The Real Difference between a Producer, Composer, and Beatmaker!!!!!!!!!

LANSTARR.COM

New member
It’s time to end the constant debate over what is a producer vs. a beat maker vs. a composer. Here is the real answer, not what you think but the facts. Mods should sticky this. Everyone should print this out and hang it up on your wall to help you stay on track to realizing your goal of becoming a good producer. BTW, this is paraphrased for the most part from a number of publications. So don't disagree with this just because you may not fall under the definition. Just do what you do. If you wanna work on becoming a composer or a producer, follow the right steps to becoming one.


Beat Maker:

This is what most of us in here are solely. A beat maker is a person who takes a number of samples (one-shot sound e.g. a single instrument note, drums, etc.), loops (e.g. sampled from a record, or loops in commercial/noncommercial libraries), or instrument emulations in keyboards, sound modules, synthesizer, and software instruments and uses them to make sequences. A beat maker strings together a number of these sequences (short phrases or pattern) into a complete instrumental.


Composer:

Simply put, a composer is a person who writes music (keyword: writes!!!). Many composers now use computers and other hardware to assist with composing music. But stringing together samples, loops, and sequences on a computer or sequencer does not qualify you as composer. A composer can also be a lyricist, songwriter and/or producer, however many composer are not lyricist and most do not produce at all.

Since composer write music for a number of instruments, they need to have a deep understanding of the instruments they are creating music for. This is why a composer is also a musician, sometimes capable of playing several instruments to professional standards. So composers are always musicians, but being a musician does not make you a composer.

Songwriters and composers share some similarities, both may write music and words to create a composition for the listener’s pleasure, but most composers (although not all) obtain music qualifications and concentrate on the musical aspect rather than word creation. They are also capable of producing long intricate scores based on a theme, whereas a songwriter may have no written qualifications and mainly concentrates on short tracks. So the key difference between a composer and songwriter is the composer focuses on the music more than words and usually writes long or complex scores based on a theme, while the songwriter focuses more on the words than the music and is usually making a short song, not long complex music.



Producer:

The Producers job is to help you get the recording that you want to make. A lot of times music producer is also a competent arranger, composer or songwriter who can bring fresh ideas to your tracks. This is especially true in hip hop, where the producer is usually also the person who made the beat or instrumental. But just making beats does not make you a producer or a composer. So in hip hop, a lot of the times the producer also is the beat maker or the composer, but many of the bigger name producers simply hire composers, arrangers, and songwriters to put together a song. In other genres of music, the producer is almost always a separate entity from the person who wrote the song and composed the music. This is especially true in rock bands, where the artist write and compose the song and outside producers come in to help make the track sound a certain way or to improve it.

As well as making any songwriting and arrangement adjustments, the producer is also in charge of the creative mix. He or she will collaborate with the sound engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. The music producer keeps an eye on the overall projects marketability. A lot of times, sound engineers end up becoming producers also.

Encouraging the best musical performance, coaching the artist and directing the backing vocalists are just a few of the mixture of functions that a music producer is expected to perform. They act as a go-between, translating your needs into the technician’s point of view and protect the artist and record labels interests.




PRODUCER QUALITIES
(print this and work on becoming as close to this as possible)

Advanced Musicianship
- Has spent a lot of time writing and collaborating on song
- Plays a lot of instruments
- Has a feel for song structure
- Has a feel for placing the song in the right key
- Has a feel for establishing the optimum bpm and achieving tight timing
- Understands vocal technique and vocal issues

Plays Well with Others
- Gets along well with technical types
- Gets along well with artistic types
- Is able to step into artists' dreams
- Is someone people like being around
- Upbeat and positive
- Can deal with sensitive artist egos
- Knows when to fight and when to surrender

Organizational Skills
- Has a plan for each session
- Works methodically toward the finish line
- Schedules on-call studio musicians
- Demonstrates ability to work within budgets

Knowledgeable
- Knows gear, computers, and software
- Understands digital and analog issues
- Familiar with mixing and mastering

Relentless
- Has a burning desire to create great recordings
- Doesn't get discouraged if things aren't going well at a particular session
- Flexible, not afraid to try new things if something's not working
- Unfazed by technical difficulties


Intuitive
- Able to visualize finished product
- Knows when an artist has a better take in them and when to move on
- Knows if it's worth it to suggest going over budget
- Has conviction in decision making without being dictatorial
- Knows when the song is done



Brought to you by Red Star Network
 
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Who cares. They are all labels. We are all CREATORS in our own right.
 
