There are many job roles in the recording industry. Here are a few:
What is a recording engineer? Also known as an audio engineer, a recording engineer is someone who ‘records, edits and mixes sounds through their own choice of microphones’ (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.) and setups. They know how to use software such as Ableton and Pro Tools on their recordings, as well as having an extensive knowledge of production. The salary ranges between ‘$25,000 to $1,000,000’ (£19,391 – £775,645) and on average is around $40,000 (approx. £37,270). (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.).
What is a producer? A music producer is someone who can write, arrange, produce and record songs. They do this not only for other artists, but also for their own music and they often do ‘double or triple duty as Studio Owners and Sound Engineers.’ The average salary ranges between ‘$25,000 to $1,000,000’ (approx. £19,391 to £775,645) the same as a recording engineer. (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.).
What is a mix engineer? A mix engineer mix recorded tracks ‘to balance and improve audio quality’ (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.). They can sometimes work as producers or mastering engineers too and work predominantly with Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) such as Ableton and Pro Tools. Their average salary is $52,870 (approx. $41,008) but ranges between $35,000 to $75,000 (approx. £27,148 to £58,173). (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.).
What is a mastering engineer? A mastering engineer ‘ensures that the sound quality of a recording is consistent and well-mixed, creating the final mix for albums before they’re released to the public’ (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.) Their salary is around $40,000 (approx. £37,270) annually but it ‘varies and can go up to $150,000+’ (approx. £116,347) just like that of a producer. (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.).
What is a session musician? A session musician performs music for artists in a recording studio. For example, when a solo artist needs a backing band these musicians will be hired to provide the music that they need. On average, their annual salary is $54,600 (approx. £42,350) but it can go all the way up to $100,000 (approx. £77,565). (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.).
‘What is an album cover designer? An album cover designer is a very important job. The album art is often the first thing we see and have opinions on so it needs to look good to make a great first impression. They also design other parts of the art for example, the inserts (e.g. inserts and booklets), the back cover and lyric sheets. They tend to work with the artist and record label to build trust and that leads to good quality work on multiple albums and sometimes even merchandising. Their salary is around $40,000 (approx. £37,270) annually but it ‘varies and can go up to $150,000+’ (approx. £116,347). (Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges, n.d.).
Another important part of the recording industry is copyright claims. I covered this briefly in the last project but this time I will go into a little bit more detail.
Bibliography:
Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges. (n.d.). Become a Recording Engineer | Job Description & Salary. [online] Available at: https://www.careersinmusic.com/recording-engineer/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2020].
Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges. (n.d.). How to Become a Music Producer | Job Description & Salary. [online] Available at: https://www.careersinmusic.com/music-producer/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2020].
Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges. (n.d.). How to Become a Mix Engineer | Job Description & Salary. [online] Available at: https://www.careersinmusic.com/mix-engineer/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2020].
Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges. (n.d.). How to Become a Mastering Engineer | Job Description & Salary. [online] Available at: https://www.careersinmusic.com/mastering-engineer/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2020].
Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges. (n.d.). How to Become a Session Musician | Job Description & Salary. [online] Available at: https://www.careersinmusic.com/session-musician/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2020].
Careers In Music | Music Schools & Colleges. (n.d.). How to Become an Album Cover Designer | Job Description. [online] Available at: https://www.careersinmusic.com/album-cover-designer/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2020].