Howcast

How to Start a Girl Band

Howcast — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:04:25 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Get the types Aim for a mix of “types” — pretty in a wholesome way, nerdy in a cool way, sexy and a bit dangerous, androgynous. Everyone should look good in skimpy stage costumes.
TIP: If you have a choice between 2 equally qualified musicians, go with the one with sexier stage presence.
Step 2: Find a Svengali Find a Svengali. Behind every successful girl band is a big man in the music industry — making them sex up their act, trying to sleep with them, and taking an unfair cut of their earnings.
Step 3: Have some moves Have some dance moves. Great choreography is the key to compelling stage shows and music videos. That, and near-nudity.
TIP: Give whoever can’t dance a tambourine to bang.
Step 4: Court a little controversy Generate buzz by planting salacious rumors in the press and behaving appallingly now and then. Remember, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
TIP: Hooking up with another celebrity is a surefire way to get the tabloids’ interest.
Step 5: Find a catchy tune Find a catchy tune to record. For inspiration, research the pop genre known as “bubblegum.” You’ll have plenty of time to establish your musical cred later.
Step 6: Plan your solo career Secretly work on some of your own music so that, just as the band’s popularity is peaking, you can launch your solo career. If it doesn’t work out, there are always reunion tours.
FACT: In 2003, 3 Afghan women defied the Taliban by forming the “Burka Band” and secretly recording the song “Burka Blue,” which became an internet hit.

You Will Need

Sexy bandmates
Svengali
Dance moves
Controversy
Catchy tune
Famous hook-ups (optional)

How to Send a Demo to a Record Label

Howcast — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:45:53 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Find the right record labels Find the right record labels. Read info on the CD packaging of recording artists similar to your music style and compile a list of compatible record companies.
Step 2: Get record company contact info Get record company contact info through business reference materials often found at public libraries, such as The Music Week Directory.
Step 3: Phone record companies Phone record companies and get the name of the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) person who handles your music genre. Find out if they accept unsolicited demos.
Step 4: Send a letter of introduction Send a short letter of introduction to the A&R person before sending your demo. This may add a personal touch that gives your demo a better chance to be opened.
Step 5: Create a press kit Create a press kit. Include an eight-by-10-inch glossy black and white photo of yourself or your band, a brief artist bio, and press clippings. Contact information should be on every press kit page.
TIP: If you’re sending an album of music, recommend your strongest tracks in a short note included in the press kit.
Step 6: Properly package your demo Properly package your demo, preferably in CD format. Put the demo and kit in a padded envelope that includes your correct name and return address.
TIP: Set up an artist website with tour dates, band news, and other information. Include the URL in your kit.
Step 7: Call the A&R person Call the A&R person several days after sending the demo to make sure that they’ve received it, and then wait for them to offer you a contract.
FACT: When legendary Columbia Records scout John Hammond signed Bob Dylan in 1961, other music executives dubbed it “Hammond’s Folly.”

You Will Need

CDs
Letter of introduction
Press kit
Your demo
Padded envelope
Artist website

How to Headbang

Howcast — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:02:08 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Look the part Dress like a metal head: black combat boots, tight black jeans, leather pants, or army fatigues, a black T-shirt, and metallic accessories. Then, grow your hair at least down to your shoulders, if not longer, to show off when you headbang.
Step 2: Blast the music Blast some metal that features heavy power chords, blistering solos, and booming drums. Feel the rhythm through your body.
Step 3: Bang your head Stand up and forcefully nod your head up and down in time with the beat. Shake your hair in front of your face as you move and let the spirit of dark rock overtake you.
Step 4: Try different styles Mix up your style. Shake your head from side to side, or swing your head around in a circular motion so your hair rotates through the air. To take it to the next level, bend up and down at the waist as you headbang.
Step 5: Use your whole body Throw the rest of your body into your headbang. Stick your pinky and index fingers in the air like devil horns, position your hand like you’re holding an invisible orange, play air guitar, emit a deep roar as you lose yourself in the music — just stop before you get whiplash.
FACT: The term “headbang” originated after a 1968 Led Zeppelin concert, when fans in the front row banged their heads on the stage in time to the music.

