1405 Mix Producer / Sound Designer
Update 12/09/14: This position has now been filled. Many thanks to everyone who applied, we really appreciate the time and effort you all put into your submissions!
Update 08/08/14: Applications closed on Friday 1st August 2014 at midnight. Thanks so much to everyone who has applied for this role! We have received 454 applications, we’ve now finished reviewing submissions, and we’ve selected 11 applicants who have been shortlisted to move to the next stage. If you haven’t yet heard from us personally, then at this point, unfortunately you haven’t been successful in making the shortlist. The shortlist isn’t absolutely final, it has happened in the past that we realize after moving forward with selected applicants that we got it wrong, and we may subsequently include a few more people who didn’t originally make the first selection. Also, if we haven’t been in touch, that doesn’t mean that your work isn’t great. We received submissions from some extraordinarily talented and successful people which is really humbling, however what we’re looking for in someone to join the team is quite specific, and we’ve identified our “finalists” on that particular basis. We’ll update again on Facebook once there’s further progress.
Full Time Inhouse Mix Producer/Sound Designer (Bristol Based)
We’re looking for someone to join our new Bristol based team as an audio creative focusing on sound design, mix engineering and music production. The right person is very likely to …
- come from a neurofunk/D&B/Dubstep/GitchHop/IDM/EDM background / skillset or similar
- have some grounding in music theory
- play at least one instrument pretty well
- demonstrate a strong aptitude for designing and programming original sounds
- have a keen creative ear and technical skills to apply to mix engineering and remix projects
- take a highly organised approach to working in studio
- be enthusiastic and quick to learn and apply new creative techniques and technology
… all of which reflect the creative and technical demands of the role. This is a full time inhouse job opportunity, so you’ll need to live in or be prepared to move to the Bristol area, and have ongoing legal right to live and work in the UK.
How To Apply
Step 1. Read carefully and make sure you have understood the general info on our Radium Careers Page . Sound like you, and still interested? Go to Step 2 …
Step 2. If you haven’t already, check out the film at the top of this page, for more detail about the role. Sound like you, and still interested? Go to Step 3 …
Step 3. Read all of this job ad and Section 1 of the FAQs below carefully. Still with us? Go to Step 4 …
Step 4. Send us your initial submission as follows
- Email jobs@radium-audio.com with the subject line format: “1405 Audio Creative [YOUR FULL NAME & PHONE NO]”
- Include in your email as the final item at the bottom a couple of paragraphs introducing yourself, explaining why you are applying and what you feel you could bring to the team.
- Include in your email as the first item at top of page WeTransfer link to download the following asset package.
- MUSIC TRACKS: Maximum of 3 original music tracks you have created in the style of any of these: D&B, Neurofunk, Glitchhop, IDM, Dubstep, Glitch Funk, Neurohop, EDM
- CREATIVE TRACK: Your single weirdest / most out-there music track you have created, anything that will make us go … “wow this is insane, we LOVE it!” It can be any genre of music.
- PRODUCTION/REMIX EXAMPLES: Maximum 4 examples demonstrating your mix engineering and remix skills. We suggest that for each one you include both the original track, and the finished version after you worked on it, so we can hear the before and after.
- SOUND DESIGN: Maximum 5 examples of sound design you have done. These could be individual SFX you have recorded, designed, edited yourself, any channel strips, examples of sound to picture work (reworked trailers are fine)
- CURRENT CV: in pdf or word format.
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Important: Please ensure you arrange, label and format your files so it is easy for us to understand what they are and who sent them, and also for us to get a feel for your organisational flair, important in this role. Audio files should be preferably be mp3s or wavs. Audio visual material should be web links to the specific work hosted on Vimeo, your own website, or other portfolio site. It’s fine if you want to send us private links that are passworded rather than public links. Its fine if you want to include a reference page explaining everything you’ve sent through.
Application Dates
We will begin reviewing applications 1st July.
