Music Technology Handouts: Record Producer

Music Record Producer

Introduction

A music record producer's role is to organise the several elements that need to be combined in order to bring a music recording session to a successful conclusion.

Essential requirements

He or she requires..

substantial finance
a song or piece of music
copyright clearance
performers
recording equipment
technical assistance
a recording venue; studio, hall

Personal qualities

The professional record producer's aim is to produce a recording which will appeal to many thousands of paying customers. To achieve this aim the producer also requires..

good judgement
an understanding of the type of music
awareness of current trends in the industry
cognizance of the market

A producer will need an 'ear' for a good tune and be able to combine musical ingredients so that the recording stands out from similar current recordings. She also needs some knowledge of recording equipment and a basic understanding of relevant legal matters.
As well as being a good organiser, a producer is an ideas person who needs a constant flow of sensible ideas for..

fresh sounds
interesting arrangements

With today's technology, a music producer can try out ideas inexpensively with a MIDI home studio. Occasionally hit recordings have been created entirely on such equipment but generally a producer will use a home studio to give tangible form to ideas which can then be 'sold' to a record company. If the record company 'buys' the idea, the producer will be given the opportunity to record in a professional recording studio.

Production is about enabling people to give of their best. A producer therefore needs..

good interpersonal skills
a good deal of patience
enthusiasm

A producer must be disciplined, able to withstand pressure and be able to manage a large budget.

Production

When working with an established band, a producer works closely with the performers, ideally working as another creative member of the band. If an inexperience 'act' has been assigned by the record company to the producer, the producer should play an active role in advising and developing the performers
Meeting performers before a recording session will enable the producer to..

judge the musical abilities of band members
assess their temperaments
determine how strongly they feel about musical issues

Band members' ideas should be discussed and tried but sometimes the producer will have to tactfully insist on a particular course of action, perhaps in order to complete a recording on time.
A producer must believe in what she is trying to achieve and should consequently have enthusiasm for the project. However, ebullience should be kept in check since artistes and sound engineers need to be able to listen to what they are doing.

During the recording and mixdown, a producer will also work closely with the sound engineer and should be aware of his or her objectives.
An experienced producer will..

use the expertise of the sound engineer
incorporate most suggestions from that source
not interfere with the operations of the recording
only overrule the engineer if absolutely necessary

Once the producer has explained what she wants the engineer should be left to realize the outlined objectives in her own way. This leaves the producer free to think about the music.

Legalities

In the process of contributing to the making of a sound recording, a producer could acquire a variety of legal rights. Shared ownership of the rights in a recording could make it difficult for a record company to effectively exploit a recording which it has commissioned. A record producer's contract will therefore, among other things, assign any rights she might acquire in the recording to the record company.

Record companies exist in order to make profits. A record company's A & R , (Artistes and Repertoire) department will expect a producer to take some time and consider carefully the costs of all the elements which will go into a recording. Once the producer has committed herself to a budget and schedule the record company will expect delivery on time and within the budget. Therefore a producer's main concern, after the creative aspect of the recording, is the budget.

Budgeting

Before making any commitments the producer will need to evaluate several factors, for example..

can the 'authors' consent to a commercial recording be obtained?
how much studio time will be required?
will there be a mixdown session?
if so how long will that take?
will session musicians be needed?
will backing vocalists be required?
will the studio facilities be adequate?
will specialist equipment have to be hired?
who will do the mixing?
should an arranger be engaged?

The producer will need to cost each of these requirements and then add an element for management costs such as secretarial services, transport and entertainment. It will be cheaper to do as much work as possible before going into the recording session.

Post-production

Once the A&R department of the record company is satisfied with the mixdown, the producer will usually oversee the making of the Production Masters, (one for each consumer format). When these have been satisfactorily completed the producer's creative and technical roles are finished but there may still be several administrative loose ends to tie up. Meanwhile the record company's marketing department will swing into action with press coverage, air plays and promotional videos, etc. as manufacturing of the CDs, cassettes, etc. gets under way.

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