What is Audio Engineering?

Audio engineers are the men and women who bring the magic of sound to life. The best of the best can mix background music, voices and sound effects to elicit the desired emotional response in a film, television program, album, or video game. 

Hands-On Work

So what does an audio engineer do and what is audio engineering? On a typical day, an audio engineer will take raw recordings and edit out background sounds so that voices are clear and easily understandable. The audio technician will ensure that ambient sounds don’t overpower music and conversation throughout the recording. During live performances, audio engineering jobs require professionals who can think fast and act fast to ensure the speakers, microphones and sound equipment perform flawlessly throughout the show.

Audio engineers are required to be creative problem solvers with the ability to apply critical thinking skills to all aspects of the job. Individuals must have solid communication skills, good manual dexterity and the ability to monitor multiple machines simultaneously. The job deals with the details and this requires audio engineers to be able to foresee problems and head them off at the microphone so that they don’t come through over the speakers.

Strong Job Forecast

The outlook for audio engineering jobs is strong. Bureau of Labor Statistics expect the growth of sound engineer jobs to outpace those of many other professions over the next decade. In fact, the profession is expected to see 7 percent growth by 2024. In addition to job security, these jobs pay well and the average median salary is $42,000 per year.

Nationwide, there are currently some 16,000 sound technicians and another 71,000 audio equipment technicians. With the growth of broadcast media and the internet, there simply is far more demand than supply for individuals with the skill set required to create engaging and captivating media for consumers around the world.

We invite you to contact Media Schools in Ohio, Illinois, Colorado and Miami when you want to learn more about what does an audio engineer do on a daily basis. We will be happy to answer your questions and tell you more about the programs we offer that can get you started in the industry. Our schools across the nation feature programs in audio production that can help you secure a job as an audio technician.