What is a Record Producer?

Record Producer Giorgio Moroder produced many artists
including Donna Summers & Kenny Logins, in addition
to scoring music for films and the Olympics.

Today, musicians and artists often fill many roles when it comes to making music. This can include writing music, recording, production, marketing, cover art, and more. Some of these roles can be filled by a record producer.

But what is a record producer? What exactly is "producing" music?

For some projects, it can be as simple as a 4 track tape recorder or even a single laptop. Hobbyists have done this for ages, and it is certainly effective for capturing your ideas and even making a simple demo (a song sketch). However, if you would like to make music on a professional level, often more effort is required.

Michael Jackson in studio with producer
Quincy Jones and Engineer Bruce Swedien

In the classic sense, a record producer creatively guides the artist in reaching a final, commercially releasable recording. This can include booking studio time, advising on song writing and arrangement, and making creative decisions. Over the last decade, the role of a record producer has, in many cases, also absorbed the job of a recording engineer. To help distinguish these roles, think of a record producer as a movie director, the guy who makes judgement calls and advises on performances. Meanwhile, the engineer is like the camera man, which requires technical knowledge of equipment and how to use it. Because technology has really made recording easier and also the increase of "bedroom producers" much of this is handled by the record producer. With a high quality computer and some choice gear, a competent record can be made. However, there is a classic saying in the music business which is that "a

Pharrell Williams in studio with
Daft Punk who also produced
Kanye West and all their own music.

good engineer doesn't always make a good producer".

Rick Rubin has produced various artists
including Jay Z, The Beastie Boys,
Johnny Cash, and Neil Diamond. 

At Mercurius Creative, LLC we like to mesh the technical side of music production seamlessly into the art that is music itself. What this offers the artist is not only a great sounding song but also a great song. Song writing and recording is a personal process, and as artists ourselves, we get it. We want to make your music the best it can be. Using a blend of cutting edge computer software and classic analog gear, we can bring a unique and deep texture to your music. Our specialties include electronic music, dance music, and hip hop, however we are very open minded music fans and have also worked on rock, country, and jazz.

If you're looking to take your songs from an idea to a professional recording, check out our website for more info. 

Music Mastering: What is it?

Mercurius Creative is a diverse company. We offer web and visual services in 1 half of our company and the other half offers studio audio production services. A commonly needed service is music mastering. However, for most musicians this final and critical step is often misunderstood. To worsen things, it's often either not done at all or done by an amateur which causes the final product to suffer. The last thing any musician wants to do is sound bad.

Mastering is the final chapter in the process of recording a song or album. It takes the work of the musicians, the recording engineer, and the producer; and makes it all sound it's best. The best way to describe it is the "icing" on the cake. Mastering adjusts the song's volume and tone to sound appropriate when played along with other similar music. This is critical for songs that will be played in clubs by DJs and on the radio. Obviously, you do not want your song to sound too quiet, or dull. Furthermore, it is also important for making an album. When you have multiple songs in a collection or album, volume between songs can often fluctuate. This issue becomes exacerbated when multiple studios and producers have worked on a record. Mastering essentially levels all those songs to offer an enjoyable listening experience.

With a properly mastered song, your music will sound good on a variety of speakers, whether it is an iPhone, $20 ear buds or the most expensive hi-fi systems. To accomplish this, we use high end audio processors, a tuned room, flat monitors and an engineer with a keen ear.

For our current mastering prices, please visit our website.
We also offer a free consultation.

What type of customer support do you want for your website?

More often than not, we see commercials for cut rate and even free websites on TV. These deals offer a seemingly expansive web design package for little to no money upfront. They tout their 24/7 customer service and more. Sounds great right? But the old saying, "You get what you pay for" rings true, especially with web developers.

Have you ever tried calling these website companies? Whether it's the Super Bowl commercial stars, GoDaddy... or the free website builders at Web.com... These major corporations attempt to offer personalized service, but it's often not the case. Logistically, it's impossible to train thousands of employees to care and empathize for you and your business. And we haven't even gotten to being technically qualified to fix your issue.

The evidence is all over the internet, where vocal customers express their dissatisfaction with the customer service of major corporations.

"Slow or NO site and bad customer service!" via GoDaddy support forum.

A simple look at the reviews on Google for GoDaddy reveal a steady stream of dissatisfied customers highlighting issues ranging from service quality to customer service.

