What does a music producer do?

What does a music producer do? The term "music producer" means different things to different people. Some consider themselves musicians, some engineers, some are remixers.

So what does a music producer actually do?

In very pragmatic terms, a producer is a 'project manager' for the recording, mixing and mastering process.

They have an overall vision for the music, sound and goals of the project and provide a unique perspective to inspire, help and sometimes provoke the artists.

The producer should make the record more than the sum of its parts - you could almost say they are trying to create musical alchemy.

Each producer brings different skills and different strategies, and this can make the profession of music producer difficult to summarize. Below are some examples of the different roles a music producer can focus on:

1. the engineer

This is probably most people's stereotypical view of the 'classic' record producer - hunched over a mixing desk, obsessed with compression settings, reverb and drum sounds. The studio is an instrument, and the producer 'plays' it like a virtuoso, working late into the night to create a mystical sonic masterpiece.

In fact, this is often quite far from the norm.

2. mentor

Many producers claim to have no technical expertise at all. Rick Rubin is a well-known example - despite being a self-proclaimed audiophile, he doesn't actually sit in front of the mixing desk during the production of his projects, but selects specific mix engineers to work with on each project.

"Mentor" producers like Rubin instead focus solely on the artist's intent, motivation and performance, coaching them to produce the best music they can, one way or another. Rubin seems to have a gift for inspiring and empowering artists and helping them focus on their strengths, for example.

3. The Golden Ticket

Some producers seem to have an almost magical touch - a secret formula that guarantees success to almost everyone who works with them. Phil Spector, with his 'Wall of Sound' brand was an early example.

Of course, a distinctive sound is only good if the producer's style fits the material. Paul McCartney, for example, was infamously upset by what Spector did with 'Let It Be'. Dr. Dre is a more recent example of a "Golden Ticket" producer - he is almost single-handedly responsible for the production of a huge wave of the biggest Rap and R&B artists of recent years.

4. remixers

Many people think of 'remix producers' as a relatively recent development, but its origins are actually a fusion of Lee 'Scratch' Perry's dub mixes with Tom Moulton's extended disco mixes in the mid-70s. Artists like Grandmaster Flash started using cutting and scratching, and midi and sampling took it to another level. Remixing has now become so much a part of mainstream music culture that the remix is often as or more famous than the original song!

5. musicians

Perhaps the least recognized, but most fundamental skill a producer needs is musicality. A producer contributes, comments and advises on songwriting, arrangements and performance - and many are also musicians themselves.

Some even play on the albums they are working on - or produce all the music for themselves under their own stage name. This is more common in electronic dance music, where productions involve very little recording, and are mostly created in the programs themselves. However, it is common in all genres for producers to contribute their own musicality to the recording.

6. the artists

Some producers take musicality to another level by actually being the artist themselves. The two ultimate examples are undoubtedly Prince, who modestly gave himself the credit "produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince"; and the incomparable Tove Lo - who even creates most of her songs herself!

The common requirement running through all these definitions of producer is musicality, and the ability to see the 'big picture' while the performer focuses on the details of writing and performance.