Producer Job Description: 6 Templates
Free producer job description templates: video, content, podcast, freelance, music, and film. With W-2 vs 1099 and FLSA notes. Download as DOCX.
Producer Job Description Templates
6 free templates by type: video, content, podcast, freelance, music, and film, with W-2 vs 1099 classification and FLSA guidance. Download as DOCX.
The producer job description has a problem most templates online ignore: producer means a dozen different jobs. The templates you find assume a film or movie producer, but the producer your marketing team needs is a video producer, a content producer, or a podcast producer, and those are different roles entirely. And the generic templates skip the two questions that actually matter for a small business: whether this is a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor, and how to classify a salaried producer for overtime.
At FirstHR, we build templates for exactly that situation: the marketing teams, agencies, media startups, and brands that hire video and content producers directly, where the owner or a marketing lead does the hiring. The six templates below cover the real types: video, content, podcast, freelance/project, music, and film, each ready to fill in and post or sign, with the classification guidance built in. The guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What a Producer Does
A producer plans, manages, and delivers a production or project from concept to completion, owning the schedule, budget, people, and final output. The common thread across every type is ownership: a producer takes a project from idea to finished deliverable and is accountable for the result.
What changes is the medium. A video producer owns marketing video; a content producer runs a multi-format content program; a podcast producer runs a show; a music producer shapes recordings; a film producer oversees a screen production. For scoping the role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Types of Producer
Producer is an unusually broad title, and naming the right type is the single most important thing you can do, since it determines the duties, the skills, and even whether the person is an employee or a contractor. Here is how the common types compare.
| Type | Core work | Typical setup |
|---|---|---|
| Video producer | Own marketing and brand video | W-2 employee |
| Content producer | Run multi-format content calendar | W-2 employee |
| Podcast producer | Run an audio show end to end | W-2 or hourly |
| Freelance / project | Deliver a single project | 1099 contractor |
| Music producer | Shape recordings in studio | W-2 or 1099 |
| Film / TV producer | Oversee a screen production | Often 1099 |
For a small business, agency, or media startup, the relevant types are usually video, content, and podcast, since that is where the hiring happens. Start from the matching version so the posting describes the real job, then fill in your specific projects, tools, and channels. This page provides a template for each type.
Producer Duties and Responsibilities
Producer duties center on four areas: planning and development, coordinating people, managing the project, and delivering. Every type shares these, with the emphasis shifting by medium. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in your work: the kinds of projects, the channels and formats, the tools, the team, and whether the producer owns budgets and vendors. It also names the setup honestly, employee or contractor, since that shapes the whole engagement. Candidates read a producer posting for the type of work, the scope of ownership, the tools, and the pay before applying.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by the type of producer and the setup. The own-it-end-to-end core runs through all six, but the medium and the employment setup differ enough that the matched version reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free Producer Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. The employee versions follow the same structure: company overview, position summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, classification, compensation, and how to apply. The freelance version is a contractor agreement with scope and 1099 terms. Fill in the brackets and use.
Template 1: Video Producer (In-House)
For a marketing or brand team hiring an in-house video producer. Owns video projects from concept to delivery: shoots, crew, schedule, budget, and post. The most common small-business producer hire.
Template 2: Content / Digital Content Producer
For a marketing team. Owns the content calendar and produces across formats, written, video, and visual, coordinating creators and freelancers. A core ICP role for agencies and media startups.
Template 3: Podcast Producer
For a company running a podcast. Books and preps guests, manages recordings and audio quality, writes show notes, and grows the show across platforms.
Template 4: Freelance / Project Producer (1099 Contractor)
For a project-based producer engaged as an independent contractor. A contractor agreement, not an employee job description, with scope, deliverables, and 1099 terms rather than a salary and benefits.
Template 5: Music Producer
For a studio, label, or artist. Leads the creative and technical production of recordings, running sessions and overseeing mixing and mastering. Often project-based.
Template 6: Film / TV Producer
For a film, TV, or video production. Oversees a production from development to delivery, managing budgets, schedules, and crew. Frequently project-based and engaged as a contractor.
Employee or Contractor?
Producers are engaged both ways, and choosing correctly is the first real decision, since it changes the document you need and your legal obligations. Decide based on the actual working relationship, not on which is cheaper.
An in-house video or content producer is usually a W-2 employee: an ongoing role where you direct the work and provide tools and benefits. A producer brought in for a single project is often a 1099 independent contractor: project-based, controls their own methods, uses their own equipment, and handles their own taxes. The classification is not a free choice. The IRS examines behavioral control, financial control, and the relationship to determine whether someone is genuinely a contractor or an employee, and misclassifying an employee as a contractor is a serious, common mistake. The rule of thumb: ongoing in-house role where you direct the work means an employee job description; a defined project with a deliverable means a contractor agreement. This page includes both. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with a professional.
Exempt or Non-Exempt?
