What this life looks like
You make everything sound right. Sound technicians manage audio for live events, film and television productions, broadcast, and recording studios — setting up, operating, and maintaining the equipment that captures, processes, and delivers sound to audiences. Africa's growing live events, music, film, and broadcast industries all depend on skilled sound technicians, and the role sits at the intersection of technical knowledge and artistic sensitivity.
What she actually does
You set up and operate sound systems for live events — mixing desks, microphones, speakers, and monitors — mix live audio during performances and events, record and process audio for film and television production, manage audio in recording studio environments, troubleshoot audio equipment faults under pressure, advise on sound system design for venues, and maintain audio equipment in working order.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| Live Events | Concert and festival sound — working for event production companies or touring with artists as dedicated sound tech |
| Film & TV Production | Sound recording on film and television sets — boom operation and production sound mixing |
| Broadcast | Radio and television station audio — consistent employment with stable hours compared to event work |
| Recording Studios | Studio sound engineering — recording and mixing music and audio in professional studio environments |
Why it matters in Africa
Africa's music industry is thriving — Afrobeats, amapiano, highlife, and multiple other genres are gaining global audiences and generating demand for live events, recordings, and broadcast. Africa's growing festival circuit, the expansion of Nollywood and African television production, and the booming live music scene across Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, and other cities create consistent demand for skilled sound technicians. The best sound techs become trusted collaborators with major African artists and are in constant demand.
Your pathway in
- Study audio engineering at a music production or sound engineering school — or learn through apprenticeship with an established sound technician
- Develop your ear: the most important asset of a sound technician is the ability to hear what sounds right and what needs adjustment — this is developed through deliberate listening and study
- Learn the equipment: understanding mixing desks, microphones (dynamic, condenser, ribbon), signal processing, and speaker systems is foundational technical knowledge
- Assist experienced sound technicians on events and productions — hands-on experience under supervision is the fastest learning pathway
- Develop troubleshooting skills: the ability to diagnose and fix audio problems quickly under pressure, without disrupting events, is the skill that defines excellent sound technicians
Skills you will need
- Live sound mixing
- Microphone placement and technique
- Signal flow and processing
- PA system setup and troubleshooting
- Recording session management
- Studio mixing and editing (ProTools, Logic, Ableton)
A woman in this field
Febe Adedamola
Nigeria
Phebean Adedamola Oluwagbemi (professionally known as Febe Adedamola) is a prominent Nigerian audio engineer, mixing and mastering specialist, concert production manager, and music technology advocate. She is widely recognized for her leadership in creating equal opportunities for women in Africa's heavily male-dominated audio industry. She is the founder and director of the Audio Girl Foundation (also known as Audio Girl Africa). This pan-African non-profit initiative focuses on equipping young African women with audio production, engineering, and music business skills.
Take your first step
- Research audio engineering training at music production schools in your country — SAE Institute (South Africa), Afrofusion Music Academy (Nigeria), and similar institutions offer accredited audio engineering programmes
- Study signal flow: understanding how audio travels from a microphone through a mixing desk and out to speakers (the basic signal chain) is the foundational conceptual knowledge of all sound engineering
- Download a free Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) — GarageBand (free for Mac), Audacity (free, cross-platform), or Reaper (very affordable) — and experiment with recording and mixing audio on your computer
- Attend live music events and watch the sound engineer: observe how they set up, how they respond during performance, and how they manage the mix. This observation builds your understanding of what live sound engineering involves before you have your hands on the equipment
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