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs list has turned out to be much bigger than we intended – sorry! However, these are all questions we’re asked repeatedly by phone and email every time we advertise a role, so we hope that by including them, it will make the application process simpler and more transparent for everyone.
Section 1. Should I apply for this role?
Q. I don’t have much in the way of professional studio experience. Can I still apply?
A. Definitely! Maybe you haven’t worked in sound and music professionally but you devour knowledge and practice your craft obsessively every spare minute, and you’re confident you can bring a lot of what we’re looking for to the table and step up where you need to. Maybe you’ve been studying a relevant course and working hard on your skills in your downtime, and you’re now looking to get a break into the industry. Maybe you’ve already been doing this somewhere else, and you like the sound of being on our team. If you have many of the things we’ve asked for, you can come up with the right material to submit, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to learn quickly what you don’t know then give it a go!
Q. I don’t really fit with the role you’ve described, but I’d love to be a part of your team. Can I apply with material that isn’t in the style that you’re asking for, on the offchance I might catch your attention for another role?
A. We’d really prefer if you didn’t. We do tend to receive a lot of submissions and we really want to focus our time and attention on those which are right for the specific role we need to fill immediately. We don’t hire without advertising the opportunity publicly so if you’ve signed up on the Radium Careers page to be notified of new opportunities, you’ll know immediately when we do have something that might suit you.
Q. You talk a lot about Neurofunk, Glitch Hop, and similar electronic genres with reference to this position. I’ve not really done that before, but I’m really strong as a mix engineer/producer/sound designer and I think I could give it a good go. I have great material for the other categories of assets you ask for. Should I still apply?
A. We’ve focused on those styles with reference to the role, because someone who is really strong with this particular type of production will be very likely to have the right skills and approach to apply to what we need them to be able to do at Radium. Yes, you can still apply even if you hadn’t previously explored this type of music production. However, you will need to send in tracks in this style, for the purpose of the application, so if you’ve not done it before, you’ll need to get to grips with it very quickly in time to submit. If you came up with some great stuff from scratch not having done it before, you’d definitely impress us, however, simply downloading the latest sample packs and quickly throwing something together is unlikely to compare well with submissions from applicants who have seriously delved into these type of production techniques, so you’ll probably need to put in a lot of effort in the time available to you to create something that stands out.
Q. I’d love to apply, but I’m not able to supply material in all of the 4 categories you’ve listed. Is there still a chance I could be successful?
A. Obviously that’s not ideal, however it’s possible if you are particularly strong in the categories which you do have, and you’re prepared to put in the effort and hard work to upskill quickly on what you don’t know. You can put your case to us on this in your email covering paragraphs .
Q. Is this a real job?
A. Yes, this is a real job.
Q. Is this a paid position? If so, how much?
A. Yes, this is a full time inhouse salaried position. Salary will be offered on individual basis at a level in line with ability, experience, and value brought to the team at time of hire.
Q. I collaborate with one or more creative partners. Can we apply collectively?
A. Unfortunately that won’t work. Right now we have a full time position for 1 person, who will need to carry the entire skillset for the job themselves.
Q. I don’t live near your studio right now, but I’d be willing to relocate if I got the job. Can I still apply?
A. Yes you can, most of the application process can be completed remotely. However if you make it through to the final shortlist, you will need to travel at your own expense to attend the studio in person for final interview & demo stages, and to relocate promptly if offered the position.
Q. I don’t live in the UK, but I’m an EU citizen and I have the right to move to the UK and take employment without any restrictions. Can I still apply?
A. Yes you can. Most of the application process can be completed remotely. However if you make it through to the final shortlist, you will need to travel at your own expense to attend the studio in person for final interview & demo stages, and to relocate promptly if offered the position.
Q. I don’t live in the UK, and I also live outside the EU. Can I still apply?
A. You will need to demonstrate to us with your initial application that you have the unrestricted right already in place to live and work in the UK, as we are not able to assist with immigration issues and work permit applications. Most of the application process can be completed remotely. However if you make it through to the final shortlist, you will need to travel at your own expense to attend the studio in person for final interview & demo stages, and to relocate promptly if offered the position.
