Vocal Producer: Making What is Good Even Better

Introduction

Vocal producers play a pivotal role in the music industry but are often overlooked during the creative process. Unlike music producers, who focus on making the song instrumentally and structurally, vocal producers focus on the technical aspects centered around the singer’s vocal performance and ability. They ensure that the final result delivers the correct emotion and quality through the recording sessions in the studio and their time editing the tracks and fully showing off the singer’s abilities within the song.

This portfolio will explore the profession of a vocal producer and all the educational, skill, and personal attributes needed for the job. It will also go in-depth through the financial and legal factors involved in a vocal producer’s day-to-day duties and highlight the challenges and benefits of working this job within the music industry. 

By looking at the profession from these different angles, this portfolio aims to come to an understanding of what it takes to be a successful vocal producer and the importance of this role within the industry. Whether behind the scenes or by supporting artists, vocal producers are an essential part of bringing music to life.

Qualifications and Experience

To become a vocal producer there typically is a requirement within the person’s education and/or experience in regards to vocal ability. While formal qualifications are not necessary it does allow for a deeper understanding and a quick mastering of the art of vocal production. As vocal producers focus on the technical aspects of the singer’s voice many universities and conservatoires will include modules and classes based on music theory and vocal performance (). Degrees such as Music Production and sound engineering also give an advantage as they are trained to work within recording and mastering environments and will have knowledge on-house to use the proper tools (Recording setup, Pro Tools, Logic Pro X).

While formal training is appreciated the main focus should be practical experience. Vocal producers must be ready in session to do multiple jobs, from vocal coach to studio assistant. This is done so “that way they don’t need to share the room with additional engineers and assistants” (Abbey Road Institute, 2023). By having someone who can do it all there are also more possibilities of being asked to work or chances of getting hired by companies.

While many techniques for producing and for vocal performance can be taught in university or through practical work vocal producers need to experiment and learn through trial and error. Simone Torres explains on a vocal producer roundtable that the best way to start is by “just doing it” and “vocal producing yourself, your friends… learn what makes you sound better what makes you sound worse” (Torres, 2024). These types of freelance projects can help build a strong portfolio and show skills to future clients.

Regardless of the background or education one has, to be successful in this profession a combination of technical ability and understanding of vocal performance is needed. These qualifications and experiences prepare vocal producers for the artistic challenges of guiding artists to deliver exceptional vocal performances.

In The Studio

Music producers usually focus on the general sound of a project and how all the elements blend within a song. Vocal producers instead focus on how the singular element of the voice can be changed and played around to suit the song in the best way possible. Grammy-nominated vocal producer, Simon Cohen, explains how “…it can be challenging for a vocalist to sing lyrics or melodies they haven’t written and they’re guided somewhere they may not naturally go to but sometimes this is where the magic happens.” (Cohen, 2016). 

Finally, the most underrated and important skill a vocal producer must learn to master is the ability to collaborate with the singer and create a comfortable and patient work environment. According to Bart Schoudel “reading the room is the most important” part of the recording process. The understanding between the vocal producer and the artist of what they feel comfortable doing vocally allows the artist to correctly sing what is asked without feeling stressed or pressured if any mistakes are made. “The hang time before (is essential), not just having them come in and jump into the booth because that’s awkward… you have to make them comfortable because you see them at their most vulnerable wrong notes” (Schoudel, 2016). Vocal producers must be adaptable, and understand when something is outside a singer’s abilities or if they need to work on something before recording. This can include vocal warm-ups, testing different melodic lines, and working or rearranging the way words are sung rhythmically. 

Before the recording session, many elements must be kept in mind to ensure the session can run smoothly with little to no issues. Simone Torres points out, “When I was starting I used to make a checklist, and every session I would add things to that checklist” (Torres, 2016) because according to her it was impossible to keep up with every important detail and technological advancement. If something isn’t ready before the beginning of a session it could translate as the vocal producer being unprepared and lacking in professionalism and so hindering their image. 

During recording sessions, the vocal producer carefully monitors every take, ensuring clarity, emotion, and precision in the delivery. It is important to guide the vocalist through challenging sections, offering encouragement and strategies to improve within the recording session. Bart Schoudel offers a compassionate and personal approach to recording sessions as he states, “I see artists at their worst — the first time I meet them I hear wrong notes. I can take the pressure off, and help them through it. It’s reading a room, knowing when it’s time to take a break, to make someone laugh” (Schoudel, 2022). They oversee the session’s efficiency and prioritize the quality while understanding the importance of not putting the artist a risk of vocal fatigue.

After recording, vocal producers piece together the best takes from the sessions and align the timing, EQ vocals, and fine-tune anything the artist may have struggled with. This can also be done by the music producer but in most instances, the vocal producer will apply some edits and send it to the music producer or mixing engineer for final approval and to ensure the vocal sits well within the final mix. Additionally, vocal producers sometimes act as “mediators”, as they dress and creative differences between the artists, engineers, producers, etc. This ensures that the project can run smoothly and everyone stays on task with no issues or miscommunications.

