Here you'll find model materials and detailed explanations on what kinds of materials to provide for each artist.
In order for your sessions to go as smoothly and productively as possible, it’s important to send musicians, engineers and producers the right materials.
While there are many common threads to sending good materials, it’s also true that those same musicians, engineers and producers, due to both their individuality and instrument played or service provided, will have slightly different ways to work and preferences when it comes to what they’d like to receive from you.
Which is why we’ve created this article: to define those differences. So, click on the name you’re about to have a session with below and become acquainted with clearer guidelines and examples of what you should ideally be sending them.
*This list is constantly being revised, and more Musicians and Engineers will be added on a regular basis. In case you need help preparing materials for a specific musician that's not on the list, please contact Support.
- Click on each musician to see the sections.
- Click on the "🔙" icon to come back to this index
Bass
Drums
Guitar
Keys
Percussion
Violin
Vocals
Woodwinds
Isaku Kageyama
♦ Book your session with Isaku here.
Written Materials
See example here.
- It's quite common to overdub the same rhythmic pattern on the low, mid, and high taiko drums to recreate the effect of a large ensemble. If this sounds like what you want, you need to write out a part. This will look like "A" or Bars 1-4 of the linked example above.
- If you prefer flexibility, or want to try out several different ideas, Isaku can follow a chord chart. He can play multiple takes on the same taiko, or on a variety of taiko. The advantage is that you will have a variety of takes to choose from, but the drawback is that these takes will probably not sound like a cohesive ensemble, if put together. This will look like "B" or Bars 5-8 of the linked example above.
- You can have a combination of the two. For example, this is useful if you want an ensemble of taiko drums to play in unison for 3 bars, and one of them to play a fill on the 4th bar. This will look like "C" or Bars 9-12 of the linked example above.
Audio Materials
See examples here.
- If the music contains tempo changes or meter changes, please include a MIDI tempo map (in .mid format). This is particularly crucial if your music contains accelerandos, ritardandos, or a constantly fluctuating tempo.
- Reference audio is always very useful. If you are able to provide a stem of the full song without taiko (in .wav format), it will allow Isaku to record to the song's groove in real-time, while allowing you both to listen to what's being recorded in the context of the full song.
- It's also useful to have a stem of just the taiko (isolated scratch/demo taiko track made with other drums or virtual instruments, in .wav format).
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session.
♦ Book your session with Clare here.
Written Materials
- Don't forget a lyric file (example here)!
- Include your BPM in the session info, please!
- If you have sheet music for your song available that can be helpful, but no need to create it especially.
Audio Materials
See examples here.
- Both a vocal demo and an instrumental as separate files audio files (in .wav format).
- For lead vocals, if you are not able to provide a vocal demo, please include a midi (in .mid format) or instrument file (in .wav format) that demonstrates the lead vocal melody.
- For backing vocals, upload a separate file for each harmony part so each can be heard in isolation (either as vocal demos/instrumental lines in .wav format or midi lines in .mid format).
- Be sure all files are bounced from zero.
- Sending only a file with the full mix and, even worse, not being able to clearly hear the vocal line in that mix.
- Not checking all audio files have been bounced from zero.
- Not uploading any kind of separate vocal demo files (as described above) and only uploading an instrumental and sheet music.
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo
Itaiguara Brandão
♦ Book your session with Itaiguara here.
Written Materials
- Please send a chords chart with the a song structure, as in these examples.
- If you want Itaiguara to play a specific bass line, please write it down note by note in a score, like in these examples.
Audio Materials
See examples here.
- Fundamental to have a MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes (in .mid format)
- Great to also have the click as an isolated audio stem (in .wav format).
- Please send your song/piece/cue without bass (as a stereo file in .wav format). If you can send the drums as an isolated stem (in .wav format), even better.
- If you have any scratch bass (recorded, virtual instruments, etc), please send it in an isolated stem (in .wav format).
- If you have a main melody (like vocals), please send it in an isolated stem, too (in .wav format).
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo
Bruno Gafanhoto
♦ Book your session with Bruno Gafanhoto here.
Written materials
- Drum Score, keeping in mind that is not necessary to write note by note what the drums should play. What’s expected is the idea of the groove + any special details. Of course, the score should follow the same structure as the song to be recorded (it shouldn’t be just a chart with a couple of measures of the groove, for example). Find an example here.
- A clearly written chart with details and indications can also work well, as in this example.
- Ultimately, even a very basic chords chart like this one can work, if written cleanly and the song is straightforward.
In case it’s not possible to provide any of the above and it's a simple song, it is fine to work with the following:
- Written notes, on Musiversal’s chat or in an uploaded document, explaining your intentions for the drums to be recorded. It is important to try to be as specific as possible, even in the case you don’t know the technical terms. Directions like “I want a calm groove on the verse, with hi-hat, and an explosive groove on the chorus, using the ride cymbal” already help a lot.