You Will Need

Appropriate clothing
Long hair
Heavy metal music
Desire to thrash
Shaved head (optional)

How to Change a Drum Head

Howcast — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:15:41 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Loosen first rod Attach the drum key to the screw rod at the 12 o’clock position when the drum is facing you. Turn it counter-clockwise a half turn.
TIP: Don’t loosen all the screws on one side of the drum at once, because it might warp the rim.
Step 2: Loosen all rods Continue loosening every rod on top of the drum head a half turn at a time in this pattern: the one directly across from the last one you loosened, the one directly next to it as you go around clockwise. Repeat.
Step 3: Remove parts Hand-loosen and remove the screw rods, as well as any washers and adapter claws. Place them in a zipper sandwich bag and set them aside.
TIP: It’s a good idea to return the ring hoop to its old position, so you may want to mark the 12 o’clock point on both the hoop and the side of the drum before you remove it.
Step 4: Remove old head Remove the ring hoop that holds down the drum head, then take off the old drum head.
Step 5: Lubricate screw rods Put a light coating of silicone spray or grease on your screw rods to help prevent rust and make tuning easier.
Step 6: Put on new head Put on the new drum head, and return the ring hoop and hardware to their old positions.
Step 7: Tighten screws Hand-tighten all the screws using the same pattern as before, then follow the pattern with the drum key until you feel a good, strong resistance at each point.
Step 8: Wait Wait at least 15 minutes after you crank it down — the longer the better — to let the stretched-out drum head get settled on the rim.
Step 9: Test sound Test the sound of the drum by hitting it with a stick, and adjust the tightness to get the sound you want. Loosen the rods for a deeper, rock sound.
Step 10: Adjust sound Tap gently and evenly around the outer edge of the drum head with a stick to see if the pitch is even at each rod. If it’s not, make small adjustments until it is. And you’re done.
FACT: Steel drums, invented in the 1940s, don’t have heads stretched over a rim. So, except for the fact that these instruments originated from oil “drums,” they are technically not drums but idiophones.

You Will Need

Drum
Tuning key
Sandwich bag
Sticky note or other removable marker
Silicone spray or grease
New drum head
Sticks

How to Buy Drums

Howcast — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:45:47 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Buy name brands Buy brand names for greater reliability and resale value. New brand name drums for a beginner will cost about $500. Used drum sets can be had for about $200.
TIP: It’s common to buy cymbal packs or lower line cymbals. Brand name cymbals are often very expensive.
Step 2: Know basic components Know the basic components of a drum set. You should include a bass drum, a snare drum, two tom tom drums, a floor tom, two hi hat cymbals, a ride cymbal, and a crash cymbal. The seven pieces of hardware include the snare drum stand, three cymbal stands, the bass drum pedal, a seat, and drumsticks.
Step 3: Buy a set Buy a set, which is generally less expensive that buying components piece by piece. If you’re buying used set, look for one that says “whole package” to make sure you’re getting all the instruments and the hardware.
Step 4: Inspect Inspect the set to see that both the top and bottom heads are on the drums and that the drum heads are in good shape. See that none of the tuning lugs are missing. The laminate drum finish should be in good condition.
Step 5: Consider electronic Consider an electronic drum set, which uses rubber or mesh pads, if you’re in an apartment or other place where noise may be a concern. You can plug in headphones for nearly silent practice when you’re not plugged in to an amp. And it can create hundreds of different sounds.
FACT: Russ Prager set a world record for the longest drumming marathon by one person, lasting 120 hours in 2009.

