Music Producer
You are an artist creating tracks for public release. As well as creating great music, you will also need to build your artist image, brand and develop your fanbase. Unless you are a signed artist with management, you will need to undertake your own promotion, so a good head for business is really useful. This is a really exciting and creative role, but there is a massive amount of competition meaning it can be very difficult to get established and make money.
Soundtrack Producer
You are an artist creating music for adverts, film and TV. Media has a constant thirst for new music to promote brands, or to provide incidental music in videos and films. You will create tracks and license these, probably via an agency, from whom you will get fees and royalties when your tracks are used. Here the emphasis is on creating music which will have commercial appeal to clients, so the criteria is very different to a music producer, who is creating the music they are passionate about.
Record Producer
You are the person responsible for realising an artist’s creative work into a recorded format, such as a single or album. You will have an excellent knowledge of the recording process from micing up instruments and acoustics, through to mixing, post production and mastering. You will also need to have great people skills to get the best work out of artists, who may be temperamental.
Live Sound Engineer
You are in charge of live sound at an event, making sure that the audience and artist get the best experience possible. At smaller events you may be working on your own, setting up the PA and micing up and mixing the acts. At larger events you will be working as part of a team. This may include front of house mixing, monitor mixing and stage work (micing and DJ requirements). You will need to have good people skills for working with artists and promoters, as well as excellent tech and problem solving skills.
DJ
You are in charge of playing out the music at club nights and events. Being a DJ can vary from DJing at local events, such as functions and clubs, up to being a superstar DJ, like David Guetta, playing out at top international clubs and festivals. As a DJ you will need to have a trademark sound and a set which is slick and will get people dancing. You will need an excellent knowledge of music in your genres, good DJ tech skills and know how to work a crowd.