What Does a Music Producer Do?

Loads of people are involved in making music, including songwriters, session musicians and sound engineers. But one that is often overlooked is the music producer, but not many people know what they actually do.

Being a music producer isn’t just a job title, it’s a passion. Music producers have their finger on the pulse of the latest production techniques, music trends and the recording process.

Nowadays a career in music production has become much more accessible – with the advancement of digital technology and the internet, more and more people are taking up music production as a career or a hobby from the comfort of their home studio.

But not everyone is familiar with the roles and responsibilities of a music producer. What does a music producer do, exactly? In this blog post, we will explore that question and more, as well as the career paths and opportunities for becoming a music producer.

What is a music producer?

A music producer is a person that oversees the entire process of creating a music project. They tend to be in charge of both the creative and technical aspects. This could include selecting session musicians, deciding on a recording location or arranging and composing tracks.

Each producer will have their own unique vision, formed from their personality and experience. They’ll typically work within a genre they know well, such as pop, rap or rock music.

Music producers ultimately have a duty to communicate their vision for production to everyone involved in the process, including musicians, engineers, singers, label executives and clients.

Let’s dive more into the specifics of the general roles and responsibilities of a music producer.

Roles and responsibilities of a music producer

In order to be a successful music producer, you’ll need to be able to juggle multiple tasks, have a diverse skill set and be able to think quickly and solve problems. Music producers do not necessarily need to know how to play an instrument or create beats, although that often helps. 

Above all, it’s the experience and knowledge you have about the music genre and the industry that stands you in high regard as a music producer.

Your roles and responsibilities as a music producer will vary depending on the project you are working on, as well as what stage of your career you are at. The main goal is to finalise the music recording to the highest standard for your client. In order for this to happen, a lot needs to get done.

Direction

The music producer will need to have regular meetings with the clients and musicians to know exactly what they want, too. From this information, they can then put together a creative direction.

Management

Music producers oversee the production process as a whole and manage the different stages, as well as the people involved. This could include booking or setting up the studio, hiring engineers and finding locations.

Composing

If the client does not have a song or album written, the producer might take on that role. If there is already a song in place, they might look over and suggest or edit the lyrics or other elements of the track using their expertise.

Recording

After it has been planned, the music needs to be created and arranged using a digital audio workstation (DAW) and other equipment. The recording of vocals and instruments can then take place as well as any overdubs.

Mixing and mastering

Not all music producers are familiar with mixing and mastering records, but many of them can, or at least know the process. This is the stage that happens once the music has been recorded.

Engineering

This responsibility could be finding studio engineers to aid with the project, otherwise some producers are able to do this part themselves. This could include setting up the equipment, for example.

Promoting

A music producer may even go out into the “market” and promote the song, artist or album for but not all will know how to do this. This is usually left to an agency or artist manager.

Client communication

A large part of a music producer’s role is to build a bond with their clients and to keep in constant communication. They will spend much of their time advising the musicians and artists and helping them with all decisions needed to be made.

Researching

Allocated time is needed to research new and upcoming trends, artists and genres in order to keep up to date with what is current. While it’s great to be ahead of the curve, for commercial success it’s best to pick elements that are already successful.

Networking

Like many careers out there, networking is a vital part of keeping up to date with trends and also securing clients and deals. If a music producer is unable to network, they may have to rely on word of mouth to get new work, which is much slower.

Career Paths and Opportunities in Music Production

Music production can offer a wide range of career paths and opportunities. Doing a degree or apprenticeship in this profession can open many doors.

Some music producers may become freelancers, working on many different projects for various artists or record labels. This however would include managing admin duties that come with running your own business as well as marketing and promotion.

Others may choose to work for a specific record label or studio, overseeing the production of multiple projects at once. This is a popular alternative for those who do not want to run their own business.

In addition to traditional music production, there are also opportunities to work in a handful of related fields. This could include working with film and television soundtracks, video game music and audio engineering. Because a music producer wears many hats, half way through their career they might choose to specialise in mixing and mastering, for example.

So, we’ve explored the question: what does a music producer do? We have found that the answer is quite a lot! It is a difficult but rewarding career as it involves many responsibilities.

From research to final production, the producer needs to be able to spin many plates as well as have great personable skills. Not only does the professional need to have a hands-on skillset, but constant communication with clients is a vital part of the process.

 

If you want to learn music production but don’t know where to start, then look no further. Here at Big Creative Education, we offer Level 1, 2 and 3 Music Production courses. 

They have been designed for students to learn how to create and compose music to a professional standard. As well as learning how the music industry works, students will also be shown tutorials from professionals using state-of-the-art recording equipment.

Take a big step closer towards your career goal and apply for our music production course today!