Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Using reference songs when mixing is a very powerful technique! Learn how to select the best reference tracks for your music.

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0:00 Intro
0:53 Free Live-Streams ➤ warpacademy.com/live-streams
1:45 Reference Song Quality
3:07 The Importance of Genre and Era
4:08 Why you should consider Song Popularity
4:33 Using Songs You Love
5:26 Producing with Reference Tracks Course

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In this video, Ableton Certified Trainer Ian Gallagher explains his 4 golden rules for selecting the best reference songs for your music. While the art and science of mixing and mastering is subjective and complicated, critically listening to other people’s music (i.e., reference songs) can help you quickly get the sound you want. But what songs should you use?

After years of trial and error, Ian has come up with these four tips to ensure you’re using the RIGHT reference tracks. In other words, tracks that help you get the best results for YOUR MUSIC.

So, before you start grabbing random reference tracks, make sure you’re considering the key parameters. In particular, Ian’s 4 tips cover Quality, Genre/Era, Song Popularity, and Using Songs You Love.

If you’re interested in learning more about using reference songs (whether producing, mixing, or mastering) check out Ian’s full course at Warp Academy called Producing with Reference Tracks: warpacademy.com/course/producing-with-reference-tracks

#musicmixing #referencesongsformixing #referencesongs