In Episode 370 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and Lu continue their true-or-false format and dig into even more of the beliefs, myths, and gray areas that shape music production and audio careers. This round covers everything from whether you should mix and master your own music, to whether analog gear is really better, whether Pro Tools still matters, and whether networking outweighs skill.

They also get into social media, working for free early in your career, standing out in a crowded industry, perfectionism, arrangement vs mix importance, and what actually makes a great mixer. One of the strongest themes in the episode is that audio is never just technical. Great mixing is also about psychology, emotion, decision-making, and understanding how to help artists feel confident in what they are making.

This is a sharp, practical episode for engineers, producers, and artists who want more nuance than the usual black-and-white advice.

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HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 369 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and Lu take a true-or-false format and use it to unpack some of the biggest myths and half-truths in music, mixing, and the audio industry. What starts with a Discord question about whether clients should ever receive a mix you are not proud of turns into a bigger conversation about taste, service, flexibility, and what great engineers actually do.

They dig into whether natural talent is required to become great at music, whether a mix that sounds good in mono sounds good everywhere, whether subs should always be mono, whether success is measured by streams, whether artists can really make a living from Spotify, and whether you have to move to LA to make it in music. They also touch on reference tracks, client expectations, and how personal ego can distort the way people think about careers and craft.

This is a fun but honest episode that mixes hot takes with real nuance, especially for engineers, producers, and artists trying to think more clearly about success, taste, and what actually matters in music.

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HIRE DEE KEI

HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 368 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and Lu tackle a question that comes up constantly: how do you maintain work-life balance while building a serious music career, especially with a spouse, kids, and the uncertainty that comes with creative work?

With Dee Kei preparing for the birth of his third child, the conversation becomes a personal one. He breaks down the biggest misconception around balance, which is the idea that it is some permanent state you eventually arrive at. Instead, the episode explores work-life balance as something fluid, imperfect, and constantly changing based on your season of life, your values, your relationships, and your responsibilities.

They also get into boundaries, flexibility, commitment, marriage, career ambition, and how family can shape motivation rather than destroy it. This is a thoughtful episode for anyone trying to navigate music, purpose, relationships, and the reality of building a meaningful life without waiting for things to feel perfectly stable.

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HIRE DEE KEI

HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 367 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Lu holds it down solo while Dee Kei takes time with his growing family, and uses the episode to demystify some of the most common myths in audio. He moves through recording, mixing, mastering, and broader industry misconceptions, tackling topics like expensive gear, recording levels, fixing things in the mix, room acoustics, clipping, plugin counts, reference tracks, headphones, loudness, presets, Auto-Tune, and more.

Rather than overcomplicating things, Lu keeps the episode practical and direct. The message throughout is that context matters, good judgment matters, and a lot of the “rules” people repeat in audio are either outdated, oversimplified, or flat-out wrong. This is a fast, useful episode for engineers, producers, and artists who want clearer thinking and fewer myths in their workflow.

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HIRE DEE KEI

HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 366 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and Lu talk about what the first five years of an audio career really look like. From saying yes to everything, trying different lanes, and learning on the fly, to dealing with low pay, long hours, self-doubt, burnout, and the pressure to figure things out, this episode is a realistic look at the early stage of building a life in music.

They break down the value of experimentation, humility, relationships, gear obsession, learning through mistakes, and why your path will probably look different from everyone else’s. The bigger message is that there is no single blueprint for making it in music, but staying curious, staying open, and actually enjoying the process matters more than most people realize.

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Join the ‘Mixing Music Podcast’ Discord!

HIRE DEE KEI

HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 365 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and James sit down with mixing engineer Andrew Law to talk about immersive audio, Dolby Atmos, and how Andrew built a career around spatial mixing. He shares how his path took him from traditional recording work into TV, film, podcasting, Amazon Music, and eventually Grammy-nominated Atmos mixing.

The conversation breaks down what actually makes a strong Atmos mix, how Andrew approaches beds, objects, binaural settings, and playback, and why hearing Atmos on a real speaker system can completely change how artists feel about the format. He also explains practical ways beginners can start learning Atmos without a full room build, along with thoughts on workflow, clients, and where immersive audio may be headed next.

Along the way, Andrew also talks about career pivots, working both freelance and in-house, networking, and how his unusual background, from sports to studio life, shaped the way he navigates the music industry. This is a great episode for anyone curious about Atmos, spatial audio, and the evolving future of mixing.

andrewlawmixing.com

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HIRE DEE KEI

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⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 364 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and Lu revisit one of the most common pieces of advice in mixing: “mix fast.” While trusting your instincts and avoiding overthinking can be powerful, the guys explore the nuance behind when slowing down actually leads to better results.

They discuss the value of the “next day listen,” how fresh ears can reveal problems you missed the night before, and why building extra time into your schedule can improve both your mixes and your revision process. From there, the conversation dives into practical ways to slow down intentionally, including detailed automation, vocal rides, automating effects and parallel compression, and taking the time to properly dial in EQ and compressor settings.

The episode also highlights the importance of referencing and making intentional decisions rather than letting plugins or presets determine the direction of a mix. The core message is simple: instinct and speed are valuable, but great mixes often come from knowing when to pause, listen carefully, and refine the details.

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⁠SUBSCRIBE TO YOUTUBE⁠

Join the ‘Mixing Music Podcast’ Discord!

HIRE DEE KEI

HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

In Episode 363 of the Mixing Music Podcast, Dee Kei and Lu take a deep dive into how mixing and recording have evolved from the 1950s to today. Starting with mono recordings, ribbon mics, and engineers in lab coats, they trace the journey through multitrack tape, Neve and SSL consoles, gated reverb in the 80s, the rise of Pro Tools in the 90s, the loudness wars of the 2000s, and the bedroom production boom of the 2010s.

They break down how technological shifts shaped the sound of each era, from Frank Sinatra’s room-driven performances to Led Zeppelin’s tape saturation, Michael Jackson’s SSL precision, and the hyper-loud masters of Metallica and early 2000s pop and hip hop. The conversation also explores how Napster disrupted the industry, how streaming rebuilt it, and why today’s music economy is more democratized than ever.

The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on AI, Atmos, spatial audio, and whether music is truly declining or simply evolving again. Along the way, Dee Kei challenges common analog myths, including the hidden digital processing inside many classic vinyl records.

If you care about how technology shapes creativity, why records sound the way they do, and where mixing is headed next, this is a must-listen episode.

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HIRE DEE KEI

HIRE LU

⁠HIRE JAMES⁠

Find Dee Kei and Lu on Social Media:

Instagram: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu @JamesParrishMixes

Twitter: @DeeKeiMixes @MasteredbyLu

The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.