FAQ

Getting in touch and introducing your project:

    • You can send your MP3s directly to drumtracksdirect@gmail.com.

    • Alternatively, you can upload your MP3s or WAVs to your personal website or an online storage website, such as WeTransfer. Please send me links to the files via email.

    • If you use Dropbox, please invite me to a shared folder, using the address drumtracksdirect@gmail.com.

    • For songs on which you have used programmed drums, please be very specific about if you would like me to a) copy the programmed drums, b) if you would like me to improve the programmed drums or c) if I should ignore the programmed drums and come up with something by myself.

    • Comments such as “just make it better” or “play as you see fit” are too vague. Try and be specific.

    • I understand that it can be hard to convey your ideas for the drum tracks through text, especially if you aren’t a drummer. One of the best things you can do is to give me as many references as possible to other bands and drummers who play in the style you’re looking for.

    • When naming references, try to avoid simply sending me links to your favourite bands. Try and focus on songs that have drums in a similar vein to what you’re looking for.

    • Try to communicate what it is you do want from the drum track, as opposed to what you don’t want.

    • Certainly, whichever method of contact works for you.

    • Generally I prefer email, as it provides a log of all our exchanges (in particular the lists of references, sample tracks and any changes to the drum track), which I can refer back to.

    • Should you wish to beatbox me your drum ideas, feel free to make a voice recording on your phone and email it.

    • If you would like the programmed drums to be the starting block from which I will record the live drums, then yes, I need to hear them.

    • Please send me bouncedowns of your songs with and without the programmed drums.

    • Please be very specific about:

      • If you would like me to copy the programmed drums.

      • If you would like me to improve the programmed drums.

      • If I should ignore the programmed drums and come up with something by myself.

  • Don’t worry. To help me get started creating a drum track from scratch, all you need to do is provide me with a handful of references to songs in a similar vein.

    • I came of age musically in the 90s/00s and am experienced at playing most kinds of popular guitar music. I specialise in rock, indie and punk. I also play acoustic and ambient music. I play metal up to 80s level (ie. I play some double pedal, but am not a speed merchant).

    • I will notify you immediately after listening to your demos if I feel I am not able to give myself to your music.

    • On occasion, I might not immediately feel right for a project, but may ask for some time to practise and ingratiate myself with the style.

    • Indeed I can. I have played in tribute bands since the early 2010s and have built up quite a “method” of quickly breaking down the hallmarks of drummers’ styles.

    • Be aware though that if you require me to mimic a drummer who I haven’t mimicked before, I need a little bit of time to do a bit of listening and internalise the hallmarks of their style. Any recommendations for further listening would be appreciated!

Preparing your songs for emailing and drum recording:

  • It is indeed. A basic outline of the song is fine, but I may ask for more detail about what extra instrumentation you plan to add in on the final recording.

    • In most cases, I need to hear some form of vocals.

    • Some background...a major part of creating a professional drum track is to keep good separation between the vocal line and the drum line. A good drummer is always mindful of staying out of the way of the vocal. The vocal provides the best insight into the spirit of the song and, for me at least, provides far more perspective on what the drum part should be than the music does.

    • Scratch vocals with blah-blah lyrics are absolutely fine.

    • A situation in which I don’t need to hear scratch vocals is when all I'm required to do is to copy the programmed drums.

  • If you recorded your demo to a click, feel free to send me a bouncedown which includes the click. Make sure you do send me a bouncedown without the click though.

    • I can indeed. Depending on the style/tempo, sometimes I literally just play along to the track and punch in any parts which need special attention.

    • Sometimes I beatmap the song, which is to create a click which speeds up/slows down in time with the music. Then, when recording, I split my loyalties to the click and the music.

    • An example of a successful live recording are these songs I recorded for Kete Bowers, under the guidance of producer Fran Ashcroft. At their end, the vocal and acoustic guitar were recorded together, live, and were keepers. I had to make the drums ebb and flow in order to create the feel of a full band live recording. I remember that with his guitar strumming, Kete pushed on the 2 and laid back on the 4, which was something I had to be conscious of, given the snare lands on those beats.

