What Is a Music Producer's Salary?
- The music industry offers more than one type of music production position, and salaries vary accordingly. Generally, executive producers earn the least of most positions and are basically silent partners with little or no hands-on involvement in musical artists' endeavors. Creative producers who participate in the writing and composition of music products usually earn a mid-range salary by industry standards. Technical music producers --- such as sound and recording engineers ---typically earn the highest wages and have the most direct involvement in music production projects of all related positions.
- One of the best ways to get started in the music production industry is to participate in an internship or accept a lower-paying entry-level position. In such positions, what you'll lack in monetary compensation will be more than made up for in invaluable hands-on experience and industry connections. You'll also avoid the financial risks of freelancing and can count on a consistent, albeit modest, paycheck. Many major record labels and professional recording studios offer paid internships to recent graduates of music and business management schools that enable them to train as production assistants. According to 2011 reports by the Schools in the USA Career Profiles website, the average yearly entry-level salary for music production interns and assistants is about $14,590, and $18,540 with technical audio engineering experience.
- What type of money you make in the music production industry will also rely on who you work for. In 2011, the average salary for a music producer working as a staff member in a corporate setting is around $47,000 per year, or $57,000 if you have extensive technical experience. It's nearly impossible to estimate the earning potential or annual salary of freelance or beginner music producers. This income will rely entirely on the amount of work and types of clients. It is quite common for freelance producers to start out with low-end clients charging as little as $200 per project. Experienced musicians and vocalists who move behind the scenes to become producers, like Sean Combs, Dr. Dre or Master P., can earn millions on a single project.
- Your geographical location may play a major role in determining what your annual salary as a music producer will be. Usually, major metropolitan cities are where the largest and most reputable recording studios and record labels that attract higher volumes, and statures, of clients are found. You are likely to earn a larger salary working in a major city like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles than a small town. For example, as of 2011 the SimplyHired employment and salary website estimates that New York City record producers earn an average of $90,000 per year while the same position in Twin Falls, Idaho pays only $68,000.
- Music production positions technically require no formal educational background, and numerous musicians with significant technical experience succeed in creating rewarding careers based on their skills and talent alone. Having extensive knowledge of the fundamentals of making and recording music is often all that is required to get started in the production industry. However, having an undergraduate degree in related fields may help you rise above the competition when campaigning for that coveted position or internship with a major recording studio or record label. Salary.com reports that a majority of successful music producers possess a bachelor's degree in music management, business management or sound engineering.