For a W-2 producer, overtime status is a real judgment call, unlike clearly hourly roles. Classify by actual duties before you post, since the title alone does not settle it.
A salaried in-house producer may qualify as exempt under the creative professional exemption, which covers work requiring invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized creative field, or under the administrative exemption if their primary duty is managing projects, budgets, and vendors with independent judgment. The role generally must also be paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold. But the exemption is duties-based: a junior producer doing mostly routine coordination under close direction may be non-exempt and owed overtime. The white-collar salary threshold is the 2019 rule's $684 per week. A 1099 contractor is outside FLSA exemption analysis entirely. The exempt vs non-exempt guide covers the full test. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with a professional.
How to Write a Producer Job Description
A strong producer posting takes about 15 minutes once you settle the type and the employment setup. Here is the process the templates are built around.
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Producer Pay and Outlook
Producer pay varies widely by type, industry, and whether the role is salaried or project-based, so benchmark to the specific role rather than a single figure.
One caveat: this BLS category mainly reflects screen and stage producers, not the in-house marketing roles most small businesses hire. A video or content producer on a marketing team is typically benchmarked to the marketing and media market in your region, often below the headline median, while experienced agency producers and those in high-cost areas earn more. A freelance or project producer is usually paid a flat project fee or day rate rather than a salary. For your posting, benchmark to the specific producer type, your industry, and your region, and include a good-faith pay range where your state or city requires it. National compensation surveys and local listings both help you set a competitive number.
Hiring a Producer
A studio or production company hires producers through industry networks and project deals. A marketing team, agency, or media startup makes the hire directly, where the owner or a marketing lead runs the process, and the first decision is which producer and which setup. Here is what actually matters.
After You Hire: Onboarding
The job description or agreement is step one, and the path depends on whether the producer is an employee or a contractor. For a W-2 hire, send the offer letter with the pay, the FLSA classification, and the terms, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, and gather tax forms.
For a 1099 contractor, use a signed agreement covering scope, deliverables, timeline, payment, and the IP or work-for-hire and confidentiality terms that matter for creative work, collect a W-9, and plan to issue a 1099-NEC if you pay $600 or more. In both cases a producer handles brand assets, accounts, and vendor relationships, so onboarding should cover access, brand guidelines, and tools, alongside the usual onboarding documents. A structured first weeks gets a new producer producing quickly, and a repeatable onboarding template makes it consistent, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide describes. Once terms are agreed, the offer letter template handles the core terms, and the employee handbook template covers your policies. FirstHR fits the employee path for an owner-led marketing team or agency: send the offer for e-signature with the classification stated, store the signed offer, the I-9, and tax forms in document management, and route onboarding tasks through a workflow so a new producer has accounts, brand guidelines, and context from day one. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with your payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a producer do?
A producer plans, manages, and delivers a production or project from concept to completion, owning the schedule, budget, people, and final output. The specifics depend heavily on the type. A film or TV producer oversees a production from development to delivery, managing budgets, schedules, and crew. A music producer shapes the creative and technical sound of recordings. The producers most small businesses hire are different: a video producer owns marketing and brand video end to end, from concept through shoot to post; a content producer runs the content calendar and produces across written, video, and visual formats; a podcast producer runs a show from guest booking to publishing. Across all of them, the common thread is ownership: a producer takes a project from idea to finished deliverable, coordinating the people, managing the budget and timeline, and being accountable for the result. Because the title is so broad, the right job description depends entirely on which kind of producer you need. This page offers a template for each common type, with the W-2 versus 1099 and FLSA guidance generic templates leave out.
What are the different types of producer?
Producer is an unusually broad title that spans several distinct roles. A film or TV producer oversees a screen production from development to delivery, managing budget, schedule, and crew, and is often engaged project by project. A music producer leads the creative and technical production of recordings in a studio. The types most small businesses actually hire are marketing-oriented: a video producer owns brand and marketing video from concept to delivery; a content producer runs the content calendar and produces across formats; a digital content producer is a similar marketing role focused on online channels; and a podcast producer runs an audio show. There are also internal-hierarchy titles in film and TV, executive producer, line producer, associate producer, that describe seniority and scope within a production. For a small business, agency, or media startup, the relevant question is usually which marketing producer you need, since that is where the hiring happens, driven by demand for video and content across platforms. This page focuses on the in-house roles most small businesses hire, video, content, and podcast, while also including music and film templates for completeness.
Is a producer an employee or an independent contractor?
Producers are hired both ways, and choosing correctly matters legally. An in-house video or content producer on your marketing team is usually a W-2 employee: it is an ongoing role, you direct the work, and you provide tools and benefits. A producer brought in for a single video, campaign, or film is often a 1099 independent contractor: the engagement is project-based, the producer controls how the work is done, uses their own equipment, and handles their own taxes. Crucially, the classification is not a free choice; it depends on the actual working relationship. The IRS examines behavioral control, financial control, and the nature of the relationship to determine whether someone is genuinely an independent contractor or an employee, and misclassifying an employee as a contractor to avoid taxes and benefits is a serious and common mistake. The practical rule: if it is an ongoing in-house role where you direct day-to-day work, use an employee job description and onboard them as a W-2 hire; if it is a defined project with a deliverable, use a contractor agreement with clear scope. This page includes both an employee job description and a 1099 contractor agreement. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with a professional.
