Hello,

I have a question about making money through recording. I own a decent
studio setup. I have recorded some local bands for experience. I've became
very good at using my equipment and software and am only a few pieces of
equipment away from some REALLY high quality recordings (I need 1-2
pre-amps, and a few mics still)

I assume my problem is that of many people interested in making money
through recording. My questions are pertaining to the business side of
things. There are obviously plenty of established recording studios around,
no matter where you live, for the most part. What must you do to put
yourself with the competition? And where do you start as far as charging
money? If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just cut that and
charge $10? I don't have an actual building I rent for this purpose, but I'd
like to. I don't think I'd take this step until I was sure I could make
enough money to cover the expense of renting a building/space somewhere. If
anyone has some tips or knows a site devoted to a monetary aspect of
recording, please inform me...thanks in advance

-Paul

Paul Kurtyka wrote:

Hello,

I have a question about making money through recording.

Forget about it.

You only do recording for love. Don't expect it to be profitable. Only record
companies are allowed to make ( obscene ) profits. Anyone else in the chain is
lucky to scrape a bare living out of it.


Graham

"Paul Kurtyka" wrote in message
news:xkfnf.1415$oz5.45@dukeread03...
Hello,

I have a question about making money through recording.


There are a lot of jokes and not that many serious answers to that question.

There are many activities better suited to making money than recording.

Predrag

Paul Kurtyka wrote:

There are obviously plenty of established recording studios around,
no matter where you live, for the most part.

Actually, there aren't, and they're dwindling. Even many major label
projects are largely the product of a private studio - somethimes the
artist's, sometimes the producer's. There are still some things that
can only be done in a large room with lots of mics and console inputs,
but these days, if that's required at all, it's just a small part of
most productions. You don't need a $10 million studio to do guitar
overdubs, and that's why studios are going out of buiness. A few will
remain, and they are those who have adopted to the new ways of
recording and production, and serve different clients than they used
to, or the same clients differently than they used to.

What must you do to put
yourself with the competition? And where do you start as far as charging
money? If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just cut that and
charge $10? I don't have an actual building I rent for this purpose, but I'd
like to.

Well, one thing that you can do to put yourself against the competition
is to rent a building and build facilities that are useful to your
potential clients that someone can't offer in his spare bedroom. The
trick is to figure out what's needed - what other studios aren't doing
very well. Then see how much demand there is for those services.
There's no point in spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to build
a studio to accommodate the one jazz big band in town that likes to
record live. But you might find that having a really good piano and
environment to record it in can pay. Or set up a really good mixing
environment (good acoustcal design, good monitors) and lots of toys,
and offer mixing services to people who are tracking at home. You just
have to find things that nobody else is doing that people will be
willing to pay for.

Clicking on Record in a ProTools LE system isn't the way to make money,
though it's a way to make records.

Read up on how to create a business plan. There are books (though they
don't address recording studios in particular) and there may be someone
at your bank who can help you. Make the bank think you're considering
taking a loan and they'll help you to succeed so they can get paid
back.

Paul Kurtyka wrote:

I assume my problem is that of many people interested in making money
through recording. My questions are pertaining to the business side of
things. There are obviously plenty of established recording studios around,
no matter where you live, for the most part. What must you do to put
yourself with the competition? And where do you start as far as charging
money? If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just cut that and
charge $10? I don't have an actual building I rent for this purpose, but I'd
like to. I don't think I'd take this step until I was sure I could make
enough money to cover the expense of renting a building/space somewhere. If
anyone has some tips or knows a site devoted to a monetary aspect of
recording, please inform me...thanks in advance

I always make sure to charge at least 20% more than anyone else in the market,
preferably 50%. I don't want the customers who are going to shop around for
the lowest hourly rate. They aren't worth the grief.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Paul Kurtyka" wrote in message
news:xkfnf.1415$oz5.45@dukeread03...
Hello,

I have a question about making money through recording.

The quick answer: Open an equipment store. ;-)

If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just cut that and
charge $10?

If you honestly feel you're only half as good as Joe, then charge half
as much. If you are every bit as good as Joe don't try to undercut him
because you'll both end up out of business. You can't live on $10 an
hour, & you may discover that Joe only charges $20 an hour because he's
sitting on a big family inheritance & doesn't make his mortgage
payments from his studio work. Charging less for the same service
merely devalues the service & is bad for the whole recording community.
Clients need to know that recording is worth something. Charge the same
as Joe but work twice as hard at pleasing the clients. Offer a service
that Joe doesn't, like a well maintained grand piano, or forensic
software capabilities, or a collection of desirable vintage guitar
amps.

Scott Fraser

"Paul Kurtyka" wrote in message
news:xkfnf.1415$oz5.45@dukeread03...
Hello,

I have a question about making money through recording.

...enough money to cover the expense of renting a building/space
somewhere. If anyone has some tips or knows a site devoted to a monetary
aspect of recording, please inform me...thanks in advance

-Paul

You want to make money? Get some US currency, a color scanner, and a
hi-quality printer...

Don't do it.

Mikey
Nova Music Productions

plus you are an undisputed genius, so you deserve the higher rates
(seriously)

Hi Paul,
Though I don't own a pro recording studio, I would suggest not trying to
under cut your compotition by half at any cost. Here's what happens when
you do. Again, this isn't the gospel, but it has happen in the live music
industry, and I'm sure holds true in recording as well. You start cutting
your rates by half of what your cometition is doing, and it starts a baloon
effect. Your competitors start cutting theirs, you cut your again, and they
cut theirs once more and the next thing you know, no one is making any money
what so ever, and the buyers of your product loose any respect for the
suppliers. They start figuring what the hell, a $10 an hour studio is as
good as a $50 an hour one. My suggestion would be to research what the
market around is doing and adjust your prices accordingly. Sure you will
loose a couple of gigs out to a cheaper studio, but if you put out a
superior product word will get around and you will more than make up for it
in the long haul.
"Paul Kurtyka" wrote in message
news:xkfnf.1415$oz5.45@dukeread03...
Hello,

I have a question about making money through recording. I own a decent
studio setup. I have recorded some local bands for experience. I've
became very good at using my equipment and software and am only a few
pieces of equipment away from some REALLY high quality recordings (I need
1-2 pre-amps, and a few mics still)

I assume my problem is that of many people interested in making money
through recording. My questions are pertaining to the business side of
things. There are obviously plenty of established recording studios
around, no matter where you live, for the most part. What must you do to
put yourself with the competition? And where do you start as far as
charging money? If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just
cut that and charge $10? I don't have an actual building I rent for this
purpose, but I'd like to. I don't think I'd take this step until I was
sure I could make enough money to cover the expense of renting a
building/space somewhere. If anyone has some tips or knows a site devoted
to a monetary aspect of recording, please inform me...thanks in advance

-Paul

On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:56:52 -0500, "Paul Kurtyka"
wrote:

If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just cut that and
charge $10?

An alternative approach is to double it to $40. You MUST be better
then. As long as you're competent, you may get a reputation as the
best studio in town. Owning some trendy gear helps.

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:56:52 -0500, "Paul Kurtyka"
wrote:

If the average Joe's studio nearby is $20/hr do I just cut that and
charge $10?

An alternative approach is to double it to $40. You MUST be better
then. As long as you're competent, you may get a reputation as the
best studio in town. Owning some trendy gear helps.


I like this approach, but it definitely doesn't work in Croatia.

I'd still rather change my profession than start cutting rates.

Predrag