Several books on Audio and Music Production have stood the test of time and there are several new releases that are must-reads. The internet and social media have clearly reduced attention spans–one of the saddest outcomes of the technology. While mindless scrolling may occasionally yield a link worth following, nothing can replace a well-organized and thorough book on any given subject.
BOOKS ON AUDIO AND MUSIC PRODUCTION
A good reference book will serve you well for many years if the content is not software-specific. The publishing process for a book often proceeds at a glacial rate, in some cases making the end result obsolete before it’s even available. The days of bible-sized software tutorials are over since software updates out-pace book publishing by a mile. Video tutorials have replaced books in many instances and have arguably led to a sort of technology-driven dyslexia.
But there are iconic milestones that every producer, composer, and engineer should be aware of and others that are carving out a niche in the audio lexicon. Many are available on Kindle or in other electronic formats, so there is no longer a need to burden yourself with storing or transporting shelves or boxes of heavy books. While many people still prefer the feel of a physical book, I’m now addicted to electronic formats due to the incredible ease of definition look-up, search functions, auto-citation, and the beauty of having your entire library on a tablet. And most libraries now offer a huge collection of digital books which can be downloaded from the comfort of your favorite reading chair.
What follows is a categorized list of some of my favorite books on audio and music production, as well as many suggested by colleagues. Some are out of print and could be a little difficult to find, but the search will be worth it. Each title is linked to the publisher or distributor where you’ll find a descriptive blurb and you can go directly to a category via the TOC above. This is by no means an exhaustive list so I encourage you to share your favorites in the comments as I will be updating the list periodically.
AUDIO FUNDAMENTALS
Modern Recording Techniques by David Miles Huber
Understanding Audio by Daniel M. Thompson
RECORDING
Mic It! Microphones, Microphone Techniques, and Their Impact on the Final Mix – 2nd Edition by Ian Corbett
Recording Orchestra and Other Classical Music Ensembles – 2nd Edition by Richard King
The Recording Engineer’s Handbook – 5th Edition by Bobby Owsinski
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior
MIXING
Sound FX: Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects – 1st Edition by Alexander Case
The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: 5th Edition by Bobby Owsinski
Step By Step Mixing: How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins by Bjørgvin Benediktsson
Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior
Mixing Audio Concepts, Practices, and Tools by Roy Izhaki
MASTERING
Major Label Mastering – 1st Edition by Evren Göknar
Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science – 3rd Edition by Bob Katz
CRITICAL LISTENING AND TECHNICAL EAR TRAINING
Audio Production and Critical Listening – Technical Ear Training by Jason Corey
Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals by F. Alton Everest
ACOUSTICS
Master Handbook of Acoustics – 7th Edition by F. Alton Everest and Ken C. Pohlmann
Acoustics and Psychoacoustics – 5th Edition by David M. Howard and Jamie Angus
ADVANCED ENGINEERING
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Handbook for Sound Engineers – 5th Edition by Glen Ballou
MUSIC PRODUCING
Making Sound: Creative Music Production Tips and Philosophies by Cristofer Odvist
Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers by Dennis DeSantis
SYNTHESIS, PROGRAMMING, AND SOUND DESIGN
Electronic Music And Sound Design – Theory and Practice with Max (Volumes 1 – 3) by Alessandro Cipriani and Maurizio Giri
Generating Sound & Organizing Time: Thinking with gen~ Book 1 by Graham Wakefield and Gregory Taylor
The Computer Music Tutorial – 2nd Edition by Curtis Rhodes
CONTEMPORARY ELECTRONIC MUSIC
Composing Electronic Music: A New Aesthetic – 1st Edition by Curtis Roads
MODULAR SYNTHESIS
Patch & Tweak: Exploring Modular Synthesis by Kim Bjørn and Chris Meyer
LIVE SOUND
Great Live Sound: A Practical Guide for Every Sound Tech by James Wasem
Introduction to Live Sound Reinforcement: The Science, the Art, and the Practice by Teddy Boyce
The Ultimate Live Sound Operator’s Handbook by Bill Gibson
GUITAR TECHNIQUES
The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick
Note: Although this book may seem out of place here, I’m including it becuase it had an enormous influence on me early on. If you’re a guitarist interested in improvisation this is a must-read!
ORCHESTRATION
Instrumentation and Orchestration – 2nd Edition by Alfred Batter
The Study of Orchestration – 4th Edition by Samuel Adler
FILM SCORING
Scoring the Screen: The Secret Language of Film Music by Andy Hill
On the Track – 2nd Edition by Fred Carlin
CIRCUIT BENDING AND HARDWARE HACKING
Handmade Electronic Music – The Art of Hardware Hacking by Nicolas Collins
Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments (Extreme Tech) by Reed Ghazala
PRODUCTION AND POST-PRODUCTION SOUND
The Foley Grail – The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation – 3rd Edition by Vanessa Theme Ament
Sound for Film and Television – 3rd Edition by Tomlinson Holman
IMMERSIVE SOUND PRODUCTION
Immersive Sound Production: A Practical Guide by Dennis Baxter
EXTRAS
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