What Does a Music Producer Actually Do
What Does a Music Producer Actually Do
This is the first blog post I’ve written about something people have asked me several times: what does a music producer actually do And why would an artist hire one?
I think it’s a good subject because many artists may never have really considered what they need a producer for. There are also plenty of different ideas about what a producer’s job actually involves.
This article is only about my own world and the way I work. There are as many different ways of producing music as there are producers.
Producer, Beatmaker or Mixing Engineer?
The term “music producer” is used pretty loosely these days. If someone makes a beat for an artist, they’re often called the producer. A mixing engineer may also be called the producer, even if all they did was mix tracks that had already been recorded.
Of course, a beatmaker can also be a producer, and so can a mixing engineer. But simply making a beat or mixing a song doesn’t necessarily mean that person was responsible for the whole production.
For me, the most important part of being a producer is taking responsibility for the song as a whole. A producer thinks about the structure, the overall sound, the instruments, the vocal performance, the hooks and what the finished song should ultimately become.
A producer’s job isn’t limited to one stage of the process. You need to see the whole journey, from the first demo all the way to the finished release.
It All Starts With the Artist’s Demo
Most of my projects begin with a client sending me a demo. After that, we talk about what they want from the song and which direction we should take it in..
Sometimes our ideas are so far apart that it makes no sense to continue with the project. Having the same end goal is one of the most important things between an artist and a producer.
The way I work is that I listen to the demo a few times and write down the thoughts and feelings it gives me. Some of those ideas will naturally get dropped later, but the planning has to start somewhere.
The first thing I usually consider is what the song needs and what might need to be removed. If certain sounds are competing with the vocal, or instruments are fighting each other for the same space, something has to change.
Sometimes the producer’s most important decision isn’t to add something new. It’s to remove something the song doesn’t need.
What Kind of Sound Suits This Artist?
Once the first problems have been solved, I start thinking about the kind of sound we want for the song and what will suit that particular singer.
Do we want a huge, wide production or something more stripped back? Should the vocal sit clearly on top of the mix, or should it sit more inside the mix as part of the whole arrangement?
At this stage, I also think about the key, tempo, structure and dynamics of the song. Is the chorus strong enough? Is the intro too long? Does the song build in the right places? Does it keep the listener interested until the end?
These are exactly the reasons why a producer needs to understand the whole song, not just the individual tracks.
The Budget Shapes the Production
Once some of the sounds have been chosen, we start looking at what can be done on the computer, what the artist can play themselves and whether we need session musicians.
If the production has a fixed budget, we naturally have to work within it. It isn’t always possible to do absolutely everything, but the goal is to get as much as possible out of the budget we have..
The main idea should always be that the finished song is clearly better than the original demo. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much point in hiring a producer.
Vocals Are the Crown Jewel of My Productions
Once I’m happy with the production demo, I go through it with the artist. After that, we start planning the vocal recordings.
Whenever possible, I prefer to record the vocals at my own studio. I love the warm vocal sound I’ve managed to build here, and it has received a lot of positive feedback from the artists I’ve worked with.
You could say that vocal recording is the crown jewel of my productions.
By the time we begin recording, I usually have a pretty clear vision of what the song needs. However, I don’t immediately tell the artist everything I have planned. I introduce ideas as the song progresses so the singer can stay focused on the moment and on the exact section we’re recording.
Naturally, I always want to get the best possible performance out of the artist.
Is Singing the Song Three Times Enough?
Here’s the answer to a question I’ve heard many times: is it enough to sing the whole song three times? No, it isn’t.
It’s good to get three or four solid full-song takes. They help us identify which sections still need more attention and need to be recorded separately.
More than anything, I want a certain emotional state from the singer. A technically perfect performance isn’t always the best take if it’s missing the emotion the song needs. The vocal has to fit the world of the song perfectly.
Once we have three or four good basic vocal takes, I usually focus separately on the choruses. For a chorus, I want at least four to six takes that are as close to perfect as possible.
