Mixing Engineers Job more in demand in the future?
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Posted on Sep 24, 2009 08:34 am
WhiteNite013
Member Since: Aug 29, 2009
What do you guys think? Will there be more or less demand for Mixing engineers in 5, 10, 20 years?
I really enjoy recording and mixing, but if this is something I want to do for the future, I want to make sure there is a future for it:)
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Sep 24, 2009 08:37 am Interesting username, when I was a teen my first band was "White Night". :-)
I suspect that there will be vastly less call at lower levels of the industry because home based stuff like all of us do is getting so incredibly common and so much less expensive.
There will always (I think) be a need for high end mixing for live sound, commercial releases, soundtracks for movies and the like.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Sep 24, 2009 09:06 am I think in terms of ppl with the title "mixing engineer" the figure will drop for reasons dB stated.
but the skills that pro sound engineers have and their unique ability to understand and manipulate sound im sure will never drop in value
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Sep 24, 2009 11:53 am There's always a future for intelligent, hard work; regardless of profession.
Sep 24, 2009 11:56 am Yeah, right, tell that to any brilliant COBOL programmer.
Sorry Quincysan, wrong.
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Sep 24, 2009 12:15 pm I would question the brilliance of a programmer who doesn't diversify his skillset.
Sep 24, 2009 12:18 pm Moot point...you said "regardless of profession", so the point holds true. Industry and technology changes, some folks get antiquated and are forced to retrain, or change careers...it's life.
Web developers used to have money thrown at them, then industry changed, the bubble burst, only the best (or least costly) survived...
It's a little luck, adaptability, location, ego and cost, not just how good you are.
Just sayin...
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Sep 24, 2009 03:05 pm I definitely see where you're coming from, but I don't see "COBOL/Java/C++/Whatever Programmer" as a profession. I see "Software Programmer" as a profession, and one that inherently requires a certain amount of continued learning and flexibility. However, the scope and definition of a profession is one that is constantly evolving. I see your point.
I think "Mixing Engineer" is a skill, not so much a profession (but I think it could have easily been considered one in the past). So I guess I agree that in 10 years a professional "Mixing Engineer" isn't going to put the kids through college...I think there will be room for ambitious "Mixing Engineers" to become "Music Producers". The bottom line is that in order to make money; you need to output a product that someone is interested in buying (duh; I know. Sorry). To make a comfortable living; you need to be damn good at quality OUTPUT; regardless of profession.
@ WhiteNite: I'm in the same boat. I love music and I quit school because I believe intelligent people are capable of anything; I believe intelligence to be a combination of logic and open mindedness. The music industry is changing and the record industry is dying. I'm not particularly concerned about these changes. I think the record industry was greedy and held prices much higher than their actual demand; they are now failing because their business model was torn apart by I-Tunes enabling users to conveniently download the song they want for a dollar...vs spending $15 on an album to purchase the same song. I think P2P has played a role in cutting record industry profits...but its probably been overstated. I believe that the Zune Marketplace is the format of the future. All the music you can download for one low $15 monthly payment. For users of the Zune Marketplace, music is like a utility such as water or gas. Fifteen dollars a month gives me all the music I can listen to. It's better than P2P bc its always virus free, it comes with all the album art, its ultra convenient, all the songs are in one place, and you can sleep easier at night knowing you're putting money into the hands of artists every month. Before I had Zune Marketplace...well...let's just say since Napster was released I hadn't spent $15 a month on music AND porn combined, hah. I don't think I'm alone here; in fact I think the majority of music consumers are on the same page. We want music to be convenient, available, and affordable...not necessarily free. Mp3 players are the answer to convenience, the Zune marketplace is the answer to availability, and the price is already very affordable.
Anyway...the key to making money in any industry is to find out how that money will be made and capitalize on those opportunities. If you want to professionally mix and NOTHING more, you might need to look into live mixing instead of studio tracking/mixing. Artists like me are going to record our own stuff and cut out the middle man...because it's relatively cheap to do, not to mention fun. If you're looking for a professional studio mixing job...I agree with Sir Deebs, it'll get tougher.
...and if you let "luck" play a part in your success that's your own problem. When setbacks happen; react. Luck is an abstraction and an excuse to fall short. I'll die with that belief.
[My statements are always subject to the message above my avatar]
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Sep 24, 2009 08:54 pm Im gonna have to agree with Quincysan on the main topic point, i dont think their r extinct professions but their r obsolete occupations within those professions for sure and anyone who wants to call themselves a "professional" has to be ready to stay alive within that field.
I dont think that within the span of ur lifetime there could be such a shift in the needs of any broad profession that ur skills (if honed enough) would go for nought. I mean, we have light bulbs, but u still have master candle makers.