You Will Need

Name brands
Knowledge of drum set components
Thorough inspection
Noise consideration

How to Start a Band

Howcast — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:02:07 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Find bandmates Find other musicians to play with by recruiting your friends or school mates who are interested in music or by placing an ad on a bulletin board, on Craigslist, or in the paper.
TIP: Chemistry is important, so choose members you like, not just those who are skilled. They can always learn their instruments as you play.
Step 2: Decide on a sound Decide on a sound as a band. Talk about your musical influences and what genres you like so you can create a new sound together.
Step 3: Set rehearsals Set a rehearsal schedule up with your band. Decide how often you want to practice and what your level of commitment is to the band.
Step 4: Write material Write original material for your band. Show off this material on MySpace or on a personal website. Having a presence on the web is an excellent way to book gigs and alert your fans to tour dates.
Step 5: Get gigs Get gigs with your new band. Contact local venues and point them to your online presence. Now watch as the fans jump on your awesome rock and roll bandwagon.
FACT: In anthropology, a “band” is defined as a type of political structure consisting of a small, egalitarian kinship group.

You Will Need

Bandmates
Internet access
Material
Gigs

How to Make a Smooth Rock Music Video

Howcast — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:35:46 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Choose a song Pick a song to use in your video. Make sure any sophisticated melodies or complex drumbeats are overpowered by a voice so smooth, it’s like warm butter being spread over freshly resurfaced ice.
Step 2: Find the talent Assemble the musicians. Tease their hair, and dress them in shirts with wide collars, leather vests, and extremely tight pants. Remember: smooth, soft rock isn’t just about music — it’s about a state of mind.
TIP: Have male musicians grow thick facial hair to offset their polished, smooth rock sound.
Step 3: Build a set Fill a soundstage with black velvet fabric. Then, place extremely bright lights behind and to the side of the talent, so the musicians seem to emerge magically from surrounding darkness.
Step 4: Shoot Start the smooth rock song and shoot the musicians lip-syncing and playing their instruments from a variety of angles. Include multiple close-ups of each performer’s hands and long, steady shots of the singer’s plaintive facial expressions.
TIP: Put a diffusion filter on the camera’s lens to give your shots a dreamy, mellow haze.
Step 5: Edit the footage Using video-editing software, sync shot changes to the music, add a color-correction filter to make shadows harsher, and reduce the video’s visual quality to simulate older videotape formats. Then, post the final product online, and help others enjoy the pleasant vibes of a smooth rock groove.
FACT: Hall and Oates had 6 platinum albums between 1981 and 1988.

You Will Need

Overproduced rock song
Musicians
Early-’80s clothing
Black velvet fabric
Bright lights
Video camera
Video-editing software
Diffusion filter (optional)
Taste (optional)

How to Write a Biography for Your Band

Howcast — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:05:44 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Make an outline Write out an outline that lists your band’s major musical influences, accomplishments, important gigs, and members and their parts.
Step 2: Write the first paragraph on who Develop your first paragraph. Start with statements that introduce your band with its name, members’ hometowns, music genre, and major influences.
Step 3: Write the second paragraph on why Write a second paragraph that includes an explanation of why the biography was written, and how it might tie into a new release, a new member, or upcoming gigs.
TIP: Keep the biography to one page, or 800 to 1,000 words.
Step 4: Write abut accomplishments Develop the third and fourth paragraphs by including member backgrounds, group formation, accomplishments, and special recognitions.
Step 5: End with a quote or endorsement End with a quote from a fan, or an endorsement. Include information about current and upcoming events and the band’s web site.
FACT: The first bestselling biography was James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson. He used letters, memoirs, and interviews with friends.

You Will Need

Pen and paper
Band memorabilia for reference
Quotes from fans
Endorsements
Word-processing software (optional)