Q. I don’t live near the studio, but I’d be willing to work remotely. Can I still apply?
A. Sadly, no. For this position, we’re really looking for someone to join the inhouse team. Given the highly fluid and organically creative nature of what we do, we feel the best results can only be achieved from being physically and mentally present and together as a team. So unfortunately remote working doesn’t fit with what we’re looking to achieve from this role.
Q. I’m not looking for a full time inhouse position, but I’d be interested in freelancing for you as and when. Can I still apply?
A. This is not an external freelance position, we are definitely looking for someone to work with us inhouse full time. We will advertise for freelancers when we have a specific requirement for that.
Q. I’ve applied with you before and not been successful. Is it pointless to apply again?
A. Not at all, give it another shot! As long as you fit with the role as we’ve described, you have the right material to submit and you follow the current instructions for submission, definitely do apply again. A few of our team have made unsuccessful applications before finally gaining a position.
Q. I’m not right for this role, but could I apply for an internship or some work experience, or just spend some time in studio observing?
A. We’re often working on projects for clients which are highly confidential, so while we don’t want to be anti-social, mostly we try to avoid having observers in studio who are not directly working on projects in progress. Sometimes we do have opportunities for internships or work experience, and we ALWAYS advertise these as it has happened in the past that the occasional intern has come in, blown us away with energy, commitment, talent and usefulness, and progressed eventually to a permanent position on the team. So we want to throw the net as wide as we can. You can sign up on our Radium Careers page to be notified of any opportunities that come up.
Q. I’m not really right for this role, but can I just send you my work speculatively? Do you have other opportunities happening soon and will you remember me when they come up?
A. Given that we’re expanding and opening a new studio, we will definitely have further opportunities to come soon. We wouldn’t say “no, don’t send us your work” because we take it as a compliment that you’d choose to share it with us. But realistically, we’re flat out most of the time and while we review speculative applications occasionally, given the volume we receive it’s difficult to make an ongoing commitment to review all of them. Also, if you’re sending us a general email about your work, you’re essentially shooting blind. Whereas if you’re responding to a specific callout we’ve made, you’ll be able to shape what you send us so that it fits with what we’re looking for at that time, and we do commit to listening to EVERY submission when it’s for a role we’ve advertised. You’re more likely to grab our attention if you submit something we’ve specifically asked for, in the way that we’ve asked for it, at the time we’re looking for it.
Section 2 . Ok I’ve decided I’m going to apply, and I’m preparing my submission ….
Q. I’ve been looking for a job in sound and music for a while, and I have a standard submission with covering email and CV that I usually send off to prospective employers. Is it ok if I just send you that?
A. You will be at a disadvantage in the application process if you haven’t shaped your submission to fit the role on offer.
Q. I have a lot of great material I’d love to share with you in my submission. Can I send in more than what you’ve asked for?
A. We’d really prefer if you kept to the maximums we’ve given. We tend to have many submissions to review and we’ve limited what we’ve asked for to numbers that we think gives great opportunity to show off your best work, while still ensuring we have enough time to check out everything you’ve sent us.
Q. I have some great material to share with you, but I can’t meet the maximums you’ve specified for each part of the submission. Will I be at a disadvantage if I share less material?
A. No you won’t, that’s fine at this initial stage. For example, you’re much more likely to grab our attention by sending us 2 outstanding tracks than making us listen through 3 average ones. However it is to your advantage if you can submit something in each of the 4 categories of material on the asset list, even if not the full number mentioned.
