Comprehensive List of Books Relating to Music Production and Creative Growth

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On Composition:

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Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies - Dennis DeSantis
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic book. Each page has a general idea on boosting creativity, workflow, and designing sounds and tracks.


Music Theory for Computer Musicians - Michael Hewitt
Amazon Link
Really easy to digest book on music theory, as it applies to your DAW. Each DAW is used in the examples, so it is not limited to a specific program. Highly recommend this for someone starting out with theory to improve their productions.


Secrets of Dance Music Production - David Felton
Amazon Link
This book I recently picked up and so far it's been quite good. It goes over all the different elements of what make's dance music, and get's quite detailed. More geared towards the beginner, but it was engaging nonetheless. It is the best 'EDM specific' production book I have read.


Ocean of Sound - David Troop
Amazon Link

Very well written and interesting book on ambient music. Not only does David go over the technical side and history of ambiance and musical atmospheres, he speaks very poetically about creating these soundscapes and how they relate to our interpersonal emotions.


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On Audio Engineering:

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Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio - Mike Senior
Amazon Link
In my opinion, this is the best mixing reference book for both beginners and intermediate producers. Very in-depth book that covers everything from how to set-up for accurate listening to the purpose of each mixing and mastering plug-in. Highly recommended.


Zen and the Art of Mixing - Mixerman
Amazon Link
Very interesting read in that it deals with the why's more than the how's. Mixerman, a professional audio engineer, goes in detail to talk about the mix engineer's mindset, how to approach projects, and how to make critical mixing decisions. Really fun read.


The Mixing Engineer's Handbook - Bobby Owinski
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic companion book to keep around. Not only does Owinski go into great technical detail, he includes interviews from various audio engineers that I personally found very helpful and inspiring.


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On the Industry:

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All You Need to Know About the Music Business - Donald S. Passman
Amazon Link
This book is simply a must read for anyone hoping to make a professional career out of music, anyone wanting to start their own record label, or anyone interested in how the industry works. It's a very informative book for any level of producer, and is kept up-to-date with the frequent revisions. Buy it.


Rick Rubin: In the Studio - Jake Brown
Amazon Link
Very interesting read that is a semi-biographical book on Rick Rubin. It is not so personal as it is talking about his life, experiences, and processes. It does get quite technical when referring to the recording process, but there are better books for technical info. This is a fun read on one of the most successful producers in history.


Behind the Glass - Howard Massey
Amazon Link
A collection of interviews from a diverse range of musicians who speak about creativity, workflows, and experiences in the music industry. Really light, easy to digest book.


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On Creativity:

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The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Amazon Link
This is a must-read, in my opinion, for any creative individual. It is a very philosophical book on dealing with our own mental battles as an artist, and how to overcome them. Definitely pick this one up, all of you.


This is Your Brain on Music - Daniel S. Levitin
Amazon Link
A book written by a neurologist on the psychology of music and what makes us attached to it. It's a fairly scientific book but it is a very rewarding read with some great ideas.


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On Personal Growth and Development:

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How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Amazon Link
Although this seems like an odd book for a music producer, personally I think this is one of the most influential books I've ever read. Knowing how to be personable, effectively network, and form relationships is extremely important in our industry. Whether it be meeting and talking to labels, meeting other artists, or getting through to A&R, this book helps with all these areas and I suggest this book to all of you.


7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
Amazon Link
Similar to the recommendation above, although not directly linked to music, I assure you reading this book will change your views on life. It is a very engaging and practical book, and gets you in the right mindset to be successful in your life and music career. Trust me on this one and give it a read.


Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Amazon Link
You know the feeling when you're really in the groove of jamming out and all worries tend to slip away for those moments? That is the 'Optimal Experience' according to the author. This book will teach you about that experience, and how to encourage and find it in your work. This is a very challenging, immersive, and enlightening read, which deals with the bigger picture and finding happiness in your work and life. Very inspiring book that puts you in a good mindset when you're doing creative work.


The Art of Work - Jeff Goins
Amazon Link
A very fascinating book that looks at taking your passion (music in our case) and making the most of it. It guides you on how to be successful and turn your passion into your career. Some very interesting sections touching on dealing with failure, disappointment, and criticism, yet listening to your intuition and following your passion. Inspiring and uplifting book to say the least.


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Happy reading!

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"Zen and the Art of Mixing" by Mixerman is one of my favorite books for this topic. He humanizes the craft and makes it easy to understand for anyone at any level of expertise.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Mixing-REV2-Mixerman/dp/1480366579

Trust me on this one.

Zen and the Art of Mixing

Zen & the Art of Mixing

Mixing With Your Mind

Probably a little cerebral, but you said Mike Senior is too technical so maybe these are too 'heady'. I dunno, read them or don't, your choice.

I think that this is a pretty interesting question. What it comes down to for me is this: what am I aiming to get out of this mix? Once you start to realize that it's balance; how things fit together, where they fit on the frequency spectrum, how to fit them there, what pieces contribute to which parts of the listener experience with regards to feelings etc. Once you start to figure all that out, then you start to understand how each of the tools in your kit help you to achieve that balance; subtractive EQ to create more space for other instruments, additive EQ to create tones and flavors and make things stand out more, compression to help thin things out or make them louder, reverb and other effects to give things a sense of space and dimensionality, and even using EQ or compression to do that as well, not to mention using those faders and panning and so on.

TL;DR the more you know about what it is you're trying to do and how each tool can get you there, the easier it will be.

highly recommended, along with zen and the art of mixing

I've removed this thread as this is all pretty broad, easy to find, hard to answer in a comment, or covered here plenty of times before.

> What loop/sample sites offer free samples/loops

You can find this with search

> What is the best way to fill in the buildup?

Listen to tracks you like and do what they do

> Anything to take into account with vocoders and vocaloids?

Learn how they work and where vocals sit in a mix

> Is there anything I should know about mixing&plastering as well?

There are entire books about this, such as this and this and this ;)

You're welcome to post all of these in our regular "there are no stupid questions" threads; there should be a new one today. Best of luck and don't be afraid to research and just try things!