When you think of the question, "What is music production?"  What comes to mind?

Chances are that you’ll get a hundred definitions if you posed the same question.  Some will say that music production is beat making. Others may say that it’s the individual who plays all the instruments.  Then again it could also be the engineer who painstakingly took it from start too finish.  It’s pretty likely these days with all the confusion and pre shrunk budgets you’ll be playing all those roles.

So who really has the time and the patience to take on all this responsibility?  If your one of those lucky ones, your going to need all the help you can get.  Anyone with a little experience in the recording studio can tell you that record making is tricky business and can often be a humbling experience no matter which side of the glass you reside on.    But one thing you can count on is that making a good plan can help smooth out a lot of bumps that may come up ahead.

Our job description as a music producer is defined by one thing. That is what ever you and your client decide it is.  You'll want to do a pre production meeting and find out what they want to accomplish and how you can be helpful towards that goal.   I have often said “ When you say you want me to produce your record, what do you mean by that exactly?”  Chances are they will not have a clear picture of what your role should be, but they will have goals. Ask them to talk about them, and start writing down what they say.    At this point were making progress.

Second, you’ll want to talk about budget.  Here’s where good salesmanship will go a long way.   You’ll want to educate your prospect on the process involved.  Laying out a plan first which shows them the process will be helpful.  You could speak of recording demos, recording basics, mixing, vocal tracking, overdubs, mixing mastering and talk about timelines and schedules.  If they are inexperienced this will give them an idea of the work involved which will help prevent sticker shock.  All of this will paint a picture of their experience for them.  You also may want to break down costs into sections like " tracking budget, mixing budget, etc "    This will ad value to your bottom line.

All this being said, a good plan is only as good as your follow through and it’s solid execution from start to finish.   So be sure that you don’t bite off more then you can chew.  Sometimes it may be wise to say that your not a fit for this particular project but you’d like to recommend someone.  Or it may be perfect for you. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, tell the truth and relax. It may be a good idea to team up with someone who complements your skills.  I’ve never really heard any great records where their wasn’t a team of talented and experienced individuals behind it.   Happy record making..