The path to becoming a music producer is not an easy one. Not only does a producer require an ocean of knowledge, but they must also have vast practical experience in the studio, be resilient enough to organise and run recording sessions alone and be innovative enough to push the performer to achieve something they did not know possible. It is for these reasons that I decided to pursue music production. The producer has been an essential part of the music industry since the late 19th century, and the job of the producer has always been enticing to me. The act of recording the live sound, then converting this to a commercial version to be enjoyed by anyone who wishes pushed me to continue learning more about music production here at Leeds Conservatoire, and it is this career I wish to continue once I have completed my degree.
As with most careers in the music industry, there is no one way to become a music producer. Many famous producers have taken differing paths to their stardom, some such as Quincy Jones would begin as a performer, moving into the production sphere later in life. Some producers, such as Pharrell Williams, were entirely self-taught producers who started as soon as they left high school. Both UKMusic and Indeed say a degree is “not necessary but would be recommended”. This is as a degree covers the fundamentals of music production; if you were unsure on any of the production process it would be covered in the course. Both these websites implore somebody who would want to become a producer to earn “practical experience” in a studio. In my opinion, this is the most important factor as to whether somebody will be a successful music producer of not. Without significant time and effort put into learning the practical process of making a record, one would be lost if they wished to pursue music production. Another thing an aspiring producer must master is a DAW of their choice. These Digital Audio Workstation’s are where many producers spend most of their time. Be it Pro Tools (the industry standard), Logic Pro or Ableton, each of these DAW’s control entirely different from each other, and if you do not know what you are doing the production will be a slow and tedious process, if not impossible. Many producers teach themselves how to use these DAW’s through online information and videos, but doing a degree course will ensure that you have learned from a professional. I was solely self-taught until I started at the Con, but I always find myself learning new skills and techniques every time I use a DAW.
Some of the responsibilities of a producer listed on Indeed are communication, problem solving, leadership, negotiation, creativity, self-motivation, marketing, networking and patience. As a producer, I completely agree with all these qualities. Communication is crucial as the producer needs to understand what the performer wishes the outcome of the recording to be, and then execute that vision using their creativity. Problem solving is massively important as due to the nature of producing there are many variables that could go awry, and it’s up to the producer to resolve and issue on their own. It is when issues arise that patience and self-motivation come into play. Sometimes it can feel like all hope is lost, but it can be the final thing you motivate yourself to try that fixes the problem. Patience is also crucial when working with problematic performers, it is up to the producer to ensure that a recording session goes well, even if that means working in ways you don’t usually feel comfortable with. When working with these performers, negotiation is also vastly useful. If one is a good negotiator, situations will be diffused easier, and the entire recording session will run smoother. Negotiation is also important in ensuring the artist get their final vision out of the project, potentially a group disagree; it would be then up to the producer to resolve the dispute and allow the session to continue. Leadership is an important quality as a producer, as often it will be the producers responsibility to book session musicians, hire out equipment, find a location to record and making important decisions regarding what material makes it into the final track. Marketing and networking are also incredibly important. Due to the nature of the production business, you are reliant on clients coming to you with material to record. With poor marketing and networking, these clients are not going to know to come to you for a recording, and as such, you will not get any work. According to the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology “every day will be unique and often exciting. You’ll unlikely have the same workday twice in a row or even twice in a month.” This is because music producers are often responsible for booking the recording session, so the hours are incredibly flexible. A typical recording session however would include setting up enough microphones to properly capture the sound, whether than be one or eight, sending and monitoring the signal of this microphone into and back from a DAW, before mixing and mastering the track and converting it to an MP3/ WAV file. There may be extra steps within this process, such as the application of effects to the recorded parts or using the patch bay to run the signal through various appliances.