Audio Materials
See example here.
- One version of the Backing Track WITHOUT drums (very important) and a version WITH drums, or just the drums stems isolated, for reference. Of course, this drum reference can be electronic/programmed drums.
- If there's a change of tempo or time signature, it’s mandatory to send a MIDI Tempo Map. If there are no changes, the initial BPM and time signature indications are enough.
What to avoid:
- Sending tracks that don’t align with the click.
- Sending directions that are dubious or confusing, like “I want a moody atmosphere”. Even though it is totally fine to have the goal to achieve that “moody atmosphere”, this type of direction is not really relatable to drums, specifically. There are a lot of ways to interpret that with a drum set. So, the more specific, the better! :)
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
Vitaliy Tkachuk
♦ Book your session with Vitaliy here.
Written Materials
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If you’re looking to record a song/piece with a specific structure, please send a score or a chart. If you want Vitaliy to play specific voicings, you can specify them like in this example. Otherwise, you can just write the chord symbols, as also shown in the previous example.
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If you’re looking to record a film score cue or something of that nature, with a less specific structure, you can write down your intentions as best as possible in a score and even provide explanatory videos. Please see this score example.
Audio Materials
See example here.
- Fundamental to have a MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes
- Great to also have the click as an isolated audio stem.
- Please send your song/piece/cue without guitars.
- If you have any scratch guitars (recorded, virtual instruments, etc), please send those in an isolated stem.
- If you have a main melody, please send it in an isolated stem, too.
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo
Antônio Guerra
♦ Book your session with Antônio here.
Written Materials
- A clear chords chart including all relevant song/cue/piece details and fully respecting its structure. Click here to view an example.
- If you want Antônio to play specific melodies in certain parts of the piece, those must be explicitly written in the chart, as in this example here.
Audio Materials
See example here.
- Fundamental to have a MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes
- Great to receive a few separate stems: for instance, one for the vocals or vocal melody, one for the instruments playing the harmony (e.g, bass, guitars or keys) and one for the rhythm instruments (e.g, percussion and drums).
- Great if the stems have one empty bar for count-in.
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
James Graham
♦ Book your session with James here.
Written Materials
- James is perfectly happy with chord charts, like in this example here.
- You should only feel compelled to write notation for James if you want him to play your music exactly as you've written it. Here's an example.
- James doesn't use MIDI scores that haven't been edited, specially if they're more than two pages long.
Audio Materials
See example here.
- Fundamental to have a MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes
- The click print on an isolated audio track is also very much welcome.
- Up to three audio stems of your song/piece/cue (e.g, vocals, bass and other instruments).
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
Damian Bolotin
♦ Book your session with Damian here.
Written Materials
See an example here.
- Clearly written score.
- If you want Damian to improvise a solo in a given part of your song, send a chords chart with the section would like him to solo in marked, as in this example (note how measure 64 has the solo indication).
Audio Materials
See an example here.
- Important: MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes
- Click print as an isolated audio stem.
- Song/piece/cue without violins.
- If you have any scratch violins (recorded, virtual instruments, etc), send them in an isolated stem.
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
Yuri Villar
♦ Book your session with Yuri here.
Written Materials
- IMPORTANT: Please don’t send your scores/charts in concert pitch for the saxophones. These are transposing instruments, so if you don’t know how to transpose a score appropriately for them, please request a pre-production/arranging session with our team. Here's a great example of a perfectly written score.
- The flute is a non-transposing instrument, which means you can present the score in concert pitch, as in this example.
- If you just want Yuri to improvise a solo in a given part of your song, feel free to send a chords chart with the section would like him to solo in marked, as in this example (note how measure 64 has the solo indication).
Audio Materials
See example here.
- Fundamental to have a MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes
- Great to also have the click print as an isolated audio stem.
- Please send your song/piece/cue without saxophones.
- If you have any scratch saxophones (recorded, virtual instruments, etc), please send those in an isolated stem.
- If you have a main melody, please send it in an isolated stem, too.
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
Josh Plotner
♦ Book your session with Josh here.
Written Materials:
- Bar numbers should match the session, usually meaning that Bar 1 is an empty bar in both the score and the music.
- Bar numbers should be below every single bar, left justified, and near the staff. This requires manual adjustment of settings in every score editor.
- Tempo markings and changes should be present in all parts. For accel/rall's, these should be marked as accel/rall, and not as a dozen tempo changes within a single bar.
- Charts should be correctly transposed (common mistakes: bass clarinet/bass sax should read in treble, piccolo sounds 8va from written, bass flute sounds 8vb from written).