RipOffReport.com has a lot to say about GoDaddy also... Even their competitors like Network Solutions have their own problems. Yes, even Web.com. Wow, check out the vicious reviews for 1and1 on Yelp.

If you're looking for personalized customer support, then a big corporation may seem appealing. However, be advised that the risk of becoming "just another customer" is always there. At Mercurius Creative, LLC we offer prompt customer support via phone and email. You will always be speaking to a web designer and graphic designer who, not only is qualified to answer your questions, but also has a vested interest in your business. As a small business, we cannot afford to lose a "small percentage" of customers. We treat each customer like the most important customer... not a statistic!

See our website for more information!

About Mercurius Creative, LLC:

Mercurius Creative, LLC specializes in graphic arts, web design, and studio audio. We are based in Phoenix, Arizona, with international reach and vision. As a design company we work with various concepts combined with real world sensibility in order to produce unique, quality results. This applies to company logos, single pieces of artwork, websites, and more. We find that most ideas are possible in one way or another. The key is making sure you execute the idea correctly with the appropriate resources. Between our 10+ years of experience and our creativity, we always find a way to make our clients' visions come true.

Web Design Deals: Lower prices, More options

Web design and the process of making websites has evolved over the years. FONT code has been replaced by CSS and Flash has taken a backseat to HTML5. Consequently, the business of making websites has changed too, due in large part to the many consumer products out there for making a website. If you're prepared to take on the job of web designer and online marketing for your business or project, then we applaud you. However, if you're like most business owners, that is working really hard to run your business, it's likely you don't have an appropriate amount of time to dedicate to building your company's online presence properly.

That's OK.

That's where we come in.

At Mercurius Creative, LLC we've come up with a few new website plans to help small businesses and projects get online fast. We also offer the ability to upgrade your service down the line so that your website is working as hard as you are. We currently offer the following economic web design packages...

SPLASH PAGE

Our "Splash Page" package will get you online for the lowest cost. This package will give your project a homepage allowing users to gain information quickly, contact you and connect with you socially.

Includes:

• One (1) page website
• Choice of template (ready to go, fast template)
• Your logo in the header
• Hosting included (web space for your site to be online)
• One (1) email address (something@yourwebsite.com)
• "Connect" buttons for your Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
• A fillable Contact/Leads form for fast on site customer contacts
• Includes four (4) text based update per year.
• Compatible with mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Price: $129

STARTER SITE

Our "Starter Site" package will get you online quickly and inexpensively. This package gives your project a full website allowing users to gain information quickly, contact you and connect with you socially.

Includes:

• Five (5) page website
• Choice of template (ready to go, fast template)
• Your logo in the header
• Hosting included (web space for your site to be online)
• One (1) email address (something@yourwebsite.com)
• "Connect" buttons for your Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
• A fillable Contact/Leads form for fast on site customer contacts
• Includes four (4) text based update per year.
• Compatible with mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Price: $299

STARTER SITE PRO

Our "Starter Site PRO" package will get you online with a unique identity for a low price. This package gives your project a full website allowing users to gain information quickly, contact you and connect with you socially. Make a lasting impact on potential clients with a unique website.

Includes:

• Five (5) page website
• Custom template (Only you will have this template.)
• Your company brand (logo) embedded into the site.
• Hosting included (web space for your site to be online)
• Three (3) email addresses (something@yourwebsite.com)
• "Connect" buttons for your Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
• A fillable Contact/Leads form for fast on-site customer contacts
• Includes basic SEO service (keywords, headings and meta tags)
• Includes one (1) text based update per month.
• Compatible with mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Price: $499

ALSO AVAILABLE...

Deluxe Site, Premium Site, E-Commerce Websites, Wordpress, Joomla, & more!

See our website for more information!

About Mercurius Creative, LLC:

Mercurius Creative, LLC specializes in graphic arts, web design, and studio audio. We are based in Phoenix, Arizona, with international reach and vision. As a design company we work with various concepts combined with real world sensibility in order to produce unique, quality results. This applies to company logos, single pieces of artwork, websites, and more. We find that most ideas are possible in one way or another. The key is making sure you execute the idea correctly with the appropriate resources. Between our 10+ years of experience and our creativity, we always find a way to make our clients' visions come true.

Get a good, custom made website for cheap!

