Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tommy Ballin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Tommy, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned how to mix and master because when I started making music I was too young to go to the studio. I taught myself how to mix through a series of YouTube videos, speaking to professionals, and hours and hours of trial and error on my own vocals.

Knowing what I know now, I would have focused more on getting good recordings rather than thinking a mix can save it. The reality is, you need good vocals before starting to get a good mix, and that took me a while to really figure out.

The most essential skill is ear training. Mixing and mastering isn’t something you can feel or see, so it’s an adjustment that takes a lot of time when you’re having to go off your ears. It’s one thing to know how
to use plugins and tools, but the real
skill is knowing when you need to use them and how much, and that’s all dependent on your ears.

The real obstacle that stands in the way is money. All the professional plugins and equipment to get the top sound require a good amount of money. And that is really the biggest issue most people encounter when starting to make music, especially at home.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

So I got into music very young when I heard the song “Cinderella Man” by Eminem while driving with my mom. Once I heard that song I became obsessed with rap and hip-hop. When I was 12 I started writing my first lyrics, and soon I had several notebooks full of lyrics I had written. A few years later when my voice developed, I started recording music. I was 17 when my first tracked dropped on SoundCloud. After positive feedback from that track, I became addicted and started recording as much as I could.

As I mentioned before, I was 17 and did not have money or means to use a professional studio. So I bought my own microphone and started learning how to do it on my own at home. This was a passion that never left and I kept recording, mixing, and dropping songs. Although not very good at first, I became obsessed with audio quality which led me down the long path of professional mixing and mastering. Another artist, and my best friend, Punky was really the first to inspire me to take it more seriously through his mixing.

In 2025, I dropped one of my songs “Beggin.” I ran an instagram ad for the track as I did all my tracks. This song reached another artist, my now good friend, Zah. We talked and I started engineering and hanging out with him. He eventually ended up meeting someone on his block named Cruise. Cruise is a music manager and at the time was managing an artist named LAU. I started engineering for LAU and he was the first artist I ever recorded in an actual studio. Cruise got me in contact with the owner of Audeoboi Studios and 2 days later I went in for an interview. I have been there ever since taking clients and perfecting my craft.

Since then, I’ve worked with some super popular artists such as Reemo, Kimbriella, and others. I have met some of the best engineers and producers in the game, and have had the opportunity to run sessions out of big named, label owned studios, such as Republic’s Chelsea Studios in NYC.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think there really is. The average person has no idea how much work mixing and mastering takes and the difference it has on songs. A good vs bad mix can really make or break a song. The engineers and background individuals that work on tracks don’t get nearly enough credit for their work. Without them, the biggest artists in the world, such as Drake, would sound no different than a new artist on SoundCloud. Arguably, the engineer is just as, if not more important than the artist. They are really the ones that are creating the artists sound.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Really just support them where it matters. Drop them follows on social media, add their songs to your playlist, like and share their content. This helps keep artists motivated and it costs 0 dollars to be supportive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hyperfollow.com/tommyballin
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommy_ballin717?igsh=Z2pzN2t5emJycWU4&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@legacysviproductions?si=iVllZ6EXwSQXPNyU
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/wVkxaKwc6lFgw6fl2V

Image Credits

@shotoneos