I'm a beatmaker?:(


But I want to be a producer!:cry:
 
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yes we are all creators but there are too many beatmakers callin them selves a producer. just cuz you have beats for sale on a soundclick page doesnt make you a producer. when you have established relationships with your artists, you work with them, you help them, you make a hot ass beat, you make sure that the mixing and mastering of the song gets done, you get everything perfect, and come out with a hot finished product. then you can say you have produced a song. and even then, you still arent a producer. one produced song wont make a livin or a career. so you have to produce songs (with and s). not just one but multiple. that is the point that lanstarr is getting across. so, yes we are all creators but everyone plays a different part in the creation and most people dont know their place. so lannstarr enlightened us. holla.
 
I agree with LANSTARR.COM on what he wrote. But the word 'producer' has evolved a bit and unfortunately that meaning he posted has become slightly obsolete.

Yes if you just make a 'beat' you shouldn't label yourself as a 'producer'. But the modern meaning of it is one who creates a beat for artist X. Then artist X uses that beat on his album and in the credits it would say "Track X produced by (your name)". Even though you didnt see any overview of the tracking, mixing and/or the arrangement, you still would be touted as the producer of that track.

I dont neccessarily agree with that as I know a producer is one who oversees the whole project and is not just responsible for creating a beat. The title 'producer' has become over-used and in the worng way at that.


One more thing, saying "I am a producer" does sounds much better than saying "I am a beatmaker". And people who play the drums shouldnt call themselves "a drummer" either but a 'beat maker'. :D
 
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damn this shyt is gettin ridiculous....i make beats AND i produce,so i'm not gonna just paint myself into one corner....but who are you to be dictator? who cares what a person labels themself,just do you


and to say you have to "produce" more than one song to be a "producer"...where the fukk are you gettin ur info?...how many unknown "producers" are out there right now,w/ an artist full of material waitin for that break,are you tellin me that he/she ain't a producer cuz nobody kno's him,remember he doesn't even have one song as far the public knows,is he/she not a "producer".....wow
 
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I put it like this. Everyone can't be producers but at the same time all producers aren't as good as some beatmakers at purely making beats. Like I can't stand him but Rapist Kelly is a producer, composer, and arranger all in one which is very rare these days. My favorite Dr. Dre is a producer but he has other people compose certain pieces of his music to give it that better sound. I am a producer but i happen to know how to make beats. The reason i'm a producer is because I know how to put song together, voice coach, and totally arrange the whole session. I'm not bragging but when i'm at home I live and breath music. So I say be whatcha wanna be and be the best.
 
LANSTARR.COM said:



- Plays a lot of instruments




This is the only thing i disagree with...


you dont have to know how to play many instruments..you just have to know how they work together...you can gain that simply by listening to music..
 
You should add CEO to the list !!!

It drives me nuts when I see bedroom musicians (and I use this term loosely) call themselves CEO .

Poor misguided youth
 
KomplexBeats said:
i think this is the usual opinion crap that always turns into a flamewar...

Only thing is all info was taken from national and international publications :cool: e.g. the producer qualities section with the part about plays multiple instruments... thats copy/pasted straight from electronic musicians mag. I think I trust their crap opinions, being that tey have 4 million subscribers and writers who have been in the music industry for 35 years. And this is an ELECTRONIC musician that is saying, NO just electronics dont cut it, you need to know multiple real instruments - thats a good trait for a producer. Hmmm that should tell you something.
 