    • I can indeed work from live recordings or old cassette 4-track demos.

    • Commonly, I will work out the aggregate tempo of the song and set up a click, which I will play to. I will check with you to see that the tempo is satisfactory or if you prefer the ebb and flow of your demo.

    • If you wish for me to simply play along to the demo, with no click, I can also do that.

  • Please leave the silence intact. It's too long a story to tell why, but it's the proper way to record.

    • The default bitrate/depth I record in is 44/24 (or 44.1 kHz/24-bit in long hand). It’s by far and away the most popular. If you record in something else (such as 48/24, which is the second-most popular), you need to notify me before I begin recording.

    • Oftentimes I notice the difference in bitrate when I drop your demo tracks into my DAW, prior to recording. Frustratingly, I’ve been caught out at times when songwriters have recorded their session in 48/24, but have bounced down their reference tracks in 44/24. So, completely unaware, I’ve gone on to record the drum track in 24/44!

The recording process:

  • I provide everyone with a free demonstration of how your track will sound with me playing on it. This is, in essence, a "free demo".

  • I will send the demo to you via email as an MP3, bounced together with your music.

    • Each take I record will be sent to you for your evaluation and feedback. I will make corrections to the drum track once you have pointed out how and where the corrections need to be made.

    • When citing where the corrections need to be made, feel free to point out the time ("that fill at 2:56 doesn't sound right") or a lyric.

    • After I have made the corrections, I will send the corrected version of the drum track back for your approval.

    • To save time on songs for which I need to create the drum track from scratch, I often record a rough first take. That way I save myself from using up valuable time recording a drum track, which may not be what you’re looking for, up to first class standard. If corrections are needed, I will make the changes to the rough track. Think of it as building up a compilation of all the correct parts. Once you’re happy, I’ll record a final “master” take, at full quality.

    • I am always prompt with my communications and I expect similar from you. I record on a single drumkit and juggle different sessions at the same time, which can make recording a drum track a difficult and long-drawn-out process if I don’t receive feedback for days or weeks.

  • Certainly. It's my job as the drummer to support your song and to contribute to delivering your vision for the final recording of it.

    • I will always give an estimate of how long I will need to record the first take of a drum track.

    • The timeframe can range from the same day to a week, depending on how booked up I am and how much rehearsal is required. If your email catches me at the right time, I can sometimes deliver something in rough form on the same day!

    • I will notify you immediately if circumstances arise which will delay my recording of your drum track (gigs, illness, holidays, gear problems).

    • On occasion, when copying intensive programmed drum parts, I need some time to internalise them and get them into my muscle memory. I will inform you if I need some time.

    • To the previous point, the same goes with when I need to create a drum track from scratch. Often they come very quickly, but sometimes I need to live with the song for a short while. On occasion, when developing drum tracks, I will do demos for my ears only, so I can sleep on it and listen back the next day. I will inform you if I'm doing this and if it'd benefit the drum track if I can work at a more relaxed pace.

  • Generally it's between 10 and 12. Kick in, kick out, snare top, snare bottom, rack tom, floor tom, overhead left, overhead right, room, hi-hat, ride and whatever is needed for percussion and overdubs.

    • The price given on the prices page is applicable to the majority of drum tracks I record. However, it may be necessary to charge extra depending on:

      • The complexity/length of the song.

      • How much creativity is required. For instance, if I am creating a drum track from scratch.

      • If many layers of overdubs and/or percussion are needed.

    • We will agree the price after we finish discussions about the drum tracks and you have informed me of your chosen delivery format(s).

    • Sometimes I am asked to give a discounted price for an EP or album of songs, based on me only having heard one or two songs, because demos for the rest haven't been recorded yet. I will quote a “ballpark” price for the whole project, but generally I charge full price per song and if/when we get to the end of the project, I will apply the discount to the final song.

