Music Production and Mixing Tips for Beginner Producers | Inside The Mix

How do you make your mixes sound professional as a beginner? What’s the real difference between mixing and mastering? And do you actually need expensive gear to produce great music at home?

Inside The Mix is the podcast for beginner and early-career music producers, as well as hobbyist musicians, who want clear, practical answers to the most common questions in music production and mixing music. Each episode breaks down real-world techniques used in audio engineering, helping you improve clarity, balance, and confidence in your mixes — even in a home studio.

You’ll learn how to:

Make your mixes sound professional as a beginner without overcomplicating your workflow
Fix common problems like muddy mixes, weak low-end, and poor translation
Understand the difference between mixing and mastering — and when you really need each
Build a reliable production process using tools you already own

Hosted by Marc Matthews, Inside The Mix goes beyond generic beginner tutorials. Expect insightful interviews with industry-leading engineers and producers, listener-focused round-table critiques, and practical coaching designed to accelerate your progress. Past guests include Grammy Award-winning professionals such as Dom Morley (Adele) and Mike Exeter (Black Sabbath).

👉 Start with audience favourite:
Episode #175 – What’s the Secret to Mixing Without Muddiness? Achieving Clarity and Dynamics in a Mix

Subscribe, follow, and explore Inside The Mix to grow from beginner to confident producer — one mix at a time.

Guest

Ben Holmes

Ben Holmes is a mastering engineer with over a decade of experience working with independent artists and home studio producers. A drummer for nearly 40 years, he brings a musician-first mindset to mastering, prioritising translation and real-world playback over technical perfection.

Ben has worked in professional recording studios and was a long-standing member of Joe Gilder’s Home Studio Corner, developing a practical approach to mixing and mastering for home studios. He is also a co-host of the Sound Discussion podcast, sharing clear insights into music production and common DIY challenges.

Ben enjoys helping artists stop overthinking issues like noise floor, bleed, loudness, and imposter syndrome, so they can focus on finishing music that translates across streaming platforms, cars, and headphones. Outside the studio, he’s a lifelong music fan and keen computer gamer.

https://benholmesmastering.com/

Guest appearance on:

#233: What Is Mastering in Music? A Beginner’s Guide with Ben Holmes