Types of Music Producers

Music producers wear many hats but their main function is to get a piece of music from the planning stages to a finished product. Depending upon the level of involvement in the project, a producer's duties may include choosing the song, hiring the musicians, booking the studio time, writing the musical arrangements and paying for the recording session.

There are three main types of music producers: executive, technical, and creative. Within each type there are overlapping duties; it's common for several music producers to work on the same project.

Executive Producer

An executive producer usually has limited input in the creative process; he is a financial investor and silent partner in the music production. An executive producer may be affiliated with corporations such as major recording labels, or he may be an individual who has no label affiliation.

Technical Producer

All sound reproduction relating to the recording session is the responsibility of the technical producer, most commonly referred to as the sound engineer. Sound reproduction techniques, audio reproduction equipment, recording specifications of individual instruments, and vocal recording techniques are his responsibility. He must be knowledgeable about microphone selection, room acoustics, equalization and compression and be able to mix the recorded song down to a master recording.

Creative Producer

The job of the creative producer is to take a song from its inception all the way through the production process. He is the creative force behind the song, often writing the arrangement, selecting the artists and musicians, and suggesting the artist's style of performance. The creative producer must be familiar with musical instruments and vocal performance, understand how they work together to produce styles, beats, grooves and rhythms,and possess a comprehensive understanding of mass market demand for various genres. Most successful creative producers are also trained musicians or vocalists.

Independent Producers

The music production arena has expanded in recent years due to the creation of affordable music production software such as ProTools, Cubase and Nuendo. Many artists and songwriters are now assuming the responsibilities for producing their own music and recording in home studios; they're hiring independent producers who are proficient in the popular recording software programs, thereby eliminating their need for executive or technical producers.

Considerations

All types of music producers must be familiar with legal issues such as song licensing, copyrights, publishing rights and artist's royalties. Training for producers that includes instruction in legalities concerning recorded music is offered at colleges, universities and at accredited online schools as part of a comprehensive degree program in music production.

References

• types of producers
• types of music producers and their functions - MPF talks to David Kershenbaum
• Karen Gloria, T.H.E Records, ATNA8 Publishing, San Antonio, TX

Resources

• Hiring a Music Producer