Old 07-12-2017, 12:34 PM   #1
Sblissk
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Just wondered how people make a living doing music production for example Recording, producing Editing, Mixing and Mastering. I particularly enjoy editing and mixing and recording but my own material at the moment. i'm curios how people got started in their careers a full time musicians or producers you know what i mean.

cheers in advance.
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Old 07-12-2017, 01:36 PM   #2
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If you're serious about wanting to make a career in audio, I highly recommend this podcast:

http://www.workingclassaudio.com

There are over a 100 episodes of interviews with people all over the spectrum. Maybe start by listening to a few that you may have heard of first.
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Old 07-12-2017, 02:03 PM   #3
Sblissk
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[QUOTE=MRMJP;1864579]If you're serious about wanting to make a career in audio, I highly recommend this podcast:

http://www.workingclassaudio.com

Fantastic thanks for this i'll be checking ing this out
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Old 07-12-2017, 02:16 PM   #4
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Check out #69 ;-)
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Old 07-12-2017, 02:55 PM   #5
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[QUOTE=Sblissk;1864592]
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Originally Posted by MRMJP View Post
If you're serious about wanting to make a career in audio, I highly recommend this podcast:

http://www.workingclassaudio.com

Fantastic thanks for this i'll be checking ing this out
No problem. I am not a big fan of podcasts, and definitely not gear/technique podcasts but this particular podcast focuses on more real-life things pertaining to making a living doing audio.

I also like that they keep a steady pace with a new episode every Monday reliably.
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Old 07-13-2017, 08:45 AM   #6
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Check out #69 ;-)
Are you Mangus Lindberg? I've just listened to the podcast great stuff
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Old 07-13-2017, 10:29 AM   #7
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Just wondered how people make a living doing music production for example Recording, producing Editing, Mixing and Mastering. I particularly enjoy editing and mixing and recording but my own material at the moment. i'm curios how people got started in their careers a full time musicians or producers you know what i mean.

cheers in advance.
Have an all consuming hunger for music. Happen to have enough geek genes to be into the technical and technology side of things. Keep scraping by one step ahead of bill collectors doing this even though you know better and would be more comfortable with a steady job.
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Old 07-13-2017, 01:28 PM   #8
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Keep scraping by one step ahead of bill collectors doing this even though you know better and would be more comfortable with a steady job.
Pretty much ^this. If they are willing, OK with and able to live hand-to-mouth or worse, indefinitely, go for it. That may not happen but the chances are far, far higher that it will in this particular line of work so the OP must be OK with that possibility.

Secondly, they need to be able to be very good with people, including all the unfair, sneaky, insincere people. If we have any problem (or rather attitude) when it comes to dealing with potentially uncomfortable or unfair situations, or even being thin skinned... stay away.
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Old 07-13-2017, 02:06 PM   #9
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Are you Mangus Lindberg? I've just listened to the podcast great stuff
Yes:-)
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Old 07-14-2017, 04:18 AM   #10
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I did a music tech BA from 2006 - 2010 - got a First with near the highest marks you can get. Taught me near nothing in terms of actually working as a mixing and mastering engineer...

You just have to jump in with an acceptance you will be living on the bread line possibly for up to 10 years. That seems to be the figure I come across most often when talking to other engineers - takes about 10 years to become 'embedded' enough to get regular, well paid work. I've been doing it 5 years and I'm definitely still on the bread line so I'm halfway there - yay!

Be prepared to work with bottom feeders for a loooooooooong time. It's actually how you will learn your trade. Making terrible music sound good or even great IS how you will learn to be a great engineer - how to get to the point where you know exactly what to do a few minutes after you hit the play button upon hearing new work for the first time. It has to be the this way basically.

It's an extremely tough job to do, to be good at, to survive in. The best thing is that you get to work with music all day. The worst is that you have to work with musicians Be prepared to deal with and flatter egos regularly lol.
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Old 07-14-2017, 08:35 AM   #11
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... The worst is that you have to work with musicians Be prepared to deal with and flatter egos regularly lol.
Too true!

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Old 07-14-2017, 08:55 AM   #12
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I did a music tech BA from 2006 - 2010 - got a First with near the highest marks you can get. Taught me near nothing in terms of actually working as a mixing and mastering engineer...
You learned more than you think you did, it's just that part of education can't really teach you real world.

This becomes noticeable when you do like I did which is end up in an industry where 90% of my colleagues are college grads, I'm not, and I feel it every day because there are so many foundational 'doesn't everyone know this' things I didn't have. That isn't in music but it is the same phenomena.

That doesn't go against your main thought however that it really is only a foundation, maybe 20% but it is a necessary foundation for the other 80%.

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It's an extremely tough job to do, to be good at, to survive in. The best thing is that you get to work with music all day. The worst is that you have to work with musicians Be prepared to deal with and flatter egos regularly lol.
That's what I meant before about dealing with people and being able to do so minus an attitude - artists are already sort of thin skinned, if you are too, not going to work out well usually.

It's also sort of the worst place to make a living and keep you within reach of the same level most every person not in the music business is at. So you have to love it more than the money or you'll be sorely disappointed.

I spent a good 15-20 years in it professionally, I got by decently and there were also times I struggled (and I'd never trade having that time and experience) but I certainly wasn't keeping up with those who chose more financially fruitful paths.

When I approached 40, had a wife and we both wanted to do more than live borderline, in addition to actually being able to retire some day... I moved to the computer industry (had a knack for it anyway) and music is now a cross between hobby and semi-pro along with mentoring up and comers in my area. The only difference is I actually have money now and can buy based on what I want, not what I can afford; and I can easily absorb most financial emergencies.

Another thing that changed my mind, is I took a few one off gigs with who was at the time, pretty much the most revered vocalist in my area - he was 60 something at the time. Just before the show started, he asked if he could borrow 5 bucks for an order of cheese sticks and he would pay me at the end of the night. For the next four hours as we played the sets, all I could do is watch him performing thinking... "That's me in 20 years" and I didn't want to end up where he did.

The point there is, that if you want to do this, you have to set some goals and some limits because at some point your going to get old and might not be able; need to plan for that so you don't end up living on the street when you are older (the proverbial you). The danger there is if one spends 20 years in the business, then comes out of it at 50 to try to make some savings before it is too late, they are missing all the skills needed for non-musical income. I was very lucky in that regard but I see people end up in that predicament all the time - where they'd like to get out, but can't because it is literally the only thing they know.
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Old 07-14-2017, 08:24 PM   #13
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I don't make money from mixing much my mixes are just ok. But I paid my rent for one year teaching all the basics: what computer to buy, what daw to install wich plugins to use and an eq works how compressors work etc. I was going to peoples home and solve basic wiring problems, installing audio interface etc. The demand is surprising. Old musicians with no computer skills, people who are bad searching internet, people who hate watching videos on youtube, french people who cant find infos as most of it is in english, people who needs to do it to understand as they are poor getting from someone showing it . A simple add on kijiji gave me about a phone call a week. I took my add off to focus on my dayjob so I can buy a house to push it further should be back at it in a few weeks!!

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Old 07-27-2017, 02:55 AM   #14
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Just bear in mind that this is the kind of thing you'll have to work with for at least the first few years of your new 'career'

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