Start-to-Finish Producers

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Our friend William Barry, who is an awesome singer and lyricist. He has performed in front of huge audiences and has a vibrant and infectious energy that can excite anyone.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: We promise you'll love your project and the quality of our work! We want our music to be memorable.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making music, collaborating with artists, finding the perfect vibe and getting to a result that everyone is proud of! :)

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: "Are your rates flexible?" We like to focus on the creating, so we try and always work with a client's budget. We have connections with producers, engineers, and musicians that we can hire for different budgets than ours. "Can we work in-person?" Do the pandemic, we are not meeting with clients in-person. We will be available for Zoom calls, and do hope to thoroughly communicate and collaborate through Zoom so that projects can be made under the discretion of the client.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: A common misconception is that it's an easy, or quick, job. It requires a lot of experience with multiple tools and softwares until it gets faster and less intimidating. Most ideas take time to experiment in order to find the right sounds or implementations. We also can't just fix everything.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Fresh and modern. We always have our ears toward what's new and cutting edge.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: If we had to pick one we would love to work with Kendrick Lamar. Probably because we admire his work and collaborations. We would ask him about his thoughts on lyricism, culture, and the studio lifestyle.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are some references that you have? What are some of their inspirations for their music? Who is their ideal audience? Do they have a plan for marketing their projects once they are finished?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Communication is crucial to getting the sound and vibe that you want. Make sure the creators are always on the same page to ensure there won't be any misdirection. Be willing to respect the input and advice from all of the collaborators. Ultimately, everyone hopes to be proud of their work and their results.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: A laptop with Ableton 11, a solar-powered charger, field recorder, guitar, and a midi keyboard.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: Around 2016, Swami Beatz formed in a recording studio in Los Angeles. Andrew, Mark, and Aleks engineered and produced for clients, and then began working on their own projects with local artists. They released albums of Hip Hop songs under APM Music, and have had their music placed on various streaming shows, and television networks. Prior to the pandemic, they were engineering for labels and producing for independent artists.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Parallel processing is great for every stage in production, including mixing, and mastering. Like taking a vocal, then duplicating it and stacking it with a more compressed version. Using a bit of saturation on an entire mix helps to increase definition and low-end thickness.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Mostly Hip Hop. Followed by Pop and EDM.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Communication and being invested in every project. Helping artists achieve a sound they are looking for. Taking time, care, and attention to detail with every song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: After discussing a project with a client, we make a plan of action with a timeline. After every stage of production, we send demo files to the client and get their approval before moving forward.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: We are operating remotely. We are not engineering artists at the moment. We are still producing, mixing, and mastering at our home studios. Nothing has changed dramatically, we are hopping on Zoom to discuss project details with clients.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: The Neptunes, Stargate, Kendrick Lamar, Saba, Flume, Flying Lotus, the list goes on. Musicians that are passionate, pioneers, and create a culture around their art.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Most of our experience comes from engineering and recording artists. When artists are in the studio, usually they will need mixing and mastering services as well. Which are services we also provide.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Fresh and modern. We always have our ears toward what's new and cutting edge.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog. Digital gear can sound too clean and robotic. It is a lot faster to work with Digital though. Analog gear has certain qualities that can add pleasant rawness and saturation.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Unique, modern sound design. Years of experience producing and mixing in different genres.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Our work with Alex Wiley - Engineers and some mixing for him and his really dope producer friend, Mike Gao. Working with Aaryan Shah. Producing, engineering, and mixing his first two albums start-to-finish. Working with Moneybagg Yo - Engineering with some vocal mixing. Listening party for his album, Federal 3X, which reached #5 on Billboard 200 and #4 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Album

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: There are a couple of on-going projects. Producing, writing, and mixing for Aleks James, Keenan The First, and Marsel-IS. Producing and mixing for Pop, RnB, and Rap clients.