Every single singer I’ve met always wants their recording session to go as smoothly as possible, and have the best possible outcome. However, what is the best time of the day to record vocals? After some research, here’s a short and concise answer to your question:
When to record vocals hugely depends on the singer and the music genre. However, as a rule of thumb, you can start recording at least 4 hours after you wake up, and stop recording around 3 hours before you go to bed. Try not to sing continuously for more than 2 hours. And have your meal at least 1 hour before your recording session.
So maybe now you’re wondering, what does a typical recording day look like? We’ll look at the typical schedule, and how you may want to prepare yourself for it.
- Morning: Light warm-up after breakfast
- Lunch: At least 1 hour before the recording session
- Afternoon: Recording session with breaks
- Evening: Vocal care routine
Morning: Light warm-up after breakfast
Most singers don’t sound the best early in the morning. You may find your voice to be deeper than usual, and it’s hard to control the dynamics and tone of your voice. That’s perfectly normal, so you don’t have to worry too much about it. Understand that your voice will slowly pick up and get better as the day goes on.
Don’t sing with an empty stomach. It may seem like an easy task that doesn’t use much energy, but singing actually needs quite a bit of strength. This is especially true if the song has higher notes for you to hit, or it has long sentences. Have your breakfast and take a short break, then you can start by doing some light warm-ups.
By going through your simple warm-up routine, you will immediately feel your voice get better. However, don’t over-do it, as you need to save it for the recording session later that day. Once you feel that your voice has opened up somewhat, you can stop and move on with your daily tasks.
Lunch: At least 1 hour before recording session
If you usually have your lunch in the afternoon, try to eat earlier that day if your recording session is also in the afternoon. Set aside at least 1 hour for your body to digest the food. Otherwise, when you sing with a full stomach, you may find yourself struggling with air during difficult phrases.
If you’re in a bit of a rush, maybe eat a smaller portion size of lunch than usual. That will make sure you go into the recording session ready to sing. If you’re still hungry after the recording session, you can always fill up with some snacks.
Afternoon: Recording session with breaks
Showtime! Make sure you get your voice ready before you go into the recording booth. Some singers like to do a short warm-up when they arrive at the studio, just before they go into the booth. Depending on your time of booking, your voice may not have much time left before it’s gone. It really depends on the singer. Some singers prefer to sing in the evening, believe it or not.
As you’re starting out if you’re not sure which time slot to book, try to pick the one in the afternoon. Most singers feel the best during this time. However, once you sing more often, you may find that you sound much better earlier, or later, and feel free to adjust to suit your needs.
Have a bottle of water ready in the recording booth. Your voice will get dry fast during the session, especially if the air conditioning is on. Also, try to take short 5 minute breaks for every 30 minutes of singing. Of course, this depends on your song length, if it’s a short song you may be done in less than half an hour!
Try not to sing for more than 2 hours though. After singing for that duration, your voice will get tired, and you will find yourself starting to lose control of your voice. If you keep on singing, not only the result won’t be good, you risk damaging your vocal cords. If you couldn’t finish recording the song in one session, consider booking another session on another day.
Evening: Vocal care routine
Once you’re finished, you may find that after a long day of recording, your voice is gone. That’s normal for most singers unless you’ve been training for years. Just make sure you don’t talk too much for the rest of the day. Let your voice rest.
Drink lots of warm water and try to avoid spicy and fried food for dinner. Some singers love to drink honey, as it is widely known that it helps with the recovery of your voice.
If your recording session is at night, try to get to bed as early as possible once you get home. Sleeping helps tremendously with the recovery of your voice. Lots of singers find that their voice is gone the next day, so make sure you take care of your voice.
Can You Prepare Your Voice to Sound Best at a Certain Time of Day?
If your recording session is at a particular time of day and you want to prepare for it, you can definitely prepare your voice for it. Just make sure you do a 30-minute warm-up, slowly, and have meals at least 1 hour before the session. If your session is still several days or even weeks away, you can even train your voice to follow a routine.
For example, if your recording session will be at 10 am in the morning, you can choose to practice singing every day at that time. After a few days, your voice will adjust and you will find yourself much more comfortable singing at that time of day.
However, because our muscles are mostly deactivated after a good night’s sleep, your voice will sound deeper than usual in the morning. And after a full day’s use, your voice may not be as strong as you’d like at night. So keep that in mind when you’re booking your recording session.
