How To Be A Live Sound Engineer In 4 Steps

Get better mixes, faster with my 3-step guide to perfect EQ:

How To Be A Live Sound Engineer
Being a live sound engineer is one of the best jobs going. It’s stimulating, challenging, fun, artistic, and also flexible. But how do you go about becoming a live sound engineer? I’m going to take you through the three stages I think you should go through to be a live sound engineer. These don’t need to be exclusive and you can start one before you’re finished with the first one.
It’s based on mixing bands because I believe that if you can mix a band you can probably mix anything, so if you want to get into conference sound for some reason I’d still recommend this path. Just like anything in life, there’s no guarantee of success, but some version of this plan worked for me so it can work for you.

Useful links:
Live Sound Operators Handbook

We’ll look at how to:
Educate yourself
Get experience
Get your foot in the door
Continue your journey
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Free EQ guide
01:38 Educating yourself
04:26 Getting experience as a live sound engineer
05:44 Getting your foot in the door as a live sound engineer
09:10 Continue to learn
10:21 Summary

[chrisclose]

i actually self taught myself to be a sound engineer but got into it by helping out with my local concert hall shadowing their technicians and then proceeded to get my own PA which i use for local community events

[naiyalexic]

How in the hell does this video only have 64 likes? Dude, thank you so much for putting this out here. I'm interested in doing corporate live sound, rather than clubs and bands.

[TonerroJames-scby]

Thank you sir.
I am Timothy from
Nigeria.
Your video encouraged me.

[outdatedgear]

This is the most straight forward advice I've ever heard. Great info.

[bashema]

I've recently discovered your channel and am finding it so very helpful. I am just starting out as a sound engineer although I come from a musical background performing live. I was mainly doing shadowing but I engineered my first show last week of DJ's, MC's and one singer/guitar. So far in my experience, there doesn't seem to be many female sound engineers in the industry, which definitely makes me more determined to continue in this crazy & exciting world!

[funkybrekfst]

Thank you so very much for this video. I am such a noob in this field but I really want to be a live sound engineer and I was wondering how the hell to even start. After watching this video, I feel a lot more confident with what steps to take. Immediate subscribe! Thanks again! 🙏🏼

[Isaac_Oi]

Great video! I’ve been producing/organizing punk shows for the past year in my town. I’ve had a friend to do the live sound mixing but now looking to doing it myself. Your advice is spot on! You just gotta be confident, humble, speak up and take action. I’ve met so many bands and business owners doing what I do. Looking forward to following you and learning sound engineering🤘

[samuelfavourkamara]

I appreciate this lesson you through me great things to do as a sound engineer

[davidoutzs]

Good content- thanks for posting specific suggestions that many times get ignored. If you’re in a city, you should also check out the local theatrical union - IATSE - that has training and apprentice programs, and an immediate way to get experience. They even came recruiting at a community college in my area that was teaching live audio class.

[agyekumbismark]

Best teaching ♥️ as it my biggest dream to become super star 🌟 sound engineer in my country Ghana 🇬🇭 tho i knew nothing about this program buh as it my dream to be and with the help of this video am gonna blow 1 day 🙏.
Please keep doing more teachings sir.

[evangilbert]

Thanks for the video. You explain things in a really easy to understand way. I mix sound once in a while for church events, and church is where I got started, as a musician, and then mixing as well. I would love to get some more opportunities for earning and learning.

[cameronclarkhull]

Thanks for this. Currently an AV tech for the NHS, but I want to become a sound engineer. Currently in a small community theatre as a volunteer. Just trying to progress beyond this 🙂

[namunaman]

I think this will help me too because i do lighting like madrix led strip and kinetic lights and resolume for screening and minipearl for moving head and there is sound engineer too and i can only open patch and start live band and i want to learn more so i dont have knowledge about hearing how the sound is actually be good and eq also i dont know so i think it will help me then if you also beed any help from me with strip led and kinetic and trying to use ilda lasers also using manldmapper and beyond software i will deafinitely help you ❤❤❤❤

[audioerick]

To me the most difficult thing is keeping calm among all the chaos

[FOHguy]

It's actually five steps.
Finding catering is very important.😁

[Josh-kbl]

As a young kid trying to work out how on earth I get into a job which seems to have such little information this video is awesome. Is there a way I can contact you to talk about sound engineering as I would love to learn more about your experience in this line of work?

[paisano]

okay now i have to... make friends with people in my scene. fuck!

[rossderbyshire]

I got offered to shadow a live sound engineer for a big band, but i dkmt have enough education on live mixing yet. Anymore tips?