How to Start a Boy Band

Howcast — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:01:29 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Assemble the members Start by finding four friends to join your band to create a fierce, 5-guy force. Make yourself the front man; then, divvy up roles for the others to include a quiet member, a good boy, a bad boy, and a fresh-faced, innocent cutie.
TIP: A group composed entirely of relatives can have as few as 3 members.
Step 2: Find a name Give the band a name that’s easy to remember and short enough to be chanted by legions of fans for hours on end.
Step 3: Get a manager Pick someone to manage your band. Trust their advice on how to look, walk, talk, act, laugh, pose, and smell. Pay them at least 10 percent of your earnings to guarantee they’ll consider your needs at least 10 percent of the time.
Step 4: Sing out Write lyrics for 10 songs with simple rhymes and repetitive choruses. Then, seek out professional songwriters to ensure the melodies really gnaw at listeners’ brains. Feature select parts for each member’s voice and a few unified moments of luscious harmony.
TIP: If you lack vocal talent, compensate with vocoders and auto-tuning.
Step 5: Move your feet Develop choreography to perform while lip-syncing your songs. Include a signature step you can repeat in each number to win the hearts of teenage groupies around the globe.
Step 6: Practice, practice, practice Practice relentlessly before taking your act on the road. Then, after 5 years of music videos and photo shoots, grab your money and enter the world of men. Don’t worry — another boy band will start up to take your place before you know it.
FACT: ‘N Sync’s 2000 album, No Strings Attached, went platinum 11 times.

You Will Need

Friends
Band name
Manager
Songs
Choreography
Family members (optional)
Vocoder and auto-tuner (optional)

How to Learn Circular Breathing

Howcast — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:01:50 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Practice breathing with puffed cheeks Puff out your cheeks, and then breathe normally through your nose to get the feel of breathing with your cheeks extended.
Step 2: Blow air out lips while breathing in Puff your cheeks and create a small hole between your lips. Control the muscles in your cheeks to allow air to exit slowly through the hole while you breathe in and out through your nose.
Step 3: Use a straw to mimic an instrument Place a straw in a glass of water, puff your cheeks, and squeeze the top of the straw between your lips.
Step 4: Empty your lungs Inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale through your mouth at a constant pace until you empty your lungs. Keep the bubbles in the water as regular as possible.
TIP: Fill your mouth with water and push it out in a stream using your tongue and cheek muscles. Next, breathe in and out through your nose while making the stream.
Step 5: Close your throat Repeat step four but, before your lungs empty, fill your cheeks and mouth with air and inhale quickly and deeply through your nose. Close your throat off with the back of your tongue, and continue to exhale.
Step 6: Switch between mouth and lungs Breathe in through your nose to replenish your lungs with air while continuously blowing out the air stored in your cheeks and mouth. Switch to pushing air out from your lungs; then close your throat and expel the air in your mouth while you inhale.
TIP: Lay aside the straw and start practicing with your instrument as soon as you feel ready to improve your circular breathing skills.
Step 7: Practice holding pitch with a mouthpiece and barrel Practice holding a steady pitch using only your mouthpiece and barrel. Blow air with your cheeks alternately puffed and unpuffed. Then introduce circular breathing.
TIP: Mask the “bump” that is commonly heard when switching between lung air and mouth air by transitioning during a quick series of musical notes.
Step 8: Add the rest of the instrument Incorporate your entire wind instrument into your circular breathing practice. Focus on mastering the technique before worrying about making a perfect sound.
FACT: A U.S. postal worker known as ‘The Puffy Cheek Bandit’ pleaded guilty to robbing 27 banks in five different states.

You Will Need

Straw
Glass of water
Your woodwind instrument

How to Market Your Band

Howcast — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:15:41 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Create flyers Create flyers, which are an easy way to expose locals to your band. Post as many of your flyers as you can. Hit record stores, music shops, concert venues, and bars, along with any other places music lovers frequent.
TIP: To save money, copy the flyers in black and white.
Step 2: Get online Create a web site for your band and create profiles on free social-networking sites. An online presence will allow you to reach more people than just those in your geographical area.
TIP: Don’t forget to list your URL on any flyers you create.
Step 3: Get heard Upload your music to your web site, social-networking sites, and public forums. Prepare CD demos that you can give away to people who might want to book your band or sign you to a recording contract.
TIP: Record a video of your band and upload the clip for more exposure.
Step 4: Network Go to as many shows as you can, and listen to other bands. Talk to them about what they are doing to book gigs and be noticed.
FACT: Did you know? In a recent survey, almost half of 13- to 17-year-olds used social-networking sites to download or stream music.

