#18 Freelance Mixing | With Special Guest Brent Hendrich

Stokes Sound

Podcast Summary

In this episode, we bring you Brent Hendrich, award-winning Nashville-based mixing engineer, to talk about freelance mixing.

Brent Hendrich is an award-winning mix engineer with over 20 years of experience in the Nashville music industry. With a passion for creating captivating and impactful mixes and a talent for aligning each mix with the artistic vision of collaborators, Brent has established himself as a go-to professional across all genres, most notably Pop.

Brent’s commitment to his craft and pursuit of excellence has been recognized and celebrated within the industry. He played a pivotal role in creating a Dove award-winning record, has contributed to several Emmy award-winning projects, and is a voting member of the Recording Academy.

As a collaborator, Brent understands the importance of working closely with artists and producers to bring their musical vision to life. He sees the value in the nuances of every project, ensuring that each mix is an authentic reflection of the artist's intent and that it far surpasses expectations. Whether you're an established artist looking to elevate your sound or an up-and-coming talent seeking a mixer who can propel your music to new heights, Brent is a failsafe choice. With his creativity, technical expertise, and commitment to providing exceptional customer service, Brent will leave an unforgettable impression on your music.

Brent has collaborated with distinguished artists, including Delanie Leclerc, Nick Hall, and Alaina Cross.

Today, you’ll hear about Brent’s journey from doing everything to specializing in mixing, social media’s role in Brent’s business, the difference between working with artists and producers, how Brent creates his work-life balance, his 20 years of freelancing, maintaining productivity, and hear the things that Brent wishes he’d known sooner.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:33] About Brent.
• [03:27] Specializing in mixing.
• [06:00] Using social media.
• [10:02] Dealing with artists and producers.
• [11:42] Mixing for self-produced artists.
• [15:42] Brent’s workflow.
• [28:39] Gainstaging.
• [33:50] Levels before mastering.
• [36:39] Brent’s work-life balance.
• [41:51] Freelancing.
• [45:59] Tuning.
• [49:47] Brent’s social media formula.
• [54:03] How to be more productive.
• [55:50] 3 things Brent wishes he’d known earlier.

Notable Quotes

• “The better the producer and the better the song, the easier it is to mix.”
• “Use your ears more than you do math.”
• “You’re a business.”
• “You’ve got to let people know who you are.”
• “You’re going to be doing things other than just audio at times.”

Connect with Brent

Website:brenthendrich.com.

Instagram:@brenthendrich.

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