    • A discount may be applicable when I am sent a batch of two or more songs to record in one go.

    • Discounts are not applicable if you wish to send only one song over to be recorded at a time. For example, if you are recording songs one at a time over a period of months.

    • A discount may not be applicable for reasons of:

      • The complexity/length of the song.

      • How much creativity is required. For instance, if I am creating a drum track from scratch.

      • If many layers of overdubs and/or percussion are needed.

    • I request that all payments made by UK customers be made via bank transfer.

    • All payments from outside the UK are to be made via PayPal. After completion of the drum track, I will email a paypal.me link.

    • Please ensure that you have a functioning PayPal account, with access to funds. Failure to pay will result in non-delivery of your drum track.

    • Generally payment occurs at the end of the recording process, but I accept payment in advance as well.

  • Payments must be made in GBP.

  • I do not offer a mixed multitrack, simply because 99% of the time, songwriters request unmixed! They want full control over their ability to mix the drums and quite often the raw stems are sent away to mix.

    • Once I have received payment for a track, I will zip up the multitrack and, via email, will provide a Google Drive link to it. Don't worry, you don't need a Google Drive or Gmail account in order to open the link.

    • Preparing multitracks for delivery can sometimes be a lengthy process. I will inform you if there will be a delay in delivery.

    • All multitrack deliveries are made as .zip files. If you wish for them to not be zipped, I can deliver via WeTransfer or dropped into a shared Dropbox folder.

    • I generally hang on to my session files of completed drum tracks for a minimum of 30 days, until the point I need to clear out my hard drive. I do not keep the session files forever. The same goes for the zips in my Google Drive account.

    • On occasion, a songwriter requests a break in a project. I remember one occasion when a songwriter took approximately six months to get back to me with corrections for a take (!). Please inform me if this will (hopefully not!) be the case, so I can ensure I keep hold of my session files.

    • Firstly, be aware that drums are generally panned from the audience's perspective, ie. the same as at a gig.

    • By playing left-handed, I play the mirror image of a standard right-handed kit. You'd think this would be irrelevant when delivering a multitrack of mono WAVs, but there are two overhead mics, either side of the kit. These are named "OH L" and "OH R". The left and right correspond to the left and right sides of a left-handed kit.

    • If you wish to pan the drums left-handed, you can leave the overheads as they are and pan the hat left, the ride right and the toms from left to right.

    • If you wish to pan the drums right-handed, you need to rename "OH L" to be "OH R" (and "OH R" to be "OH L") and pan the hat right, the ride left and the toms from right to left.

    • A songwriter's demo, properly-prepared for sending off for drum recording, should ideally start from 0:00 in the songwriter's demo. There should be a few bars/seconds of silence between 0:00 and where the track begins.

    • At my end, I seek to keep everything in sync as possible, by, in my DAW, dragging the demo hard left, so it also starts at 0:00.

    • The end result is that, because I begin the recording, at my end, from 0:00, if you drop my drum multitrack into your session and drag it hard left, it'll be perfectly in sync with your session - hence the multitrack being "left-aligned with the demo you sent me".

Pricing, payment and delivery:

Not happy?

    • I work hard to make sure that every musician who requests a drum track goes away happy, but very, very occasionally things just don’t work out. This is extremely rare and I see to it that any problems are solved amicably.

    • If you are not satisfied with my playing and don’t wish to pursue, don’t be afraid to say so. I would rather hear from you that you are not happy, rather than never hearing from you again.

    • If you've enlisted a number of online drummers, in order to see who provides the best free demo, please inform me if you won't be proceeding with me.

    • There are extremely rare occasions on which I pull out of a project. If I feel after three or more takes for a song that you are unclear of what you are looking for, I may withdraw.