You Will Need

Flyers
A web presence
Networking skills
Demo recordings
A Video (optional)

How to Start an Independent Record Label

Howcast — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:45:48 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Write a business plan Write a business plan to demonstrate to potential investors that you know what is involved in running a label.
Step 2: Raise capital Put together a budget, and raise the capital necessary to form and run the business. Funds can come from personal savings, loans from family or friends, bank loans, or investors.
Step 3: Choose a name Choose a name for the label.
TIP: Check with local, state, and federal laws to ensure the business is properly registered.
Step 4: Contract a band Contract an artist or band that makes great music and record their album.
TIP: Pick a band that is willing to tour. A record label suffers if the band does not tour.
Step 5: Contact the press Submit the band’s record to the press four months before the release date. This increases the chances of getting a review around the release date.
Step 6: Send press to distributors Send any press about your label or its bands to music distributors.
Step 7: Make the album available Have the album available in stores and online so the fans who didn’t buy one at the concert can get an album with little hassle afterwards.
FACT: Did you know? The original record players used wax cylinders that were 4¼ inches long.

You Will Need

A business plan
Money
A name
A band or artist
A recording studio

How to Sell Your Music on iTunes

Howcast — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:36:47 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Get your music ready Make sure your music is ready for public consumption. Don’t forget cover art and any liner notes you want to include.
Step 2: Get a UPC barcode Get a UPC barcode from a CD duplication company or online music distributor. Type “UPC code iTunes Store” into a search engine to find some options, which range in price from $10 to $30.
TIP: Read online reviews and ratings before you choose a UPC code vendor.
Step 3: Find a distributor Find a distributor. To ensure you pick a legitimate company, look through several reviews of the company on various web sites. The distributor receives a percentage of every sale you make.
Step 4: Protect your rights Protect your rights. Maintain ownership of your music by carefully reading all contracts to ensure you are only giving the company the right to distribute your music. If a contract has language about giving the distributor rights to your work, find another company.
TIP: Expect to pay a one-time sign-up fee, which sometimes includes a UPC code, plus a maintenance fee of about $1 per song and per album to keep your listings current.
Step 5: Send your distributor your CD Send in your CD or digital files to the distributor you have chosen.
TIP: If you mail a physical CD to your distributor, make sure it’s packaged exactly how you want it to be sold, including jewel case, cover art, booklet, CD art, and liner notes.
Step 6: Check iTunes for your music Your music should automatically be placed in the iTunes Store within a few weeks. If you do not find it there, notify your distributor.
Step 7: Renew your distribution deal Most distribution deals are only good for one year. To avoid having your music removed from iTunes and other online retailers, make sure you keep your account up to date.
Step 8: Promote your music Just because your music is now available on iTunes doesn’t mean it will be a best-seller. It’s still up to you to promote your sound!
FACT: One independent distributor has paid more than $105 million to artists since it was founded in 1997.

You Will Need

A CD or digital files of original
Recorded music
Money

How to Play a Harmonica

Howcast — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:47:51 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Hold the harmonica properly Get ready to play by holding the harmonica in one hand, grid toward your face, clamped in the crook of your forefinger and thumb.
Step 2: Cup the other hand Hold it so the numbers are over the holes as you face it, low notes on the left, high ones on the right. Cup the hand holding the harmonica with your other hand, creating a chamber to trap and release volume.
TIP: Slap the harmonica against your leg to knock out saliva.
Step 3: Loosen up Slacken your shoulders and neck to get ready. Lick the mouthpiece to make sure you can slide it across your lips. Move the harmonica, not your head, when you play.
Step 4: Start playing Move the harmonica further into your mouth. The sound comes from your breath going in and out at various angles. Use your diaphragm to breathe instead of merely blowing and sucking.
Step 5: Tongue-block Block holes with your tongue to isolate individual notes.
Step 6: Read the tablature If you have sheet music, read the tablature that identifies the numbers on the harmonica. When a number is circled, inhale.
Step 7: Open the cupped hand Open the cupped hand intermittently to change the volume and effect. Slide the harmonica to create trills in the flow. Keep practicing, baby.
FACT: Harmonicas were first manufactured in Germany in the early 19th century.

