The process that allows a song, from its inception as a creative seed in the mind of a songwriter, to blossom into a compact disc, cassette, or data file downloaded from a website is a complicated one that includes a wide range of specialized vocations. In general, the recording production process can be broken down into three phases: preproduction, production, and postproduction. Although each genre of music, such as pop, urban, modern rock, or country, has some idiosyncrasies, all typically share similar procedures in the production chain.

In addition to the three production phases a song goes through, the completed work must be manufactured, promoted, and distributed to the public. Although these business functions are not part of the production process, they have a pervasive effect on most production decisions. Therefore, people who work in creative vocations such as songwriter...