Who is a music producer? You're Cool: the best music producers in Russia.

Surely you have heard about such a profession as a music producer. There are real legends about these people, all aspiring bands and solo musicians dream of meeting them, and they literally fight for a good producer.

But who is this person? Why is he so important in music and why is he always left behind the scenes?

We tried to answer all these questions and tell you about one of the most controversial modern professions.

How we introduce a producer

Situation: a talented guy Artemka delights his friends and neighbors with cool songs with a guitar every evening. He wrote them all himself. They really sound good. And then all the friends agree: “Tema, you urgently need a producer”!

According to the established opinion of the majority, this same producer looks like some respectable guy (less often, an auntie) with a large abs, swollen with carbohydrates, and an even larger abs of evergreen bills.

The producer can smell the money of talent a mile away and is ready to take on the promotion of a young (not always) talent, receiving a good percentage for it.

Once our talented Artem finds that same producer, in a few days he will wake up famous, and his dreams of a spacious apartment in the center of the capital, expensive cars and exclusive clothes will become closer.

Radio broadcasts, music videos, album promotion - all this will be done by this truly universal person. In reality, everything is completely different.

Who is a producer really?

The word "producer" itself comes from the English word "product" - product. It is not difficult to guess that the producer’s task is to produce a finished musical product that will be sold.

After a quick acquaintance with our hero Artem, the producer asks to show all the musical achievements that the talented boy has.

The future star better get used to good sound. An audiophile portable player with a completely reimagined design. But the beauty in this model is not only on the outside, but also on the inside. U FiiO X7 II There are all the trump cards in order to play music as naturally as possible.

Imagine, the player is equipped with a 4-core RK3188 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of memory, as well as a new Pro-level DAC ESS Saber 9028. The ability to change amplifiers to suit your mood complements the audio delight.

The producer demands absolutely everything: from unfinished texts, clumsy sketches of not the most harmonious chords to seemingly ready-made songs. All this material has to be processed and organized so that either a full-fledged album is obtained, or, at worst, a passable single.

The producer's task is to help a novice musician make ready-made musical material in order to then successfully sell it. It is he who places the accents in the music and, in fact, creates the image of the future performer or group.

A music producer faces a lot of goals and challenges. Only if he understands all the intricacies of producing will the project be doomed to success.

What are the responsibilities of a producer?

Unlike the film industry, a music producer has dozens of tasks at once. The executive producer is responsible for:

Quality control of both entire albums and individual songs;
- control of music recording, style determination, approval of arrangements;
- selection of scripts for clips;
- image development and thinking through a public image;
- selection of technical personnel: from musicians to sound engineers and editors;
- control of finances and financial effect from the production of tracks and albums;
- negotiating with radio stations and television studios to promote the product.

In the life of our hero Artyom, the producer is both king and God. It is with this person that the aspiring musician or band spends as much time as possible.

Being an executive producer, that same “authoritative guy” can also serve as a sound producer. It is this person who helps make a good composition out of musical scraps and text scraps, which, as they say, “is grabbed by people.”

The sound producer separates all the chaff and prepares only the best material for the future track. He also evaluates the song and acts as the main critic of the potential star.

What types of producers are there?

In fact, a producer means a whole string of specialists from different fields. In addition to music and executive producer there is also:

Theater producer;
- Television producer;
- Producer of computer games;
- Line producer - manages the work of staff and deals with issues that do not relate to creativity;
- General producer.

The peculiarity of producing is that one person can perform the duties of several specialties at once. In the realities of Russian show business, this is often what happens.

How much does a producer earn?

This is the question that concerns almost every musician. The producer's fee directly depends on a number of factors:

Experience and credibility in the music industry - the more famous the producer, the more expensive his services will cost;
- the success of the musical group: number of concerts, chart positions, album sales;
- his own ability to “be in trend” - the producer must feel what the majority is listening to today and what, in the literal sense of the word, will sell.

A producer who makes good money is simply obliged to listen to music in its original form. New reincarnation of the player FiiO X5 III- this is the choice of those who understand what truly high-quality sound means. However, it’s more likely not a player, but a real music computer with Android OS on board.

The manufacturer provided two slots for microSD cards, built in a Wi-Fi module and added three audio ports at once: balanced, mini-jack and coaxial, combined with linear. Two independent AK4490 chips are used as DACs.

Another feature of the model is the ability to use it as a USB DAC. No competitor is capable of this.

It is almost impossible to name the range of financial remuneration for a producer. A young but talented producer can raise a novice musician to the peak of popularity in a few months (let’s be realistic: if show business sharks give it), charging a symbolic amount for it.

Where to find it

Artemka wants to become famous and famous, but how can he do this? Where to look for a producer? There are several options here.

