Music Producers: Job Description and Info for Students Considering a Career in Music Producing
Music producers draw together instrumental and vocal elements in order to mix sound. They combine these factors with industry trends to construct a cohesive product for the music market. One way to specialize in this arena is to pursue a 4-year bachelor's degree with a major or concentration in music production.
Music Producer Job Description
Music producers oversee the development of songs. They ensure that musicians' and investors' visions for a song are fulfilled in terms of vocals, sound effects and instrumental arrangements. Technical skills are necessary to operate soundboards, playback tracks and utilize requisite computer software to edit sound. Management duties involve booking compatible background vocalists and/or session musicians, coordinating studio time and hiring sound engineers to mix and master final recordings.
A music producer also must interact well with others to ensure that everyone involved with a track or album shares a vision for success. They should also have the ability to articulate complex musical concepts in simple terms and tactfully resolve creative differences.
Education Information
There is no formal education requirement for music producers, but O*Net Online reported as of 2011 that most people in this position have some college background if not a degree (www.onetonline.org). A background in audio production can give producers a marked advantage when dealing with sound engineers. Additionally, study of music theory can be useful when coordinating style, lyrics and instrumental as well as vocal arrangements.
There are several bachelor's degree programs available that are dedicated to prospective music producers, such as a Bachelor of Music in Music Production and Engineering or Music Business. There's also the Bachelor of Science in Music Industry or Music Technology. Areas of study may include recording, mixing, digital mastering, production and sound techniques. Master's degrees are also available in similar fields for those who want to advance their studies or teach.
Career and Economic Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expected job prospects for music composers and arrangers to grow at an average rate from 2008 through 2018 (www.bls.gov). Competition among prospective producers is nearly as keen as that of performers; this is not expected to change in the foreseeable future. In 2011, Payscale.com reported that salaries ranged from $19,653 to $200,000 per year for music producers. A music producer typically receives a percentage of a song or album's sales, which is stipulated under contract and can affect total earnings.
Related to Music Producers: Job Description and Info for Students Considering a Career in Music Producing
- Related
- Recently Updated
- Popular
Music Video Producers: Employment Information for Recent Graduates Pursuing a Career in Music Video Production
A Music Video Producer oversees financial, organizational and creative details involved in producing a music video. A...
Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 12: Exit Interview with Lecturer John Crooks
For the past three months, Education-Portal.com's Education Insider has been tracking the experience of a...
Diary of an OCW Music Student: Final Thoughts
Over the last ten weeks, Education-Portal.com's Education Insider has been taking an OCW class in music theory at the...
Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 10: Temperaments, Roots of 2 and Conclusions
Education Insider talks a lot about OpenCourseWare (OCW), so maybe it's time we put some to the test. Thus, over ten...
Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 7: The Minor Triad and a Circular System of Thirds
- Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 6: Pythagorean Tuning and the Pure Triad
- Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 5: Building a Diatonic Set
- Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 4: Circular Pitch Systems and the Triad
- Top Ranked School for a Degree in Health Care Administration - Bakersfield, CA
- Top Human Resource Management Degree Programs - Colorado Springs, CO
- Top School with Degrees in Medical Laboratory Technology - Albuquerque, NM
- Top Ranked Graphic Design and Animation Degree Programs - New York, NY
- Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 2: The Octave and Just Intervals
- Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 1: Basic Concepts
- Top Ranked School for Medical Assisting Degrees - Indianapolis, IN
- Top Ranked School for Healthcare Management - Chicago, IL
- Top Ranked School for a Degree in Health Care Management - Colorado Springs, CO
12 Popular Schools
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Florida (2 campuses)
- Michigan (1)
- Nevada (1)
- Washington (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Florida (1 campus)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
- Master
-
Bachelor
-
- BS in Music Business
- Bachelor of Science - Media Communications
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arkansas (1 campus)
- California (3)
- Colorado (2)
- Columbia (D.C.) (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (2)
- Idaho (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Missouri (3)
- Mississippi (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Georgia (1 campus)
Classroom-Based Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Bachelor
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Master
-
- MA in Communication
-
- MA in Communication: New Media & Marketing
-
- Bachelor
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older and have completed some college or 24 years of age or older and a high school graduate for a Bachelor's degree
- Masters degree applicants must have a Bachelors degree
- Doctorate degree applicants must have a Masters degree
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Bachelor
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Master
-
- MA in Music and Worship Studies
- MA in Ethnomusicology
-
- Master of Arts in Worship - Ethnomusicology
-
-
School locations:
- Arizona (2 campuses)
- California (8 campuses)
- Colorado (1)
- Florida (4)
- Georgia (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Kansas (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (1)
- Missouri (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- Nevada (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oregon (1)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- South Carolina (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
Classroom-Based Programs
-
Master
-
- Master in Film
-
- Master in Design & Media Management
-
-
Bachelor
-
- Bachelor in Audio & Media Technology
- Bachelor in Audio Design Technology
- Bachelor in Audio Production
-
- Bachelor in Sound & Motion Picture Technical Arts
- Bachelor in Digital Filmmaking & Video Production
-
-
Associate
-
- Associate in Audio Production
-
- Associate of Science - Video Production
-
-
Non-Degree
-
- Certificate in Audio Production
-
