
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#221: Finish Songs Faster, Mix Smarter — 7 Standout Moments of 2025 (Part 1)
Music Production and Mixing Tips for Beginner Producers and Artists | Inside The Mix
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Ready to trade plugin FOMO and meter anxiety for moves that actually make your tracks better? Marc pulls seven stand-out moments from a huge year of conversations with producers, engineers and artists to help you finish faster, mix with confidence and stay creatively sharp.
We kick off with a surprising angle on depth: shaping contrast with bit depth instead of defaulting to saturation. You’ll hear how assigning different resolutions to drums, pads, and leads can create three-dimensional mixes that hold up in mono and stereo. From there, dismantle the gear trap. Modern DAWs already include the essentials; the real upgrade is mastering fundamentals like tonal balance, gain staging and arrangement so every later purchase has purpose.
Loudness gets a refresh with a simple truth: LUFS is the result of mastering, not the target. Focus on tone, punch and cohesion, then check integrated LUFS for how platforms will treat your music. We lean into ear-first decisions, too—set a solid static mix, push the faders, and don’t let a scary-looking EQ curve talk you out of the right move. On the mastering front, we explore why a dedicated mastering engineer is often the first truly fresh set of ears your project gets, and how that perspective helps you avoid circular tweaks and ensures reliable translation.
Songwriting fans get a creative jolt as we talk about lyrics as well-narrated hallucinations grounded in truth. Wait for ideas that feel necessary, then go all in. Finally, we round things out with workflow wisdom: reference tracks, clear sound selection, minimal EQ, and fader-first mixing to keep momentum high and second-guessing low. If you want practical, repeatable steps that improve your music across streaming, clubs and headphones, this highlight reel delivers.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Ways to connect with Marc:
Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026
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Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call
Follow Marc's Socials:
Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering
Thanks for listening!!
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Chapters
1. Welcome And Year Overview (00:00:00)
2. 2026 Plans And Listener Survey (00:02:29)
3. Why These Highlights Matter (00:03:34)
4. Highlight 1: Bit Depth For Depth (00:03:51)
5. Highlight 2: Avoid Gear Traps (00:05:28)
6. Highlight 3: LUFS As A Result (00:06:32)
7. Highlight 4: Trust Ears Over Eyes (00:08:33)
8. Highlight 5: Value Of Mastering Ears (00:10:53)
9. Highlight 6: Lyrics And Creative Truth (00:12:31)
10. Highlight 7: Fader-First Mixing (00:14:38)
11. Links, Thanks And Part Two Tease (00:16:28)
12. Final CTA And Sign-Off (00:16:48)
222 episodes
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