Careers in Music: Producer

Producer
Producers mostly work with recording acts and record labels to produce records. They also work with composers and produce for film, TV and other types of multimedia. The producer controls every detail of the recording process including hiring musicians and engineers, monitoring the recording budget. A producer sometimes helps the artist choose songs to be recorded. A producer has to be an excellent musician with a lot of performing experience, and a great wisdom of music, sound and studio technology.

Skills
To be a record producer, you have to definitely have near perfect hearing, and an ear for music. You must also get along well with the musicians you work with and have the ability to withstand long hours in recording studios. Other skills required of record producers are:

Understanding the process of recording, how the equipment works
Music theory
Knowledge of all types of music instruments
Knowledge of a vast amount of musical genres, and vocal abilities
Arranging skills
Ear training
Excellent communication skills, and the ability to be a leader
Knowledge of computers
A master at time management and organization

The Job
Record producers sometimes have to be the audio engineer when working on an album, so they take on additional duties when needed. These are some of the things a record producer will have to do.

Control the time and budget of a recording project
Book a studio
Control the day-to-day studio recording operation
Find and hire musicians
Find, hire, and drill audio engineers
Work with, and captain musicians
Listening to recorded music, to fine tune it getting the best overall sound
Bargaining with band managers and record labels
Choose the song order on an album
Keeping in contact with record labels about the recording project
Listening to other producers work

Education
You do not need a music degree to be a record producer, but you must have a vast knowledge about music, and the music industry. To succeed as a producer, you must have experience in the recording studio and contacts in the music industry. There are courses you can take should you want to be a producer, like business management, music performance, and media production. But, you don't really need to, if you already have experience in these areas.

The Pay
Record producers are mostly self-employed. They charge their fee by song or by project. Sometimes, they also get a percent of the band, or artists record sales.You can go to Monster.com and use the Salary Wizard to find out what producers make in your state and city. I checked Rochester, NY and the average producer there makes $46, 703 a year.

There will never be a lack of music producers, so the outlook for the future in sunny. If you have all the skills, the only other thing you need to be successful is getting music industry contacts. Here are a few publications that you should own, if you cannot afford them, try looking in your local libraries to borrow them.

All Music Industry Contacts
$24.95
Immediate download

Record Label Resource
Free!

Galaris
Music Industry Directory
$39.95 the first year, $10.95 each year after