Studio Recording Guide

When you download your FREE copy of the 40-page Guide…

…you’ll get an in-depth look into everything you need to ensure that you and your music are ready for the studio, along with some valuable insights into the recording and production process.
All 4 Steps are composed of a few simple strategies that any artist, whether you’re a singer, rapper, solo musician – or even a band – can take to ensure you have a successful session in the recording studio.
Each strategy is includes a detailed description, as well as a specific exercise for you to carry out, often with extra resources and examples to help guide you towards a productive and fulfilling studio experience.
The Guide is packed with useful information and tools…
You’ll find my ‘Song Structure & Arrangement Sheet’, an indispensable resource for mapping out your tracks and all their separate elements from start to finish. The blank version of this is accompanied by an example sheet that’s already been completed, so you can see exactly how handy it is!
There’s also an editable spreadsheet for compiling your song research, as well as an example lyric sheet, a recording plan, an in-depth look into the music production process, including recording, editing, sequencing, mixing and more!
So, if you’re interested in recording your music, but you need an insight into what a typical studio session should be like, simply sign up and you’ll receive your own copy of this 40-page Studio Recording Guide, absolutely FREE…
…and when you are ready to hit record, I’ll be happy to have a chat with you about your project.

Of course, you may feel that you’re already fully prepared for the studio, in which case, please feel free to get in touch – I’ll be happy to discuss the details of your project straight away and provide you with a very reasonable quote to boot! 🙂
Even if you’re a seasoned recording artist, you may still discover some things in the Guide that you’d never considered before. So please feel free to avail yourself of this handy resource – on me.

FAQs about the Guide:


Who is the Studio Recording Guide for?
This Guide is intended for anyone who wants a thorough grounding in the process of music production and is serious about properly preparing themselves and their tracks for the recording studio.

Why are you giving it away for FREE?
The information and resources contained in the Guide are worth at least £14.99, if I were to sell it on Amazon, for instance. The ‘Song Structure & Arrangement Sheet’ alone is worth that investment!
But I want to help artists take their first steps towards recording their music, confident in the knowledge that they’re doing it properly, so that they’re not heading into the recording studio unprepared or daunted by any preconceptions.
Also, I want you to know that I myself am a resource on which you can depend; someone you can trust and who has the right knowledge, skills and experience to successfully realise the vision you have for your music – so that you’ll have no hesitation in giving me a call when you’re ready to record! 🙂

What do you get out of it?
Well, although the Guide won’t cost you any money, I will be getting something of value from you in exchange – your email address. That may not seem like much to most people, but to be perfectly honest, it’s more valuable to me than a few pounds! …because it will give me the opportunity to send you very occasional emails, all of which will contain useful tips and information tailored specifically for artists who want to record and produce their music to a high standard.
Then, I’m confident that, after a while, once I’ve proven myself by providing you with valuable insights and knowledge to help you with your music, I hope you’ll come to trust me and my expertise. And when you’re ready to record, I’ll be the first person you think of when booking your recording session! 🙂
I promise never to spam you and I give you my word that your contact information will be stored securely and I’ll never share it with anyone. Plus, if you want to unsubscribe, you can do so at any time, no questions asked.

Why is now the best time to book a studio session?
If you’re ready to record, there’s never a better time to do it than right now! Do it while it’s fresh – do it while you’re still excited by your new tracks – do it before you begin to regret not doing it!
And here are a few more reasons why you should book a studio session straight away:
– You’ve chosen your tracks, worked out the structure and arrangement and practiced them til you’re tight
– Your fanbase is screaming out for your material so they can listen to your tracks every day
– You have a back catalogue of songs ready to record
– You’re writing new tracks all the time and you want to get them down while they’re fresh
– You want to share your music with friends, family and/or the rest of the world
– You’re interested in licensing your music for TV and film
– You’ve written a bunch of songs and you don’t want to forget them
– You want your tracks to be available through streaming services
– You’d like to have a permanent record of the music you’ve created
– You want to sell CD’s, etc. of your music at live gigs and performances
– You’re unhappy with the quality of your last session at another studio
– You’re fed up of spending hours upon hours trying to record and mix your own material, only to be disappointed with the result
– You regularly write new material and often perform it live, so recording your tracks is the logical next step for you to take in your music career
– You have a limited budget, without enough funds to promote your music after you’ve paid for a mid-range studio.
– You’ve tried creating your own backing tracks and they’re OK, but they just don’t compare to those of the artists you admire
I could go on, of course, but I think you get the idea – if your material is finished and ready to record and if you’ve practiced enough to feel confident that you can perform it well, then there’s really no reason for you not to hit the studio right now! And a ton of reasons you should!
However, it may not be the right time for you to record – not yet, anyway. You may not be fully prepared for the process of actually laying down your music; your songs might need more work, you might not know which tracks to choose, you might need more practice first… or various other hurdles.
But don’t worry, that’s what this Guide is for, so grab a copy now and give it a read. You’ll need to put in a little more time and effort, but it will be time well-spent – trust me! And when you’re done, you’ll be ready to give me a call and we can get the ball rolling!

