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Sound Engineer

Creative

Assemble and operate equipment to record, synchronize, mix, edit, or reproduce sound, including music, voices, or sound effects, for theater, video, film, television, podcasts, sporting events, and other productions.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Creative Arts & Media

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
  2. 2Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
  3. 3Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
  4. 4Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
  5. 5Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.
  6. 6Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.
  7. 7Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
  8. 8Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
  9. 9Keep logs of recordings.
  10. 10Tear down equipment after event completion.
  11. 11Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
  12. 12Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.
  13. 13Convert video and audio recordings into digital formats for editing or archiving.
  14. 14Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Mixer
  • PA Tech
  • Producer
  • Recordist
  • Audio Tech
  • Sound Tech
  • Mixing Tech
  • Sound Mixer
  • Sound Cutter
  • Sound Editor

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Visual Art (PSV)Draws directly on Fine Arts — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Computers and Electronics92%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Customer and Personal Service78%
  • Fine Arts75%

    Visual Art (PSV)

  • English Language74%

    English

  • Engineering and Technology73%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Communications and Media70%

    EnglishBahasa Melayu

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Sound Engineering Technicians

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org