Convention Paper
Audio Recording and Production Education: Skills New Hires Have and Where They Reported Learning Them
AES Convention 139 · Paper 9365 · October 2015
Abstract
To understand how audio recording and production programs meet the needs of the larger entertainment industry, this study directly asked new hires what skills they have and where they were learned. In the New Hires Survey they were asked to rate the level of proficiency of their skills, where they learned these skills, and what skills they need to learn. The new hires reported learning basic technical skills during formal audio recording and production training but learned social and communication skills on their own or on the job. They requested a greater emphasis on career-critical areas of live sound and music business. Further research is recommended to understand industry needs, identify best practices for the acquisition of skills, and to determine how educational institutions can keep pace with the ever-changing entertainment industry.
