How to become A Music Producer

Music Producers are like coaches: building good work habits and trust in order to get the best out of an artist. Honorary members of a band, they wear different hats to change music to art; they listen to, experiment with and explore all aspects of music to produce an album or a record.

• Beat Maker
• Producer
• Record Producer

What do Music Producers do?

A Music Producer would typically need to:

• Study music and production
• Listen to loads of music collected through productive networking and analyze the masterpieces
• Make creative decisions such as auditioning performers, selecting music, and booking compatible vocalists and/or session musicians
• Schedule studio time to run recording sessions, rearrange compositions or suggest changes to lyrics
• Handle funding, costs and negotiations
• Guide mixing, mastering and recording engineers by articulating complex musical concepts in simple terms
• Ensure that musicians and investors share the vision for each track/album in terms of vocals, sound effects and instrumental arrangements and tactfully resolve any creative differences
• Oversee the post-production process, which includes editing the music and making sure that the project does not break budget or time constraints
• Retain a fresh perspective on the productions by thinking like a consumer

In-house music producers work for specific studios while freelancers are employed by bands or by record labels on behalf of a band. Most of their working hours are spent indoors in the studios. They travel frequently to meet clients. There is a lot of work outside of the studio as well while attending rehearsals | meetings | writing sessions | going out to shows. Dress code is business casual, unless otherwise specified.

Music Producers usually work 10-12 hours a day in the studio. They take some time to attend to phone calls, emails, texts, social media, and even accounting. Irregular hours are the norm.

Music Producers are usually self-employed and may find relevant work in concerts, recordings, films, and video games.

Music Producers are generally employed by:

• Record Labels
• Music Bands

Fledgling music producers benefit from registering with a Publishing Rights Organization (PRO), which builds awareness about writing and publishing royalty collection. Networking and community are vital for success.

• Constant stress due to fierce competition for jobs, erratic work hours and long periods of time without any workflow
• High salaries earned by very few top-of-the-ladder producers

Music producers might begin work as engineers in studios and / or session musicians. Experience garnered in recording engineering is valuable. Current technological breakthroughs help you gain pertinent experience on your home computers using recording and mixing software.

You can find coveted internship positions with record labels where you can shadow reputed music industry professionals.

Learn about as many music genres as possible, including classical, country, opera, pop/rock, and jazz. Niche bachelor's programs in Music Production and Recording Arts or Engineering, Music Business, Sound Recording Technology, Music Studies, Fine Arts in Recording Technology, Music Industry, or Music Technology will prove beneficial to aspiring Music Producers.

Specialized academic certificates which cover standard technology used in music production | management techniques specific to the industry | practical experience or observation at an affiliated recording studio are much sought after. You may opt to pursue online certification in lieu of a 4-year degree.

Music Production is the highest position in this line of work. The only form of advancement comes as Music Producers build and diversify their skills set, work with more prestigious artists, and increase their fee. Some begin their careers while working out of a home studio before generating a buzz and being invited to work on big-budget projects.

Anticipate fierce competition for jobs because of the large number of people interested in entering this field. There will be considerable competition for full-time music director and composer positions. Candidates with exceptional musical talent and dedication should have the best opportunities.

Experience and hands-on knowledge are the only ways to improve your skillset. You may also boost your people skills through courses in communications and psychology.

A master's degree in Music Business, Music Technology, or music production may also offer the experience and responsibility necessary. Most Music Producers start as musicians, which can be an advantage in better understanding the industry.

Music Producers work with bands, session musicians, and studio engineers to "produce" the sound of the recordings. A Music Producer's job often involves providing an extra set of ears to create a certain sound or provide the perspective that comes with experience.

Music Producers may be involved with arranging parts of the track or even writing them. In smaller studios, a Music Producer may take on the role of the sound engineer also. Bands may produce or co-produce the recordings with an engineer.

Work is highly collaborative as Music Producers work with recording artists, recording engineers, session singers, and session musicians.

Mozart sold the most CDs in 2016, beating out Adele, Drake, and Beyoncé, even though all of those artists had Grammy-winning hits that year.

Music Production demands a wide variety of skills and puts immense pressure on the incumbent. However, no one ever learned by standing in the shallow end; in order to prove oneself as more than a one-hit-wonder, you have to be passionate about songs, have an ear for good music, possess sound business acumen and sample the deep end to get inspired in unique ways!

The job is akin to that of a coach, building good work habits, and building trust. You want to get to a point where you can say anything and talk about anything. There needs to be a real connection with the artist.