What is a producer? This word is thrown around all over and is so loosely defined — executive producer, film producer, DJ producers, etc.
A producer is the leader of a song. They gather ideas, book studio time, hire musicians if needed, ensures the artist’s vision is met and oversees the development of the song.
Some famous producers are:
These are only the number one songs!
(he has almost more hits than the Beatles and probably worked on all of your favorite songs for the past 15 years.)
The list goes on…
These producers are generally behind the scenes, where typically an artist comes to them who needs help with the skills of producing the song, working in a DAW, sometimes songwriting, adding instrumentation, etc.
DJ’s aren’t necessarily producers making their own songs.
Songwriters can become producers. Nowadays it’s wise to know audio engineering, producing and songwriting. Wearing all the hats is something Quincy Jones recommends. I also recommend his documentary on Netflix!
You can see Max Martin and his protégé Shellback in the studio with Taylor Swift.
Takeaway
Producing can still be a vague term. Just remember, nowadays producing can mean anything, as it’s essentially just the art of creating. And with computers, you can put anything you want into a song.