These can then be used to build a strong lead vocal, doubles and, when needed, a much bigger vocal arrangement.
Every Song Needs a Hook
Hooks are one of the most important things I think about during a production. Every song needs something the listener will remember.
The hook might come from the vocal, bass, guitar, drums, synth or even one small individual sound. Sometimes it’s subtle and almost unnoticeable. Other times, it’s the biggest part of the entire song.
But one way or another, every song needs one. Without a memorable hook, even a good song can simply pass the listener by..
Doubles, Ad-Libs and Vocal Responses
Let’s return to vocal production for a moment. I like using plenty of doubles, ad-libs, backing vocals and vocal lines that respond to the lead. When they’re used properly, I think they sound fantastic, which is why I put a lot of work into them.
Of course, they don’t suit every song. Sometimes less is more, and too many vocal tracks can take power away from the lead vocal.
Once we have all the vocals we need, the artist and I listen to what we’ve created. At this stage, we can still make changes.
There have also been times when I’ve asked an artist to return to the studio while I was already mixing the song. If a section doesn’t feel good enough, we record it again. Thinking “it’ll probably be fine” isn’t good enough for a finished production.
Music Production Also Works Online
Not every production has to be made at my studio. Online production is very common these days, and it’s also something I offer.
With this kind of project, I may never meet the artist face to face. Everything can be handled online. Whenever possible, I still like to begin with a short Zoom meeting or a similar conversation.
Online production is a great way to work with artists from around the world. The artist books a studio, records the vocals according to my instructions and then sends the tracks to me
After that, I take care of the production, editing, mixing and, when needed, mastering until the song is completely finished.
Clear communication is especially important when working remotely. The artist needs to understand what to record and how to record it, while the producer needs to understand exactly what the artist wants from the song.
What Does AI Change About a Producer’s Job?
These days, many people create a song using something like Suno and then send it to me. I start turning it into a proper production, and the artist comes in to sing their own lyrics over the music we’ve built.
AI can generate a complete song very quickly, but that doesn’t mean the song is ready to be released. The AI version might contain a great idea, a strong atmosphere or a catchy chorus. At the same time, it might have the wrong sounds, strange structures, an unclear mix or a vocal style that doesn’t suit the artist at all.
That’s where the producer has to recognise what works in the original idea and what needs to be rebuilt.
AI doesn’t necessarily remove the need for a producer. In my opinion, it may even increase it. Huge amounts of music can now be generated at the push of a button, but someone still has to decide what is actually worth keeping and how to turn that material into a personal song that genuinely suits the artist.
Why Should an Artist Hire a Producer?
Many artists are extremely talented and capable of making great music on their own. Even so, a producer brings an outside perspective to the song.
When you’ve listened to your own track hundreds of times, it’s easy to lose perspective. You may no longer notice that the intro is too long, the chorus doesn’t build enough or an important part is getting buried underneath the other sounds.
A producer brings life, depth, width and, most importantly, the right emotion to a song. Put simply, a producer’s job is to make the song better in every possible way..
The relationship between the artist and producer is also extremely important. In my opinion, a producer shouldn’t simply dictate everything or order the artist around. A producer should suggest ideas and be able to explain why a certain approach might work better.n.
The artist knows their own music and the story behind it. The producer helps turn that idea into a song the listener can also feel.
The Producer Is Responsible for the Whole Picture
As a musician, it isn’t always a good idea to think, “I’ll do everything myself, and I don’t need anyone interfering with my song.”
Of course, you can do everything yourself, and sometimes the result can be very good. But often the song is still missing that final push that an outside perspective could bring to it.
A music producer does more than make a beat, record a vocal or mix the tracks together. The producer takes responsibility for the whole picture and helps the artist take the original idea as far as it can possibly go.
This approach has worked for me and for many of the artists I’ve worked with. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have much work as a producer.
If you haven’t read the previous post yet, go check it out:Suno Lost in Germany and the Rules of AI Music Are Changing Again
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