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Playback Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Apple

Core Audio Software Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

We are looking for a seasoned audio software engineer to drive the technical direction of spatial audio playback across every Apple platform. You will own the architecture of audio decoding and ...

Kaption.co

Android Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

They are looking for an Android Engineer to develop and maintain a high-performance Android app ... audio playback, editing, and remixing. • Create intuitive user flows for interacting with ...

Kaption.co

Frontend Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Frontend Engineer to translate AI into intuitive web experiences, building and ... audio playback, editing, and remixing. • Create intuitive user flows for interacting with ...

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How much do playback engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 24, 2026, the average hourly pay for playback engineer in California is $46.47, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $35.34 and $60.00 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a playback engineer do?

A Playback Engineer is responsible for managing and operating the backing tracks, click tracks, and digital elements used in live performances. They ensure seamless audio playback using software like Ableton Live, often syncing tracks with lighting and video cues. Their role includes programming setlists, troubleshooting technical issues, and collaborating with musicians and crew to maintain consistent sound quality.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a playback engineer?

To thrive as a Playback Engineer, you need expertise in audio engineering, signal flow, and live sound reinforcement, often demonstrated by a degree or equivalent experience in audio production. Familiarity with playback systems such as Ableton Live, Pro Tools, and digital audio interfaces—as well as certifications from manufacturers or relevant training—are highly valuable. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills help you excel in high-pressure environments. These competencies ensure smooth integration of playback tracks, seamless show execution, and effective collaboration with artists and technical teams.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a playback engineer during a live event tour?

As a Playback Engineer on tour, you'll be responsible for programming, operating, and maintaining playback systems that supply pre-recorded tracks, click tracks, and timecode to the band and production team. Your typical day may include setting up and testing equipment, troubleshooting technical issues, coordinating with musical directors and other crew members, and ensuring all playback cues run accurately during performances. You may also collaborate with lighting and video teams to synchronize production elements and may need to adapt to last-minute show changes. The role requires flexibility and strong communication skills, as you'll often work in fast-paced, dynamic environments to deliver flawless live productions.

What are the most commonly searched types of Playback Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Playback Engineer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Playback Engineer jobs in California?

For Playback Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Playback Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Playback Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Playback Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Playback Engineer job openings:

Playback Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Playback Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $96,657 per year, or $46.5 per hour.

Software Engineer III, Playback Services

Crunchyroll, LLC

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$67.75 - $91/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 5 days ago

Job description

About Crunchyroll
Founded by fans, Crunchyroll delivers the art and culture of anime to a passionate community. We super-serve over 100 million anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories, and help them connect with the stories and characters they crave. Whether that experience is online or in-person, streaming video, theatrical, games, merchandise, events and more, it's powered by the anime content we all love.
Join our team, and help us shape the future of anime!
About the role
In the role of Video Playback Services Software Engineer III, you will report to the Senior Engineering Manager, Playback Services.
As a Software Engineer III on the Playback Services team, you will help accelerate critical initiatives aimed at reducing playback latency, bolstering streaming security, and refining the customer experience through better content availability and publishing workflows. A primary focus for this role will be advancing Content Protection / Security initiatives.
In this role, you will:
  • Design, build, and improve backend services and APIs that support secure, reliable video playback.
  • Take ownership of projects that improve content protection and security services, playback latency, streaming security, content publishing, and avails testing.
  • Deliver well-scoped projects from design through deployment, balancing speed, quality, and long-term maintainability.
  • Collaborate with product, QA, and adjacent engineering teams to ship high-quality features and operational improvements.
  • Strengthen the team's ability to support and evolve content protection and security-related systems by contributing in a specialized area that is critical to future roadmap execution.
  • Participate in on-call and incident response, helping expand coverage and improve response effectiveness over time.
  • Debug and resolve moderate to complex production issues related to video delivery, entitlement, configuration, service health, or content protection / security flows.
  • Contribute to code reviews, design discussions, testing practices, and technical documentation to improve overall engineering quality.
  • Identify technical risks and dependency gaps early, then work with the right stakeholders to drive them to closure.
  • Help increase delivery velocity by contributing pragmatic solutions, dependable execution, and durable service improvements.
About You
You're a great fit for this role if you:
  • Have 5+ years of professional software development experience building backend services in production environments.
  • Have strong experience with backend programming languages such as TypeScript, Go, or similar.
  • Have hands-on experience with cloud platforms like AWS or GCP and are comfortable working with distributed systems in production.
  • Understand video streaming fundamentals, APIs, backend service architecture, and the operational realities of delivering playback at scale.
  • Can independently own well-scoped projects from design to deployment and make sound technical decisions with the right stakeholder input.
  • Are comfortable working in systems related to content protection, entitlement, secure content access, or adjacent playback security concerns.
  • Can debug moderate to complex service issues and improve systems through testing, documentation, observability, and maintainable design.
  • Communicate clearly, collaborate effectively across functions, and proactively surface risks, trade-offs, and dependency concerns.
  • Are motivated by improving delivery velocity, strengthening operational coverage, and helping build redundancy in critical technical domains.
About the Team
The Video Platform teams build the systems that power Crunchyroll's most important user experience: watching video. From ingestion to playback, we work on highly scalable systems that deliver video across mobile, desktop, and connected devices.
The Playback Services team focuses on the backend systems that support the player, including configuration, telemetry, and playback optimization. As an SWE III, you'll start contributing to these systems with guidance and grow your expertise over time
Why you will love working at Crunchyroll
In addition to getting to work with fun, passionate and inspired colleagues, you will also enjoy the following benefits and perks:
  • Receive a great compensation package including salary plus performance bonus earning potential, paid annually.
  • Flexible time off policies allowing you to take the time you need to be your whole self.
  • Generous medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, and life insurance
  • Health Saving Account HSA program
  • Health care and dependent care FSA
  • 401(k) plan, with employer match
  • Employer paid commuter benefit
  • Support program for new parents
  • Pet insurance and some of our offices are pet friendly!

#LifeAtCrunchyroll #LI-Hybrid
The Pay Range for this position is listed. Actual pay will vary based on factors including, but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Crunchyroll's Total Rewards offerings for employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, employer matched retirement savings, time-off programs, and progressive health benefits and perks.
Pay Transparency - San Francisco, CA
$16,900-$205,000 USD
About our Values
We want to be everything for someone rather than something for everyone and we do this by living and modeling our values in all that we do. We value
  • Courage. We believe that when we overcome fear, we enable our best selves.
  • Curiosity. We are curious, which is the gateway to empathy, inclusion, and understanding.
  • Kaizen. We have a growth mindset committed to constant forward progress.
  • Service. We serve our community with humility, enabling joy and belonging for others.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
Our mission of helping people belong reflects our commitment to diversity & inclusion. It's just the way we do business.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Crunchyroll. Pursuant to applicable law, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Japan's Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.
Questions about Crunchyroll's hiring process? Please check out our Hiring FAQs: https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040471712-Crunchyroll-Hiring-FAQs
Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights: https://tbcdn.talentbrew.com/company/22978/v1_0/docs/spe-jobs-privacy-policy-update-for-crpa-dec-21-22.pdf
Please beware of recent scams to online job seekers. Those applying to our job openings will only be contacted directly from @crunchyroll.com email account.

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