Sound Recordist, Sound Supervisor, Head of Sound... What Do These Job Titles Actually Mean?

If you're trying to book sound crew, you've probably noticed the industry doesn't use one consistent job title. A "Sound Recordist," a "Head of Sound," and a "Production Sound Mixer" are sometimes the exact same job — and the terminology changes again once you cross into live events or studio work. Here's a straight breakdown of what each title actually means, and which ones describe what I do.

Quick reference

Location & broadcast sound

Sound Recordist, Location Sound Recordist, Production Sound Mixer These three describe the same job: recording audio on location for TV, film, or documentary, using professional field equipment. "Production Sound Mixer" is the term more common in drama and film; "Sound Recordist" is the standard UK broadcast term. This is the core of what I do — see Location Sound Recording.

Sound Supervisor, Head of Sound Both describe the senior role overseeing the sound side of a shoot or outside broadcast (OB) — mixing, managing the sound crew, and being the point of contact for the production on all things audio. On smaller jobs I'm both recordist and supervisor at once; on larger OBs, Head of Sound is the title for whoever's running that department.

Sound Guarantee A specific UK broadcast/OB role, distinct from a Sound Recordist: a Sound Guarantee sets up and maintains the sound desk, cable runs, and talkback systems, making sure nothing fails once the show goes live. It's a more purely technical/engineering role, working alongside — not instead of — a Sound Supervisor. It's not a role I take on.

Grams Operator Plays in music, stings, and sound effects live during a broadcast — jingles, transitions, the bits between the talking. The name is a hangover from when this ran off vinyl ("gramophone") records; today it's all digital playback. A distinct job from mixing or recording, and part of my broadcast work.

Track Mixer, Sports Presentation (Sports Pres) Mixer On larger OBs — motorsport especially — the audio job often splits across several specialist mixers instead of sitting with one Sound Supervisor. A Track Mixer handles the trackside/circuit ambience feed for broadcast. A Sports Presentation Mixer handles a separate "local show" — the mix played out over the PA system to the crowd at the venue, distinct from what's sent out to broadcast. I did both on Formula E for eight years, though these days I've stepped back from it given the amount of international travel involved.

Sound Assistant Despite the name, this isn't an entry-level job — on outside broadcasts it takes real skill and experience to do well, handling cabling, mic prep, and comms under pressure. (The genuine entry-level role on a sound crew is usually the sound trainee — running and learning on the job.) Sound assistants are usually working outside the truck local to the event being broadcast.

Boom Operator A Boom Operator holds and maneuvers the microphone to capture sound during filming, working under direction of the Sound Recordist or Mixer. I'm capable of Fisher boom operating — Which is a giant mechanised boom sometimes used for larger studio based dramas.

Live event sound

Sound Engineer, Front of House (FOH) Engineer, Monitor Engineer "Sound Engineer" is used loosely across the whole audio industry — it's a fair, if broad, way to describe what I do. FOH and Monitor Engineer are two distinct, more specific live-event roles: FOH mixes the PA for the audience, while a Monitor Engineer mixes separate feeds so performers can hear themselves and each other on stage, via wedges or in-ears. Both are different disciplines from location recording — I don't take FOH or monitor bookings, though the Sound Mobile van is regularly used for live recording alongside a live sound team.

Live Music Mixer (Broadcast) A different job again from FOH or a Monitor Engineer — this is mixing a live music performance in real time during an OB, with the mix sent through the OB truck straight to the TV viewer at home, rather than to the audience in the room. Part of my broadcast music work.

A1, A2 Mainly a US and international touring/corporate-AV term rather than a standard UK broadcast one, but increasingly used on larger UK live productions too. A1 is the lead audio mixer; A2 assists with mic placement, RF, and backstage audio. Functionally, an A1 on a live show and a Sound Supervisor on a UK broadcast are doing a similar job under different names.

Studio & recorded music

Music Mixer, Mixing Engineer Mixes recorded music tracks — balancing, EQ, and processing after the recording is done. Twenty years of broadcast music sessions means this is very much part of what I do.

Producer, Audio Engineer "Producer" implies creative direction over a session, not just technical execution. Depending on the brief, this can be part of the job — worth discussing upfront on a booking. "Audio Engineer" is the broadest term of all, covering everyone from studio to live to broadcast.

Post-production & voiceover

Dubbing Mixer Mixes the final soundtrack of a finished programme after shooting — blending dialogue, music, and sound effects into the finished mix. A different job from a Music Mixer (who mixes recorded music tracks) or a Sound Recordist (who captures audio during the shoot). I do this occasionally, and it often goes hand in hand with recording voiceover pickups on location — see Mobile Voiceover Recording.

Sound effects & Foley

Foley Artist A Foley Artist performs sound effects live in a studio, in sync with picture — footsteps, cloth movement, physical contact — usually on a dedicated Foley stage using props. It's a specific studio performance craft, distinct from recording real sounds on location.

Sound Effects (SFX) Recordist This is location recording of specific real-world sounds for use in a production or advert, rather than performing them in a studio — capturing vehicle sounds, water sounds, and similar, often to build a bespoke effects library for a job. This is part of what I do, including vehicle recording and water recording for Welsh Water advertising campaigns.

PSC crews

You'll often see "PSC" in production briefs — it stands for Portable Single Camera, a term going back to early ENG (electronic news gathering) days at the BBC. Traditionally it means one camera operator and one sound recordist working as a lightweight, mobile crew — the standard setup for documentary, corporate, and observational filming. In practice, the term is often used more loosely too, covering a small crew with one sound recordist supporting two or three camera operators. Most of my location work falls into this category.

How these combine in practice

Most bookings aren't just one role off this list — in practice, several combine:

• PSC plus music session work. A lot of what I do blends portable single camera location sound with music recording and session mixing — capturing a take on location, then mixing it afterward.
• Post music mixing for shows. Different from a full dubbing mix (dialogue, music, and effects together), this is mixing specifically the music elements of a finished programme in post — often paired with the session that recorded it in the first place.
• Live music mixing for broadcast. On some OB jobs, I mix a live music performance in real time as it goes out through the OB truck straight to the TV viewer — a different job again from Front of House (mixing for the room) or a Track Mixer (mixing ambience). It's the broadcast music mix, live.
• PSC plus sound effects recording. Location dialogue or interview work can combine with recording specific SFX for the same job — as with the Welsh Water vehicle and water recording work, captured alongside standard location sound.

If a job needs more than one of these at once, that's the normal shape of the work, not an unusual ask.

Not sure which one you need? Get in touch and describe the job — I'll tell you plainly if it's something I cover, or point you toward the right role. You can also see examples of this work in the Portfolio.