Firstly, lately talents have been especially popularized through shows like “The Voice” and the like. So, that same producer can be waiting for Artem in the hall, or be part of the jury. And if the guy impresses the producer, a counter offer awaits him.

Secondly, there are production centers scattered throughout the country, where management promises to make a star out of almost every even more or less talented singer or musician. Of course, not for free, and not always with 100% results.

Finally, if you are confident in your own abilities, get ready to independently attack the producer you are interested in, who has been leading one of your favorite bands for several years. Prepare a disk with recordings and go ahead to siege the fortress. Perseverance is the main virtue in show business.

On the way to the production center, you need to be mentally charged with determination from Lossless music. The recipe for a “cocktail for assault” is simple: load the tracks into the player FiiO X3 III, connect the headphones to a balanced port, a classic jack, or pair via Bluetooth, and enjoy the unique sound.

The FiiO X3 II uses dual PCM5242 chips, which have shown excellent signal-to-noise ratio. This model simply does not allow musical distortion.

We won’t talk about “unofficial” ways to reach producers. In the end, a producer is the same person and he has his own weaknesses.

On July 29, Igor Krutoy was born, who became the personification of the concept of “music producer” in Russia. The word “producer” in our country, as a rule, was understood as “sponsor-manager”. Yuri Aizenshpis or Bari Alibasov are monsters and professionals in their field, but there are only a few of them who can not only find money and the right artists, but also compose the right songs for them. All of them are in the ELLE review.

A man who fully lives up to his name, went through, as they wrote in the Soviet press, a thorny path to fame. A graduate of the Nikolaev Conservatory, Krutoy worked in various philharmonic societies until he settled in Moscow, where he began to make acquaintances in the pop community and took up composing songs. The breakthrough came in 1987 with a song written for Alexander Serov: the powerful number “Madonna” then thundered from every iron. Next, Krutoy made a very right move, converting success not only into composing new songs, but also into business. In the late 80s, Igor Yakovlevich became the artistic director of the ARS company, and ten years later he headed it altogether. What is ARS? These are assets in the form of radio stations, a TV channel, organization of large-scale concert shows, etc.

Surprisingly, all this time Krutoy continued to write songs, and Russian artists continued to perform them with success. The list of those who worked with Igor Yakovlevich is so huge that there is no point in citing it: point your finger at any category A performer and rest assured, you won’t go wrong.

The career of the creator of “Lyube” and “Ivanushki” began, as befits a gifted professional who wanted to engage in pop music in the Soviet Union, with work at VIA. With the advent of perestroika, Matvienko dove into the nascent show business, getting a job as an editor at the legendary Record studio, the first full-cycle music conglomerate of its kind, where songs were composed, artists were promoted, and super shows were staged.

It was there that Matvienko came up with and launched Lyube, bringing his old friend Nikolai Rastorguev there. Long before the current fashion for patriotism, the Lyube group adopted this theme, making a phenomenal career and becoming a truly folk group.

In the mid-90s, Matvienko launched his second main project, Ivanushki International, into orbit. Being in fact a boy band, “Ivanushki” is still functioning, despite the fact that two of its three members are over forty.

In addition to “Lyube” and “Ivanushki”, Igor Igorevich worked extremely successfully as a producer of one of the seasons of the TV show “Star Factory”: two of the teams that Matvienko put together as a result of the show - “Roots” and “Factory” - were a huge success.

The most poetic and profound of pop composers did not spend much time, focusing mainly on two artists - his brother Valery and the group VIA Gra. Gradually the list expanded - Rotaru, Pugacheva, Orbakaite, Valeria, Ani Lorak, Vera Brezhneva, Polina Gagarina, Leps and whoever else. As a result, today Konstantin’s main “clients” remain Valery Meladze, the same beauties from VIA Gra and a graduate of this pop sex trio, who is also the composer’s wife. Konstantin also works surprisingly accurately with artists, as viewers of “Star Factory 7” were able to verify in 2009.

A rocker by nature, a Westerner due to circumstances, the smiling Drobysh appeared in the public eye at the beginning of the 2000s, and it was as if he was there. Songs came in droves for Kristina Orbakaite, Abraham Russo, of course, Valeria, and then a whole platoon of graduates of the next “Star Factory”, from Stas Piekha to Zara. As befits a respected and visionary composer, Drobysh acquired his own production center named after himself, worked with young artists, and then catapulted into the chair of general producer of the National Music Corporation. Victor has a lot of energy: now he takes care of Eurovision participants, is involved in television projects, and defends copyrights.