Is a producer exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
For a W-2 producer, exempt status is a genuine judgment call rather than automatic, which makes it worth getting right. A salaried in-house producer may qualify as exempt under the creative professional exemption, which covers work requiring invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized creative field, or under the administrative exemption if the primary duty is managing projects, budgets, and vendors with independent judgment. To be exempt, the role generally also must be paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold. But the exemption is duties-based, not title-based: a junior producer doing mostly routine coordination and execution under close supervision may not meet either exemption and could be non-exempt and owed overtime. The federal salary threshold for the white-collar exemptions is the 2019 rule's $684 per week. The practical step is to look honestly at what the producer actually does, creative direction and independent project management point toward exempt, while routine production assistance points toward non-exempt, and classify based on real duties and pay rather than the title. A 1099 contractor is not subject to FLSA exemption analysis at all, since they are not an employee. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with an employment professional, since it is fact-specific and state rules vary.
How do I write a producer job description?
Start by pinning down which producer you need, since video, content, podcast, music, and film producers do different jobs, then decide whether it is an employee role or a contractor engagement. Pick the version that matches: video, content, podcast, freelance/project, music, or film. For an employee role, write a clear position summary and list the actual responsibilities, which span planning and development, coordinating people, managing the project, and delivering, calibrated to the type. Name the specific projects, tools, and channels the producer will own, since that is what candidates read for. Decide W-2 versus 1099 based on the real working relationship, and for a W-2 role, classify exempt or non-exempt based on actual duties rather than the title. Add the qualifications, a portfolio or reel request, the compensation with a good-faith range where your state requires it, and an equal-opportunity statement. For a contractor, use an agreement with scope, deliverables, timeline, payment, and IP terms instead. Because producer is such a broad title, specificity about the type and setup is what makes the posting work. The free templates on this page give you a starting structure for each.
What is the difference between a video producer and a content producer?
They overlap but have different centers of gravity, and small businesses hire both. A video producer specializes in video: they own video projects end to end, from concept and scripting through planning shoots, coordinating crew and vendors, managing the production budget and schedule, and overseeing editing and delivery. Their skill set is production-centric, and they are the right hire when video is a major, ongoing need. A content producer is broader: they own the content calendar across formats, written, video, visual, and audio, coordinate creators and freelancers, maintain brand voice, and track performance across channels. Video may be part of their remit, but so is much else, and their skill set leans toward planning, writing, and cross-channel coordination. The right choice depends on your needs: hire a video producer if video is your primary content investment and you need someone who can run shoots, and a content producer if you need someone to own a multi-format content program. Some small teams combine the two into one role, in which case name both in the posting so candidates understand the scope. This page includes separate video and content producer templates.
How much does a producer make?
Producer pay varies widely by type, industry, and whether the role is salaried or project-based. For the broad occupation of producers and directors, which is centered on film, television, and stage, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $83,480 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $43,060 and the highest 10 percent more than $198,530; the motion picture and video industry pays among the highest. That said, this BLS category mainly reflects screen and stage producers, not the in-house marketing roles most small businesses hire. A video producer or content producer on a marketing team is typically paid as a salaried employee benchmarked to the marketing and media market in your region, which is often below the headline producers-and-directors median, while experienced producers at agencies or in high-cost areas earn more. A freelance or project producer is usually paid a flat project fee or day rate rather than a salary. For your posting, benchmark to the specific producer type, your industry, and your region rather than the broad national figure, and include a good-faith pay range where your state or city requires it. National compensation surveys and local listings help you set a competitive number.
What happens after I hire a producer?
Once the producer accepts, the path depends on whether they are an employee or a contractor, and getting the start right keeps the project moving. For a W-2 employee, the sequence is the standard hire flow: send the offer letter with the pay, the FLSA classification, and the terms; collect the signed offer; complete Form I-9 within the first days; and gather tax forms. For a 1099 contractor, it is different: use a signed contractor agreement covering scope, deliverables, timeline, payment, and the IP or work-for-hire and confidentiality terms that matter for creative work, collect a W-9, and plan to issue a 1099-NEC if you pay $600 or more. In both cases, a producer typically handles brand assets, accounts, and vendor relationships, so onboarding should cover access, brand guidelines, and tools so they can start producing quickly. FirstHR fits the employee path directly for an owner-led marketing team or agency: send the offer for e-signature with the classification stated, store the signed offer, the I-9, and tax forms in document management, route onboarding tasks through a workflow, and assign any orientation with completion records, using the HRIS and self-service portal. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with your payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR; today the platform handles onboarding and document tracking once the candidate signs.