  • Unless you wish for me to keep the fee as compensation for the work I've already put in, any drum tracks, which have been paid for in advance and haven’t been completed, will be refunded.

Miscellaneous:

    • I do not claim royalties for projects where I am enlisted solely to compose and record the drum tracks.

    • For projects where I am enlisted as a collaborator and am asked to take an active role in the songwriting, I may claim a songwriting credit and PRS royalties. I am a member of the PRS.

  • I will provide constructive feedback if asked. Song arrangement and structure are my principle areas of interest, which stems from my acting as musical director in some of my bands.

    • I am pleased to be contacted by students examining the burgeoning world of online recording as part of university coursework.

    • Should you need a drum track, please inform me about your coursework and which extra material you require, so I can price your project accordingly.

    • I can provide pictures of my recording setup and provide a gear list.

    • I am willing to complete any questionnaires you may have.

    • I can indeed and if you require this, please inform me at the beginning of the project. Be aware though that I don't have a flashy studio with lights/smoke though!

    • Generally I do not record myself actually recording the drum track, but I oftentimes I provide a video of myself miming along to the finished drum track.

  • I regularly play live in a number of bands and am unable to join any more, but I do deputise for other bands when their regular drummer is available. If you are based in the London area in the UK and are interested in having me deputise for your drummer, let me know. I'm good with short-notice gigs, as I can read and don't necessarily have to memorise all the material.

  • If you are a drummer who is looking to get into the online recording game, feel free to email me at drumtracksdirect@gmail.com for some advice and insight.

    • A rough outline of my experience can be found on the about page. Significant dates are that:

      • I started playing the drums in 1999.

      • I began recording online collaborations in 2000 and launched Drum Tracks Direct in 2011.

      • I attended music college from 2001-03 and university from 2007-10.

      • I played in originals bands from 2001-10.

      • I have played in function/cover bands since 2012 and played in tribute bands between 2012 and 2022.

This FAQ was last updated on 29 Oct 2024.

  • Will's final tracks were fantastic studio quality recordings that took my album up that extra notch.

    Sound Of The Underglow - Blackpool, England, UK

  • The drums sound a thousand times better than the ones I had programmed – to the extent that the drums are now probably the strongest point in the mix!

    Matt Findlay - Southampton, England, UK

  • Very willing to listen to what is required and provided tracks quickly and made sure everything was received.

    The Sounds Of Sulphur - Cheltenham, England, UK

  • Communication was superb from start to finish and the drum tracks i received were first-rate.

    Mark Jiggins - London, England, UK

  • Just the whole concept of being able to get drum tracks recorded and delivered straight to your email is one of the best things in life!

    Femmepop - London, England, UK

  • Will is very conscientious, enthusiastic and really cares about the drumming needs of the song.

    Gerardo Alarcon - London, England, UK

  • He was like reading my mind and did everything like i imagine. He is a top drummer and top musician.

    CengizTheBand - London, England, UK

  • I've used Will's drums for two different projects now and have found him to be capable of nailing a variety styles and always playing tastefully and for the song.

    Mark Norgate - London, England, UK

  • He is very fast to respond to your requests and is working hard to please you with his work. He made four demos for me to find what suits best to my song!

    John Georgilas - Thessaloniki, Greece

  • Will responded to a short notice request for a drum track on Christmas Eve and went into the studio and worked late that night!

    David Caufield - Coquitlam, BC, Canada

  • He really listened to my ideas and made the tracks come alive - best online drummer I've come across.

    Dan Bick - Birmingham, England, UK

  • As I am someone who can't play drums and can just about find their way round a drum machine, he's very tolerant of my lack of technical knowledge.

    The Ritas - Birmingham, England, UK

  • As I am a one-man band, Will's the answer for taking my songs up to the next level.

    Broken Promise Keeper - Decatur, GA, USA

  • He is fast, efficient, highly talented and very very professional. He was very quick to reply to emails and very accommodating.

