I need a job title

July 26, 2007 11:12 AM

Looking for a concise title / job description for the music-related service I provide.

I'm running into many musicians (especially computer based ones) that have an arsenal of "almost done" material. Most of it is there, but they have difficulty getting through the final 10-20% needed to make it complete. Lately, people have been hiring me to take care of that final 10-20% of their song, whether it's drum fills, modifying the arrangement, or whatever else is needed to make it a song they like. It's enjoyable work, and it's looking like there are more people interested in this kind of service than I realized.

This being the case, I'd like to be more active about getting new clients, but I'm not sure how to describe the service I provide. "Song finishing" sounds kinda goofy, and "Mixing & arrangment services" sound too much like what conventional studios already offer. Remixing is the closest I can think of, but it's not exactly it either. Help me pimp my skillz!

posted by yorick to work & money (9 comments total)

•Music Completion Services
•Finishing Production Consultant
•"The Icing" Studio Contributor
•Studio Musician (specializing in the assistance of finishing your product)
posted by blastrid at 11:26 AM on July 26, 2007

Song Polisher
posted by Eringatang at 11:29 AM on July 26, 2007

You're a producer, methinks.

And, if you're making any sort of steady money doing it, you're a successful one! There are a crapton of people out there that claim the title, but couldn't play an instrument or sit down at PT and produce anything of value. Props to you for actually DOING it.

Your best calling cards are going to be the most successful musicians you work with. Let them sell you to other artists, and you sit back and do the fun stuff.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 11:31 AM on July 26, 2007

Yes, you're a producer.
posted by The World Famous at 11:36 AM on July 26, 2007

Producer/arranger might make it clear you do more than just supervise mastering.
posted by mendel at 11:58 AM on July 26, 2007

Last-mile Production. Terminator?
posted by zemblamatic at 12:06 PM on July 26, 2007

I'm also pretty sure you're a producer. I'll give a couple marketing ideas for free. Call your service LittleMix and advertise that you "provide producer polish without the price."

If you're just dying to uniquify your title. Call yourself a "Radio Ready Producer and Arranger" or something.
posted by SinisterPurpose at 12:18 PM on July 26, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

The traditional sense of producer is someone who oversees recording sessions and provides creative direction or collaboration during recording. The producer may or may not play a similar role in post-production. So this isn't the standard role of a producer at all.

With electronic/computer music, the term has a slightly different meaning, although there's no sense of the word that means "supervises mastering." That's what a mastering engineer does.

It sounds like what you're doing is very specific and not conducive to description by a brief title. Maybe say that you offer arrangement, musical engineering, and post-production services? "Musical engineer" implying something more hands-on and creative than "recording engineer."
posted by ludwig_van at 2:42 PM on July 26, 2007

Actually, I take part of that back. What you're doing probably does fall under the umbrella of the term "producer" in the typical sense, but the service you're offering is much more specific than simply being a producer.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:41 PM on July 26, 2007