We were lucky to catch up with Scooter Allen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Scooter, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

This isn’t exactly brand new but I think something that has changed in the recent few years is that “Albums” are starting to go away, and we’re seeing a huge push of “Single” songs being released. This is an interesting topic because a lot of people are divided on this. On one hand, consumers get more songs more often. On the other hand, sometimes those songs now feel disconnected, and there’s a bit of a different experience without being able to listen through an album of cohesive music. I think singles are really cool. I like getting frequent new content from the artists I love. I think from a brand standpoint, there is a lot more you can do to make sure every song connects with the audience. With a single release, a lot of smaller artists can afford to put money into better music videos, better merch, and just a better experience per song because it’s spread out. Coming up with all of the money that goes into a full Album release campaign is extremely overwhelming, but this allows the artists to get more out of each song. They can also take more risks, because if one song doesn’t do as well – It’s not a whole album and touring cycle that won’t do well.

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

My name is Scooter Allen and I’m a music producer from Cleveland Ohio. I specialize in heavy alternative music. I know that “Music Producer” can be a very blanket term, and can be confusing for some people so let me break down exactly what that means to me. If you’re in a band and have songs written completely, or even just have partial ideas, I can help you take those ideas and turn them into finalized, tangible songs that are ready for release. When a band works with me I like to provide more than just “recording” services. I’m not just going to hit record, and then give you the final result back. I start from the ground up and think about the future. Once we make this song sound amazing, what next? How are you going to get this song into the ears of eager listeners? How do you find the right audience for you? I like to think about these things from the beginning and make sure there is a great brand being built around these great songs. A lot of bands like to call me their “extra band member.” At the end of the day, yes my job is to make sure your songs are great – but as much as possible, I try to help launch sustainable music careers and show artists how they can create their own success once they leave the studio.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think the number one thing while trying to establish a reputation in this industry is to just be nice. Be a fun person to be around. I try to foster an environment where people can be open with me about anything. Music comes from emotion. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable, then there’s no way you can expect them to express their honest emotions in the song. I was also in bands growing up, so I understand how musicians feel. I’ve been on the other side of this process and always take into account how I would want to be treated. Lastly just staying in touch after the recording process. Building genuine friendships. A lot of this may seem obvious, but it’s why people come back to me time and time again.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

“How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie was a huge help with mindset shift for me. If you haven’t read it, don’t be dissuaded by the title haha. At its core, the idea that Dale repeats throughout the book is to put others before yourself. “Become genuinely interested in other people.”

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://scooterallen.com/
• Instagram: scooter_allen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scooterallen

Image Credits
Brandon Radic – Lightsandsoundmedia