Exploring Careers in Music Production: The Bigger Picture

The music industry in India

The vibrant music scene in India that was once largely confined to the classical and film genres is now expanding rapidly. This is easily noticeable as the number of independent artists, DJs and music festivals is increasing by leaps and bounds every year. In fact a report by KPMG- FICCI projects that the Indian music industry will continue to grow bringing in around Rs. 20.6 billion annually by the year 2020 virtually doubling in size from 10.6 billion rupees in 2015.

India abroad

The Indian Artist is no longer confined to Indian shores. Many artists regularly play at major festivals overseas.

India’s very own Ska Vengers are all set to play at the Glade stage at Glastonbury this year! Music producer Pearl, who has performed at some of the biggest party venues across the world, shared the stage with legends like Pete Tong, Eric Prydz and The Prodigy at the cult dance fest Global Gathering (UK). Bands like Demonic Resurrection having been popular at global metal music festivals for a long time now.

Indian music producers also frequently collaborate with international artists to create albums, singles and other productions.

Growing audiences

The advent of digital music has also meant there are more ways of reaching out to audiences across the country and overseas as well. More festivals and ticketed events are being held across the country every year, allowing artists to interact closely with their audiences. In fact, as the report by KMPG states that an increase in ticket prices has done nothing to decrease footfall at such events.

Electronic music has effectively shattered language barriers and some of the biggest concerts across the world are now based around this genre. Many DJs today double up as electronic music producers. However, regardless of the kind of music you prefer, there is a space for a producer. Artists from all genres need competent producers to create MIDI tracks and beats using the latest software, including electronic music production.

Careers in the music industry – Music Production as a career

If you have your heart set on music production as a long-term career choice out of the variety of music career options available today, you need to bear in mind that while the role of a music producer is fascinating and exciting, it also involves a whole lot of effort and upskilling. You must be passionate about music and ready to work long hours in order to become a successful music producer. A music producer should ideally have extensive technical knowledge of recording equipment, engineering, and acoustics as well as great people management skills. In fact, producer Marc Kinchen (who has worked artists including Celine Dion, Lana Del Ray, Enrique Iglesias and Will Smith) goes as far as to state, “People skills are also very important – often as important as the music you make.” He also states that one must be prepared to spend long hours in a studio “staring at screens” working away.

At Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism, we understand how important it is to have a through grounding in the technical aspects of music production. It is with this in mind that we offer two music production courses:

• Certificate Program in Music Production with Apple Logic Pro
• Certificate Program in Music Production with Ableton Live

Our certificate programs cover a large number of topics over the 5-day duration including:

• Understanding Workflow Techniques
• Recording and Editing Audio and MIDI
• Using Software Instruments
• Working with Audio Effects
• Mixing and Automation
• Manipulating Pitch and Time

What can you do after a course in Music Production?

You can explore a career as a:

1. Production Assistant

Many graduates start off as a Production Assistant who handles details like coordinating with musicians, scheduling studios and ensuring all the necessary equipment is available while recording. Depending on their competency they also get to help in the actual process of mixing the tracks and ideating. While this might sound like a lot of grind work, it actually helps you understand the basics behind the production process, get a grip on the business aspects and develop interpersonal skills that are essential for success in the industry.

2. Music Producer

The music producer’s role varies depending on the project at hand. The requirements for a video game would be completely different from a music album or a television show for example making it essential for a music producer to be versatile. Producers are often hired by record labels or independent artistes to create songs and albums for release. The music producer supervises all aspects of the project from hiring session musicians to budgeting as well as the entire recording and mixing process.

How to become a music producer in India?

As mentioned above, a solid foundation in the subject is an absolute must. You can follow these steps in order to enter the music production industry with all the prerequisite skills and more:

• Develop an ear and taste for different types and genres of music. Listen to artists from around the country and the world, try and analyze the genres and keep your preferential bias aside when it comes to what you like and what you don’t.
• If you are not a musician, try learning an instrument or two. Theoretical knowledge of music itself is important for music producers and can come in handy at any given point, especially when collaborating with other artists.
• Enroll yourself in a top music production training institute and learn the nuances of the art and science of music production from experts.
• Make sure you work on as many open/live/dummy projects as you can when you are undertaking your course in music production. Nothing beats practical knowhow.
• Collaborate with your classmates, friends and fellow music production students to create your own tracks that you can pitch to studios and music labels as your demos.
• Watch videos of established music producers, talk to people from the industry to understand how everything works, visit as many sound studios as you can.
• Once you graduate in the subject, you can find work as a freelance music producer, independent music producer, stuio-hired music producer or artist-specific music producer.

If you are looking to be a part of the exciting Indian music production industry and take your music production career to the next level, get in touch with us!