I have had lots of different experiences in my nearly 30-year music career and I’ve been proud to carry these experiences with me on my journey.
I have been into jazz since my teenage years. I’m a music lover and collector first and foremost. Once I’ve found something interesting, something that strikes me as worthy of being released, then I work to arrange for the release of the material on LP, CD, and digital formats. My goal is to identify great recordings that have never been issued before. In my case, which is pretty unique, I travel the world, working with the heirs of iconic musicians of the past, and visiting recording archives.
Should there be strings on this song? Should there be electric guitar or acoustic guitar or both? Should the song be dreamy and ethereal or punchy and in your face, etc.) Work with the artist on production arrangements.Work with the artist on song arrangements (i.e., if the chorus needs come sooner or if the bridge should be longer or if the solo is too long, etc.).Help the artist choose the songs that will be on the record.Receive artists’ demo tapes and determine whether or not I would be a good fit for this particular artist.It is important to note that I am also the Recording Engineer and Mixer on all of my productions.īelow is a list of most, but not all, of the duties that are required of me:
Music Producers cover a wide range of roles. There isn’t a specific job description that applies to every Producer. I will describe what I do as a Music Producer. Trina Shoemaker (Mixer, Record Producer, Sound Engineer for QOTSA, Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile).Matt Ross-Spang (Record Producer, Engineer, Mixer at Southern Grooves Productions).Zev Feldman (Record Producer, Co-President of Resonance Records, Consulting Producer for Blue Note Records).To learn what it’s really like to work with artists in the studio, we spoke to several Music Producers working in a variety of genres and locales. There are many career opportunities available to talented and skilled Music Producers.
Over the past years, there’s been an increasing interest in music production and in people wanting to learn how to produce music. There are as many types of Producers as there are people doing it, and there are many successful Producers making a name for themselves in the music industry today. Producers work in every genre of music and may specialize in one or in many styles. Some Producers are familiar names while others work behind the scenes and are not well-known by the public. They might also work as Co-Producer, engineer, and perform on recordings.Ī Producer could be independent or be employed by a company working on music for use in advertising, film, live shows, or for release through a record label with distribution. Some Producers are also Songwriters or Composers who produce music for themselves or for others. Other types of Producers include Vocal Producers, who coach Vocalists to give their best performance, arrange music for Vocalists, and sometimes even sing on tracks. They might help choose or even write the music, hire the musicians, book the studio, manage the schedule, and coordinate the many details required to move the recording forward to completion. Record Producers typically work in the studio with artists, musicians, and Audio Engineers to create and sonically shape the finished tracks. The Executive Producer secures and manages the budget while overseeing the entire project using an entrepreneurial approach. Producers are responsible for determining and leading the creative and technical aspects of recordings, whether for a single song, an album, or a soundtrack. Music Producers, also called Record Producers, bring the vision of a recording to life.