Do's and Don'ts when hiring a producer for your project:

1. Do meet several times with a prospective producer. Ask him or her any and ALL questions you have. 

2. Do listen to that producer's work! See if you can envision that producer doing YOUR style of music. 

3. Do CHECK HIM or HER OUT! Ask around, get that person's "rep." 

4. Do get references from the producer, and call ALL of them. If the producer gets a little grumpy when you ask for this, leave him in the dust! No legitimate producer minds such background checks, believe me. 

5. Don't pay a producer a "flat fee" for "doing a record". Instead, insist on being privy to ALL the bookkeeping of your sessions; after all, YOU are paying for it. See where every penny goes. Those deals where a producer says 
"give me $25,000 and I'll give you a record, with my fee included" are suspect at best.

6. Don't hire a producer who does your sessions "in house". This usually means he uses a limited stable of in house musicians. 

7. Don't hire a producer based solely on what he has done in the past. His or her track record does not necessarily mean he will produce YOUR type of music successfully. 

8. Don't hire a producer who does not feel passionately about your music! This is MOST important. A lukewarm producer is no producer, in my opinion. and most importantly..... 

9. Don't hire a producer who promises you promotion, a place on the indie charts, radio airplay, or ANYthing more than delivering a product to you. If someone tells you "for an additional $5,000 we can send your record out to 1000 radio stations and get it played," walk away.

© 1999 Just Plain Folks.

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