I don't know if I can answer for anyone else other than myself. You'll have to check out what others are doing as well. I hope this all helps you some. I don't even really consider myself a "pro" even though I do work with audio for a living. I still am learning new things all the time.

ORIGINAL: music321

well, my original post wasn't my actual question. i've been busy and forgot that i even started this thread. i'm wondering:

1) are most jobs contract (with radio stations, tv shows, etc.) or are they with bands?

Essentially most jobs will be contracts. It might be you directly in contract with the client or you might work for a studio/company that gets the contracts and you're employed by the company. There's a lot more work to be done than just working with bands. My main job is doing post-production type work on audio for an internet company.

2) if most of the jobs are with bands, how steady is the work?

The work can become very steady if you have a good reputation and people like you.

3) how many hours does the average recording engineer put in per week?

Since I work for a small/medium sized company, I work about 40 hours per week. I also do contract work on the side and that work is more for my enjoyment. I get to be more selective with the contract/freelance work because I already get a steady pay check from my full-time audio gig. How many hours you work will depend upon how many hours you are willing to work as well as how many hours you'll need to work. There may be some times where you'll have to work a lot of hours to meet a tight deadline. Then, you may just have some slower times (like I am having right now--hence the typing of this post )

4) what kind of money is made?

Money....well...that depends. As an assistant engineer, you can expect anywere from the mid 20s to the low 30s per year. A senior engineer earns anywhere from $40k on up to about $90k on average (this would be US income based upon my experience within the NYC and LA scenes--it may be different elsewhere). Most engineers don't earn 6 figure incomes but I do know some post guys that earn well into the 6 figure salary range. There's also some big name guys that do pretty well for themselves. When starting out, expect to be broke for a few years. Myself, well...I don't really earn a lot of money but I do earn more than some of my friends who are working in other more common professions. It did take me a few years to get to where I am now and I am certainly not finished looking for that better paying gig either.

5) regarding questions 3 and 4: does this differ significantly depending on whether someone lands a
job with a popular band, etc.?

You can be in the right place at the right time and land a great gig but that's not likely. You'll need to be very creative in finding out what type of work is going to come your way.

6) is landing a well-paying job with a band, radio station, tv show, etc. hard to get?

The short answer is yes. However, if you make the right contacts and do good work, in time you should be able to find something. You most likely won't make a lot of money because most people get into this field out of a passion for audio and not to make a lot of money.

7) must i work in a large city, or are there jobs in smaller cities (75,000 people or so)?

I work in a smaller city just outside of New York City. Previously, I had worked in NYC which was both a lot of fun and a PITA. It depends upon what type of work you want to do also. If you want to work with bigger name people, chances are you'll need to be in a larger city. However, I've worked indirectly with some fairly well known names at my present job by working remotely or having the audio sent here from other places. Some of the "bigger" location jobs do require that I head into NYC but doing it once in a while keeps it interesting.

Audio engineering is definitely a tough field to get into. It is also changing these days--many studios are getting sold and closed down because they're not making money. There is still money to be made but you need to be creative about finding those jobs. If this is something that you truly have a passion for doing, then go ahead and give it a shot. Though, if you're not too sure, I'd say do something else for money and work with audio as a hobby.

HTH,
Erik

Try this out...Good info and amusing story.

thanks to all. for me, maybe this will remain a hobby.

Originally I wanted to be a rock star until I realized that rock stars get paid less than recording engineers

ORIGINAL: krizrox

Originally I wanted to be a rock star until I realized that rock stars get paid less than recording engineers

Me too, but now I'm too old and fat :)

Funniest thread I've ever read on the Sonar forum.

"It's just like Vegas in here..."

That's so weird, my wife actually said the exact same thing last week about the studio I just threw together in my basement, and I had no idea what she meant by it.

if you love it, then by all means pursue it. just do a gut check about how much you love it . 'cause it's an
increasingly competitive space. being flexible helps .. you may love electronica .. but you might wind up doing cues for RV commercials...

I'm a rock and roll guy and the only "professional" work I've ever done was for a couple of rappers. And, yes, I got paid peanuts in the end. It was fun, but I'd sooner put what little free time I have into my own music than take on another project like that.

the studio i hang at is near a well-stocked liquor store, a good pizza place, and a strip club

Cake ought to get to work on some plugins for these. (Actually, a Google search would probably turn up some options for that last one LOL.)

ORIGINAL: jmarkham


Multiple Choice (choose up to 2):
If my girlfriend becomes emotionally involved with the
lead singer of the band I'm recording, I would:
a. Take it as a normal part of my profession.
b. Shove a Shure SM57 down his throat
c. Make his tracks sound like crap
d. Dump my girlfriend for the lead singer's girlfriend.

Damn. I thought I was the only one this happened to.

In my case, they ended up getting married!

I opted for e:
Make his mixes sound great.
Help her move out of the house.
Keep her Strat and MusicMan amp.
I'm still angling for her '75 p-bass...