Fadeev appeared on the pop horizon in the late 80s, impressing the audience of the Jurmala festival with his completely “signature” performance. Then he worked in Moscow, arranging songs for mainstream pop artists such as Larisa Dolina. And then the singer Svetlana Gaiman appeared in Fadeev’s life, whom Maxim turned into Linda. For many, the nineties actually passed under the sign of Linda. And the pop sound and the general pop landscape of the 2000s were seriously determined by the artists of the second Star Factory, which was produced by Fadeev. Yulia Savicheva, Polina Gagarina, Irakli, Pierre Narcissus - their hits, albeit one-day ones, were heard then everywhere. Maxim’s second main project in those years was the singer Glukoza, who impressed both the “ordinary” public and snobs. Another of Fadeev’s creations, the “Serebro” trio, also reconciled and is still reconciling people and aesthetes, producing killer hits, the deliberate vulgarity of which is set off by irony and (Fadeev can’t do without this) fantastically sticky melodies.

On July 29, Igor Krutoy was born, who became the personification of the concept of “music producer” in Russia. The word “producer” in our country, as a rule, meant “sponsor-manager”. Yuri Aizenshpis or Bari Alibasov are monsters and professionals in their field, but there are only a few of them who can not only find money and the right artists, but also compose the right songs for them. All of them are in the ELLE review.

A man who fully lives up to his name, went through, as they wrote in the Soviet press, a thorny path to fame. A graduate of the Nikolaev Conservatory, Krutoy worked in various philharmonic societies until he settled in Moscow, where he began to make acquaintances in the pop community and took up composing songs. The breakthrough came in 1987 with a song written for Alexander Serov: the powerful number “Madonna” then thundered from every iron. Next, Krutoy made a very right move, converting success not only into composing new songs, but also into business. In the late 80s, Igor Yakovlevich became the artistic director of the ARS company, and ten years later he headed it altogether. What is ARS? These are assets in the form of radio stations, a TV channel, organization of large-scale concert shows, etc.

Surprisingly, all this time Krutoy continued to write songs, and Russian artists continued to perform them with success. The list of those who worked with Igor Yakovlevich is so huge that there is no point in citing it: point your finger at any category A performer and rest assured, you won’t go wrong.

The career of the creator of “Lyube” and “Ivanushki” began, as befits a gifted professional who wanted to engage in pop music in the Soviet Union, with work at VIA. With the advent of perestroika, Matvienko dove into the nascent show business, getting a job as an editor at the legendary Record studio, the first full-cycle music conglomerate of its kind, where songs were composed, artists were promoted, and super shows were staged.

It was there that Matvienko came up with and launched Lyube, bringing his old friend Nikolai Rastorguev there. Long before the current fashion for patriotism, the Lyube group adopted this theme, making a phenomenal career and becoming a truly folk group.

In the mid-90s, Matvienko launched his second main project, Ivanushki International, into orbit. Being in fact a boy band, “Ivanushki” is still functioning, despite the fact that two of its three members are over forty.

In addition to “Lyube” and “Ivanushki”, Igor Igorevich worked extremely successfully as a producer of one of the seasons of the TV show “Star Factory”: two of the teams that Matvienko put together as a result of the show - “Roots” and “Factory” - were a huge success.

The most poetic and profound of pop composers did not spend much time, focusing mainly on two artists - his brother Valery and the group VIA Gra. Gradually the list expanded - Rotaru, Pugacheva, Orbakaite, Valeria, Ani Lorak, Vera Brezhneva, Polina Gagarina, Leps and whoever else. As a result, today Konstantin’s main “clients” remain Valery Meladze, the same beauties from VIA Gra and a graduate of this pop sex trio, who is also the composer’s wife. Konstantin also works surprisingly accurately with artists, as viewers of “Star Factory 7” were able to verify in 2009.

A rocker by nature, a Westerner due to circumstances, the smiling Drobysh appeared in the public eye at the beginning of the 2000s, and it was as if he was there. Songs came in droves for Kristina Orbakaite, Abraham Russo, of course, Valeria, and then a whole platoon of graduates of the next “Star Factory”, from Stas Piekha to Zara. As befits a respected and visionary composer, Drobysh acquired his own production center named after himself, worked with young artists, and then catapulted into the chair of general producer of the National Music Corporation. Victor has a lot of energy: now he takes care of Eurovision participants, is involved in television projects, and defends copyrights.

Fadeev appeared on the pop horizon in the late 80s, impressing the audience of the Jurmala festival with his completely “signature” performance. Then he worked in Moscow, arranging songs for mainstream pop artists such as Larisa Dolina. And then the singer Svetlana Gaiman appeared in Fadeev’s life, whom Maxim turned into Linda. For many, the nineties actually passed under the sign of Linda. And the pop sound and the general pop landscape of the 2000s were seriously determined by the artists of the second Star Factory, which was produced by Fadeev. Yulia Savicheva, Polina Gagarina, Irakli, Pierre Narcissus - their hits, albeit one-day ones, were heard then everywhere. Maxim’s second main project in those years was the singer Glukoza, who impressed both the “simple” audience and snobs. Another of Fadeev’s creations, the trio “Serebro”, also reconciled and is still reconciling people and aesthetes, producing killer hits, the deliberate vulgarity of which is set off by irony and (Fadeev can’t do without this) fantastically sticky melodies.

