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Media producer vs freelance producer

The differences between media producers and freelance producers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a media producer and a freelance producer. Additionally, a freelance producer has an average salary of $62,218, which is higher than the $57,433 average annual salary of a media producer.

The top three skills for a media producer include instagram, training videos and twitter. The most important skills for a freelance producer are music videos, news stories, and video content.

Media producer vs freelance producer overview

Media ProducerFreelance Producer
Yearly salary$57,433$62,218
Hourly rate$27.61$29.91
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs17,8279,703
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age4040
Years of experience1212

What does a media producer do?

A media producer is an individual who is involved in the production of audio and video content used for commercials, movies, online channels, or other mediums. Media producers are given tasks such as creating animation, editing, and arranging videos or developing program materials. They must have excellent skills in using software editing programs such as Final Cut Pro, AVID, and After Effects to create visual pieces. Media producers are also required to work closely with the production crew and directors, sound engineers, videographers, and producers.

What does a freelance producer do?

The responsibilities of a freelance producer are so broad that they can be tricky to define. Broadly, a freelance producer is responsible for finding, launching, and completing a project. They primarily handle logistics pertaining to the creation of various pieces of content. This content may include television shows, advertisements, or audio/video presentations. They also manage finances, keep the production within the allocated budget, and hire all key staff, crew members, and post-production teams. They may also have to scout for shoot locations.

Media producer vs freelance producer salary

Media producers and freelance producers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Media ProducerFreelance Producer
Average salary$57,433$62,218
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $79,000Between $33,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityFarmington, CT-
Highest paying stateConnecticut-
Best paying companyAltice USA-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between media producer and freelance producer education

There are a few differences between a media producer and a freelance producer in terms of educational background:

Media ProducerFreelance Producer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common majorCommunicationPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Media producer vs freelance producer demographics

Here are the differences between media producers' and freelance producers' demographics:

Media ProducerFreelance Producer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 67.1% Female, 32.9%Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage14%14%

Differences between media producer and freelance producer duties and responsibilities

Media producer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and track media clips regarding the U.S. Senate race.
  • Participate in brainstorming sessions, proofread and edit marketing materials, manage magazine inventory.
  • Organize media management system for archival footage, photography, and animations.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations incorporating charts, scans, photographs and graphics.
  • Act as the sole video consultant for all videos publish to Facebook and YouTube.
  • Lead marketing strategy & implementation, social media, SEO, & new business development.
  • Show more

Freelance producer example responsibilities.

  • Drive engagement by managing the brand's YouTube channel, as well as all other social media outlets.
  • Manage production shoots for image campaigns and monthly communications meetings for CNN newsroom and internal in-house creative services department.
  • Manage creative release process working closely with site merchandising, content engineering, release engineering, QA, buyers and marketing.
  • Manage the QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
  • Produce for Chubb s website, YouTube, Facebook and on DVD.
  • Help maintain social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Show more

Media producer vs freelance producer skills

Common media producer skills
  • Instagram, 11%
  • Training Videos, 9%
  • Twitter, 8%
  • Video Production, 6%
  • Video Content, 5%
  • YouTube, 5%
Common freelance producer skills
  • Music Videos, 20%
  • News Stories, 6%
  • Video Content, 5%
  • Video Production, 4%
  • Live Events, 4%
  • Photography, 4%

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