Careers as an audio engineer range from working at live events like concerts and radio shows to recording engineers who create sound for music, movies, television shows, and audio books. There are a variety of positions available, which are usually determined a person’s experience and training in the industry. Specialized education is available for those who know which audio engineering careers they want to pursue.
There are a number of audio engineering schools that focus on music or broadcast recording. Students can also get on-the-job training interning or apprenticeing at a television station, recording studio, or radio station. Interns are frequently hired the company where they interned. Audio engineer careers can take a long time to develop, even for those with specialized training.
Beginner audio engineers must be willing to work their way up from the bottom of the career ladder. Entry-level responsibilities may include getting coffee or lunch, as well as cleaning the studio, in addition to setting up and maintaining equipment. A passion for music or broadcasting is also required for audio engineer careers. Some engineers are also musicians who want to make their own recordings.
Assistant engineers and production assistants for concert venues, live television events, and radio shows are examples of audio engineer careers in live sound. An engineer is usually required to set up microphones, cables, speakers, and monitors for these jobs. Assistants with more experience can progress to become professional audio engineers, producers, and even managers. The sound being transmitted, as well as that in each performer’s personal monitors or speakers, is usually mixed engineers. Producers and managers oversee the production, making sure that everyone is doing their jobs and that everything runs smoothly.
Even more audio engineer jobs are available in recorded sound. Audio engineers can work on music recordings for a variety of bands, as well as recordings for television shows and audio books, in a recording studio. Sound engineers may also work for television stations, where they record sound for shows while they are being taped. Beginners in live sound usually begin setting up and maintaining equipment, as well as completing any paperwork.
Sound designer, sound editor, and recording engineer are just a few of the audio engineer jobs available in movies. In most cases, sound engineering for movies entails recording dialogue as it is being taped. During the editing process, engineers also add sound effects and music. A sound designer is usually in charge of the overall sound direction in a film. A sound editor makes sure that all of the sounds in a film blend together well, for example, making sure that music does not drown out spoken dialogue.
People interested in working as an audio engineer have a variety of options to choose from. Students can consider what kind of training or internships are available locally when deciding which area of sound to work in. Another factor to consider is how much travel a person is willing to undertake. Engineers who work at live concerts are usually on the road a lot, whereas studio jobs allow them to stay in one place.