Giovanni CordovaClient-Supplied References: Decoding What They Really Mean to Say
Client reference interpretation and decoding mix references requires understanding client vision beyond surface comparisons. Reference track analysis reveals deeper client communication mixing needs.
What They Send vs. What They Mean
A client sends you three reference tracks. You listen carefully, analyzing the mix balance, the compression character, the reverb choices. You deliver exactly what you heard.
They say it's close, but something feels off.
The reference wasn't about the technical elements. It was about something else entirely.
The Hidden Message
When someone sends a reference track, they're rarely communicating in audio engineering terms. They're reaching for feeling, for energy, for something they experience but can't name. The reference is a bridge between their internal vision and your technical vocabulary.
Your client sends a Billie Eilish track as reference for their indie rock song. You hear whisper vocals, extreme low end, minimal arrangement. But what they mean is: "I want intimacy. I want the listener to feel close to the performance." The genre doesn't matter. The feeling does.
Learning to Hear Beneath
Listen to the reference three times. First time, hear it as an engineer—what's happening technically. Second time, hear it as a listener—what does it make you feel. Third time, hear it as your client—what about this attracted them? This layered approach to listening reveals what clients can't articulate.
The technical analysis matters. But the emotional resonance matters more. Someone sends you a heavily compressed pop vocal as reference for their jazz record. They might want the density and presence of that vocal treatment, applied with jazz sensibilities. Or they might simply want their voice to feel as present and clear as what they're hearing.
Ask the Right Questions
"What specifically draws you to this reference?" opens the conversation. Let them describe it in their words. They'll say things like "the energy," "the clarity," "how everything sits together," "the space." These non-technical descriptions point toward what actually matters to them.
"Is there anything about this reference you want to avoid?" reveals the boundaries. Sometimes a reference shows one quality they love while containing others they want nothing to do with. The Drake reference might be about vocal clarity, while they actively want to avoid the genre's rhythmic approach.
The Genre Translation
References often cross genre boundaries. This creates the richest communication and the biggest potential for misunderstanding. A folk artist sends a techno track. An R&B singer sends a rock song. They're speaking in feelings, not formats.
Your work is translation. Take the essence they're reaching for—the spaciousness, the aggression, the warmth, the clarity—and express it within the musical language their project actually speaks. The reference shows the destination. You find the path that gets there from where their music lives.
Multiple References Reveal Patterns
When a client sends several references, look for the common thread. Five completely different songs might share one quality: vocal intimacy, or drum power, or atmospheric depth. That shared element is what they're actually communicating. The differences show you what's flexible. The similarities show you what's essential.
When References Contradict the Material
Sometimes the reference wants something the source material can't provide. The recording quality limits what's possible. The performance style moves in a different direction. The arrangement creates different needs.
This is where conversation deepens. "I hear what you're drawn to in this reference. Here's what we can achieve with your material. Here's what would require different creative choices upstream." You're the guide helping them understand their own vision and what serves it.
Trust What They're Reaching For
The reference is always right as a feeling, even when it seems technically wrong as a template. Your client's instincts about what they want to create matter more than whether the reference matches genre or style.
Your expertise translates their instinct into realized sound. They feel the destination. You know the roads that lead there.
The Real Question
What is this reference trying to tell you? Not what does it sound like—what does it mean?
Giovanni Cordova is an audio engineer specializing in podcast production and mixing. If this approach to client communication resonates with your creative work, explore how collaborative understanding might serve your project.