A record producer (or music producer) is a person who takes charge of a recording session, in the same kind of way that a movie director is in charge of filming movies. Record producers help musicians and recording artists to make singles and albums. The producer controls the recording sessions, coaches and guides the musicians and supervises the recording, mixing and mastering processes to make the music finalized.

In a professional context, there are two types of music producers:^[1]

• In-House - the more common type of the two are in-house producers. They come included in a studio rental fee and they get credited in a song’s copyrights. It’s mainly for their involvement in the entire process. Studios might use producers as a way to get more people to use their services.

• Independent Music Producer - the second producer type is an independent producer. They may have gained a desirable reputation in the industry and would be directly hired by a band or artist.

Famous record producers

• Brian Eno produced music for U2, David Bowie and Talking Heads.
• George Martin produced almost all of the music by The Beatles in the 1960s. He also worked with America, Shirley Bassey, and many other artists. He also made comedy records with Peter Sellers and Peter Ustinov.
• Phil Spector was the producer for many "girl groups" in the 1960s, like the Ronettes and The Crystals. He also worked with The Righteous Brothers. Later he produced records for Ike and Tina Turner, and the Beatles' album Let It Be. Spector invented the idea of a "wall of sound", which was a way of producing so that every space in the recording was filled with music.
• Timbaland is a man who produced popular rap, pop and R&B music, mostly in the 2000s. He worked with people like Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Madonna and many more artistes, including the late Aaliyah.
• Todd Rundgren is not only a record producer but a singer and songwriter. He produces all of his own work, and other famous albums like Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell.