Introduction
Over the past several years, I’ve been fortunate to be among the’s top-rated mixing and mastering engineers on SoundBetter.com, earning well over $300,000. If you’re struggling to find clients on SoundBetter, you’re in the right place. Today, I will share four tips that have helped me thrive on the platform. While these tips come from my perspective as an engineer, they can be applied to singers, musicians, and producers as well. SoundBetter has not paid me to make this video for full transparency, nor are they aware that I’m making it. I’m sharing this because I’ve spoken with many fellow creatives who have faced challenges on this platform, and I hope that sharing my experiences will bring you some success.
Sign Up for SoundBetter Premium
The first tip is to sign up for SoundBetter Premium. However, I only recommend this if you already have some experience and a few credits under your belt. If you’ve primarily been mixing or producing your own songs and now decide to become a professional engineer, Premium might not be the best investment yet. Instead, focus on sharpening your mixing skills and working with as many artists as possible, even if it means offering your service for free initially. Remember, you’ll compete against mixers and producers with Grammys and major label credits, so you don’t want to waste your first shot. A few bad reviews could be a quick end to your SoundBetter career, and as we will talk about later, reviews are one of the major metrics that SoundBetter tracks.
However, once you have a solid foundation, try Premium for a few months. I understand that $59 a month can be a tough pill to swallow, but it is an investment in your future. Premium memberships provide several advantages, including improved overall ranking and access to the job board, which can be an excellent way to gain new clients if you’re quick to respond. Also, with the clients you do have, ask them to pay you through SoundBetter. I know it sucks to give 10% to SoundBetter for clients that you already have, but by doing it this way, you can get verified reviews, and those really help to improve your rankings.
Complete Your Profile
A fully detailed profile is one of the key metrics the SoundBetter.com algorithm considers, so it’s crucial for gaining visibility. Additionally, when people decide to spend their hard-earned money, they want to know as much as possible about the person they’re hiring. Here are some specific recommendations:
Your Profile Picture: Include pictures of yourself, your studio, or the place you’re working. Clients want to see where you’re going to be working on their songs and the face of the person who’s working on it.
Your Bio: Write a personable and detailed bio. Share your background, experiences, and passion for music to help clients connect with you on a personal level.
Technical Details: List all the plugins you use, the DAW you are familiar with, and any analog gear you incorporate into your work. You’d be surprised how many musicians are interested in the specific tools you use to craft their music.
Your Playlist: You get four songs that you can upload. Provide a good assortment of styles to showcase your versatility. For instance, my playlist includes one country song, one rap song, one pop song, and one rock song. This variety demonstrates the range of work I’ve done and appeals to a broader audience.
By thoroughly completing your profile and offering a diverse portfolio, you increase the chances of attracting more clients and standing out in this competitive marketplace.
Responding to Client Requests
Responding to requests from clients to work with you and applying for jobs on the board is probably one of the most important parts because this is the first time you’re going to talk to a client and let them know who you are and how you feel about music. Here are a couple of things you can do to really make that connection work:
Personalize Your Responses: Tell them what you think about the song and suggest one or two things that can be improved. The artist wants to know what you like about the song and how you think you could make it better. They’re coming to you because they don’t feel like the song is complete, so they want to know what you’ll do to make that happen.
Ask Questions: Ask them what they feel the song needs. A client isn’t coming to you because they think the song’s done and ready to be released; they’re coming because they haven’t been able to get the song over the finish line to how they hear it themselves. By asking them what they feel is lacking, you can get insight into what you need to bring to the table. Being a mixer or mastering engineer isn’t about changing the tone of the song or making it something different; it’s about making it sound good for the artist. By finding out what they want, it can be a great way to introduce conversation and help them understand that you’ll be able to get what they want done.
Importance of Delivery Time
I know this might sound funny, but people want to know how soon you can have it done. We live in a world of instant gratification. You can go to Amazon and with one click, buy anything you want. Music isn’t the same, but I can guarantee you that if an artist is looking at two providers on SoundBetter and one says they’ll have it tomorrow while the other one says they’ll have it in a week, even if the latter has slightly better credits, they’re going to pick the one who can deliver tomorrow. They want to get this done; they’re excited about the project. So, the sooner you can actually have the song finished for the client, the better off you’ll be.
Understanding the SoundBetter Algorithm
The SoundBetter algorithm takes several key factors into account when ranking profiles and determining visibility. By understanding and optimizing these factors, you can significantly enhance your chances of attracting clients.
Activity and Response: Staying active and responsive on SoundBetter is crucial. The algorithm favors users who regularly update their profiles, quickly respond to client messages, and consistently engage on the platform. The more active you are, the higher your chances of appearing in search results. It can be inconvenient to reply on weekends or days off, but it’s vital to maintain a higher ranking. Prompt communication not only pleases the algorithm but also builds trust with your clients, which is essential for long-term success.
Reviews and Rankings: Positive reviews and high ratings play a vital role in boosting your profile. Encourage your clients to leave reviews after each project. Good reviews build your credibility and enhance your profile’s ranking, making you more attractive to potential clients. This also means ensuring that your services are up to par with other top providers. Remember, a bad review can quickly diminish your presence on SoundBetter.
Last Completed Job: The algorithm wants to know that you’re constantly working on SoundBetter. When you’re constantly working, it means that you’re in demand. Make sure that you’re completing jobs in a timely manner and try to get one or two done a week to keep that high completed job ranking.
Customer Repeat Rate: A higher customer repeat rate is a strong indicator of client satisfaction and loyalty. The algorithm rewards profiles with higher repeat rates as it suggests that clients are returning due to their positive experiences. Strive to build lasting relationships with your clients to enhance this metric.
Job Success Rate: Your job success rate reflects the percentage of completed projects that meet or exceed client expectations. Maintaining a high success rate is essential. Be careful with this one because sometimes you may have a client that sends you the wrong files, and they lost the files, or maybe they’re not ready to mix the song all of a sudden. If they’ve already funded it, you might have to refund that. Anytime you do that, it will put a mark on that rating. I had a situation once where a client and I just didn’t get along, and the mix didn’t work. My policy is if you don’t like my mix, here’s all your money back. I don’t want to take your money if you’re not going to use the mix. So, I had that happen, and then someone sent files that just weren’t going to work, so I had two marks on that ranking. Luckily, I was able to reach out to SoundBetter and say, “Hey, one of these was just for files and had nothing to do with my service,” so they were able to nix that one off and brought my ranking back up. But just know that the threshold for that is pretty low, so you want to make sure that you complete all the jobs that you start.
Conclusion
Those are my tips for succeeding on SoundBetter.com. I hope that they were helpful to you. If you would like me to mix and master your songs on SoundBetter, you can check my SoundBetter link or reach out to me on this website. Also, if you have any questions or comments, leave them in the comments below. Talk to you soon!
