Correct term: Producer, Composer, beatmaker

  • Thread starter Thread starter 1stlineofdfense
  • Start date Start date
1

1stlineofdfense

New member
I asked somebody on twitter if they wanted to co-collab on a song together, mentioned the word "produce" and it turned into this full fledged (worthless, I might add) argument about him not being a "producer" and to google the term.

What is the correct term?
 
Correct term of what?

Producer, in the "old" sense that's now been hijacked by bedroom beatmakers, is more like an art director for, uh, a production who has the overall sense of where it's supposed to be heading. Nowadays it's still about the same in every other genre...but for some reason, the hiphop/rnb world uses the word for the guy who did the beats.

Composing is writing a piece of music. A lot of young dudes seem to take pride that they're *composing* instead of sampling - but in reality it's still composing even if you're using samples - you're still building the instrumentation around the basic motif.

And beatmaking is what it is. So, in a sense, they're all the right terms.
 
Most people are actually arguing the difference between "hip hop" producer which is the same thing as a beatmaker and "record" producer which is the person responsible for getting the best performance out of an artist and making shure that the song sounds the best it can.

Hip Hop producers "beatmakers" are composers as they are creating or composing music. A record producer doesn't have to be the actual composer of a song but they must have a good sense of what sounds good.
 
actually the way tex says it makes the most sense.

but yea i dont like it when most ppl say they are producers when they dont produce tracks or albums. its so odd that this is the only genera that gets it mixed up.

but theirs more important things to worry about
 
"More important things" to worry about" is right, but for some people this is all they have.. Thanks for the insight guys Im sure I wasnt the only one lingering with this in the back of their noggin :))
 
correct term for what? depends on what he said he was as opposed to a producer,style of music,collab on what? ect. not enuff info on his side of the story to really comment...you n him could be lookin at opposite sides of the coin or taking sumthing out of context
 
Technically a producer is someone who has contributed to a songs production. You don't have to make a beat to be a producer. The artist is really a producer too.

All this beatmaker vs. producer is just opinion.
 
krushing said:
Composing is writing a piece of music. A lot of young dudes seem to take pride that they're *composing* instead of sampling - but in reality it's still composing even if you're using samples - you're still building the instrumentation around the basic motif.
Click to expand...

I never really understood that "sampling thing". I tried it a couple of times, and it just doesn't work for me. It is much easier for me to compose the main motif all by myself (and everything else of course). But sampling is an art also - no question about it. Just not my thing.
 
When I think of "composer" I think of a more classical sense of music and someone who writes music so that others can perform it. That's what music theory leads to and writing music, you compose a piece of music with musical notation in mind. Yes, "compose" can mean to compile or bring together a final product, but for me, personally, being a "composer" is more geared to traditional music writing. However, someone who creates an original composition is technically a composer and that can't be denied.

Beat-making or being a beatmaker to me is the most safe term because that is what is happening: a person makes a beat. That can mean it is originally composed or it uses samples. It is a BEAT, a hip hop or rap beat and someone MADE it.

Producer can be either way: you produced (created) a beat or you produced a track that includes being there to make sure a vocalist delivers the goods. Producing in the beat-making world is synonymous with being a "beatmaker" if you ask me.

It seems that a lot of it has to do with how the rap and hip hop world perceives these terms because everyone will be on the same wavelength. If you notice, a lot of people say "Producer" or "Beatmaker." Not a lot of people are saying "Composer" and that is for a reason. It could be marketing reasons or just that "composer" doesn't fit. A hip hop producer isn't probably going to call themselves a composer in 2011. They want to market themselves as a "Hitmaker," "Producer," or "Beatmaker." I think that "Producer" is most common.

Especially when in credits you see "Produced By:."
 
I guess it's safe to say there weren't many samplers around when the definition of "composer" has come to be, so maybe it's just time to update the definition a bit - putting together and choosing the instrumentation of a piece of music is a composition, whether or not there is traditional orchestral notation for it or not.

The "producer" term just seems to wallow in a limbo for the time being. I still think of it as the person who has an overall vision of any given project and then manages the assets to put together that vision. Just making beats for someone to rap on doesn't quite fit that description, but hey - I don't really mind if you want to call yourselves that.

Stalwart semantics or throwaway nu-words or timely redefinitions - I dunno. Maybe we should just focus on making music?
 
I look at composing like Erica said...someone who writes the music so other people can perform it.

NOW i look at a beatmaker and a producer in two different lights...I think a Producer's job is to shape and mold the record. To push the artist into the studio and push them to their full potential. I think the job even goes as far as promoting the track/mixtape/album after the release!

A beat maker in my eyes is exactly what it says. I think if you just sit at the computer/keyboard, make beats all day and sell them to anyone/everyone, and say your done- thats what i would call a beatmaker...

A producer's job is way more than just making the beat.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top