Music producers are also known as record producers. They are creative professionals who help musical artists with their music’s technical and creative aspects. A music producer will apply their technical knowledge of recording and editing music to help the artist produce the best possible album.
Music producers can also use their technical and musical expertise to create new, high-quality beats, styles, lyrics, and harmonies. Some even use these skills to sell their self-produced music.
But, if you’re considering a career as a music producer, you’d probably like to know your potential income. We’ve done the research and presented it in a compact form, along with ideas on supplementing your income.
What Does a Music Producer Do?
Music producers are primarily involved in the recording process. Still, they may also assist artists by suggesting track changes, guiding them with vocal elements such as expression, harmonizing a particular part, or approaching a technically tricky spot in the music.
A producer is also responsible for mixing the tracks when the recording is complete to ensure the best possible product. Additionally, the producer will work with the artist to achieve the desired sound and effects for the songs, the album, and the performance when they go live on stage.
Producers also help artists to target their music for radio play, their intended audience, and to help the artist achieve the best overall success with their music.
Finally, a producer will also support an artist in managing their overall style, besides managing the release of songs, helping them order the songs on an album, and releasing singles onto the market to keep fans interested in their favorite artist.
Although certain technical institutions and universities offer a music production curriculum, most music producers get hands-on experience working as juniors under an experienced producer or technician.
This helps to build skills and confidence and to expand their professional network. Today’s fast-paced industry also requires producers to have excellent computer skills and knowledge of recording software.
A basic understanding of music theory and reading sheet music is not necessary. Still, it can count in your favor during recording sessions.
Producers often work according to a production schedule, which may entail lengthy and erratic hours throughout the recording process. Next, we’ll look at what music producers earn.
How Much Do Music Producers Make?
Besides producing being a time-consuming and sometimes exhausting career choice, the reward certainly outweighs the cost. Let’s take a look at how much music producers earn and how you can supplement your income.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average income for a music producer in the United States is $55,991 per annum. This equates to $1,076 per week and $4,665 per month.
Let’s crunch those numbers a bit more, shall we?
- 39% of jobs fall between an annual salary of $28,500 and $35,499 per year, with $33,000 falling in the 25th percentile.
- 11% of music producers earn between $77,500 and $84,499 per annum, with $83,000 falling in the 75th percentile.
- 15% of producers earn between $98,500 and $105,000 per year, and $104,000 per annum falls in the 90th percentile.
ZipRecruiter further reckons that because salaries for music producers vary so widely (sometimes as much as $50,000), it may show that there are various opportunities for advancing in this career field, but this will depend on skill level, years of experience, and location.
Payscale.com offers a more in-depth breakdown of salaries based on experience level and years in the industry. We’ve summarized their findings below:
- Entry-level producers with less than one year’s experience receive an average annual salary of $49,514
- Early career producers who have between one and four years; of experience earn an average yearly salary of $51,228
- If you’ve got around five and nine years of experience, you’d be considered a mid-career producer and earn approximately $53,237 per year
- Experienced producers with 10–19 years of experience can expect an annual salary of $58,555
- Finally, late-career producers with more than 20 years of experience earn an average annual compensation of $66,145.
Other ways to increase your income include changing employers and working for someone willing to compensate you with a higher salary for your skills. Speaking of skills, you need to stay on top of your education.
Consider enrolling for advanced training and certificates to boost your level of education. The more qualified you are, your chances for promotions or pay raises are better.
Education also goes hand in hand with experience—overseeing other junior producers will add knowledge to your resumé and increase your chances of earning a higher salary or count in your favor when you switch employers.
Other Ways Music Producers May Supplement Their Income
You can develop high-quality loops, beats, or samples to sell online to other producers or artists. The sky’s the limit here!
Make sure your products are priced within the range of different producers at the same career point as yourself. You can sell your creations on your website or websites and sound library sites.
Ghost producing may be a lucrative alternative if you aren’t in the same city as another producer. You can also generate a secondary income stream, but keep in mind that you’re working anonymously and won’t be credited for your work.
Another way is to offer mixing and mastering services, but remember there’s a difference between the two.
Mixing and mastering is usually the final step in producing an album. You can monetize these skills as a producer. These skills are often the most sought-after in the industry, which means you can specialize in them and earn more income.
You can look here for some more ideas to put your production skills to good use and earn you additional income.
Conclusion
We’ve seen that, on average, music producers earn around $55,00 per year. This depends on experience, education level, and what an employer offers as a salary package. We’ve also looked at three ways you can supplement your income if you consider a career in music production.
While music producers work long, hard hours, job satisfaction is second to none when you help artists realize their dreams and an expertly produced album.