Career as a Sound Engineer

Updated On: 16-Feb-2023

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We also call them Audio Engineer or Audio / Sound Technicians. The job of a sound engineer is to capture, record, copy, edit, mix, and reproduce sound using electronic devices. It involves both production and post-production tasks. It is a very vast and interesting field as it deals with music, movies, and theater.

This field is challenging but at the same time rewarding as well. This career requires people to have good aptitude and good analytical and engineering skills.

Audio engineering focuses on studying sound technology and applying it in various fields to find solutions to the world's current problems.

Job and duties of a Sound Engineer:

Sound Engineers develop high-quality recordings of music, speech, and sound effects in studios. They use technical instruments to produce sound for film, radio, and television. A sound engineer often assists record producers and musicians to give the sound in their work what they are hoping to achieve.

Here are some responsibilities of a Sound Engineer are:

Putting together the parts of the song
Use auto tune on a recording
Add synthetic sound to a track
Preparing jingles for sponsors during any event or program
During production from setup to actual recording everything done by the sound engineer
During post production polish the recorded material
Setting up the equipment and instruments before any event / concerts
Maintain sound and video recording equipment
Match sounds and dialogue with action on television or in movie productions
Convert video and audio records to digital formats for editing

Job roles of sound engineers:

Studio Engineer
Assistant Engineer
Broadcast Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Recording Engineer
Production Assistant
Live Sound Engineer
Studio Technician

Skills Required:

If you want to become a Sound Engineer then you should have:

A keen interest in music
Creativity and technical knowledge
Knowledge of different instruments
Sense of pitch, timing, and rhythm
Ability to work as a team player
Software and hardware integration skills
Good Communication skills
Patience and Concentration
Interest in learning new things

To pursue this career you should at least earn a diploma or bachelor degree in sound engineering.
You can follow the following career path to pursue this career:
Get a Diploma or degree in Sound engineering
Start finding work in movies, radio, television, or other multimedia organizations
You can also join an already established engineer as an assistant to start your career and gain some experienceIt is an aptitude-based and creative field. Not everyone can study sound engineering and make a career. Those who are genuinely interested in different types of sound, and music and have creative minds should pursue this career.It's not a usual 9 to 5 job. The working hours depend on the place you are working and your current assignment. So if you are thinking about a sound engineering career then prepare yourself for long working hours, late-night work, and for a hectic schedule.

Like if you are working on a radio station, then the timing depends on your program timing, if you are working on films then the timing depends on the shooting schedule and post-production timings. When you have the contract for live concerts, then you have to reach there before the concert begins to set up everything and stay till the end.Your salary depends on the medium you joined like Radio, TV or Film Industry. In someplace you will be on a monthly salary package like on Radio Stations but in some places, you will be on a daily basis like in the film industry.
A beginner can get around Rs. 15000+ monthly and after having a good experience and name in this field, then the money is not a constraint.
In the film industry, normally the payment is done on a daily basis and that's totally depending on the film budget. One can easily earn an average of Rs. 2000 or more per day.Career opportunities for sound engineers and technicians are available in various fields like radio stations, TV channels, studios, multimedia design, animation, advertising firms, movies, and more. The demand for sound engineers is increasing constantly.
As the film, TV, and Music industry are growing, the opportunities and demand in this field are also growing.
You can work as a freelancer too after having a good experience in this field.Pros