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Join ICON Live! on Instagram and Get Industry Advice


ICON’s instructors will share their specialized music industry knowledge across a variety of topics. Stream with us Live from ICON’s Instagram (@iconcollective).

Presenting ICON Live!

A core part of ICON’s philosophy is supporting the music community. We support this collective both during and after their time as students. We endow these like-minded creatives with the skills to support themselves by creating their own network.

In the face of grueling uncertainty for the music community worldwide, ICON is coming straight to you in the form of ICON Live!

This new live stream series will bring ICON’s intuitive curriculum to our Instagram ( @iconcollective ). Our professional instructors and seasoned alumni will teach these exclusive videos.

Check out what you can learn about music production, the music industry, and ICON’s ethos in the schedule below:

ICON Live 001 | Art of Flow w/ Aaron Perez – 5/6/20 @ 2PM PDT

Aaron Perez is an indispensable part of ICON. After graduating from the Online Program , he served as Admissions Director for seven years. He also helped curate the culture among our students that makes ICON special.

Now, Aaron continues to push the school forward as its Marketing Director and instructor for ICON’s foundation course: Art of Flow. Given his earnest connection to ICON, there’s no one better to bring the Art of Flow to the world.

Connect with Aaron Perez

ICON Live 002 | DJ Set from Anakim – 5/13/20 @ 6PM PDT

Graduating from ICON in 2015, Riccardo Lebron has made a mark on the world of melodic house and techno with his Anakim project. His artist resume includes releases on mau5trap, EIN2, and Desert Hearts Black. He has also landed gigs at EDC Vegas, Nocturnal Wonderland, and a residency at Hollywood’s Sound Nightclub. 

Imbuing every track and set with his affinity for all things intergalactic, Anakim will take our Instagram on a journey through time and space.

Connect with Anakim

ICON Live 003 | Scoring to Picture w/ Matt Nauss – 5/19/20 @ 2PM PDT

Besides being an instructor and mentor at ICON, Matt Nauss has extensive composing credits for film, television, and commercials (all of which earn him royalties). For music producers, this revenue can be one of the most accessible sources of steady income. 

Tap into the world of scoring. Matt will use his time on ICON Live! to provide tips on scoring to picture.

Connect with Matt Nauss

ICON Live 004 | Modular Synthesis w/ Joe Caputo – 5/28/20 @ 2PM PDT

Have you ever watched videos of deadmau5’s studio and seen the walls filled with endless cables, buttons, nobs, and flashing lights? That’s his prized collection of modular synthesizers! 

Modular synthesizers create electronic sounds with a multitude of different modules. The individual modules connect via patch cables, switches, sliders, and patch panels. 

Joe Caputo is an expert at modular synthesis! For his session on ICON Live!, he will demonstrate how to use these machines to manifest sonic landscapes.

Connect with Joe Caputo

ICON Live 005 | Track Feedback w/ Petey Clicks – 6/2/20 @ 2PM PDT

As a part of the legendary Night Bass crew, Petey Clicks has toured all over the world. He has also served as A&R on Night Bass Records for years. Throughout that time, he’s heard hundreds of prospective tracks and developed a keen ear for constructive critique. Now’s your chance to receive feedback on your music from a seasoned pro. All genres welcome.

Connect with Petey Clicks

ICON Live 006 | Sound Design Workshop w/ Lumberjvck – 6/13/20 @ 3PM PDT

Bass music is currently enjoying favorable status in the modern music scene, and Lumberjvck is one of the genre’s ear-catching innovators. 

Lumberjvck’s talent for sound design is revered. Check out his releases across impressive labels like Buygore, Smog, Disciple, Kannibalen, Quality Goods, and Rottun Recordings. Then tune in to his ICON Live! session to get an exclusive look at his process. He will also serve up tips and tricks to make your tracks pop.

