How to Use Reference Tracks When Ordering a Vocal Mix

Those words mean different things to different people. A song doesn't. If you send one or two good references with a sentence about what you like in each, you cut out most of the guesswork before the first mix is even started.

The best reference is a song that is close to yours in style, tempo and vocal approach, and that sounds the way you want your finished track to sound. A few things make a reference useful:

• Same genre and energy. A hard rap vocal and a soft pop ballad need very different treatment, so a reference from the wrong world points in the wrong direction.
• A similar kind of voice. If you rap in a low, raspy voice, a reference with a bright, high singer will tell me little about what suits you.
• A well-produced release. Pick a finished, professionally released song, ideally one you've heard on good headphones, not a rough demo or a low-quality upload.
• A specific quality you can name. "I like how upfront the vocal is" or "I love how wide the doubles feel" is far more useful than "I just like the vibe."

Avoid picking a reference purely because it's popular. If the vocal doesn't match what you're trying to do, it won't help, however good the song is.

One to three is the sweet spot. One gives a clear target. Three lets you cover different qualities, such as the vocal level from one song and the space and effects from another. More than three usually blurs the picture, because the references start pulling in different directions.

For each reference, send three things:

1. 01The link or file. A streaming link is fine.
2. 02The timestamp that matters. If you only love the second verse, say "0:45 to 1:15," so I'm not guessing which part you mean.
3. 03One sentence on what you like. For example: "The vocal sits right on top of the beat but still feels warm," or "The ad-libs are wide and the reverb is short and tight."

If there's something in the reference you don't want, say that too. "Love the vocal level, but I don't want that much autotune" saves a revision.

Here is what the difference looks like in practice.

The useful version takes about two minutes to write and usually saves a full round of revisions.

A reference tells me where to aim. It doesn't turn your voice into someone else's. Every voice has its own tone, range and quirks, and every recording has its own room and microphone behind it, so the same settings never sound identical on two different people.

What a reference can do:

• Show me the vocal level, brightness and attitude you're after
• Guide how much space, width and effects to use
• Set expectations for how polished or raw the final sound should be

What it can't do:

• Make a thin recording sound like a big studio vocal
• Copy a signature sound that came from the artist's voice or a specific mic
• Replace a good recording as the starting point

The goal is the best version of your sound, in the direction of the reference. That's also the version people will recognise as you.

1. 01Sending a reference with no explanation. A link on its own leaves me guessing whether you like the vocal, the beat, the mastering or something else entirely.
2. 02Picking a reference from a different world. A reference that is far from your genre or voice gives me almost nothing to work with.
3. 03Comparing your unmixed vocal to a finished record. A raw recording will never sound like a mixed and mastered song until it has been mixed. Judge the finished mix, not the starting point.
4. 04Sending too many. Five references with five different sounds amount to no direction at all.
5. 05Listening at different volumes. A louder track often sounds better, so check your reference and your mix at the same level before you decide something is off.
6. 06Treating the reference as a rule. It's a direction. If the first mix is close in spirit but not identical, that is usually a good sign, and small revisions can close the gap.

When you're ready to order, start your mix and include your references, the timestamps you like and a line about what you want to hear. I'll take it from there.

A few guides that make the process smoother: how to record vocals at home (and send professional stems for mixing), online vocal mixing: everything you need to know, and is it worth paying for vocal mixing?