Steve PMHLeading a double life as a full-time banker in the morning and studying music production at night, one day, Morning Estrada got the chance to run a session with Donny Baker to find that he’s recording for Trinidad James. The session was a success, and Trinidad asked Estrada to work with him as a music engineer.
Ten years later, Estrada has worked with 50 Cent, Jessie J, Amine, and Camila Cabello. That’s how exciting the life of a music engineer can be!
What Is a Music Engineer?
Music engineering is all about execution. A music engineer is responsible for the technical part of a music recording. This includes recording, editing, mixing, and reproducing sound.
Before we dive deeper into the definition of a music engineer and what he does, let’s set some basics regarding terminology. A music engineer is often called an audio engineer. There’s no difference between the two, and I’ll be using them here interchangeably.
There’s also a sound engineer, but it’s usually used to refer to an audio engineer who works on live events and concerts rather than studio work.
Not only do they work in music production, but music engineers also work in television networks, concert halls, and recording studios. Anywhere you need to produce decent sound output, there should be a music engineer.
While music engineers possess the technical ability, they lack artistic talent. No offense, though. I mean, they’re not musicians after all!
That’s why they work under the supervision and direction of the artist themselves and the music producer to ensure that their musical vision is executed.
What Does a Music Engineer Do?
In the words of Rick Camp, a famous audio engineer who has worked with Beyonce, JLo, Dr. Dre, and Usher. Here’s what a music engineer does:
“A music engineer records the sound of the artist. Then, he manipulates it with the equalizer, the compression, the gates, and some other little toys into sounding like a record!”
There are numerous sounds contributing to a soundtrack. You’ve got lead vocals, back vocals, and a dozen instruments.
What happens is that each element of these is recorded individually, then some brilliant person blends them together seamlessly to produce a sound matching the producer’s vision. This brilliant person is a music engineer.
Some of the tasks a music engineer does are:
- Minimizing unwanted noise
- Maintaining recording equipment and sometimes repairing them
- Collaborating with the artist and producer to reach a certain output
- Regulating sound quality and adjusting volume levels
- Mixing different soundtracks into a master one
What Does a Music Engineer’s Day Look Like?
On a typical recording day, the music engineer’s first task would probably be organizing the recording session with musicians and the producer. Then, they make sure the equipment is set up and running; this includes recording equipment, microphones, and amplifiers.
A music engineer has to adjust the volume of every single piece of equipment and record all musical instruments of the song, each in a single track. While recording, he has to balance frequencies and volumes of audio channels to produce the best sound output to their client’s needs.
Finally, he gets to do his magic by mixing all these sounds into one track; we call it the ‘master’ track.
Where Do Music Engineers Work?
Like most jobs in the entertainment industry, there’s no specific workplace for a music engineer. They definitely work in studios, but it depends on the type of work they’re doing.
The most usual setting is working in a music studio with a certain artist or band. They might also work at an opera house or a concert hall, where they’re responsible for the music engineering of concerts, plays, and the like.
Music engineers might also work in film or television studios if they’re working in film production. Lastly, they might work in any event that requires music engineering, be it a soccer stadium, higher education institution, or government theatres.
Types of Music Engineers
The term ‘music engineer’ is rather broad and vague. There are plenty of varieties under this category. Here, I’ll tell you what job titles you can get as an audio engineer. Yet, there are some music engineers who combine two or more of the jobs mentioned below.
Recording Engineer
As the name suggests, a recording engineer is focused on recording sound in a studio. This sound can be for instruments, artists, or even sound effects.
Studio Engineer
These are music engineers who work closely with music producers to produce music to their liking. They’re in charge of producing high-quality soundtracks.
Audio Post Engineer
Audio post engineers usually specialize in mixing for screens. They manipulate and mix audio to be used on the screen afterward.
Mix Engineer
Similar to an audio post engineer, a mix engineer works on mixing pre-existing soundtracks to produce a new mix or be used on film and tv.
Mastering Engineer
A master track is the result of two steps; mixing distinct soundtracks -which is done by a mix engineer- and then mastering them, which is done by a mastering engineer.
Mastering a mixed track includes adjusting the volume levels and frequencies of the mixed tracks, so they sound like one smooth, polished track.
Audio Design Engineer
An audio design engineer has an interesting job of working with video game companies and television to render audio tracks to music environments. This job is different from a typical music engineer, as it doesn’t involve recording or mixing music.
Systems Engineer
While a typical systems engineer works on managing and designing complex systems, a systems music engineer is responsible for the complex systems in a music studio.
The systems engineer is responsible for the PA system that’s composed of the microphone, amplifiers, and speakers. Modern PA systems are complex and require some profound technical knowledge to deal with them, which is when the systems engineer comes in.
Music Engineer Vs. Sound Engineer
As I’ve told you earlier, some people use the terms music engineer and sound engineer interchangeably, but this is not accurate. While a music engineer is the same as an audio engineer, a sound engineer has a slightly different job description.
If you ever tried to stream music from your phone to some big speakers, you’ll notice there’s an inevitable quality drop in the sound unless you’re using professional speakers. Imagine being at a concert, and you have to use huge speakers to output the sound of vocalists, drummers, guitarists, and a whole band. How challenging would that be?
Super challenging, really, and that’s why when you hear clear, crisp sounds at a concert, it is not by chance but rather the responsibility of a skillful sound engineer. This does not apply to concerts only but to any large venue like a conference hall or opera.
A sound engineer is responsible for setups, doing sound checks, and mixing the music live, which is a different technique than mixing recorded music. In addition, he works the whole sound reinforcement system, which amplifies the sound to cover a big concert hall.
Managing the big mixing board at a concert hall is no easy feat. Besides, it requires musical ears and some experience to adjust the music to each venue since each one is different in terms of size, capacity, and construction.
To cut it short, a sound engineer is a man behind the mixer in a concert—one who’s called the ‘Front of the House’ engineer in professional contexts.
Music Engineer Vs. Music Producer
Here’s another huge misconception between the terms music engineer and music producer. Think about it like that, a music producer plans, and a music engineer executes.
There is an overlap of responsibilities between the two, and they work together closely to produce a finished record. Yet, they do it differently.
A music producer is responsible for making the artist’s vision come true. This includes adjusting lyrics, musical arrangement, and composition. On the other hand, the music engineer executes this vision under the supervision of the music producer.
It’s not uncommon for people to do both roles in recording sessions, though. A music engineer who has experience as a producer is a valuable asset, and vice versa.
FAQs
What’s the average salary of a music engineer?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly rate of a music engineer is $35.17, which amounts to $73,144 a year.
This varies according to the job title, work location, and experience of the engineer.
Is there a music engineering degree?
Yes, there are a bunch of universities that offer bachelor’s degrees and training programs for audio engineers. However, in most cases, a degree isn’t a prerequisite for working as a music engineer. People rely on hands-on experience in studios instead.
How can I get a job as a music engineer?
You need to get some education first through an official degree or a training program. Then, start building your portfolio.
It’d be challenging at home, but you can do something simple using free mixing software and start playing around. Posting these online might help get you some recognition for when you apply for actual jobs.