^ you have a point, and I like the breakdown we got here... the only thing I dissagree with is the "playing alot of instruments" , althought I do, I dissagree with that comment, because it is solely on what one has an interest in doing. I KNOW how to play alot of instruments but only play a few..

or there are some who KNOWs how to play some or don't know at all.

but they can produce music..
 
I dont care how many elitist snobs subscribe to that magazine...


Can someone find out how many "real" instruments Clive Davis and Quincy Jones Play...that should be interesting..
 
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CubaseRox said:


Yes if you just make a 'beat' you shouldn't label yourself as a 'producer'. But the modern meaning of it is one who creates a beat for artist X. Then artist X uses that beat on his album and in the credits it would say "Track X produced by (your name)". Even though you didnt see any overview of the tracking, mixing and/or the arrangement, you still would be touted as the producer of that track.


I agree with Lanstarr's listing, and I also agree with this comment that CubaseRox mentioned.. it has become obsolete, because there are more and more "producers" from what it seems becoming known on rap/hiphop projects. I do agree that a PRODUCER is the complete overseer of all of the project's PRODUCTION, hence the word PRODUCER. He may or may not play multiple instruments, but he DOES require to know a good deal of music, and would be the mastermind of ensuring that the vocals are quality, the delivery is on point, the beat/music piece is a piece that fits the artist well, timed well with the artist, etc.

I definitely consider myself a beatmaker before producer.. although I have worked with some artists that are trying to make it, I still don't qualify myself as PRODUCER, but yet, on the projects I'm working with, I did help with input and feedback on the overall tracks from the artists with whom I am supplying the beat.. so, if it were to be that they do sell an album or albums and my beats are used, they would probably credit me with "produced by.." on the sleeve of the album, since the other person they are working with is an engineer to mix down the entire track.. he would more than likely get "engineered by -masta x- of NYC Studios" or something like that.. in a scenario such as that one, what would be more appropriate to list who the producer was? I provided the beat and thoughts on the tracks I've heard, and the engineer mainly ENGINEERED and mixed down the vocals onto the beat to master it, and the artists wrote their own tracks, so who gets producer credits in that scenario in your eye? Or would the sleeve say "Beat provided by.."? Or would my name simply not go on the album sleeve at all and would the engineer get the "produced by.." credit even though he didn't make the beat? Just wondering on scenarios like that because they do exist out there.

At any rate, like Lanstarr said, just do you, however you're labeled.. if you good, and persistent, you'll achieve what you want to be.. simple as that. Peace.

Genycis
www.genycis.com
www.soundclick.com/genycis
 
Decisive said:
^ you have a point, and I like the breakdown we got here... the only thing I dissagree with is the "playing alot of instruments" , althought I do, I dissagree with that comment, because it is solely on what one has an interest in doing. I KNOW how to play alot of instruments but only play a few..

or there are some who KNOWs how to play some or don't know at all.

but they can produce music..

They are just saying that is a trait that makes a producer better. How can you disagree with the fact that any extra musical knowlege can make you better? Knowing multipile instruments wont help you be a better producer?
 
I dont disagree with all that I'm just saying at the end of the day their is no set requirements for being a producer/composer/arranger.

You know how many conductors can't play any instruments aside from the piano yet they write for whole orchestras? If you have an understanding of music and how an instrument works you can write for it.

I write midi guitar tracks all the time even though I can't play very well. Then I have a live player record them. Because I know how it works. There's nothing that says you have to play a certain instrument to understand how it functions or how to write for it.
 
this is ridiculous. why ask? who cares? that first post is so dripping with elitest bullsh1t.... with all the 'rules' and sh1t. makes me laugh to see people think that way. like you must 'have an ear for...'. so what, someones like 'i have an ear' and someone else goes 'no you dont! follow the rules!' --yea, thats how art works .....sure.

the only reason someone would care was if they consider themselves in one catagory, and are shatty cuz they see others in that catagory who they feel are undeserving of the title. OR you know you arent in a certain catagory and you want to be.

and either way you are a sucker, and you dont know sh1t about art.

get your posts up mufukkas.



peace.
 
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