Roles & Contracts

Roles & Contracts

I have been asked by the Musicians' Union to produce a guide to employment in the music industry focusing on one important area, the roles within that area and the contracts associated with that role.

  

                                Roles in a Recording Studio

The area I chose to focus on is the Roles in a Recording Studio. I chose this because the recording studio (amongst other areas) is a vital part of an artist's career as this is where their work will come to life. The recording studio is a space where the artist (and others that help) produce and develop their work, whether that be writing, producing, singing or playing an instrument, for further use in their career. So not only does the studio help develop their work and skills but helps them build a recorded portfolio of their work, which they could use to better and boost their career.

The Recording Engineer:

The recording engineer's job is to capture and record the music/audio as it is being played by the musician. They are expected to be there to set up all the equipment used for recording audio, like microphones. They would place the microphones in a position in which they feel would capture the audio best based on their surroundings (the recording studio). Their job will involve being in the studio for long periods of time, possibly up to 24 hours, as the recording engineer needs to be present throughout the entire recording process in order to record the audio efficiently.

A recording engineer can be exclusive to a record label or studio, which means they work for the label and the label will 'dispatch' them when and where they are needed (most likely in studios that the label are linked to, ones that they use frequently). If this is the case it is possible for a recording engineer to be paid around £200,000 a year, which is an estimated £750 - £800 per studio session. However if they work freelance (for themselves) they would get a share of the studio profit from each job. This means they get a cut from the money the studio makes during the recording process, this would vary from studio to studio, but could mean more money for the engineer, but could also mean less money. A good recording engineer would have a diploma or degree in music technology, they would have a fair amount of experience, a good ear (to know how/where to position things) and good people skills, yes they are in a professional environment but there is nothing wrong with being friendly to client . Personally, I feel if I were to become a recording engineer I would prefer to work for a label or specific studio as, although it may be difficult to find a label recruiting, it provides stability especially in the salary, which, let's face it, is important and something you would not find in freelance work, even if it does mean you could be more flexible. Being a recording engineer is tough, the hours are long, you would be in the studio almost everyday (this job is not for the claustrophobic) and it would mean taking a fair amount of time out of your home life, be it family or social. So it could have a major impact on life outside of your career. This would happen whether you were a freelance engineer or a label/studio engineer, it would, however, most likely happen on a smaller scale if you were to be freelance as it could mean you pull in less work and have a bigger opportunity to maintain your home life.

Contract
The contract is very important when being a recording engineer (as it is in any job). If signed between an engineer and a record label, it cements an agreement that the engineer will remain respectful to both the equipment and the client (usually the artist). This means that whenever they handle the equipment it is done with care and without breaking it, as this would seriously cost the label (or the engineer if that is what is agreed in the contract). The engineer would agree to be civilized and friendly to any client they are given in order to build and maintain the label's and their own reputation, they would/should arrive to the studio on time every time. The contract would also state that the record label would agree to supply equipment when needed in good working order, everything needs to function, pay the engineer in full (usually) on time, make sure all work areas (studios) are safe and clean to a certain degree (or they will need a good lawyer) to make sure no accidents occur. In this case I'm talking more of their checking to make sure the building is safe and nothing is going to crash down on them or spontaneously com-bust, this would require contact with the studios. It would also state the length of the contract, usually decided by the label/studio it would state the length of time in which the engineer would work for them eg. 1 year and when their contract would expire.

The contract in a freelance work would usually be signed between the engineer and the studio, because that is who would hire the engineer. The contract would display the agreement that, like the label one, the engineer would arrive on time to every session, remain respectful and civilized to the client. Unlike the label contract, the freelance one is likely to state how many sessions they wish to sign them for, whether they want them to engineer for more than 1 artist and their pay (most likely in full). The studio may want to sign them for more than one session because the artist may have booked longer, they may specify more than one artist if they wish to sign them for a longer period so they can cover multiple sessions and artists and their pay would be stated in full so the engineer knows how much they will make exactly upon signing. The studio would promise to supply equipment, make sure studios and facilities are safe and clean and to pay the engineer in full upon work being finished. It is also likely for the studio to include some form of compensation clause. Say if an engineer failed to turn up or did not fulfill all agreements, the studio could demand compensation for their troubles. Situations like this could lead to a court battle, but that is not always the case. The money they demand will likely be to cover the cost of another engineer.

Personally, on first look, I prefer the freelance contract as it demonstrates the security that is needed on both sides. The studio need their engineer and if that fails they will get their money back. And the engineer needs to know equipment will be provided in good order and that they are working in a safe environment and if this is not provided, they can claim compensation. It does however (same as any other freelance contract) not provide the stability needed by the recording engineer (or anyone).   