You Will Need

Harmonica
Sheet music (optional)

How to Go on Your First Tour

Howcast — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:48:54 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Budget for all expenses – gas, food, hotels, and incidentals. And don’t forget to leave a cushion in case of emergencies.
Step 2: If you’ve been getting airtime in a certain city, or your web site gets a lot of comments from people in one particular area, try to book a gig there. Otherwise, your budget will determine how far from home you go. Make sure your van is in good working order.
TIP: Get a tune-up for your van before you hit the road.
Step 3: Think cheap! On your first tour, you won’t be staying in five-star hotels. You might even be staying in your van.
TIP: Stay in hotels outside major metropolitan areas to save money.
Step 4: Just because you’re drawing 200 people every time you play in your hometown doesn’t mean you’ll do the same on the road. Book smaller clubs unless you know you have a fan base.
TIP: Try to open for an established band in a new city, and in exchange have them open for you in your hometown.
Step 5: Promote your shows via your web site and social-networking profiles. The day of a show, book some local morning radio shows for interviews and to play live. You lose sleep, but it’s great advertising.
Step 6: Get someone to man the merchandise table. If you can’t invest in CD’s, have someone with a laptop charge people to download songs onto their mp3 players and phones.
Step 7: The best way to get invited back to a club is to be professional. So be on your best behavior, show up on time, and meet your obligations to the music club that booked you.
FACT: Bob Dylan has given more than 2,000 live concerts since 1988.

You Will Need

A band
A budget
A van
Self-promotion
A professional demeanor

How to Copyright a Song

Howcast — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:01:35 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Ready your song Ready your song for submission by writing out the sheet music — and lyrics, if any — or recording it as an MP3, or on a cassette tape, LP, or CD.
Step 2: Create an account Go to the U.S. Copyright Office website — at http://www.copyright.gov — and click on the electronic copyright office. Register for a free account, which you’ll use to submit your work for copyright.
TIP: If you’d rather mail your application — which is slower — download and complete Form CO, and send it in with a check or money order for $45 and a copy or recording of your work.
Step 3: Fill out the application Complete the online copyright application. You’ll be asked questions about yourself and your work, and where you’d like the copyright certification to be sent.
TIP: Before providing optional information, remember your application will be available to others, and much of it may be accessible online.
Step 4: Pay the fee Pay the $35 fee online with a credit or debit card, electronic check, or a Copyright Office deposit account.
Step 5: Upload your work After completing payment, upload an electronic copy of your work. While most major types of audio, text, and image files are accepted, see the Copyright Office’s FAQ for a complete list.
TIP: You can choose to send a hard copy, but it won’t be returned, and you’ll need to send it in a box — not an envelope. Click to print a shipping slip, and be sure to send CDs in full-sized jewel cases.
Step 6: Wait Wait for the certificate of registration, which can take about eight months if you filed by paper. Your actual copyright, however, becomes effective the day your materials are received.
FACT: David Bowie and Queen successfully sued Vanilla Ice for copyright infringement of their song “Under Pressure” when Vanilla’s song “Ice Ice Baby” became a hit in 1990.

