Mixing Goals for 2026: Outreach, Skill Stacking, and Staying Hungry as a Pro

In Episode 358 of the Mixing Music Podcast, hosts Dee Kei and Lu do a loose “New Year, New Goals” conversation focused on real, practical upgrades for working engineers, both technical and career-related.

They start with the career side: how easy it is to get comfortable when work is steady, and why that comfort can quietly turn into less outreach, fewer in-person hangs, and slower networking. The guys talk about rebuilding the habit of showing up, saying hi, staying visible, and keeping relationships warm, even when you do not feel desperate for the next client.

On the technical side, Dee Kei shares a simple but powerful listening habit for 2026: mixing at lower monitor volume more intentionally. He describes how turning the monitors down can instantly reveal vocal level problems and balance issues, especially when comparing what a limiter is doing to your drums and mix shape. They also get into the challenge of mixing a live performance EP to sound as close to the studio record as possible, including the reality of trying to make live drums feel more like samples.

From there, the conversation turns into “skill stacking” and education. They talk about learning tools you may not personally prefer, simply because certain environments demand them, like Pro Tools in many studio workflows or Digico consoles in a lot of festival and live sound situations. They discuss the idea of getting Digico certified, what high-end live consoles are built for (including redundancy features), and why expanding your toolset can help you scale into bigger gigs.

They also explore an unexpectedly practical idea: taking community college courses for cheap, from Pro Tools and recording classes to music business, marketing, and even basic economics and personal finance. The point is not chasing a degree, it is staying sharp, learning from experienced teachers, and intentionally investing in growth without going into debt.

They wrap the episode by encouraging listeners to choose a technical goal for the year and keep it front of mind, plus a few fun side tangents that are very on brand.

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The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Izotope⁠, ⁠Antares (Auto Tune)⁠, Sweetwater, ⁠Plugin Boutique⁠, ⁠Lauten Audio⁠, ⁠Filepass⁠, & ⁠Canva⁠

The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.

This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at ⁠deekeimixes@gmail.com⁠.

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