Do you have any idea of ​​how the songs might sound differently on the radio? Do you dream of your composition conquering the top of the charts? In this article you will learn how to become a music producer.

Steps

Part 1

Learn to play some musical instrument. You don't have to be a virtuoso to become a producer, but a trained ear and knowledge of music theory will be very, very helpful to your career. You should also try composing your own compositions, mastering musical tempos, or even learning how to play sheet music. Being on the other side of the soundboard, you will be able to appreciate a particular composition much better. Consider one of the following basic tools:

• Piano/synthesizer. Perhaps, for a producer, these are the most necessary and widespread tools; the ability to play something on the piano is incredibly useful. Whether you are trying to formulate an idea or want to record a musical phrase, it is almost impossible to do without a piano.
• Guitar. Having mastered the guitar, you will be able to pluck the strings with ease and immediately take a big step towards pop and rock music.
• Bas-guitar. Underrated but absolutely essential, the bass guitar will help guide the rhythm section and provide the foundation for production.

1. Master technology. To learn how to create and control music, you will need to learn how to use a soundboard and as many music processing programs as possible. If you haven’t worked in production yet, you can start with Cubase; this sequencer program is great for beginners.

   • Sequencer programs like Cakewalk Sonar, Reason, and Pro Tools are used by producers to correct and change the music they record. Hip-hop and dance producers can use FL Studio, and it’s also suitable for pop.
   • If you would like to produce hip-hop music, consider investing in a sampler. The MPC60, SP1200 and S950 are popular among golden age producers like Pete Rock and DJ Premier.

2. Mixing Basics. Understand what it means to mix a track: how to merge all the disparate sounds into one mellifluous mix.

   • Understand the difference between "in the box" and "out of the box." In the box means you mix only using a computer program; outside - using a soundboard and other non-computer equipment.
   • Understand the difference between stereo and mono mixing. The stereo mix consists of two tracks in one song, one for the left ear and one for the right; mono - one sound for a track.
   • You need to know what to put in the center of the mix. Usually the bass guitar and vocals are in the center of the mix, not to the side. Other instruments and production elements can be moved slightly left or right to create a fuller sound.

3. Start studying music. Take your studies seriously. Music producers exist in the business of creating music, often through other songs. Hip-hop producers have to study music especially diligently, because their job is to take samples of other songs and rework them into a different beat. By not studying music, you are simply limiting your own capabilities.

4. Think about what sounds will go well together. The task of a music producer is to create exciting, soul-stirring music. This often involves exploring different sounds and the interactions of different musical genres.

   • George Martin, the colorful producer of the Beatles, introduced what we call "ethnic" music into pop music. He helped introduce elements of Indian music into popular songs, a true meeting of east and west.

5. Make music. Do what you like best: punk, ska, rap, R&B, country, funk, jazz, etc. In the beginning, it is better to concentrate your efforts on mastering one style. This will allow you to make a name for yourself in one genre before moving on to something else. Hip-hop, R&B and pop are easier for beginners because they use fewer instruments.

   • Gradually start experimenting with different genres. The more genres you master, the more opportunities (and more clients) you'll have. However, try not to spread yourself too thin at first. Master one genre thoroughly and only then move on to the next.

6. Recycle some old hit. Take a well-known song—preferably a simple one—and put your own spin on it. What is its potential? Can you make it better? What is your vision for how this song could be transformed into something completely new?

   • Create several versions, this will allow you to evaluate the possibilities. Make a reggae version of "The Wall" or rework an obscure jazz song into hip-hop. Don't limit yourself to limits.

7. Collaborate with other producers. Some of the most famous compositions were created as a result of collaboration. Don't be afraid to reach out to a producer you admire and ask if they'd like to work together. Working together brings success because you can use his strengths to hide your weaknesses and, perhaps, vice versa.

   Part 2

   Production business

   1. Start making connections. Tell your family and friends that you are producing music. Order business cards. Post notices. If you offer reasonable prices, customers will not keep you waiting. Charge little per hour or song.

      • It would be good to take your first steps together with a friend or family member. Do any of your friends sing well? Uncle, do you play the tuba beautifully? Produce them and show samples to potential clients. (Remember, family is separate, business is separate).
      • If nothing comes up, offer to volunteer, this will help build a reputation. There is nothing wrong with working for free, as long as you are not being exploited, of course. By leaving a very good first impression of yourself at voluntary work, you can even get paid, if, of course, your work is worth it.