You Will Need

A copy of the song
A filing fee

How to Make a Music Video

Howcast — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:01:10 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Pick a song Pick a song. Ideally, you want one that’s less than 4 minutes long. Songs that tell a story work well, though non-narrative approaches can also be arresting.
Step 2: Brainstorm Brainstorm ideas for how you’d like to illustrate the song. And don’t feel you have to be too literal; many of the greatest videos represent the emotion or theme of a song, not just its lyrics.
Step 3: Make a shot list Take your idea and make a list of the shots you’ll need to make your video. Draw sketches of particular shots that you think are very important. Planning shots ahead of time will make things run much more smoothly.
Step 4: Choose a style Choose a style for the video. Maybe you want to shoot entirely in black and white, or maybe you want to use stop-motion animation. It’s better to decide now than halfway through the actual shooting.
TIP: Don’t forget to consult the band! Some bands will want to be featured in the video, some will want to have shots of them playing spliced into the video, and some won’t want to appear at all.
Step 5: Start shooting Shoot the actual elements of the video. Since the only sound in most videos is the song, you don’t have to worry about audio.
TIP: If you’re going to have shots of someone singing or rapping, play the song in the background of a shot to make sure their lips are perfectly synchronized.
Step 6: Do multiple takes Do multiple takes of each shot, and don’t be afraid to mix things up if a new idea comes to you. The more footage you end up with, the easier the editing will be and the better the video will look.
Step 7: Edit the video Load all of your raw footage into an editing system, turn on the song, and start editing to the music. There are a variety of editing suites available for every budget, ranging from thousands of dollars to free. For starters, try the inexpensive iMovie or Final Cut Express.
TIP: Great videos feel like visual versions of the songs they represent. Make sure your edits reflect that—a bunch of quick, sharp cuts during a lazy bass solo is probably going to look awful.
Step 8: Add effects Add effects to put the finishing touches on the video. Blur scenes, add slow motion, correct colors—this is just as much a part of the video as the shots themselves.
FACT: Some six months after appearing on YouTube, OK Go’s video for ‘Here It Goes Again,’ which showed the band dancing on treadmills, had been viewed more than 10 million times—and had won them a Grammy.

You Will Need

A song
An idea
A shot list
A video camera
Video and audio editing tools

How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio

Howcast — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 10:31:03 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: List work surfaces List the available work surfaces in your studio, such as desks, stackable shelves or even milk crates and two-by-fours.
Step 2: Set up u-shaped area Set up a U-shaped area by arranging a desk and a secondary work surface in an L-shape, with a rack or shelves making up the third leg.
Step 3: Place swivel chair Place a swivel chair in the middle of your workspace. Test your ability to easily access all of the workspaces from the chair.
TIP: Invest in a quality chair that doesn’t cause your back or legs to tire easily. And make sure it doesn’t squeak.
Step 4: Position equipment Position your recording equipment on your work surfaces. Put frequently adjusted things within arm’s reach.
TIP: Electrical cords can cause audio equipment to hum or buzz, so position components so that wires are as far apart as possible. If they must cross, place them perpendicularly to reduce noise.
Step 5: Hang drapes If your studio faces a noisy street, hang the thickest drapes you can find.
Step 6: Cover hard floors Cover wood, tile, or cement floors with carpet remnants or heavy rugs to reduce echoes and reverberations.
TIP: Stand in the middle of your studio and clap your hands hard. If you hear echoes, cover walls with fabric or sound-dampening foam.
Step 7: Mount speakers Mount speakers at ear-level, spaced so that you can sit centered in the sound stream during playback. This may involve building a platform for the speakers on your desk, or hanging them on a wall or from the ceiling.
Step 8: Get “bumper” music If you are creating a podcast, you may want to have “bumper” music at the start and end of each broadcast, so you’d need to have a CD player handy.
Step 9: Position instruments Position any instruments you may have at the open end of the workspace, where you can access them easily. Ideally, you want to be able to begin recording and playing without much time or effort devoted to moving from one task to the other.
Step 10: Start recording Begin recording your future hit!
FACT: Boston’s self-titled debut album was recorded mostly in band member Tom Scholz’s basement studio.

You Will Need

Work surfaces
such as a desk
table
stackable shelves
A good swivel chair
A computer and sound card or a dedicated recording console
A six- or twelve- channel mixer
A quality microphone
A good set of speakers
A keyboard stand
Graphic equalizers
Pitch correction machine
A reverb unit
Heavy drapes
Carpet remnants or heavy rugs
Fabric or sound-dampening foam
A CD player
Musical instruments