Music production involves the manipulation of recording equipment to capture sounds produced by musicians. Music producers utilize an array of different equipment to record the variety of sounds an artist can produce, from tambourine to piano to vocals. Music producers manipulate recording consoles, microphones, mixers, compressors, amplifiers and other equipment to record raw sound and mix it down into a cohesive, quality recording.
Music production involves much more than manipulating equipment. Music producers are often responsible for making big judgment calls in regards to song arrangements, instrumentation and the tonal quality of each sound involved. For example, a music producer can decide whether or not a rhythm guitar sound should have more bass or treble. Music production also involves coaching musicians in the studio, encouraging things like vocal warm-ups and helping to boost morale when recording start to get tiring or uninspiring.
For many music producers, the task of music production is much more involved than merely coaching artists and overseeing recording sessions. Music producers often wear several hats, overseeing aspects of the music business usually reserved for artists and repertoire (A&R) executives and managers. For these music producers, music production includes scouting new talent, writing songs and pitching songs to publishers and record companies.
Music production typically falls into two categories: analog and digital recording. Analog recording involves recording a sound wave in its original form, while digital recording turns sound waves into numbers. Analog recording was the dominant method of recording for decades, but has been trumped with the potential and ease of use of computers. Most producers use music production programs like ProTools, Sonar and Cubase.
Music production plays an important role in the professional music business. A recording produced by a qualified music producer, regardless of whether or not state-of-the-art technology is used, can make the difference between a hit record and a flop. For example, a recording of the vocals of the greatest singer in the world could come out sounding garbled, tinny and/or a complete mess if a producer employs amateur production techniques.