Music Production Career
The music production career requires music producers to have the knowledge to draw together vocal and instrumental elements to help them mix sound. The combination of these factors and industry trends assist them to construct a cohesive product that will be enjoyed in the music market. My personal interest is in music producing where I have grown up listening to all types of it. I have admired how different instruments combine to such a great melody. In addition, in my laptop I have downloaded some music software that illustrates the basic structure of creating a beat and helps me practice and try to get better.
I admire other music producers and I have done research on their success to be aspired by passion and the drive they had. The skills that I possess are at a beginner’s level, and I hope to grow and improve as time goes by. Nobody in my family is a musician or into music as me, so I hope to be the first and make them proud. I have a plan for expanding my knowledge attending music school and acquiring a degree or possible take a producer class.
The responsibilities are many for someone who practices music producing. The core responsibility is to oversee the development of songs where one ensures that the ‘investors’ and musicians’ visions regarding a song are met in terms of instrumental arrangements, sound effects and vocals. The term ‘music producer’ can have different meanings for various people. Some can be engineers, remixers or musicians. The music producers act as ‘project managers’ for mixing, recording and mastering process. For one to be an excellent music producer, he must have an overall vision for music, the goals and sound of the project. The person also needs to bring that unique perspective that will assist, inspire or sometimes provoke the artists that they deal with (Owsinski 80).
According to Knab et al. (145), the sorts of tasks that music producers are required to perform are many. They are needed for coordination and pre-production whether working for a record label or self-employed. The producer has the duty of coordinating a recording project in terms of logistics before the recording sessions begin. Another task that music producers undertake involves engineering and sound mixing. The job of a producer is to supervise the mixing, overdubbing and recording sessions once an album gets under way. It is done within the budget that the recording label or a music producer has outlined. The experience that these music producers gain comes because of starting as studio assistants or recording engineers. In several cases, the engineer is responsible for overseeing the actual recording while the producer is more of an artistic arbiter.
A music producer also is responsible for songwriting collaboration. It involves instances where a producer can be asked to improve an album in terms of commercial prospects where it requires collaborating with the band’s members on songwriting. The trend is common in pop-rock and hip-hop music that have artists who do not write their material alone. Finally, the music producers have the task of post-production mastering because an album is not finished until it undergoes this process. It requires contacting an engineer who has specialized in that role. They ensure that the album possesses the consistent tonal, as well as the volume levels, are the best to avoid one song sounding louder than another one. The music producing area requires particular tools and technical skills in order to operate playback tracks, soundtracks as well as utilize requisite computer software used to edit sound (Knab et al. 150).
The working condition and environment is typical for music producers in that they work in the recording studio. They typically work in television, radio, offices, movie, school buildings and recording studios. These music producers also use personal computers that help them work on their musical projects. The music producers work irregular hours and times; hence, they do not have the specified number of hours to work in a particular week or working in different shifts, whether daytime or at night (Owsinski 82).
In terms of training and qualification, music producing does not require any formal education initially. The information acquired by O*Net Online showed that most people who are in this sector have a degree or college background in recent days. Anyone who has a passion for this field can undertake a four-year degree course. They should have an audio production background that will give them an advantage of dealing with sound engineers. The study of music theory can help them in coordinating instrumental, lyrics and style, as well as the vocal arrangements. Several bachelor’s degrees are available for the music-producing field, for example, Bachelor of Music (Music Production and Engineering or Music Business), Bachelor of Science (Music Industry or Music Technology) and so on. The opportunities available for advancements are that there are master’s degrees in the similar fields (Knab et al. 152).
Anyone requires no particular exam before applying for the music-producing course, although several learning institutions require one to have some requirements pertaining to their set standards. The profession of music producing requires a license in order to conduct any activity. It helps in the music licensing in order to help them identify the current opportunities that are available in the copyright industry. The licenses also assist the music producers have the permission to use online resources to help them introduce their work to ad creative, music supervisors and more (Owsinski 84). The licenses can be acquired from the state offices according to the place that one operates. The job outlook in the music producing is competitive and has been estimated to grow by nine percent from 2012 to 2022. The growth will stem from schools, businesses, television and radio stations that seek to improve the visual and audio video capabilities.
According to Owsinski (85), it is clear that most music producers are self-employed; hence, the earnings rates vary. The number of those music producers that are salaried is few and the level of income that they acquire entirely depends on how much of work that they have done as well as how much they charge on each task done. The existence of big name producer can charge up to $100,000 in order to produce a single production. The charges that they charge are responsible for providing their health care, as well as other benefits. According to the data from the BLR (Bureau of Labor Statistics), music producers earned $26.60 per hour and $55,340 per year in 2012. Many factors affect the pay rates for the music producers, for example, the amount of work done, location, the type of music as well as the popularity of the artist one is working with.
The related occupations in the music production include songwriting, music manager or DJ. These are the three areas that one can have an interest in besides the music producing occupation. The people who operate in this music-producing career are mostly self-employed, although there are some that are employed directly by an agency or a music company.
Works Cited
Knab, Christopher, and Bartley F. Day. Music Is Your Business: The Musician’s Fourfront Strategy for Success. Seattle, WA: FourFront Media & Music, 2007. Print.
Owsinski, Bobby. The Music Producer’s Handbook. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Books, 2010. Print.
