Pre-Production Planner
Agree the goal, set each song's tempo, key and arrangement, and plan who and what is needed each day. By Music Manager Resource.
Pre-Production Planner is part of the Studio section of Music Manager Resource.
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What pre-production is
Pre-production is the work done before the studio clock starts. It usually means deciding what the record is for, choosing and arranging songs, settling tempos and keys, and making sure everyone knows what will happen on each day. Problems are far cheaper to solve in a rehearsal room than during a paid recording session, which is why this stage often saves more money than any other.
Start with the goal
Before talking about mics or guitars, agree what the record is for. Is it a set of radio singles, a demo to pitch to a label, or a document of the band live? Then describe how it should sound. Reference tracks help, but say what you like about each one, such as the drum sound or how dry the vocal is. Two people can love the same record for completely different reasons.
Get the songs ready
For each song, settle the tempo, key and arrangement before tracking. Try the song at different tempos, check the singer is comfortable in the key and listen for sections that outstay their welcome. List the parts to be recorded so you can estimate how long each song will take. Mark each song's status so that it is obvious which ones are not ready.
Plan the days
Be realistic about how much can be done. Leave time for setting up, for tuning and for the session that overruns. Put the most important work where people will have the most energy. List everything that needs booking or hiring, and who is responsible for it, so nobody assumes someone else has done it.
How to use this planner
Fill in the project details, songs, schedule and what is needed. You can save it to your account. Export a PDF and share it with everyone involved, so the artist, players and engineer all arrive knowing the plan. Update it when plans change, because they will.