- Double flats/sharps should not be used, and B#/Cb/E#/Fb should be used very sparingly. Transposed parts should be checked to make sure that these are not present.
- With the exception of saxophones, 8va/8vb's should not be used.
- 2 or 4 bars of music per system is generally best, the beginning of each system should ideally be a strong place in the phrase. 7-9 systems per page is generally preferred, but not always needed. The beginning of phrases should start at the beginning of the system with few exceptions.
- Instrumental parts should always be delivered separately, multi-stave scores are hard to deal with (unless the entire score is a single page).
- Slur/breath markings and articulations always add a lot of clarity. Unmarked quarter notes are almost always ambiguous and need clarification.
- If there is not room for breath in a long phrase, chances are a breath will occur where it is not desired.
- The use of double bar lines and multimeasure rests is very important.
- Courtesy accidentals are useful but should always be in parentheses.
- Find an example here.
Audio Materials:
- Please do not send .mp3 files, as these have no standard of encoding start time and are going to be 10 to 50 milliseconds off from .wav files. This means that your session files will either have latency and need to be adjusted or just printed on the final track with bad timing.
- Fundamental to have a MIDI tempo map when you have meter or tempo changes
- Great to also have the click print as an isolated audio stem.
- Please send your song/piece/cue without woodwinds.
- If you have any scratch woodwinds (recorded, virtual instruments, etc), please send those in an isolated stem.
- Example coming soon.
Please note: For sessions involving multiple cues, it is mandatory to combine them into one, by sending consolidated audio stems with all cues (with a few bars of silence in between each) and likewise only one PDF file for the score with all the cues in that same order (and the same number of bars of silence between each). The MIDI tempo map is even more important, here, and it’s paramount that the bar numbers on the score match the consolidated audio stems. This will ensure the most music possible gets recorded.
Want to learn more about woodwinds? Check out these amazing tutorials Josh put together!
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
Samuel da Silva
♦ Book your session with Samuel here.
Written Materials:
- Bar numbers should:
- Match the session. If there are empty bars in the beginning of your session/bounce, please place them in the score too so bar numbers always line up.
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Be shown in the beginning of each system in the score.
- Mark relevant time or rhythmic feel information (ex: Rallentando, Accelerando, Swing, Even 8ths, etc).
- Dynamics, slurs, breath markings and articulation always add a lot of clarity and help use time better during sessions.
- Mark new sections with a double bar line. Use multi-rests when possible.
- All scores and charts (notes, chords and key signatures) should be correctly transposed:
- Flute: concert pitch (no transposition required).
- Clarinet in B flat: transpose a major 2nd up (a whole tone).
- Alto Sax in E flat: transpose a major 6th up (4,5 tones).
- Tenor Sax in B flat: transpose a major 2nd + an octave up.
- Baritone Sax in E flat: transpose a major 6th + an octave up.
All instruments read in treble clef.
Click here for an example on how to transpose for all of Samuel's instruments.
- Double flats/sharps should not be used and B#, Cb, E# and Fb should be used very sparingly. Transposed parts should be checked to make sure that these are not present.
- For improvisation, supply the chord chart for the desired section. Keep the same number of bars per system (ideally 4). Don’t forget to transpose it for the desired instrument!
- If you are using a software like Logic or Sibelius to create scores automatically from midi files that are generated from live playing, bear in mind that these files often contain small rhythmic imprecisions which translate to those scores and are very hard to read. These scores should be checked to make sure the rhythm is not notated with those unnecessary difficulties or errors.
- Respect instrument ranges. For reference, after transposing (in treble clef always):
- Flute goes down to low C (1st lower ledger line).
- Clarinet goes down to low E (below 3rd lower ledger line).
- Alto and Tenor sax go down to low B flat (below 1st lower ledger line).
- Bari sax goes down to low A (2nd lower ledger line).
Upper range limits are more flexible.
- Instrumental parts should be delivered separately. Multi-stave scores are harder to read.
Audio Materials:
See example here.
- Always provide the track’s bpm. If the tempo changes during the track, it’s essential to supply a MIDI tempo map.
- Send your session in 1 to 4 stems maximum (ex: drums, bass, vocals, rest of band). If possible, I prefer to get the session split in a few tracks so I can tweak the mix a bit for my comfort while recording.
- If you have any scratch saxophones (recorded, virtual instrument, sung, etc), please send those as an isolated stem.
- If there is a melody that needs to be played over, please send it separately.
- Send .WAV files. They have higher reliability over .mp3.
If you don't know how to create any of the materials mentioned or shown above, we highly recommend booking a Pre-Production session with our Producer Pedro Araújo.
Need help? Contact us through our Support form.