Music Production Studio

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

A: As soon as we know someone on SoundBetter whose work we appreciate, we are happy to recommend them to others.

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

A: Audio workstation, MIDI keyboard, mixing console, cables, speakers

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Talk to the artists you work with. Listen to them carefully! Immerse yourself in the stories they want to tell through their songs.

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

A: Lylian: Lylian is a fantastic singer and colleague. Extremely dedicated, creative, hard-working. It's great fun working with her and producing her songs.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: We are currently working on the music composition and production for Lylian (Pop, Lounge Music), a talented, brilliant singer and songwriter from Germany.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: At Saltman Audio Lab, we dive deeply into the stories you want to tell with your songs. We start with a personal conversation to fully understand your visions and ideas. Our creative process guides you through every stage – from initial recordings to the final mastering. With state-of-the-art technology and years of experience, we ensure that your sound is exceptional. We place great importance on flexibility and regular feedback to ensure that the final result perfectly suits you.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Both have their advantages!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: We ask our clients who their favourite artists are and whose music inspires them.

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

A: What would we recommend to potential clients who are new to the business and may not have much experience yet? If you are looking for a new music producer, composer, and/or songwriter team, you should have a clear idea of your wishes and visions for the new songs you would like us to produce for you. Take your time, discuss this with your team, and compile a list of songs that inspire you, even if it takes some time. In the end, both you and we will benefit, as we will gain a clearer understanding of your wishes. This is the only way we can ensure that we produce magical songs for you.

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

A: Our team brings together the best of both worlds: formally trained composers and songwriters work hand in hand with talented self-taught individuals to create fresh and innovative songs. This blend of formal education and intuitive creativity results in a unique diversity of musical ideas. Joanna studied music composition at the prestigious Birmingham School of Music and quickly secured a publishing deal with RCA/Arista. She has produced radio idents and jingles for some of the UK’s biggest stations, including BRMB and the GWR Network. Her compositions have been featured in Discovery Channel documentaries such as Bear Sanctuary and My Horror Home. Additionally, she has written music for Bigpoint (game developers), MRSS (Auto Gyro commercials), and SciVit (music and voiceover), and she orchestrated works for ensembles in Moscow, Poland, and the Czech Republic. She has also been a musician in a band for many years and performs live concerts around the world. Lydia brings her experience as an artist and event manager into the studio. She studied English and German studies and has successfully managed bands and events for many years. As a musician and songwriter, she performed with her former band in the popular German MDR crime series Polizeiruf 110 (episode: Hexen brennen), which also featured her music. Sylvio is self-taught. By learning from mentors in a studio in Halle/Saale and through his own initiative, he has developed extensive skills. Sylvio has produced remixes for international artists and bands such as Dronningen (London), I Am Harlequin (London), Watermät (France), Jaël Malli (Switzerland), Unique (Hungary), and Ultima Bleep (Germany). As a mixing engineer, he was responsible for the audio post-production of Parisian artist Fleur Dupleich’s album Bouquet. His work spans post-productions for films, series, and TV commercials, including brands like Lufthansa, Volkswagen, Audi, Mazda, Lidl, and Hornbach. For the documentary film Anton Bruckner – Das verkannte Genie, he handled the sound design, editing, and final mix. Together with Joanna, he worked on projects for Bigpoint and MRSS, among others. In 2021, Sylvio was able to secure a contract with one of Germany's largest broadcasters for the former recording studio, as a contract service provider in the field of audio productions and audio post-production. In 2024, following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joanna and Sylvio breathed new life into their studios with a fresh concept and bold new ideas. With Lydia’s strong support in management, they are returning to their roots, composing and producing music for artists in the Saltman Audio Lab who share their passion and professional creative visions.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: We write soulful, emotional music. Through our song productions, we aim to take your listeners on a journey through moving, sensitive, and dreamy stories. Our music is characterised by a variety of influences, including pop, electronic music, lounge, and rock elements.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Our greatest strength lies in our team and our extensive experience in the music industry as songwriters, music producers, composers, and mixing engineers. We utilise this expertise to deliver top-notch results for you. In addition, you will benefit from our broad network within the music and media sectors. We maintain close relationships with key decision-makers, such as brand managers, music supervisors, A&Rs, music publishers (including Warner Chappell Production Music, ROBA Music Publishing), music licensors for TV commercials and films (such as Tracks & Fields), music and artist managers, advertising agencies, film directors, creative producers, and many other key players.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Our team of songwriters, composers, and music producers each offer over 20 years of experience in music production for artists and bands. With a deep understanding of creative details and sound aesthetics, we ensure that your music sounds unique. Our experienced audio post-production mixing engineer will add the finishing touches and the brilliance your songs deserve.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: In our recording studios in England and Germany, we use state-of-the-art technology for vocal recording, music production, and audio post-production for your songs. The workstations in our recording studios are systems specifically designed to meet our requirements, which, in terms of overall performance, would also be capable of handling audio post-production for large cinema film productions. We use Nuendo from Steinberg Media Technologies as the DAW for our music productions in our recording studio in Germany, and Logic from Apple in our recording studio in England. We are also able to conduct remote recordings from our recording studios. As a remote recording solution, we use VST Connect from Steinberg. For remote recordings, the sound engineer of the recording studio where the artist is currently located only needs to install VST Connect for Windows or Mac from the Steinberg website (https://www.steinberg.net/vst-connect/). VST Connect is free of charge for the other party's recording studio. Via VoIP – Voice over IP – VST Connect transmits not only the audio signals in real time but also the video signals. VST Connect has a camera function so that we can see the singer / our customers and they can see us.

