About This Career

Assembles and operates equipment to record, synchronize, mix, edit, or reproduce sound, including music, voices, or sound effects, for theater, video, film, television, podcasts, sporting events, and other productions.

This career is part of the Arts, Audio-Video Technology and Communications cluster Audio and Video Technology and Film pathway, Journalism and Broadcasting pathway.

A person in this career:

• Records speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
• Confers with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
• Separates instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combines sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
• Regulates volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
• Sets up, tests, and adjusts recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.
• Prepares for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
• Keeps logs of recordings.
• Mixes and edits voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
• Synchronizes and equalizes prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
• Reproduces and duplicates sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Weekend work