I make electronic music as a hobby, and I feel the same way about the term "producer".

I understand the history behind where that term came from. (The people who were making musical decisions while standing behind the mixing board often were initially producers: people whose job it was to oversee the entire production and coordinate between the musicians, engineers, etc. Then when DJs at discotheques wanted longer versions of songs for dancefloors, remixes were invented. Producers took existing recordings and made longer versions. Then electronic dance music sort of evolved out of that.)

But it still feels like such a soulless term. And most "producers" today are just sitting at home alone with a laptop and Ableton, so the role is very different than it was.

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WalterBright 20 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Michael Jackson was smart enough to hire Quincy Jones to produce his albums, and his work took a great leap forward as a result.

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munificent 19 hours ago | parent [-]

Oh yeah, Quincy Jones was a genius. I listened to the whole "Off the Wall" album a while back with headphones on and it's just a sonic masterpiece.

	▲	WalterBright 19 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yes one of my very favorite albums! I'd put it in my top 10 easy, and I listen to a lot of music. I still remember when a friend of mine dropped the needle and I heard it for the first time. The Thriller album is more popular, but I like Off The Wall better.

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inigyou 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It is a strange word now that you mention it, but is there another word for someone who makes electronic music offline?

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munificent 3 hours ago | parent [-]

"Musician" is the obvious answer but so many people who make electronic music are hesitant to call themselves that, maybe because they think you have to have mastered some physical instrument to call yourself that?

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inigyou 2 hours ago | parent [-]

It has a live physical instrument connotation to me as well.

There are people who play synthesisers live, whether on a keyboard with a pre-set patch, or a modular synthesizer making experimental sounds. I'd call them musicians with only a little hesitation. But if they do it offline and record it? Less sure.

Also, is Taylor Swift a musician?

	▲	williamdclt 41 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> is Taylor Swift a musician If only for her being a singer, I don't see how she _wouldn't_ be a musician