YOUR CRITICAL LISTENING SKILLS ARE CRITICAL

Did you know that Michael Jackson regularly listened to all the songs atop Billboard?

Every week, he had someone prepare a tape with the songs topping the charts, and he would listen and analyze them to determine what was being successful, so he could identify trends and be on top of his game.

The fact that one of the most successful artists in music history engaged in this activity so often speaks volumes about it.

If you are not doing regular critical listening sessions of successful mixes and productions in your genre(s), you miss out on an incredibly useful tool.

Once you know how to listen to any mix analytically, you'll be able to better understand what was done and why.

You'll be able to learn new techniques from any mix out there and get inspired to create and develop your own.

You'll keep your audio senses up to date, and get to know and understand in depth the genres and markets you work in (or the new ones you want to break into).

In this challenge, we'll tell you how to find songs worth your time, point you to the free tools you'll need for this type of analysis, and offer dozens of ideas on what to listen to and how.

As discussed in the article How to become better at anything using the 1% rule, the best way to improve any skill is to practice often, even if just for a few minutes every day.

Join now and find out for yourself! You can do the "7-day" or the "28-day" variant of the challenge, and no matter which one you choose, we guarantee you'll be happy you did when you finish it!

FAQ

How long is the challenge?

Once you enroll, there are two versions of the challenge: the "7-day" and the "28-day". Chose the one that suits you best!

You can also start with the 7-day option and then switch to the 28-day if you want to, or the other way around.

How much time will I need every day?

You can get a lot out of this challenge even if you dedicate less than 5 minutes per day (basically listening analytically to the song only once), but the more time you spend analyzing songs, the more juice you'll get out of the full process.

If you can afford to spend 20 to 30 minutes every day, you can expect to experience a pretty solid improvement in your critical listening abilities, especially if you go with the 28-day option.

Do I need a specific DAW or plugins?

No, all the techniques discussed can be accomplished with any DAW.

The plugins you'll be using can be downloaded for free.

What equipment do I need?

If you are reading this, chances are you already own a pair of pro or semi-pro speakers or headphones that you use to produce, record, mix and/or master. Those will be fine.

If you have any other questions, please visit our dedicated support page. There, you'll be able to read other FAQ, as well as contact our support team.