Why should I choose Sidrat Audio?
A little background…
Well, Sidrat Audio is just one person, really – me! My name’s Dan, and if you choose Sidrat Audio, you’re choosing to place your trust in me. I’ve been involved with music in one way or another since I was a child and joined my first band at 15 as lead singer. I became interested in creating music using a computer at 17 and built my own recording studio at 22, gradually kitting it out with better and better equipment.
I used the studio for my own projects to begin with and recorded friends and jam sessions just for the pure enjoyment of it. Later, I started recording some local bands and artists I’d met through my work as a live sound engineer at small venues in the area.
Largely self-taught at this point, I soon began honing my skills with purpose, taking various production and mixing courses and spending an inordinate amount of time practicing with all sorts of different material, which led to opportunities of working with some extremely talented singers and musicians.
Skills and Equipment…
Over the past 22 years, I have raised my music production skills to a professional standard, from recording and editing, to sequencing and mixing. And in the process I have built up an extensive catalogue of clients and added significantly to my portfolio.
Rather than being a high-end studio – or even mid-range – the Sidrat Studio is a modest affair, but that means that I can cater to those artists who have a similarly modest budget. The room is small but well-specified and, detached from any other structures, sits at the bottom of my garden. It’s perfectly suited to recording vocals and solo instruments, as well as being a great mixing environment.
My studio is a cosy, welcoming space, with an easy-going and creative vibe. It’s equipped with a selection of fun hardware instruments that you might not find anywhere else, as well as a range of great-sounding mis and pre-amps, plus a ton of virtual instruments and effects that will allow you to create almost any kind of music you can possibly imagine.
Reasonable Rates…
Most artists just starting out on their recording journey can’t afford the rates of larger studios and often have to save up so long that their material is no longer fresh, losing some of its original vitality. Either that or they spend too much time trying to figure out how to do it themselves, which can be incredibly frustrating.
Also, many seasoned recording artists, who know how the high-end recording process works, want to get down a decent demo of their tracks before committing the time and money required for a big chart-topping release, in order to make that process as efficient as possible.
Luckily, I provide a service that fits nicely into that niche, offering professional results at a fraction of the cost and allowing my clients to walk away with a great-sounding track they can be proud of.
At the end of the day…
…the best way to decide if you want to work with me is to check out my Portfolio. There you can listen to a few of the tracks I’ve recorded, mixed and produced. I encourage you to do a cross-comparison with tracks recorded at other studios.
I hope I don’t sound too full of myself when I say that I’m already looking forward to working with you! 🙂

What kinds of clients have you worked with?
Nobody famous, if that’s what you mean… or at least, not as far as I’m aware. Although I have worked with some clients who have been successful in securing licensing deals for their music and are making a career out of their material in one way or another.
All of my clients have aspirations of their own, which may include releasing their material or generating income from it, but many simply want to record their music for their own pleasure or to share with friends and family.
I work with all sorts of artists; from pure vocalists like singers, rappers and spoken word artists performing covers or their own material to pre-made backing tracks or no music at all, to various kinds of musicians, like singer-songwriters, who perform their songs with acoustic guitar and their voices, or multi-instrumentalists, using a wide range of instruments layered one on top of the other. I also work with producers who need my help in refining their tracks and creating a more polished mix.
Although I specialise in solo artists and duos, I have also worked with full bands, recording things like drums on location in a larger space, then adding everything else in the Sidrat Studio and providing them with a final mix.
Another common service I provide is helping vocalists and musicians who want to add accompaniments to their tracks, using instruments they would otherwise be unable to access.
As well as an eclectic selection of hardware, I also have a vast array of virtual instruments to draw upon, such as immaculately sampled pianos, strings, brass and woodwind, a multitude of real-world percussion and beautifully recreated acoustic drum kits, as well as faithful emulations of classic analogue hardware, from vintage synthesizers and drum machines, to cutting edge modern synths and a library packed with fantastic samples.
Many of my clients take advantage of this resource, commissioning me to create, through the use of advanced sequencing techniques, anything from realistic accompaniments to floor-filling backing tracks, to which they can record their own vocals and instruments, as well as using them to perform their music at live gigs, from an open-mic night to an open-air concert.

“You CAN Afford to Record!
You CAN’T Afford NOT to!”