Record producer

From ArticleWorld


The record producer (or music producer) is a person that can have many roles in the music industry. It is all based around the contract he signed with the employer and the needed tasks he needs to perform. A record producer can be involved in anything from coaching singers and bands on how to sing to marketing a musical album

The first record producers

The first record producers appeared in the first half of the 20th century. Their job can easily be compared to that of a film producer because he/she needed to supervise and organize the recordings, the paid crew, the costs of the production and could sometimes chose what material should or not be included in the album. Around 1950 the independent record producer appeared. The reason behind the possibility of a producer to exist independently came with the introduction of magnetic tape in musical production. The first move came with the establishment of independent recording studios in New York, London and Los Angeles. Since they appeared more people could start recording because they could be rented by the hour so that anyone who could afford it was able to record. As technology evolved and CDs and DVDs appeared more independent recording studios appeared and created a very powerful market for bands, singers and record producers to establish themselves.

Modern record producers

Nowadays the record producer has more power in the production and marketing of a musical album. In hip hop or rap music the producer can even compose and feature on songs. Most rap producers will be responsible for the creation of instrumentals or hip hop beats used on the upcoming album. Examples of producers known for their popular beat creation include Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Cool and Dre, Kanye West and many more. Many of them are also rappers and have recorded albums of their own. Modern electronic music introduced the concept of all around record producer. Because of high use of computers and special software in recording they could write songs much easier. The jobs of more individuals can now be performed by only one man or woman with the help of software packages like FL Studio, Reason, Cakewalk, Cubase and the list can go on.