In the second installment of his series on ‘Becoming a Music Producer,’ Dubspot contributor Michael Emenau explores the job options available for up and coming music producers and discusses how to optimize your search for work.
Here’s the situation: you’ve developed your skills, you have some gear, you’ve made a few tracks, and created an online presence. What’s next? In this article, we’ll look at two different ways to approach becoming a professional: independently, or via an internship or paying gig. Here we go!
INDEPENDENT MUSIC PROFESSIONAL
An independent professional producer is someone who produces tracks for themselves or others with the intention of monetizing the final product: make a song, get paid.
So, how do you find clients, these magical people who will pay you to make music for them? First, you need to be able to show off your abilities; have an active online presence where people can hear what you have already produced, either for yourself or others. No matter how much you talk about what you can do, you still need to show you can deliver. However, even once you’re online, you need to generate enough interest in what you do that people actually listen to the music you’ve posted.
DJ YOUR OWN MUSIC & SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTIONS (DON’T BE SHY)
One excellent way to promote your productions is to DJ.
First, you’ll need to find some places to perform (a subject I discussed in How To Make Money In The Electronic Music Business – Without Being A Famous DJ/Producer).
I don’t recommend playing sets of 100% original music–mix your originals through your sets instead.
Spread the word that you are spinning your tracks, promote the sets, and get bodies in to hear you. This will create interest in your production skills and attract like-minded people. These are your potential clients–treat them with respect, put in the time, and soon people will be asking you to work with them.
ADVERTISE (IT’S GRIM, BUT IT’S A VIABLE ROAD TO TAKE!)
Another way to find clients is to promote yourself on Craigslist. A typical ad might read:
- I will mix your band for free / Free recording session
- I will write/produce songs for your lyrics – $200 song
- Beats for sale
I know it seems grim, but it’s a viable road to take.
There are many people out there who dream of becoming the Next Big Thing, and you may be able to help them. Look at this as an opportunity to meet people, get experience, find out if you can deliver, and hopefully get paid. Just bear in mind that getting paid may not be an option at the beginning. There’s a lot of competition, and even if you end up working for free, you’ll be gaining experience.
Persistence is what pays off in this game.
Weigh the pros and cons of working with a certain artist, and if you think this person could go somewhere, or that you will learn and grow as producer, then go for it! If your heart tells you that you are wasting time, then get out. Remember, if you are providing your services for free (or cheaply), you are paying for your own time. Consider whether an artist will help your career, because, if you spend all your time spinning your wheels with one artist, you may missing out on another potentially successful project.
GO OUT & NETWORK!
Another, more personal way, to find clients is to get out there and check out your local music scene. (Any producer should consider this to be part of the job description.)
Go out as much as possible to see local artists and get a feel for the talent that’s out there. While watching the bands, you can envision how you would produce each group. You’ll need to be able to articulate this vision to any artist you approach for potential production work–part of the job of a producer is to be a salesman as well.
Once you find an artist that you feel you could help, approach them. Tell them who you are and what you do. If they like you, they will give you a chance. Maybe this means producing/remixing a track of theirs for free. Take the opportunity and prove to them that with your help, they will become great. Once you are working with an artist, you can follow you them up the ladder, and concurrently the artist can follow you. A producer friend of mine originally did live mixing for a band, which led to doing a remix that radically changed the sound of the band. This led to his inclusion as a sound designer/touring band member. It’s up to you to make opportunities happen. Connecting with artists in person is incredibly valuable–online connections only go so far. When you’re face to face, the action happens faster and greater confidence is built.
So, to review:
- Offer to remix a track for free. If they are impressed the door will open. One of my current production gigs came after I gave an artist my honest (and not-so-kind) opinion of their tracks, and then offered to make a new version of one.
- Be up front and honest. Suggest what you would do and how you would do it. If there are things you can’t deliver, say so. Not every situation calls for on-the-job training–it’s often better to get someone who’s great at shooting video or recording drums instead of doing it yourself, poorly.
- Find ways to add value to your services. For example, find a way to get a cheap or free studio, or know places where the artist can perform. Connections are key–another reason why it is important to know your local scene. If you don’t have all the answers, always be willing to find solutions.
INTERNSHIPS & JOBS
The other way that producers gain experience and turn pro is through record labels, and production/music houses.
Record Labels
Record labels still exist, and the classic serve-coffee and reply-to-e-mail internship jobs still exist as well. Some pay a stipend, while others pay nothing at all besides the experience of being immersed in the record industry. This is still worth something–having access to people who make and sell music can give you an edge, and having a foot in the door can lead to very unexpected places. Being inside a label will also give you a serious reality check about how the business actually runs. This can be an invaluable education. Today, labels are so squeezed for profits that any label still in business (except those funded by rich people as hobbies) is lean and efficient. My old label, Six Degrees Records, is run by seasoned professionals who have an enormous amount of experience to share. Contrary to much that is said, most indie and small labels are run by music lovers whose primary goal is to get great music out into the world. However, like most things in life, money is a corrupting influence, and sadly music is no different.
As an intern, you can see what works, gain valuable hands-on experience, and meet like-minded people. A friend of mine started as an intern at an indie label, which led to a job at a dot-com organizing audio files into genres, which lead to being a music director at a branding firm. He now lives in Europe and works for Spotify, while writing, producing, and DJing.
Video Game Companies
Some of the bigger video game companies employ a room full of composers and sound designers. It’s a full-time job–you’ll need to apply at every company out there, send them your music reel, and try to make friends on the inside. Some people love this work; others hate it.
Advertisement Music
There are music houses that do nothing but crank out music for TV and other types of advertisement. These full-time jobs are rare to come by, and are mostly staffed by word-of-mouth. The budgets for ad music have also been squeezed, many companies now outsource to independent composers. If this work interests you, go pound the pavement and try to meet the boss. I am sometimes contacted by music houses to submit a demo for a bid they are making to a client. Composers used to get paid for submitting demos, but not so much anymore. Nowadays, the money only comes if the client buys your music. I made contacts for this type of work by sending out demo reels to every music house I could find. Again, while some people love this work, many hate it–even the successful ones.
Film And Television
Getting work in film and television is often about relationships. Ultimately, it is the director who chooses the composer–so get out there and meet some directors! There are hundreds of music licensing houses that service film and television. This is a whole subject in itself.
In part three of this series, I’ll cover the financial side of production, and how to make a viable career choice.
Michael Emenau a.k.a. MNO has worked professionally as a musician (vibraphone, percussion, laptop), producer, remixer and arranger for 25 years, playing such diverse genres as jazz, rock, drum’n’bass, salsa, techno, country, Hindustani, gospel, baroque and orchestral music. He has recorded on over 150 CDs, composed music for eight films, toured internationally, and lived on three continents. Michael was the house studio mallet percussionist for Sony Records (Japan) in the 90s, was a founding member of the award winning “Jazz Mafia” as well as working as a producer/remixer for Six Degrees Records in San Francisco, arranged and produced contemporary multimedia productions of the 16th-century composer Henry Purcell in Paris and is now writing a musical based on the life of Dionysus and dividing his time between Montreal and New York.
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