    Studio 909 - Port Laoise, Republic of Ireland

  • I got Will to handle some heavy rock tracks and the results were awesome. I used programmed drum parts to get my ideas across, Will took the ideas made some suggestions and really nailed the tracks.

    Damian Bradshaw - Brisbane, QLD, Australia

  • Will's drum tracks serve not only as integral components of your song, but as crucial elements that lift your tracks to a higher, better, more convincing level.

    Rotting Apples - Bakersfield, CA, USA

  • From a simple click track Will was able to build a professional level set of drum tracks that fit my latest song perfectly.

    BMI - Detroit, MI, USA

  • I had Will record some killer drum tracks for me that I can play along with for fun and practice. Will is an awesome drummer and a real nice guy, too.

    Tom Belanger - Costa Mesa, CA, USA

  • He responded almost instantly to all my emails and was a pleasure to work with. Will and I interacted in coming up with the drum track for the song as if we were in a band together.

    Ryan Williams - Tallahassee, FL, USA

  • I emailed about four of them and Will Jones was back to me straight away. The others not at all or few days later.

    Mystic - Brighton, England, UK

  • I don't know what gear he's using, but the results are nothing short of amazing.

    Jay Marshall - Wexford, PA, USA

  • Right from the beginning I felt my explanations and wishes very understood and he recorded very fast and professionally one song after another exactly to my taste!

    Reborn Studio - Karlsfeld, Germany

  • This is so time-saving, just to save me the job of setting up microphones on a drum kit is more than worth the asking price.

    Geir Widar Kristoffersen - Larvik, Norway

  • I have saved a lot of time using Drum Tracks Direct and releasing music on a regular basis is now a reality.

    John Courage - Cardiff, Wales, UK

  • Even after a lengthy hiatus, Will was happily willing to honour the remaining 2 tracks we had paid for 4 months prior!! To me, that's highly professional!

    We Are Norway Sun - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

  • This was the first time I used a online session drummer and I was amazed by the quality of Will's drumming.

    Raymond Van der Vechte - Raalte, Netherlands

  • The tracks we received locked right in to our original sessions. It's really brought a new edge to our music.

    System Failure - Longview, TX, USA

  • His communication was excellent and he makes you feel totally involved - like he's sitting in the same room as you!

    Rob Williamson - Formby, England, UK

  • The resulting drum track is fantastic. Highly professional. He has a great sense of dynamics & feel. Responds quickly to email & requests & is reasonably priced.

    Pete Davie - Sydney, NSW, Australia

  • He learned my programmed part so quickly and then reproduced it with such authenticity.

    Riz Hallowes - Sydney, NSW, Australia

  • A top quality drum track produced in a fast and friendly manner for such a reasonable rate, what more could I ask!

    Reece Williams - St. Austell, England, UK

  • Songs that need an aggressive in-your-face punch get just that, and when the tune is more laid-back he uses percussion mallets very nicely.

    The Doorman - Utrecht, Netherlands

  • His drums are also very good value for money, particularly when compared to the cost of hiring practice and recording studios.

    Indica Blues - Oxford, England, UK

  • Normally I would use days or maybe weeks to plot drums for a song with Superior Drummer, but with Will I got high quality drum tracks delivered within days from my request!

    Øystein Voster Eriksen - Stavanger, Norway

  • He got to work straight away on my song and delivered a top quality drum track within a few days. Very professional.

    Jamie O'Grady - Dublin, Republic of Ireland

  • His attention to detail and styling are first rate - and I'm very tough on the accuracy of parts and patterns.

    Fran Ashcroft, Happy Beat Studio - Liverpool, England, UK

  • One great thing about working with Will as well is his response times to emails. I was able to send some tracks to him and I had a reply with sample tracks within a day or two.

    Steven Beth - Livermore, CA, USA

  • Having worked for more than 20 years with many drummers in the studio as a producer I found Will a refreshing break for a drummer that thinks about the song's feel.