Mercurius Creative is an experienced web design company based in Phoenix, Arizona with a global vision. Our skilled website developers are capable of building various types of sites including traditional business sites, Wordpress sites, Joomla sites and other dynamic sites. A professional website gives you the resources you need to represent your business on the internet. Web pages are the business cards of the 21st century.

We offer 3 flat rate website packages:

ECONOMY STARTER SITE
This is a basic starter site for those who need to get online quick and are on a restrictive budget.

• One (1) page website
• Custom template (we never use pre-made templates)
• Information about your company or project*
• Five (5) images on the page, including your logo
• Hosting (web space for your site to be online)
• One (1) email address (something@yourwebsite.com)
• Google search engine keywords and meta tags
• "Connect" buttons for your Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
• A fillable Contact/Leads form for fast on site customer contacts

Price: $199.00 (Regular price $300)


DELUXE PRO SITE
This is a professional website which gives you all the space you need to communicate with your visitors.

• Five (5) page website
• Custom template (we never use pre-made templates)
• Information about your company or project
• Your logo and other images on the site
• Hosting (web space for your site to be online)
• Two (2) email address (something@yourwebsite.com)
• Search Engine Optimization (Website content, Keywords, & meta tags)
• "Connect" buttons for your Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
• A fillable Contact/Leads form for fast on site customer contacts

Price: $499.00 (Regular price $1000)


PREMIUM BOSS WEBSITE
Plenty of information and extra SEO work will help gain high exposure and high results!

• Twenty (20) page website
• Custom template (we never use pre-made templates)
• Information about your company or project
• Your logo and other images on the site
• Hosting (web space for your site to be online)
• Ten (10) email address (something@yourwebsite.com)
• Search Engine Optimization (Website content, Keywords, & meta tags.)
• "Connect" buttons for your Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
• A fillable Contact/Leads form for fast on site customer contacts

Price: $999.00 (Regular price $1500)

Learn more on our Web Development & Design page.

About Mercurius Creative, LLC:

Mercurius Creative, LLC specializes in graphic arts, web design, and studio audio. We are based in Phoenix, Arizona, with international reach and vision. As a design company we work with various concepts combined with real world sensibility in order to produce unique, quality results. This applies to company logos, single pieces of artwork, websites, and more. We find that most ideas are possible in one way or another. The key is making sure you execute the idea correctly with the appropriate resources. Between our 10+ years of experience and our creativity, we always find a way to make our clients' visions come true.

Can you learn how to SEO your own website?

In short, yes, yes you can. Most people can learn to do anything, even SEO (Search Engine Optimization). By that same logic, a person can fix their own car when the engine dies... or fix their own septic tank when it starts leaking sewage. While these analogies are extremes, they apply because SEO, being a mechanic, and being a septic tank expert are all trade skills that, more often than not, should be handled by a professional. It's also worth noting that optimizing your website for search engines is about as important as having an engine in your car and working plumbing in your home.

Why hire a professional?

Search engine optimization is a really specific set of skills. Despite what many will tell you, it's not a black art that can only be performed by the internet elite ("Webmasters"). Rather, it's a method of content creation and scheduled maintenance that adds up to improving your websites relevance (aka rank) on websites like Google. As mentioned above, you can learn this skill, but is it worth your trouble? Do you have the time to add on a second career to your already busy life? If you don't have the time to dedicate to it, then it's best to find someone who can handle the task for you properly.

Where do I find an SEO professional?

This is a tricky question. Continuing the mechanic analogy above, there are many people that offer SEO service but not everyone knows what they're doing. SEO pricing can range from $1000 per year to $1000+ per month; it really depends on what you need. Do you really want to hire someone who is using a $29 product from GoDaddy that walks them through only the basics of SEO? Probably not, but that is a common practice. It's best to find an SEO expert that is confident in their skills and experience. Don't be afraid to ask them questions to test their confidence. More often than not, the person you're talking to only understands the utmost basics like Meta Tags and keywords. Since it's not longer 1999 (although it is a great song), you need someone who keeps up to date on the changes that Google makes to it's search engine program. Many people offer search engine optimization, very few understand it. 

Isn't SEO expensive?