According to the website MixProdMasters, the average earnings of a music producer range from $30,000 to $120,000. This is obviously a very large difference, but this clearly displays the different kinds of music producers you will find in the industry. There are always producers working at every price level, from independent producers with small home studios all the way up to major record labels. For producers, the two main sources of income are Performance Income and Royalties. However, in the same article it is written “you will need to explore various income sources.” When a producer registers their music with a PRO (performing rights organisation), they get a percentage of money every time their work is used, even internationally. The four main types of royalties are mechanical, synchronisation, songwriter and performer. Mechanical Royalties are income from physical and digital sales. This also includes streaming. Synchronisation Royalties are where your work is used in media, such as television. Songwriter Royalties are where your work is played on the radio or in a public place, and Performer Royalties require a live performance at a venue. Other listed sources of income on MixProdMasters are selling beats to other musicians, live performances and merchandising. To track and manage your expenses as a producer, MixProdMasters advise to divide personal and business expenses, use accounting software, hold onto invoices and receipts, regularly organise and classify expenses and budget. They also advise to set clear financial objectives, such as saving up for equipment etc. Another important piece of advice they give is using your networking to an advantage. If you have people close to you who you can work with for reduced rates/ trade economy, your overall expenses per recording session will be lower and therefore your growth as a producer will naturally be faster, as finances will be less of an anchor on your career. Legal considerations for a music producer can include contracts and agreements, copyright and intellectual property protection, tax obligations and regulations. Contracts are especially important, as breaking contract can result in royalties being revoked, and therefore no income will be provided for your work. Copyright is what protects a producer’s right to royalties but can also land musicians in hot water if they do not understand the laws. Music copyright means that a certain party own the distribution rights to a work of music, and nobody else can replicate this work. A violation of copyright can end up with a lawsuit, as seen with the Marvin Gaye and Ed Sheeran dispute in 2023.
As discussed above, marketing is incredibly important for a music producer. This is because producers require an inflow of music to produce, usually working on multiple projects simultaneously. Searching for recording studios in Leeds online, I found that most if not all studios in the local area have a website, along with multiple social media accounts on pages such as Facebook and Instagram, along with an email and phone number to get in contact with the producer. All the websites I found were stylistically different from each other, a decision taken to display to a client the potential working environment and atmosphere of the studio. Most studios also had an “about” page, which gives a client an overview of both the recording process, and how the studio go about achieving that.
There are a few intellectual and personal challenges that face a music producer. The main intellectual challenges faced by producers are knowledge of microphones, knowledge of different instrumental techniques, different recording techniques and proper desk etiquette. If a producer does not know how the different microphones sound, it would be impossible for them to choose the correct microphone for the instrument they are recording. An uneducted producer would not understand the different cardioid patterns available on the microphone, or the fact that the microphone may require phantom power to operate. Additionally, an uneducted producer would not understand how to route the signal from the microphone into the DAW, making their recording session worthless. The best way to deal with these knowledge gaps would be to address them in your own time. If you as an aspiring producer are unfamiliar with how to properly work the desk, either research or watch online videos on the topic. You could alternatively sign up for a university or college course in music production to learn the basics. There are many production courses available in cities, so brushing up on both knowledge and skills is just a few steps away from anybody.
There are also many different jobs available in the recording studio, so lots of room for promotion. These jobs range from low-level, such as runners. These are the people who help out the other producers with menial tasks, but the pay in these roles can be lacking, only $20,000. These roles then grow in importance, moving through assistant engineer, recording engineer and then a record producer. These three roles are evolved versions of one another, with the experience required (and the pay) rising with each increase. Alternatively, if you are an independent self-employed producer, there will be no room for promotion as such, but you should always be using your self-motivation and creativity to devise ways to improve your recording process, whether than be learning new skills or purchasing new equipment.
In conclusion, there is simply no surefire way of becoming a music producer. Nearly every single person working in the industry has taken a different approach to this hugely diverse career and continue to only diversify their work now they are established. If every music producer had the same process of recording music, all music would eventually sound the same. It is because of the diverse range of producers, both big and small, that we have the diverse range of musical acts we have today.
