Music Production Jobs: Where And How To Get Hired

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music production jobs

Being a music producer sounds cool and fun. But how do you actually get music production jobs?

A handful of clients have hired me to produce jingles, demos, and custom music. And I want to share what I’ve learned about where and how to get hired. 

Here’s what I’ll cover:

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What Is A Music Producer?

In today’s music world, anyone and their uncle can call themselves a “music producer.” And that’s actually a good thing. We all have access to the same music production tools.

Basically, a music producer is in charge of directing the arrangement of a song in its recorded form. 

What does a music producer do?

A music producer is sort of like a movie director. 

They have the script to work with, but they decide how each actor says their lines, what camera angle to use, and they make sure the film comes to fruition.

Rick Camp, a producer who’s worked with Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Dr. Dre, and Earth Wind & Fire, talks about this idea.

“The music producer is…in charge of organizing [the material] and making it sound like a cohesive song,” he says. “He calls all the shots on what’s played, and when it’s played, and how it’s played, and the sounds that are used, or the vocals that are recorded if they’re correct or not. The producer is in charge of everything.”

The producer is the head honcho of getting a song recorded. 

What skills does a music producer need?

A music producer needs to have many skills, not just the big-picture vision.

A good producer is also a musician, knows how instruments work together (or don’t work together), is possibly a songwriter, and may even have some basic mixing skills. 

A producer is kind of like a Swiss army knife but for making music.

Here’s a quick rundown of the skills you need to be a successful music producer:

  • Songwriting
  • Musicianship (at least one instrument, preferably more)
  • Engineering (how to mic instruments and work with a DAW)
  • Song arrangement and composition
  • Basic mixing knowledge

Is being a music producer a good career?

As technology improves and becomes more accessible, roles are now more blended than ever. 

The songwriter can also be the producer, and the producer can also mix and master a song. 

So is music production a good career choice? No, but… 

It’s a skill every musician needs to have. 

Yes, you can make money as a music producer (I’ll get to that in a second). 

But it will have to be just part of your music career. It can be one of the income streams you go after.

Don’t pursue producing music as a career but rather incorporate it into your box of skills. And you sure as heck don’t need a degree in music production.

How much money does a music producer make? 

The average music producer salary is roughly $50,000 a year, according to PayScale. But there’s a wide spectrum of producers in different contexts.

Ariana Grande’s producer is going to make way more than me producing a local band. 

So if you’re wondering how much you can make as a music producer, here’s how to think about it:

  • Decide how much you want to make an hour
  • Estimate how many hours a music production project will take
  • Quote the client a fixed price using the formula hourly wage x number of hours for the entire project

You decide how much you make as a music producer. 

Where To Find Music Production Jobs

where to find music production jobs

Now you might be wondering, “How do I get a job as a music producer?”

There are plenty of jobs for music producers out there, you just have to know where to look. 

So I’d like to introduce you to three platforms where you can find online music jobs…

SoundBetter

SoundBetter was made for music producers. Musicians looking to bring their songs to life can hire people like you, someone who can produce those songs.

You can join a roster that boasts Kanye West’s producer and The Killers’ mixing engineer, among other big names. 

They review every producer who wants to join, so after you sign up for a free account, they’ll make sure you’re legit. So if you make the cut, you’re more likely to find quality jobs.

If you want a Premium account, they’ll take you through another layer of reviews and even interview you. If approved, you’ll get access to the job board. Although with a free account, people can still invite you to apply for their projects.

Either way, the key is to completely fill out your profile. 

“Everything you put on your profile is a way for a potential client to get to know you before the two [of you] ever speak,” says SoundBetter producer Tom DuPree III.

Here’s what a complete profile looks like:

  • A professional photo as the header
  • A bio that shows your personality and highlights your experience 
  • A list of services you offer, your preferred genres, and the gear you use
  • A playlist of songs you’ve written/recorded/mixed/mastered
  • Your notable credits
  • A completed Q&A section
  • Clear turnaround times

To get started on SoundBetter, ask your previous clients to leave positive reviews on your profile. Then direct any future inquiries about your music production services to your SoundBetter page.

You can sign up for free here.

Upwork

Upwork is a platform for any type of freelancer, but there are plenty of music-related jobs on it. I’ve gotten several. 

Here are some of the music production jobs I’ve gotten through this site. I got hired to write and record::

  • A jingle for a pet-sitting company
  • A jingle for a shipping company
  • A custom song for a nonprofit working with the Philadelphia 76ers
  • Intro/outro music for a podcast

It’s totally free to sign up and you get full access to the job board, unlike SoundBetter’s free account. In order to apply for projects, you will need to buy something called “connects,” but they’re super cheap.

Upwork will also take a cut. Here’s how it works out:

  • $0-$500 earned with a client: 20% fee
  • $500.01 to $10,000 earned with a client: 10% fee
  • $10,000.01 or more earned with a client: 5% fee

If you want music producer jobs, Upwork is a great place to get started. 

Before using Upwork, check out this in-depth how-to.

Shake

Shake by IZEA isn’t live yet, so there’s not much I can say about it. But they invited me to pre-register, which I did, and it looks like it has potential. 

Shake says they’re a “creator marketplace” where you offer your creative services. They list “influencers, photographers, writers, and musicians” as their main audience. So it sounds similar to Upwork. 

It’s unproven, but you might as well pre-register for free and give it a shot when it launches.

How To Get Into Music Production

Now let’s take this knowledge and put it to good use. How do you get into music production?

You can start with these three steps…

Step 1: produce your own music

The first and most important part of being a successful music producer is to…you know, produce music. If you’re not already producing music on the regular, are you actually passionate about it?

Here are some tips to start and keep producing music:

  • Schedule your music time (put it in your calendar!)
  • Dump every idea into your DAW, sort through the good and bad later
  • Think more about the emotion of the song, less about the theory
  • Take a break for a day, come back with fresh ears
  • Set small goals so you can finish a song without burning out

Step 2: offer your services for free

Once you’ve got a portfolio of your own songs (I’d shoot for at least five songs), start offering your services for free. That’s right, $0. 

You do this to get some experience producing other people. Offer a limited number of slots — say, two or three. Once you produce some songs for other people, you can start charging future clients. 

Plus, the musicians you produced for free will probably return as paying clients, but only if you do a good job. 

Start with local musicians. Opt for in-person production sessions — you can experience chemistry you just don’t get with remote sessions.

However, remote sessions are becoming more and more doable. Many musicians have basic recording equipment, so they can record their parts with your direction. 

Step 3: pick a platform and stick with it

Once you’ve got a decent portfolio, test out the platforms above to see which one works for you. Then pick one and invest your time building that profile. 

Ask your clients to leave positive reviews and showcase your songs. 

Pretty soon, you may have a nice little side income from your music production jobs.

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