Using Apple Notes in Your Music Studio

If you're into muisic production, I'm guessing you've heard this a time or two: Listen to your mixes on as many speakers as possible before declaring your latest masterpiece is finished. I've discovered a workflow to support this mantra that's based around a little gem called Apple Notes.

Now, I've been using Notes for years, even before iCloud syncing, for all sorts of things like grocery lists, to-do lists, funny band names I think up in the middle of the day, you name it. I just counted and have 33 notes at the moment. The more you're embeded into the Apple ecosystem, the more valuable Apple Notes become. However, by far, my favorite, most-used, pinned at the top note is labeled Studio Notes.

My Workflow

Most of my available studio time is in the morning before I have to go to work, you know, to actually make money and pay bills, right? As such, while working on a project, I'm listening on some pretty nice studio monitors (Speakers 1). When I'm done, I'll export my mix as a WAV to my project folder before dragging it into my Studio Notes. By the time I've shut down my Mac, that note has synced across all my devices.

Crappy Speaker Reference

Before calling it quits, I'll open up my iPhone, go to Notes, and listen to my new mix on the phone's builti-in speaker (Speakers 2). This is actually a good reference, as it's mostly mono and with almost no low end. This is where I can listen for phasing issues and determine if I need more high-frequency character in the bass elements (kick, bass, etc.). All good; let's get on the road.

Car Stereo Speakers

Ah yes, the car stereo; that evil place that mocks your perfect mix of just moments ago. Here's where I can listen to my mix on repeat a solid 4-5 times or more before arriving at work (Speakers 3). While listening to the overall mix, this is also a good place to evaluate the composition, itself; making sure everything is transitioning smoothly from one section to another and/or considering changes.

Office Speakers

I am extremely fortunate in that I use a Mac at work with some decent Edifier desktop speakers (no sub). Once I'm settled in, finished a little work, and feel like my ears have been given a proper break, I'll listen to my mix again (Speakers 4), courtesy of my synced Studio Notes on the work Mac.

Air Pods

And finally, at some point, maybe on a quick break or at lunch, I'll listen yet again via my phone and some Apple AirPods (Speakers 5). With the vast majority of listeners consuming music this way, I would dare say this is one of the most important listens as a producer. If you've made it this far, but it doesn't sound good on AirPods, it's not going to sound good to a LOT of people.

Collaboration-Friendly

If you're collaborating with another musician or a band, Apple Notes allows you to share the note with others (including the ability to contribute via feedback, ticking things off a checklist, or uploading their own versions or snippets). While there are plenty of sharing/collaboration tools out there, if your crew is also into Apple, and you like workflow I described above, Apple Notes might be the way to go.

Using Apple Notes in Your Music Studio

So there you have it. I worked on a mix earlier this morning and by the time I was having lunch, I had listened to it at least a dozen times on 5 different sets of speakers. What does your workflow look like? I'd love to hear how others are listening to their work. If you enjoyed Using Apple Notes in Your Music Studio, be sure to let me know!