How to Become a Music Producer

Rate: (25 Ratings)

Music producers are really the heart and soul of any recording. They’re the great unsung artists working behind the scenes. Bad production can make a great song sound terrible. Great production can elevate songwriting. Think of George Martin working with the Beatles, or Brian Eno working with The Talking Heads, David Bowie, and U2. To a lot of people, being a music producer is a life-long dream where they spend all day working on music in the studio. Here’s how to break in.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

A studio
A CD "reel"
Business card/marketing plan

Step1

Start at the bottom. Yes, it’s true. You’re not going to be producing U2 right off. Most producers start off as an engineer or just setting up mics around a drum set—not actually giving a lot of input on an actual recording. In this capacity, you might be able to be an apprentice to a top-flight producer.

Step2

A music production degree is not necessarily a pre-requisite for getting a job in a studio, but it helps. It also helps to know about different technology, both analog and digital, that you’ll learn about in a degree program. But “street knowledge”—-actual recordings—-can be just as good as a degree.

Step3

Set up your own studio. If money’s an issue, you can record using software, rather than buying up a bunch of rack mounts. You may start recording your friends’ bands first and then work up from there. You might have to charge a low fee, or even charge nothing, to bring in new bands. Really, the more equipment you have, the better. One band might only want to use vintage equipment, so if possible it’s a good idea to have it on hand.

Step4

Once you’ve got some recordings under your belt, you need to network. Create a mix CD of a number of different recordings—-soft, loud, orchestral, electronic, etc.-—so people can get a sense of your range. That is unless you want to create a niche for yourself—like being the top metal producer in the area. It depends on what you enjoy doing most of all. Recording a wider number of genres is a good idea because it will bring in more business. Don’t be a snob about certain types of music; it will pad your resume, bring in money, and you’ll likely learn something new about the process.

Step5

Make a website for your services. Go to social networking sites, forums or blogs to get the word out. Always have business cards and even CDs on hand. This also means networking with musicians who might play on a recording in the future. It’s not always easy to find an obo player on short notice. Also very important--network with A&R people, managers and publishers so they’ll hire you in the future.

Tips & Warnings

Listen to the recordings of great music producers. Listen to them again. Study their art.
You don’t necessarily need to be able to play an instrument to be a music producer, but it helps a lot. Having a great ear for music and playing an instrument often go hand in hand. Reading music is also helpful. Sometimes music producers will actually play instruments on a recording.
There is a lot of competition for work in a studio. Check job banks regularly. Always keep an ear out for new gigs. It’s a good idea to go to a lot of shows because this is where information gets passed around. Industry conventions are also a good idea.
Being a music producer doesn’t pay a huge amount, unless you’re at the very top. There are bound to be a fair number of lean years in the beginning.