    Marc Joy, Ferndale Productions - Mold, Wales, UK

  • Working with Will was very effortless and in my opinion better than sitting in a rehearsal studio trying to get the drum tracks down and recorded.

    Brian Welts - Auckland, New Zealand

  • I threw something at him that required some real creativity and he didn't disappoint. It's clear he's a true musician and able to intuit what a song needs from the rhythm section.

    Bryan Russell - Minneapolis, MN, USA

  • Attentive to his customer's needs, with the objective of fulfilling their requests to his best, efficient, fast worker, talented and intuitive musician...What more can I say?

    Philippe Weibel - Strasbourg, France

  • He was undeterred by us giving him a hard time every now and then along the way!

    Drifting Sun - Chesham, England, UK

  • The luxury of having a Real drummer at hand and using professionally sounding drum tracks, lifts both the feel and end result of my projects (in my humble opinion).

    Olav Isak Sjøflot - Trondheim, Norway

  • First take in my email inbox in less than 24hrs and completed track in 48hrs. Don't waste your time trying a million different drum loops, just pay a few quid and voila, a really talented drummer on your track.

    Stephen Rooney - Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

  • Will is the ultimate pro, delivering what the client is trying to achieve. Not to mention his SUPER HUMAN ability to play as tight and controlled as he does!

    Sam Evenden - Brentwood, England, UK

  • Will's my new "go to" drummer for recording.

    Jeff Melin - San Marcos, CA, USA

  • Be careful out there he is not a drummer. Drummers usually play drums. Conversely Will writes music with these evil things!!!

    Kostis Xabeles - Patra, Greece

  • We are very impressed by his skilful drumming, high quality recording, professionalism and willingness to meet every aspect of our requirements.

    Nigel Swaby - Perth, WA, Australia

  • We were under a great deal of time pressure from the label to get the first single out (Sony Music), and Will was able to cater to us without so much as a hiccup!

    Jonas Benjamin - Copenhagen, Denmark

  • I had a great time working with Will. He is a true professional, working fast and always answering mail almost instantly.

    Rune Elven - Sylling, Norway

  • Not only is he an exceptional musician, his customer support, turnaround time and value for money are INTERNATIONALLY unparalleled! This guy is head and shoulders above the rest.

    Sexy Levels - Ilford, England, UK

  • Will Jones came up with a drum track for our song that was creative, powerful, and right in time to the click track. All of the 8 tracks sound excellent, and the room mic captures a very nice ambience to blend into the mix.

    Bill Ebner - Lisle, IL, USA

  • Will is a great drummer, his drumming is full of energy, consistently tight in tempo and dynamic, very creative and professional.

    Omar Bowing - Austin, TX, USA

  • Working with Will was easy and straightforward. I sent him my track and less than 24 hours later I had my drums. Absolutely perfect first time.

    The Counter Culture - Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

  • The sound of the drums was excellent and he followed all our instructions to the letter! He is one hell of drummer and professional musician!

    Accusonus - Patras, Greece

  • Will's turn around time is fantastic, this means that any changes can happen fast, and we all know the client can change their mind like the weather.

    Jake Dobbs - Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia

  • You can tell he's been doing this for years, his understanding of my musical needs was impressive and the whole process, from the first contact to the finished tracks, was super quick!

    Alessio Polacchini - Genoa, Italy

  • After contacting Will and discussing our requirements he turned around 6 tracks in just a fortnight. He didn’t just nail the tracks but he added his own personality to them. We have been delighted with the results.

    The Gold Needles - Hull, England, UK

  • The communication during the process was very good, and the drum track in the end worked perfectly for my song. Will is a good drummer and I will recommend his services to anyone!

    Asbjørn Kallevik - Sauda, Norway

  • We sent him some off-recorded parts and he still managed to produce an accurate and rhythmic drum track. Will was exactly what we needed to bring our tracks to life!

    Former Administration - Hangzhou, China