 

The Mastering Engineer

The mastering engineer's job is to take audio that has been mixed previously by a mixing engineer and preparing it for distribution. This could involve physical releases such as CDs or (a less popular option) Vinyls or for some style of digital distribution like Spotify, Deezer or Beatport. They are responsible for making sure the track (audio) is to standard and is ready for manufacturing copies. This means they could tweak the "final" edit that has been passed to them by the mixing engineer by equalizing, limiting and compressing to make sure all the audio fits together cohesively. They have to master the tracks the way the label/artist wishes the album to pan out (tracklisting) and decide on the final spacing used (usually in between tracks). They do not have to be in the studio at the time of recording so long as they get the final edit to master and transfer to CD or plastic, however their job demands that they work in an acoustically set out environment so as to be able to hear their work clearly. A mastering engineer needs to have extensive knowledge in the audio engineering field and would usually hold a degree in engineering.Their hours are fairly standard with them being in their studio from approximately 10 - 6 with a good day's work behind them. Good mastering skills usually reflect their experience and are the result of many years in the industry. Well established engineers (like Ray Staff) would use top equipment like a Dolby A & SR noise-reduction processor and a
TC Electronic System 6000 digital processor with GML high-resolution EQ algorithms. Their salary would, of course, vary based on the amount of work they do, their experience and who they work for. The average salary of a mastering engineer varies from $60,000 - $90,000.

Most mastering engineers work for a mastering company, that company would advertise its services to labels, studios and artists in expectation that their work would be required. The company would then appoint the engineer they feel is fit for job. Usually how much they earn is based on their experience and their credit in the music industry. The more experienced a mastering engineer the better gear they will have. The better gear they have, the better room they need. The label/studio would pay for the room the engineer needs to be in and pay for the engineer's time and efforts. It is also possible for an engineer to have their own room specific to their needs and skills (acoustically), this room would house their own gear. A mastering engineer can work freelance but it's likely that they will find less work than an engineer working for a company because they would have to search for work themselves or either be looked for, if they have advertised them self. This being the case it's also likely their salary would not be any where near as stable as an engineer that works for a company. They could have their own acoustic room that they like to work in or could hire out a studio to work in. If they do this it's possible for them to request that the client (label/artist) pay for their time in the studio as, being a freelance engineer, they could not afford it them self.

Contract
If a contract is signed between a mastering engineer and the company interested it states an agreement that the company agrees to pay the engineer in full and on time in exchange for their work, it being to standard and they are respectful of their job (they arrive on time and remain focused on work.) They could be paid monthly, every 2 months or another way, this would be discussed/negotiated when signing. It would also state that the if a room is provided with equipment that they remain respectful to both, this means they would have to take care when on the job. Deadlines will be lightly discussed but, if no work is set out on time of signing, it would not be discussed in full. The engineer would agree to meet all deadlines given to them as it would reflect badly on both them and the company if they didn't. The contract would also state the company would provide everything (equipment) in working order and the given room is safe enough for the engineer to work in it. Like the recording engineer contract (and pretty much any other contract in the world, including your phone) it would state the length in which the company wishes to hire the mastering engineer. Be it 1 year, 2 years etc... It would mean that after this period of time the contract gets terminated, of course the company can then hire them for a longer period if they feel they work well there.

In freelance work the contract would usually be signed between the engineer and the artist, or the artists label (if they are signed). The contract would show that the artist/label would provide their room safe and clean, if the engineer has their own room then this is not necessary. The contract would also say how many songs they want mastered and would very clearly state a deadline. A mastering engineer needs to know how many songs they have to master before they start just so they can decide whether they can take the job on. If a deadline is not met in a freelance contract it is not unknown for a label to demand the money they have lost due to the setbacks. Not meeting a deadline would obviously cost a label as it delays the time in which they expected profits from their product. The pay would also be displayed in full and the contract would most likely state that payment would not be recieved until work is completed and collected. By collected I mean the mastering engineer would send off the final master via CD, plastic or digitally. Pay would also most likely be displayed per song mastered, an engineer would be told how much each song would earn them but would obviously know how much they would earn as a whole.

I personally like the idea of the company contract as it demonstrates the importance of having such companies around. A mastering engineer, a record label and an artist need these companies as they contribute to distribution and production of their product. However such companies and contracts would limit a mastering engineer in terms of life. Just like in any job a 9 - 5 (10 -6) job could/would limit someone when it comes to family and home and could make things difficult whereas in a freelance contract there is such freedom that a mastering engineer could enjoy both their job and their outside lives.
  
 


  



Bibliography

Author Not Specified, www.practical-music-production.com, Accessed 12/02/2014. Reliable (Author seems professional)
Author Not Specified, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastering_engineer, Accessed 21/02/2014 Semi Reliable (Wikipedia is mainly written with facts)
Author Not Specified, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_Mastering_Engineer_do, accessed 21/02/2014 Semi Reliable (Written by a professional on an answers website)
Greg Reirson,
http://recording.songstuff.com/article/mastering_engineer_greg_reierson/, accessed 21/02/2014 Reliable (Written by professional)
Tom Flint & Ray Staff,  http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct05/articles/gettingmastered.htm, Accessed 21/02/2014 Reliable (Interview with professional)