Maraming klaseng recording producer. Among them are:
1) In-House - these producers are employees of the record company (usually in the A&R dept.) or management group. Because they are employees, they already get a salary. In some cases, they do not get any additional salary to produce album. The problem here is that some don't go out of their way to make the album better musically, and therefore only work on logistics such as paying the studio, and buying food for each session. Others get additional compensation on top of their regular salary.
2) Hired Gun - these are not connected with the record company or management group. Either the band or the company will hire them on either a per-song, or per-project basis. They can either charge 1) a fixed talent fee per-song or per-project, or 2) a percentage of the retail price of each unit sold, or 3) a combination of 1&2. In some cases, the record company/management group will release the production budget (studio time, equipment rentals, food, etc) to the producer and he/she will manage all the money and pay all the bills. The problem with some producers of this type is that they misuse funds by funelling them into their other projects. In other cases, the company will pay all the bills so the producer can concentrate on the studio work, then collect his talent fee when the work is done. One problem with this type is that some producers lose track of their expenses, and the project ends up costing too much money. You have to have a very good track record, have an excellent reputation, be very disciplined with time and money, and/or have an unusual production approach/framework to be a hired gun.
3) Independent Producer - this type will produce and album from stratch. This means raising funds, paying bills, finding and developing artists, and presiding over all aspects of the recording. This type of producer can then either sell, or license, or sign a distribution contract with a record company. You need money or access to money, access to artists, production expertise, and negotiating skills to be sucessful at this.
IMHO, there is not a lot of money in album production. If you take it seriously, it involves a lot of preparation, pre-production, and hands-on production. OTOH, advertising jingles and film/video/broadcast scoring involve less work for relatively the same amount of money. But album production is potentially more fulfilling because you working in a more creatively stimulating environment. Record producers are like film directors. The good ones have an understanding and appreciation for 1) music and aesthetics, 2) recording technologies, 3) project administration, and 4)business and negotiation. If you think you have what it takes, and are not too obsessed with money, and have the confidence to put your name on the line with every project, then good luck.