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

A: At Saltman Audio Lab, we create songs that elevate your sound to the next level. Our experienced team of songwriters, composers, producers, and mixing engineers is passionate about turning your musical vision into reality – from the initial idea to the final mix.

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

A: Exclusivity! Confidentiality and maximum discretion! Highest quality! Space for creativity and creative visions! Constructive feedback and creative support from our team! Individual artistic orientation! Adherence to deadlines and flexibility! Technical perfection! Specialisation of our team for your requirements! Efficiency and availability! Long-term partnership! Collaboration with other artists and producers!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: We love working with you, our clients, turning your wishes and music ideas into wonderful songs and telling stories. Music is our passion. We live for music.

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

A: The most common questions are whether we can realise their style, wishes, and ideas, how much experience we have, what the processes in the studio involve, how long it takes to fully produce a song or an album, and what the costs are. We strive to fulfil all of your wishes, our clients, to the best of our knowledge and ability, within the genres we focus on.

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

A: At Saltman Audio Lab, we also handle the audio post-production of your songs. There is a common misconception that audio post-production is a “quick job,” much like how audio mastering is often confused with mixing. The post-production of music, like audio production in general, is one of the most crucial processes for ensuring high-quality results. The mixing of songs relies on the years of experience of the mixing engineer, while audio mastering is a purely technical process designed to transfer audio recordings from one medium to another, with specific standards that must be met. Mastering is not a one-size-fits-all process. For example, vinyl mastering involves using a digital master as a template to create a vinyl master, from which copies are then made (records are pressed). This requires specialised knowledge and technology, which is managed by vinyl pressing plants.

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

A: Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Lana del Rey, Dagny, Christine and the Queens, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Nina Chuba, Mathew James White, Lena Meyer-Landrut, Lea. They are all great artists and great personalities whose style we love.

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

A: Producers / Composers / Writers: Jack Antonoff, Kelvyn Hallifax, Dagny Norvoll Sandvik, Lars Horntveth, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (The Weeknd), Max Martin, Oscar Holter Beatrice Bonnano, Anne Freier. Artists: Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Christine and the Queens, Dagny, Lana del Rey, Lady Gaga, Lea, Dronningen, I Am Harlequin

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

A: Pop, Dream Pop, Indie-Pop, Baroque Pop, Alternative, Pop-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, EDM