Connect with Lumberjvck

ICON Live 007 | Building Your Brand w/ Whyel – 6/18/20 @ 2PM PDT

If you haven’t heard of #RageBrigade , you will soon enough as ICON Grad, Whyel rises through the ranks. Early in his career, he established his brand as “The Punk of EDM.” With that platform, Whyel has found considerable success, which includes his new track “HEAD TRIP.” Check it out now on Bite This!, Jauz’s label. 

Whyel will go over how he built his brand and share strategies to help young artists develop their unique brand.

Connect with Whyel

ICON Live 008 | Merchandising w/ Dack Janiels – 6/25 @ 2PM PDT

Another solid source of income for artists is merchandising. But successfully marketing merch takes more than just cool designs. It takes a level of brand consistency and cohesion that ICON Grad Dack Janiels has curated with 40oz. Cult. 

40oz. Cult is Dack’s label, artist collective, and clothing line. He will discuss how to create merch that speaks to your artistic vision.

Connect with Dack Janiels

ICON Live 009 | Life as a Full-Time Artist w/ Sippy – 7/2/20 @ 2PM PDT

Simply put, Sippy is a self-made woman. After graduating from ICON’s Online Program, she conquered the bass scene in her hometown of Sydney, Australia. Sippy then made the move to Los Angeles and become a staple of Zeds Deads’ Deadbeats label and event series. Now she will be sharing sound insight into her journey as a part of ICON Live!

Connect with Sippy

ICON Live 010 | Get Your Demo Signed w/ Des McMahon – 7/8/20 @ 2PM PDT

On average, prominent labels receive hundreds of demos per week. Even if A&Rs at those labels listen to them all (which is rare), there are still vital strategies that help your demo get heard and signed. 

Des McMahon has been on both sides of that equation. He’s sent demos and signed demos. Join his ICON Live! session to learn tips on how to send demos to record labels.

Connect with Des McMahon

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Mastering is the final stage of the music production process, and it can make all the difference between an amateur sounding mix and a professional, radio-ready track. As the last creative step before distribution, mastering polishes a mix and prepares it for the listener's experience across various playback systems. While mixing involves balancing and processing individual tracks, mastering takes a holistic approach. Mastering engineers use specialized tools and global adjustments to enhance the overall sound quality, consistency, and perceived loudness of a song. Their expertise and fresh ears provide an objective perspective on giving mixes the final touches they need. This guide breaks down the art of mastering into "4 C's" - clarity, consistency, color, and clipping/loudness. Understanding these concepts is key to elevating mixes and achieving professional masters. Whether you're a producer looking to DIY master your own tracks or better communicate with mastering engineers, the 4 C's provide a framework for success. I. Clarity Clarity refers to how clearly the listener can hear all the individual elements and details in a mix. It enables the message and emotion of the music to shine through. Mastering should enhance clarity by ensuring nothing obscures the core instruments and vocals. Equalization (EQ) is essential for boosting clarity during mastering. Strategic EQ can attenuate problem frequencies that clutter or mask other elements. For example, a dip at 400-600Hz could tame muddy bass buildup, while a boost at 2-4kHz could increase vocal presence. Subtle EQ moves of 1-2dB can make a notable difference. Multiband compression also helps increase clarity on specific frequency ranges. Compressing the low mids around 300-500Hz can tighten and control muddy resonances, cleaning up the low end. Gentle compression on highs above 10kHz can add sizzle and detail. The key is to compress transparently, avoiding pumping artifacts. Modern mastering tools like iZotope’s Ozone provide dedicated modules for honing clarity. The “Spectral Shaper” applies smoothing EQ to suppress resonances and masking. The “Vintage Tape” module smooths out peaks and enhances punch. Used subtly, these processing tools can work wonders for opening up a dense mix.  A case study in exemplary clarity is the mastering on Daft Punk’s 2013 album “Random Access Memories.” Despite the record’s density of instruments and arrangements, every element shines through in a clean, polished way. The mastering perfectly complements the pristine production quality.
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