Financial, Legal, and Promotional Aspects

A vocal producer’s financial success depends on the management of their fees, contracts, and work agreements. Unlike a fixed-salary position, most vocal producers work freelance with rates that vary depending on the workload of the task. Depending on the reputation the vocal producer has made for themselves the rates may increase. This is the main reason why, as explained earlier, vocal producers try to diversify their income by doing multiple jobs. That way the composition rights are divided depending on each person’s workload, allowing the vocal producer to turn up with a larger sum. The main form of job diversification is the addition of vocal coaching for recording sessions, performance, and songwriting sessions. 

On the legal side, producers often negotiate contracts and specify their responsibilities, deliverables, and credits. These agreements allow for a clear understanding of profits for each person within the project depending on things such as final edits or attribution. Securing proper credit on a project is crucial, as it can affect their reputation and opportunities for future work. Some vocal producers may also negotiate royalties for contributing to the song, especially when their creative input significantly shapes the final product or if their vocals are used within the final product within vocal layering.

Understanding copyright laws is equally important, specifically in cases where vocal arrangements or edits are unique to the producer’s work. There have been many instances in the past where artist sing a section of their original song and when published its noticed to be relatively similar to someone else’s work. An example can be Dua Lipa and her song Levitating which has a verse that relatively resembles the song “‘LIVE YOUR LIFE (2017)” by Artikal Sound System. While this case didn’t lead to any legal issues there could have been a complex legal battle if the song that Levitating resembled had more popularity. Building a career as a vocal producer requires balancing creative collaboration with financial and legal diligence.

Marketing plays a crucial role in establishing a vocal producer’s image in the industry. To stand out, vocal producers create a strong personal brand that exhibits their skills and accomplishments, allowing them to sell themselves through their original production approach. This often involves curating a professional portfolio, with a combination of audio recordings, testimonials from artists, behind-the-scenes footage, and even a collection of awards when a level of mastery is reached. A great example of a vocal producer with a renowned portfolio is the Grammy award winner, Kuk Harrell. Abbey Road Institute describes him as “a sought-after talent with a resume that includes the likes of Rihanna, Beyonce, Pentatonix, Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Mary J Blige and many more” (Abbey Road Institute, 2023). His illustrious career allows him to quickly get hired for work only from word of mouth and for his international recognition of a Grammy award. Other vocal producers decide to market themselves through more popular resources, such as TikTok or Instagram. Simone Torres is known for her social media presence as she will often record the behind-the-scenes of her studio lessons. Bart Schoudel is recognized by many as he has appeared in Netflix’s show, “Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE” as he helped with the vocal production of some of them within an episode. These things prove that even a visually appealing website and an active presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn can help reach a broader audience.

Career Progression and Development

The profession of a vocal producer allows for much growth and several opportunities. Some entry-level roles often involve working as an assistant to established producers, supporting them with any additional tasks in and out of the studio, or taking on small projects with independent artists. While at first these jobs may not build you a name within the industry they are an essential way to practice for the future. This also allows the vocal producers to create a structure of work for themselves and build a portfolio for when they begin to work professionally. It is also important to understand that working many jobs within the music industry, in the beginning, can help you become a better vocal producer in the future. “If you’re a dope vocal engineer, it’s not that far from being a dope vocal producer” (ChunkyLuv, 2023).

As they gain experience, vocal producers can progress to working on larger projects and even collaborating with major labels and high-profile artists. This is a lengthy process that requires patience and perseverance from the vocal producer. Networking and building a reputation for reliability and creativity are essential to advancing in the field swell. Many mid-level vocal producers at this stage expand their roles to include vocal arrangement or co-production, as a way to contribute more to the creative process.

In the long term, some vocal producers can transition into what are executive roles, such as working in A&R (Artists and Repertoire), which is “the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters” (UK Music, 2025) or becoming full-fledged record producers. By specializing in a niche area, such as vocal coaching or live vocal production, there is a possibility for many more job opportunities, meaning that with dedication and an ability to easily adapt this profession can offer large creative and professional growth.

Conclusion

The role of a vocal producer is incredibly crucial within the music industry, as it blends artistic creativity with technical expertise and that way allows for the best vocal performance from an artist. While coaching and refining recordings are an important part of the process, the emotional and technical understanding of vocal producers regarding singers allows any song to sound more developed and often allows the listener and fans to be captivated by the artist at all times.

Even with all the positives it is also important to understand that, like many other musical professions, vocal producers share the challenge of having to manage financial stress while navigating legal issues and creative control within the recording studio. The strong work ethic of a vocal producer is what truly makes the difference for the performer as they are the two people who usually interact the most within a room. By relating to the musician at a more personal level and building a bond of trust with them the results that the vocal producers can get are incredibly more emotional and of the highest quality technically. 

Ultimately, the success of a vocal producer within their profession relies on their commitment to the craft, passion for the work they are doing, and their ability to adapt quickly under not ideal circumstances. If a vocal producer is able to achieve all of these then they are more than capable of having a successful charter and a incredible portfolio career in the long run.

Bibliography

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