What does a record producer actually do

A.� The term 'producer' when applied to the credits you read on the back of your favourite CD or album can mean a variety of things�- there really is no fixed job description for a producer.

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Q.� OK, what are some of the tasks that result in a name with the 'Producer' tag attached to it

A.� The basic standard concept of a producer is someone who will act as a liaison between an artist, that's singer or band, and a�record label. Any musician who wants to record his or her work will have definite ideas about how it should sound, the songs to be recorded, their track listing on the album, and so on. The record label may have its own fixed ideas as well, including the studios to be used, musical arrangements to be worked out, length and timing of recording sessions, studio technical staff liaison, and the myriad other tasks involved, which the artists either don't think about, or regard as something outside their creative area. This is where a producer is vital, to work between the two distinct halves that make up the 'music' and the 'business'.

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Q.� How does a band find a producer

A.� In most cases, a record label signing a band will have a producer in mind who will suit the label's requirements in terms of recording the band properly and producing a marketable product within a set budget, and hopefully it will be someone the band can work with and who's efforts will result in a productive union for all concerned. Some well known producers have sufficient clout within the industry to be able to work as freelancers, and bring their talents to the bands and labels they choose, but high profile producers are rare.

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Q.� Can a producer have a serious impact on a band's sound

A.� Not only a band's sound, but also their entire career can be affected by the way a producer approaches his or her task. Take for example the story of Def Leppard, one of a large number of 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal' bands that sprang up in the aftermath of punk. Leppard were slogging around the UK gig circuit getting nowhere, when their career was kick-started by the arrival of Robert John 'Mutt' Lange, a producer who took the raw metal sound and smoothed its edges into an AOR radio-friendly sound that saw the band take off like a rocket in America, where radio-play is essential to commercial success.�

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With Lange in the producer's chair, the band has released a string of multi-platinum albums, and freely acknowledges Lange's input into their success. Lange has continued to provide his Midas touch for other mega-stars, including Bryan Adams, he co-wrote Everything I Do with Adams, and of course he has enjoyed more personal success with his wife, country superstar Shania Twain.

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Q.� Are producers like Mutt Lange a rare breed

A.� There are few who have�a successful track record, but 'name' producers�such as Glyn Johns who worked with The Who and The Rolling Stones, and Todd Rungren who produced Bat Out Of Hell are a couple of known names. For the most part, however, producers are strictly 'backroom people, who maintain a low profile. Even a producer as famous as Mutt Lange is not a recognisable face in the same way as his famous partner.

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Q.� Are producers well paid

A.� Their financial rewards are usually the results of complex financial negotiations based on a mutually agreeable set of circumstances between producer and record company. A producer will usually agree to work with a band and take a percentage of the profits from the work he or she produces. This typically takes the form of a percentage,�3% is standard, but a star producer may request, and obtain a rate as high as 15%.

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Q.� What are some of the tasks a producer may perform as part of their job

A.� Many and various. A producer may choose a particular studio based on his or her experience and knowledge, supervise recording sessions, assist with musical arrangements, discuss which songs to include and exclude on an album, hire additional musicians for certain songs, and almost certainly have a large input into the final overall sound of the finished album.

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Q.� Do bands actually need producers

A.� Most bands would say no, and if they become successful enough will often take over the production duties themselves�- The Rolling Stones have produced their own albums for many years. Other major acts will admit that they need and prefer some outside influence.�Michael Jackson was not too big a star to have three songs on his Thriller sessions rejected by his producer Quincy Jones, who sent him away to write three replacements. Michael obliged, and all three became hit singles proving that Jones is worth his position, and his considerable financial rewards.

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Some producers can even define a particular sound as their own -�Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are credited with defining the sound that has made Janet Jackson a world-wide superstar, and Madonna specifically requested and obtained the services of dance producer William Orbit.

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Q.� How does a band find the right producer for them

A.� If the band is big enough, producers will come to them, and they usually choose the one who is going to assist them in their chosen musical direction. At the other end of the scale, an assigned producer from the band's label will start them off, and the sessions will succeed or fail, depending on the chemistry of the two parties involved.

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Do you have a question about music Find an answer here.

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