Looking for careers in audio production? Perhaps you have a natural taken for music, you may have attended an audio engineering school, or even taught yourself how to use a digital audio workstation like Adobe Audition, FL Studio, Logic X, or Pro Tools. Now what? How about using all of that creativity for a career in audio production? Read on if you would like to learn about four careers in audio production that you should pursue.
MUSIC PRODUCTION CAREER
In essence a music producer is the creative supervisor of any label, independent, studio, television/film, or radio recording session. A producer helps recording artists, music labels, composers, and independent performers create sound recordings for commercial release. In todays environment working in multimedia is very common for producers since the Internet, video games and film/television are the largest section of the entertainment industry.
Producers are great at organizing and are in charge of contracting audio engineers, session musicians, songwriters, and studio bookings. In many cases producers are solid musicians with experience in performance, arrangement, and a “big picture” understanding of the entire recording process. Now that we have a good picture of what a music producer does, let’s take a look at some other audio production career opportunities.
SONGWRITING/COMPOSITION CAREER
A songwriter is exactly what the title says; you are responsible for writing songs that can appeal to a large audience. Typically songwriters work with music producers and publishers to place their songs with major label artists, television/film placements, video games, and jingles. Advertising uses music as a powerful marketing tool and jingles are an “in demand” commodity in the audio industry. Composers work closely with the video game, television and film industries. They create the musical landscapes that give emotional impact to all of visual media. Just imagine your favorite action movie with no dramatic music or playing a silent video game.
SHOW PRODUCTION CAREER
Live shows are the lifeblood of the music industry and they require a troop of people to make run smoothly. It can be an exciting career working in show production, traveling the world on major label tours, helping set up and run elaborate stages and sound systems, working as a team to give the audience an experience that can last a lifetime.
Show production can encompass audio/visual production for major corporations or speakers as well as churches, theme parks, and universities. There are tons of opportunities, such as front of house engineers, monitor engineers, for creative individuals looking to get their foot in the door of the audio industry.
RECORDING ENGINEER CAREER
A recording engineer (sometimes called audio engineer) is responsible for the technical and creative aspects of capturing sound. They typically work in recording studios and sometimes on remote recording crews for concerts and live broadcasts. Recording engineers can fulfill many roles, from capturing an artists’ performance with microphones and audio consoles, to mixing together already recorded sounds into one finished project that can be released online or on CD. Recording engineers work closely with music producers and independent artists to make sure the audio is being recorded at the highest quality. Being a people pleaser and very detail oriented are key qualities of successful recording engineers.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Now that we have looked at just a few of the many opportunities available for a career in audio production, its time to get your career started. If you haven’t already looked into an accredited audio engineering program, you should. A program that has a focus on “hands-on” learning and small class sizes is a huge benefit. When you do enroll in an audio program make sure to take advantage of all the internship opportunities you can. This is how you meet other industry professionals and start you career off on the right foot.
Make sure to network and make contacts in your local entertainment scene and online, after all it’s not only what you know, it’s also who you know. Take those creative talents and put them to use making a career for yourself in the audio industry. Get started now, make your passion for audio your career, and you will never work a day in your life!
