Music Audio Expert - Russian

$35–49/hrrate as listed

Evaluate AI-generated music and Russian-language lyrics for a leading AI lab, scoring samples head-to-head on musicality, prompt adherence, vocal quality, and mix. Part-time and remote, roughly 10+ hours a week for up to six months, with observed pay reported between $34.72 and $62.49/hr.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

What the work involves

You listen, compare, and write. A typical session mixes head-to-head ratings — two AI-generated samples against one prompt, judged on musicality, creativity, prompt adherence, vocal quality, and production/mix quality — with detailed annotation of individual tracks against a structured taxonomy: genre and sub-genre, song structure, instrumentation, vocal timbre and delivery. A meaningful share of the work is specifically Russian: judging whether generated lyrics scan, rhyme, stress correctly, and read as something a Russian songwriter would actually write rather than a translation artifact. Written justifications matter as much as the scores; graders want reasoning in audio-engineering and music-theory vocabulary, not "sounds better."

What the screen looks for

Mercor runs a resume review followed by a roughly 25-minute AI-led conversational interview covering your background, production or engineering credits, and motivations. The bar it probes for is craft depth that holds up under follow-up: three or more years as a producer, audio engineer, or mixer; formal music education covering performance and theory; and demonstrable experience writing lyrical music in Russian. Expect to be pushed past the first answer — naming a DAW is not the same as describing how you'd critique a muddy low-mid buildup or an unnatural vocal formant in a generated stem. Native or near-native Russian plus working English comprehension is a hard requirement, since instructions, taxonomies, and rubrics arrive in English.

Logistics

Fully remote and largely asynchronous; you work through a task queue rather than fixed shifts.
Part-time, 10+ hours per week, with immediate start and a duration of up to six months.
Pay is reported in the $34.72–62.49/hr range as observed on the platform; actual rate depends on assessed expertise and project tier and is not guaranteed.
Good headphones or monitors and a quiet listening environment are practical prerequisites, even where not formally listed.

What they look for

Native or near-native Russian plus working English comprehension
3+ years as a music producer, audio engineer, or sound mixer
Experience writing lyrics and songs in Russian
Working command of music theory, song structure, and genre taxonomy
Audio-engineering vocabulary for critiquing mix, vocal, and production quality
College-level music training (performance, theory, composition) preferred

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Are you a native or near-native speaker of both Russian and English, able to understand technical directions in English and evaluate music with Russian lyrics?
Native or near-native Russian + English bilingual · required
Do you have at least 3 years of professional or semi-professional experience as a music producer, audio engineer, sound mixer, or equivalent role?
3+ years music production, engineering, or mixing experience · required
Do you hold a college degree in music (or equivalent training) that covered performance, music theory, and songwriting or composition?
Formal music degree or equivalent training in performance, theory, and composition · preferred
Have you written original lyrics or composed music (not translated or arranged) in Russian?
Original songwriting or lyric composition in Russian · required
Can you commit to working at least 10 hours per week for up to 6 months, starting immediately?
10+ hours per week availability for 6 months · required

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Included with this listing

Interview prep — 11 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Can they articulate a repeatable judgment process, not just taste? Do they have hands-on experience in production/engineering contexts where standards matter?
A strong answer: Name a specific role (producer, engineer, mixer, or similar) where you regularly evaluated music against measurable standards—frequency response, vocal clarity, mix balance, adherence to a brief—and describe one concrete example of how you identified and fixed a problem.
Where people lose it: Vague answers like 'I've listened to a lot of music' or 'I have good ears' signal no real evaluation experience. Avoid conflating passive listening with active critique in a professional or structured context.