There are differences between the roles of a music producer and an audio engineer. But their roles can be confusing because the terms and job scope of production and engineering can cross over each other. But don’t worry, if you are looking forward to a future in the audio production or engineering fields, we will help you know the differences in this post.
The role of a music producer
Music producers have the vision to see the big picture of a musician’s creation. They are in charge of bringing and coordinating all the pieces to help the musician bring his or her vision to life. Sometimes, they even add their own creative spin to it.
Producers not only have the vision to bring the song to life, but they also have a sensitive ear. They hear things in a certain way that helps them bring the vision to life. They have holistic responsibilities to make decisions that may help or break a musician’s career. The music producer often develops a close working relationship with the singer-songwriter to bring their vision of the song or album in the studio to life.
Challenges faced by a music producer
All jobs come with things you like and dislike. However, the main challenge is in overcoming the ego of the songwriter. This is a common problem and is natural because songwriters put their heart and soul into their work.
To work well with a songwriter, a music producer need to learn to approach them with tact and sensitivity. At the same time, they need to also be honest without sounding like they are criticising the songwriter to help them craft and mould a song without destroying their vision too much. Managing people are never easy. Besides managing the songwriter, the music producer also has to manage the crew, such as the audio engineer in the song production.
The role of an audio engineer
As the name denotes, engineering means something to do with technical things. As an audio engineer, you need to have a good understanding of how the equipment works. For instance, an audio engineer needs to figure out how to get the voice into the microphone or into the preamp that might enhance the sound with the suitable output gear.
The role of the audio engineer is very technical. The audio engineer needs to produce the sounds that the music producer is looking for. If there are tons of gear, you need to know what piece does and how they can help you fulfil the requests of the music producer. Each piece of gear can produce different sounds and characteristics to the music.
The differences between music producers and audio engineers
You can see that the music producer is more like a manager. They manage the creation and logistics of the recording. They are also responsible for how the final product will turn out. Music engineering, on the other hand, is purely technical. They are in charge of operating the studio equipment to achieve the sound for the producer and the artist.
We hope we have helped you understand the roles of a music producer and an audio engineer to help you with your career progression.