Career Information for a Music Producer
Music producers --- also called record producers --- work with songwriters and record labels to create music recordings. The music producer has many jobs as he oversees the recording of a song or album from beginning to end. Producers can be hired by record labels or artists and are either salaried as staff or contracted as freelancers. Some are college-educated in music production specifically or the music industry overall.
Other People Are Reading
-
Education
-
Producers don't necessarily need a college education to be successful. Many producers do have college degrees in music-related fields. College degrees may be necessary for producers seeking employment by a record label. Often, though, producers learn the ropes in this business through experience working independently producing a variety of songs and albums with an array of musical artists. Some producers, early in their careers, intern with more established producers. Others enroll in audio production training courses in accredited schools. The National Association of Schools of Music has a searchable list of accredited music schools throughout the United States that offer such courses.
Responsibilities
-
The producer oversees a recording project from beginning to end. The job includes finding the right recording studio, selecting session musicians if necessary, choosing the engineer to operate the recording technology and crafting the sound of each song to make it a hit. Music producers might decide what songs make it onto an album or not. They handle editing, mixing and mastering of recorded tracks. They also have to be mindful of the recording budget they're given by the artist or label. Successful producers have a wealth of experience and training in many areas of the music business including songwriting, performing, audio technology, business contracts, music licensing, music marketing, album sales and music industry trends.
-
Opportunities
-
Wherever there is a solo musician, band or record label planning to record a song or album, there is the opportunity to be hired as a producer. Aspiring producers can start their careers by offering their services directly to local musicians or to smaller record labels. As you acquire experience and success as a local producer, you'll be more qualified to work with larger established artists and labels. Major labels tend to hire producers with extensive experience who also have a proven track record of creating chart topping hit songs and albums by popular artists, according to the Berklee College of Music.
Salary Range
-
As of 2011, producers working for record labels can make between $27,000 and $75,000 in base salary and earn royalties from songs they produce, while independent producers can earn as much as $1 million or more per year with the right hit songs, according to CareersinMusic.com. Berklee College of Music backs this up, putting the average income range for producers in 2010 between $25,000 and $1 million.
-
References
- Berklee College of Music: Careers in Music Production & Engineering; 2011
- CareersInMusic.com: Record Producer; Rich Hughes III
- Berklee College of Music: Salary Ranges for U.S. Music Positions in Performance, Writing, Business, Audio Technology, Education, Music Therapy; Prepared by the Career Development Center; 2010
Resources
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