Q. I have some material to share but it’s not totally all my work although I contributed. Is it ok to submit?
A. Generally we would prefer if you can submit work which is all your own, as it’s easier for us to get an idea about your capability that way. However in some circumstances it’s fine to submit collaborative work. For example in the remix section, where it’s someone else’s track which you’ve remixed then of course it’s not entirely you, but if you submit the track versions before and after, your contribution should be pretty clear to us. For the music tracks we’ve asked for, if you’re responsible for the majority of the production with some additional instrumentalists or vocalists adding elements then that’s fine, just specify that. For sound design we’d really expect that it’s all your own work with no other contributors. Where there are multiple contributors just be sure you make it clear for us which elements of the work are yours.
Q. Can I be creative with the format of my application? The way I like doing things is different to what you’ve asked for.
A. We don’t want to be unnecessarily rigid, but given that we do tend to receive a lot of material to organise and review, and your application gives us an idea not just about your creative and technical skills, but also about your ability to follow team instructions correctly and organise your own work and team work, it will be to your advantage to work within the submission guidelines we’ve given.
Q. Is it an advantage to get my application in really early?
A. No not in this case. We’re really busy through June so we’re not going to commit to reviewing material until beginning of July, and also WeTransfer links do expire, so probably best to wait until we’re close to actually starting review to send in your submission. Additionally, it gives you time to get the right material together to submit to us, which you may not immediately have to hand, and think about how you’re going to arrange and format your files within the given guidelines, which we’ll also be assessing.
Q. When do applications close?
A. When we have a shortlist we’re comfortable with. Typically we tend to run recruitment campaigns for 1-2 months, and we announce on Facebook when we’re getting close to closing off. But could be sooner depending on quality of applications we receive.
Section 3: I’ve sent in my submission. What happens now?
Q. Ok so I’ve applied for the position following all the guidelines given. What happens next?
A. At the beginning of July Andrew Diey, Radium’s Creative Director will begin reviewing and shortlisting applications. EVERY application we receive is reviewed. After an initial shortlist is compiled, our internal team review these and decide upon a final Stage 1 shortlist. Those people will then be contacted by phone to discuss next steps. Depending on how many applications we receive and review, it may take a few weeks to compile the shortlist, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear from us immediately. Also, we post updates on Facebook, so we’ll let everyone know when we’re getting close to a shortlist and some follow up phone calls.
Q. Did you get my email?
A. You should receive an auto –responder from us confirming receipt of your email. If you haven’t:
- Check your spam or junk mail in case it landed there
- Check you have only sent your submission to jobs@radium-audio.com and not directed to or included any other address
- If neither of the above applies, email us again without any attachments or links with “NO RECEIPT RECEIVED” inserted at the end of your original subject line. We’ll then check our autoresponder to be sure it’s working properly, and let you know if we received your mail.
Q. Should I phone just for a quick chat to follow up my application?
A. Please don’t be offended, however due to volume of enquiries we tend to get, we’d really prefer if you didn’t. If we can hear what we’re looking for in what you’ve sent us, we’ll definitely be phoning you!
Q. The WeTransfer link I sent you expired and I can see you haven’t downloaded it yet. What should I do?
A. Firstly, please accept our apologies for the delay. We listen to every submission, so depending on how many we receive, this could happen occasionally. Just resend the submission including a new download link with the original email subject line intact, and insert at the end “LINK EXPIRED & RESENDING”.
Q. What do you really look for when you go through all the applications?
A. The first thing we do before anything else is start listening to your work, looking for obvious things like talent, production values, creativity, potential, and also to get a feel for whether there’s common ground there with our own philosophy and approach. If we like what we hear, we’d then read through your introduction paragraph and look at your CV for consideration to shortlist. This is why we’ve asked you to put your WeTransfer link as the first item in your email, and the covering text afterwards at the bottom. This is also why it’s important to ensure you name and label your files so that it’s easy for us to know what they are and who sent them.
Q. Will you let me know about the outcome regardless of whether or not I’ve been successful?
A. Yes, once the recruitment process is complete applicants who didn’t hear from us by phone will receive a standard email notification. Also you can keep up with progress on our Facebook and Radium Careers pages where we will post recruitment status updates as they become available for any advertised role.
Thanks and good luck – we’re looking forward to hearing your submissions!