It can be, but "expensive" is relative. SEO prices tend to range from $1000 dollars per year for small sites and upwards of $100,000 per year for online stores with thousands of products. It really depends on the depth and labor involved for your website. Many small businesses have a website, which is great; however a website that cannot be found on search engines is valueless. Consider SEO as a part of your marketing & advertising budget. It's an expense; a cost of doing business. For small businesses, this how the average person will discover you. For online stores, search engines will be your life blood.

What's the difference?

The average small business site is lucky to get 300 visits per month. With today's hyper-connected world, online marketing is as competitive as ever. Consider that most people visit a website several times before they buy or call. When they do finally buy, they change from a visitor to a customer. We call that a "conversion" in the website business. The average conversion rate for well known online retailers (like Amazon.com) is about 10%. That means for every 10 visits, they make 1 sale. For unknown and small businesses, it's closer to 5% or less. This means is that you will get calls for your business or receive orders online only by earning traffic to your website. 300 visits per month, at a very optimistic conversion rate of 5% would give you 15 sales or calls per month. 300 visits per day would yield approximately 450 sales/calls in theory. Although there are many factors to a website being successful, you have zero opportunities with zero visitors.

Summary

SEO is critical to most business's online success. Having the sexiest website in the world doesn't matter if they can't find you under your business category keywords (plumber, doctor, etc). Unless you have the time and resources to focus on a brand new technical skill, then it's best to hire a professional. Find someone who explains what they do (within reason) and is confident. SEO should be part of your marketing budget, plus it's a great tax write off at the end of year.

Mercurius Creative, LLC is proud to offer SEO services.
Check out website to learn more.
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Logo Design Disaster Recovery

A common situation for small businesses is hiring a graphic designer for a company logo. A logical and critical step for defining your company identity. The logo gets put into your website and years go by. Eventually, you need a new website; or maybe, you want to get some new business cards made. You call the designer and tell them that your logo is on your website. They respond by asking for a high quality copy of your logo, preferably in 300 DPI (common print resolution). Sounds familiar?

Mercurius Creative, LLC specializes in graphic design, including logos and company identity. We can take a company logo and restore it, even from a low quality web site image and make it print ready. Ready to be used for any form of marketing.

Check out this logo design restoration we made for a customer of ours...

Notice how the top image is from the customer's old website. It's dark and lacking clarity due to image compression for the website. The second image shows you the first step in our process, which takes the logo design down to it's basics. Then, the final step smooths the logo out and makes it into a vector file usable in Illustrator and Corel Draw (commonly used by graphic designers and print shops). Because of this special format, the logo now has an infinite resolution and can be recolored and modified in any number of ways.

For more information on our graphic design services, check out our website.

About Mercurius Creative, LLC:
Mercurius Creative, LLC specializes in graphic arts, web design, and studio audio. We are based in Phoenix, Arizona, with international reach and vision. As a design company we work with various concepts combined with real world sensibility in order to produce unique, quality results. This applies to company logos, single pieces of artwork, websites, and more. We find that most ideas are possible in one way or another. The key is making sure you execute the idea correctly with the appropriate resources. Between our 10+ years of experience and our creativity, we always find a way to make our clients' visions come true.

New Website for 2013

We've redesigned our website and added some additional services we provide. This is the first phase of our new company vision. Going forward our goal is to produce more content to show potential customers and fans. We are also going to be taking part in more online communities.

Currently, we offer the following services...


WEB & INTERNET :
Web Design & Development
Wordpress Development
Joomla Development
Freelance Website Updates
Search Engine Optimization
PPC Marketing
Social Media Marketing

GRAPHIC ART & DESIGN :
Logo Design
Business Identity
Business Card Design
Photo Enhancment
Character Design
Fine Art
General Graphics

AUDIO & MUSIC STUDIO :
Audio & Music Mixing
Audio & Music Mastering
Music Production
Song Writing
Synthesizer Session Musician

Check out our new website and feel free to contact us! 

About Mercurius Creative, LLC:

Mercurius Creative, LLC specializes in graphic arts, web design, and studio audio. We are based in Phoenix, Arizona, with international reach and vision. As a design company we work with various concepts combined with real world sensibility in order to produce unique, quality results. This applies to company logos, single pieces of artwork, websites, and more. We find that most ideas are possible in one way or another. The key is making sure you execute the idea correctly with the appropriate resources. Between our 10+ years of experience and our creativity, we always find a way to make our clients' visions come true.