Finding time to make music can be a real challenge, especially when life gets busy. Between work, family commitments and everything else competing for our attention, getting a few uninterrupted hours in the home studio isn’t always easy.
That’s certainly been the case for me recently!
I’ve become a dad to a beautiful baby girl, and on top of that, we’re looking at moving house. Two pretty big life events happening at the same time!
As a result, I haven’t had much time to create new videos for The Home Recording Studio. But although I’ve been a little quiet on YouTube, I haven’t stopped making music.
In fact, I’ve still been busy composing and producing tracks for sync music libraries. And one of the things that’s helped me keep things moving is Musiversal, an online service that connects music producers with professional session musicians.
In this article, I’ll explain how I’ve been using Musiversal in my productions, including a real example of how a live cellist helped transform a track I’d originally arranged using virtual instruments.
The Challenge of Making Music When Life Gets Busy
If you produce music from a home studio, you’ll know that writing the music is often only part of the process.
There’s arranging, recording, editing, mixing and, depending on the project, finding musicians who can bring your musical ideas to life.
For composers working in production music and sync licensing, this can be particularly demanding. You’re often responsible for every stage of the production, from the initial composition through to the final mix.
I generally begin my tracks by putting together an arrangement using a combination of virtual instruments, samples and real instruments I’ve recorded myself.
This approach works well for much of what I do. But occasionally, a track needs something that goes beyond what I can realistically record in my own studio.
It might be a particular instrument, a specialist playing technique or simply the expressive qualities of a professional musician.
Of course, hiring session musicians isn’t a new idea. But finding the right player, arranging a suitable recording environment and organising the session can take time.
And when studio time is already limited, that additional work can become another obstacle to finishing a production.
What Is Musiversal?
Musiversal is an online music production service that gives composers and producers access to professional session musicians from around the world.
You can book online sessions with instrumentalists, vocalists and mixing engineers, collaborate remotely and receive recordings to incorporate into your own productions.
Rather than having to source and organise musicians individually, Musiversal brings everything together through one service.
For me, one of its biggest advantages is convenience.
I can concentrate on composing and producing my music, while having access to skilled musicians whenever a track needs something extra.
And because I’m collaborating with real players, I’m also benefiting from their musical ideas, experience and interpretation of the parts.
A Real Example: Replacing Virtual Cello with a Live Performance
Let me give you an example from one of my recent sync music productions.
The track was recently assigned to a sync music library and features a cello performance recorded through Musiversal.
Starting with Virtual Instruments
As with many of my productions, I began by creating an arrangement in Logic Pro.
For the initial cello parts, I used Spitfire Solo Strings, a virtual instrument library.
The arrangement included both supporting cello parts and a melodic line that entered later in the composition.
Virtual instruments are incredibly useful, particularly when working quickly or experimenting with musical ideas. They allow me to develop arrangements without having to record every instrument from scratch.
And to be clear, I’m not suggesting that sampled instruments are somehow inferior or that every part needs to be replaced with a live performance.
Much of this particular track still uses samples and virtual instruments, alongside a real banjo part that I recorded myself.
However, I felt the cello could benefit from the expression and subtle variations that a live musician could bring to the arrangement.
Recording the Cello with Musiversal
Using Musiversal, I booked a session with a professional cellist to record the parts.
The musician recorded several layers, including higher supporting parts, a lower octave and the main melodic cello line.
Hearing these parts performed by a real musician made a noticeable difference.
It’s not necessarily about completely changing the arrangement. Often, it’s the smaller details that matter: the way notes are articulated, subtle changes in dynamics, the phrasing of a melody and the natural variations between performances.
These elements can help bring a composition to life.
Adding Improvised Textures and Musical Details
One of my favourite things about working with Musiversal musicians is the additional creativity they can bring to a session.
I’ve worked with several cellists through the service, and I’ve been particularly impressed by their ability to improvise interesting parts and textures.
Sometimes I’ll provide a specific musical idea or reference recording. Other times, I’ll give the musician some freedom to experiment and suggest something of their own.
For this particular track, the cellist provided some lovely additional textures, including expressive flourishes and a trill that added an interesting detail to the arrangement.
These weren’t necessarily elements I had originally written into the composition, but they complemented the music beautifully.
And that’s one of the real advantages of working with professional session musicians: you’re not simply getting someone to reproduce a MIDI part. You’re also gaining the creative input of another musician.
All Recorded in a 30-Minute Online Session
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this particular project is that all those cello parts were recorded during a single 30-minute online recording session.
That included the layered supporting parts, the melodic cello performance and the additional improvised textures.
For someone who needs to make the most of limited studio time, that’s incredibly useful.
I can develop the arrangement myself, identify the parts that would benefit from a live musician and use a Musiversal session to bring those elements into the production.
The result is a combination of virtual instruments, my own recordings and professional session performances, all working together within the same track.
Why Musiversal Works for My Music Production Workflow
For me, Musiversal isn’t about outsourcing the creative process.
I’m still composing the music, making the arrangement decisions and producing the finished track.
What the service does is give me access to additional musical skills and performances when I need them, without the logistical challenges that can come with organising traditional recording sessions.
And that flexibility is especially valuable when life gets busy.
Whether you’re producing music for sync libraries, recording your own songs or working on other music projects, collaborating with Musiversal session musicians remotely can be a great way to expand what’s possible in your home studio.
It’s also a reminder that making music doesn’t have to be an entirely solitary process.
Sometimes bringing another musician into a project can provide exactly the inspiration or finishing touch that a track needs.
Try Musiversal — Exclusive Discount
If you think Musiversal could be useful for your own music productions, I’ve got a special affiliate offer available.
Get 25% off your first three months of Musiversal using my link below:
https://musiversal.com/partners/jon-chapman
If you subscribe through my affiliate link, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. It’s a great way to support The Home Recording Studio while saving money on the service.
Final Thoughts
Life doesn’t always leave us with as much time for music as we’d like.
Between becoming a father, preparing to move house and managing everything else, I’ve certainly had to be more selective about how I spend my time in the studio.
But I’ve also found that having the right tools and services available can make a big difference.
For me, Musiversal has become a useful part of that workflow, helping me continue producing music for sync libraries while making the most of the studio time I have available.
And ultimately, that’s what matters: finding ways to keep making music, even when life gets busy.