I chose to be a music producer because music is something I’m passionate about. All of my life I have loved it. My father, brother, and grandfather were all musicians. I was surrounded by it my whole life and it grew to be my passion. The one thing I love about music is its effect to make people feel emotions. If someone can find that perfect melody with the perfect notes, it can make someone feel sad or happy. With the right lyrics it can make people relate and not feel alone in this world. I always listen to songs and think about how I can make them better.
That’s one of the reasons I thought producing music would be right for me. Being a music producer is the perfect job for me. Music producing began in the 1940’s when the tape was developed. It helped producers enhance the recording sessions. It also allowed the songs to be edited and enhanced. The biggest thing was that it allowed tracks to be edited individually. Then in the 1950’s, music producers became some of the most important people in the music/recording industry. Due to the birth of Rock n’ Roll, the start of recording on 12inch records began.
This allowed the birth of the independent music producer to come about. They would use persuasion to hire artists and would then take over all things necessary to produce the album. It was their duty to then sell the record to record companies. The next breakthrough came in the 1980’s when commercial importance and music videos came about. Music producers had to start worrying about things like film directors and video technicians. Today, there are different types of producers that deal with that.
The changes in music producing have brought it to be a complex and creative job. Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 812) A music producer has many different roles when it comes to making a perfect album. They monitor and control technical aspects of the recording sessions. They change things such as microphone placement, sounds, and effects on tracks used. They also review new artists and work on the final product/editing of the tape. Music producers keep close ties with artists and work very closely with them as well as audio engineers.
Overall a music producers is responsible for the production of the recorded music and the final product. Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 812) One of the biggest things people need in order to pursue a career as a music producer is experience. In high school it’s good to take classes that teach how to play instruments. It’s good to learn and explore as many music genres as possible. It’s also good to take classes in journalism, government, and history to provide background. Media and broadcasting classes will help with the sound engineering. After high school it is best to attend seminars and workshops where they will give hands-on learning for music recording.
Enrolling in trade school programs helps to learn about the specific areas of the recording industries you’re interested in. This can take several weeks or up to a year to complete. Attending a two-to-four university will give people the best training for this career. They have the best equipment and teaching staffs. Students learn all the necessary courses and it prepares them to be in the industry (Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 813-814). The best schools for this are Southern New Hampshire University, John Hopkins University, and Regent University (Learning Path).
There are many ways a person can go in order to learn the things they need to become a music producer. To start off a career as a music producer, practice is key. Finding an artist and helping them to make their record is a good start. Joining a group helps a person to get a sense of the collaboration process. Having an internship gives someone a higher chance of getting hired (Career. IResearchNet). People looking to become a music producer must be tenacious in finding record companies and then calling or emailing them about a job.
This leads to getting hired and can help with studying trade papers. Working independently or working for a record company are both options. When working independently companies might hire for a project. Big cities are the best places to become a major music producer. There are also small cities that have good music scenes. Overall a person must be tenacious and hard-working in order to find a career as a music producer (Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 814) A person makes a decent amount of money when becoming a music producer.
They make on average $32. 1 per hour, depending on the artist and other factors as well. On average per year they make $68,440 or more depending on how big the company is that they work for and how big the artist are that they work with (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The benefits a person gets depends on the different businesses you work for. Music producers that are employed by a record company can get health insurance and paid vacation. That also includes dental and eye care, life and disability insurance, and a pension plan. Salaries can increase by bonuses if they company does well in a year.
A person can make very good money and have wonderful benefits by being a music producer (Encyclopedia of Vocational Guidance 815). Working in the music industry involves working closely with creative people, but can also be time consuming. The traveling and the hours can be extensive. A music producer usually has their own offices and staff. Independent producers usually work from home or in a space they rent. Producers are typically under pressure because they sometimes have limited time to finish (Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 815). Having a creative, artistic personality is key for working in the music industry.
Being good at communicating is also key. A person needs to be able to lead and have a positive attitude even when things get tough. Having thick skin and keeping drama at home is also very important. One thing that has become crucial to the music industry is social media. Networking is vital to a producers success. Going out to shows and becoming a part of the local scene is very important. Following trends with music or making up a new trend is music is also key to being successful. Overall, a person must be creative and unique to work as a producer (Careers In Music).
Two main thing that are needed in order to become a music producer is diverse skill sets and passion. This includes knowing how to play, write, arrange, and create music. Giving feedback to the artist and trying to produce according to the artists musical genre is key (Careers In Music). Pros of the job is that it involves creativity and expanding your mind. It helps a person become more diverse with the world around them. It also involves marketing which will help people and allows sometime to contribute their opinions on things without being told they’re wrong.
Cons to the job is that it’s very time consuming. The field is also highly competitive and a person must stay updated with all the new technology. If a person is willing to put in the effort to be their best, then they will succeed in becoming a music producer (Learning Path). Being a music producer is the right job for me. As I wrote my paper I discovered many good and bad things about my career. One things I learned was that you get paid more than I thought. One thing I disliked was that it is a very competitive field of work. My career was more than I expected it to be.
I learned that at some points you have to be more than just a music producer. At certain points you need to help the artist in other ways besides the music. Almost like being a manager. After all the research I have done on this career, I am still interested in it. I really love the idea of helping someone create a piece of art, which in this case is their music. Getting to add my own details and sounds to a song also sounds cool because then it will be like my own piece of art. Music is something that I’m passionate about and being a music producer allows me to use that passion and turn it in to something great.
