Music Production Expert - Slovak

$20–36/hrrate as listed

Mercor is recruiting Slovak-speaking music producers and audio engineers to evaluate generative music models for a leading AI lab. The work is head-to-head comparison of AI-generated songs on musicality, prompt adherence, vocal quality, and mix quality, plus detailed labeling of genre, structure, and instrumentation.

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

Most tasks are pairwise comparisons: you listen to two AI-generated tracks produced from the same prompt and decide which is better, then justify that judgment against a rubric covering musicality, creativity, prompt adherence, vocal quality, and production/mix quality. Other tasks are annotation-heavy — tagging genre and sub-genre, marking song structure (intro, verse, pre-chorus, drop), identifying instruments and vocal characteristics, and flagging artifacts like smeared transients, pitch instability, or collapsed stereo imaging. A third stream involves reviewing Slovak lyrics and vocal performances against reference material for grammatical accuracy, natural phrasing, stress placement, and whether the vocal actually sounds like a native speaker rather than a phonetic approximation.

Written justifications matter as much as the ratings. Reviewers look for whether you can name the specific musical or technical reason a track wins, not just that it "sounds better." Instructions arrive in English and are detailed; the Slovak-language judgment is where your native ear is doing work that an English-only annotator cannot replicate.

What the platform screens for

Verifiable production experience — two or more years producing, engineering, or mixing, with credits or released work you can point to. Expect follow-up questions on your signal chain, DAW workflow, and specific mix decisions.
Native or near-native Slovak, assessed through a Bilingual Competency Interview conducted in Slovak.
Critical listening setup — headphones or monitors you actually trust for judging low-end and stereo detail.
Rubric discipline — the ability to separate personal taste from the stated evaluation criteria, and to stay consistent across long sessions.
Genre breadth, including familiarity with contemporary Slovak artists and sub-genres.

Logistics

Fully remote and asynchronous, with tasks pulled from a queue on your own schedule. Start is immediate, the project runs up to roughly six months, and most experts work around 20 hours per week — there is no stated cap. Observed pay for this listing is $20–36/hr, set by experience and screening outcome rather than guaranteed. Onboarding decisions typically follow within a few days of completing the application steps.

What they look for

Native or near-native Slovak with working English reading comprehension
2+ years professional experience as a music producer, audio engineer, or mixing engineer
Critical listening ability on studio headphones or monitors
Genre and sub-genre literacy across contemporary Slovak and international music
Precise written justification of subjective audio judgments
Formal training in music theory, composition, or performance (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 Slovak with the ability to read and follow complex written instructions in English?
Slovak language proficiency · required
Do you have 2 or more years of professional experience as a music producer, audio engineer, or mixing engineer?
Music production or audio engineering experience · required
Do you own headphones or studio monitors suitable for critical listening (e.g., studio-grade, flat-response headphones or monitors)?
Critical listening equipment · required
Do you have formal training in music performance, theory, or composition (e.g., degree, diploma, or recognized certification)?
Formal music training · preferred
Have you released or been credited on commercially or publicly released music production, engineering, or mixing work that can be verified?
Credited production or release work · preferred

0 of 5 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 12 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: Whether you have genuine hands-on experience making or engineering music, not just listening to it—and whether you can articulate technical problem-solving in audio production.
A strong answer: Name a specific project (a client song, release, or portfolio piece), describe the sonic or technical problem you faced (e.g., vocal clarity in a dense mix, genre-specific arrangement choices), and explain the concrete decision or technique you used to address it.
Where people lose it: Speaking vaguely about 'making beats' or 'working with artists' without naming a real project, describing tools or genre without evidence you actually deployed them, or claiming you 'listened to feedback' instead of identifying what you personally changed in the mix.