What Are the College Requirements for a Music Producer?
- The modern music producer needs more skills than just turning knobs.audio mixing desk image by pdtnc from Fotolia.com
The producer is perhaps one of the most mysterious and sought-after positions in the music industry: part engineer, part executive, part shaman. Charged with sculpting hits from the musical raw materials they're given, producers may be musicians, audio technicians or businesspeople. The potential rewards for success in the music industry are enormous, but the competition is stiff and the chances of large scale success are extremely slim. Those interested in becoming a music producer don't necessarily need a college education, but an understanding of studio fundamentals and industry practices is crucial. - Music theory is the language of the recording studio. In order to communicate with your musicians to craft the best possible songs, you need to speak the same language. You won't necessarily have to master the most obscure concepts of music theory, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that for musicians and related workers, "having a broader range of interest, knowledge, and training can help expand employment opportunities and musical abilities." The music industry is highly competitive--the more knowledge of the mechanics of music you have, the better you will fare. The legendary Quincy Jones started his professional career as an arranger for Count Basie and Cannonball Adderley before becoming one of the world's most sought after producers.
- The modern recording studio is a complicated, technology-driven environment and requires some formal training to run it. From microphone placement to sound reinforcement, learning the basics of audio and recording theory will give you the foundation you need to get the tones you want. Again, the BLS encourages training for audio engineers, saying that most have at least a year of education and that "prospective technicians should take high school courses in math, physics, and electronics." Math and science skills are key to studio mastery--Tom Scholz, chief songwriter and producer for the classic rock band Boston, earned a master's degree in engineering from MIT before the group went on to sell 9 million copies of its debut album.
- If you're thinking about a career in music production, you're likely already a big music fan, but there's more to the machinations of the industry than you find on TV shows. Learning how music gets from the recording studio to the record store will give you a better sense of your place in the process. Middle Tennessee State University, for instance, requires its audio production students to take a survey of the recording industry that includes overviews of songwriting, music publishing and marketing.
- Copyright is the bread and butter of the music industry--creating and exploiting copyrights are how the industry makes most of its money. As such, the laws surrounding them are complicated and confusing, and a semester's worth of study will give you just enough knowledge to make sure you don't get yourself trouble. Producers also need to understand contracts and the legal issues surrounding royalties and recording.
