How to Start a Home-Based Recording Studio Business

by Joe Shambro

Overview

In the past decade, the rise of independent music culture has come hand-in-hand with another music revolution: the home-based recording studio, the start-up costs of which can be as low or high as a budget allows. How to Start a Home-Based Recording Studio walks aspiring studio owners through all the steps necessary to turn their passion into a business. The first-ever guide to focus not only on outfitting a studio, but also to offer a full range of advice on converting a studio into a profit-making enterprise, it is an indispensible reference for any studio at every stage of its operation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762761241
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/11/2011
Series:	Home-Based Business Series
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Joe Shambro is an audio engineer, music producer, and music technology writer from St. Louis, MO. He has worked exclusively as a freelance engineer with a successful home-based recording and mixing studio, as well as traveling worldwide as an in-demand live sound engineer, mixing concerts and recording live for major-label and independent clients. As a recording engineer, he has recorded a diverse portfolio of projects for musicians, corporate, and government clients, from a concert in a bomb-proof bunker at the US Embassy in Amman, Jordan, recording tree frogs in rural Iowa, and capturing the deafening roar of a Space Shuttle launch up-close in high-definition. Joe is also a home recording & music technology writer for The New York Times Company’s About.com property, as well as a contributing writer for EQ Magazine. His work has been featured on many media outlets, including CNN, The Armed Forces Network, and Clear Channel Radio.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Chapter 1: So You Want to Start a Home-Based Recording Studio Why Start a Home-Based Recording Studio? Is Self-Employment For You? Meet Your New BossHow The Industry Has ChangedWhat Can You Offer? Are Your Skills Up To Par? Balancing Work & FamilyYour Most Valuable Tool: Your Ears Chapter 2: Envisioning Your Business Who Needs You? What Kind of Studio Are You? Producing vs. EngineeringUnderstanding the Studio ProcessTime FrameYour FinancesRole ModelsKnow Your Competition Chapter 3: Writing a Business Plan What’s a Business Plan? Explaining What You DoIt’s All About MarketingOrganization & ManagementAccording to the Law...Fixed Costs, Variable Costs, and Estimated FeesPlan B Chapter 4: Getting Started First Things FirstFinding Your NicheGetting LegalBanking & CreditContractsFinding a Good LawyerMarketing MaterialsYour Resume & Demo Reel Chapter 5: Financial Planning & Management Financing Your DreamInsurance & LicensesBusiness vs. Personal FinancesDon’t Forget Your Taxes...Your Rate: Hourly vs. Flat-Rate? Financing For Your ClientsFull or Part-Time? Knowing When to Quit Chapter 6: Outfit Your Studio Finding Your SpaceCommercial Studio EssentialsRecording Gear: Staying CurrentRoom Acoustics 101Renting & Borrowing GearAnalog or Digital? Making Your Studio Unique Chapter 7: Taxes and Record Keeping Keeping Good RecordsDealing with Employees — Including YourselfFiling Your TaxesWhen Should You Hire a Tax Service? Chapter 8: Legal & Ethical Issues Music Industry Law 101Intellectual Property Matters: Producer vs. EngineerSoftware PiracyBefore The Check Clears: Holding The MasterClient & Project ConfidentialityNoise Pollution: Know (And Use) The LawAlcohol & Drugs In Your StudioEquipment TheftFair Price vs. “The Hookup”Keeping Client Expectations In Check Chapter 9: Marketing Your Studio All About ExposureYou, As A BrandGo For The Ears First!Social NetworkingBlogsSpecial PromotionsEverybody Likes Something for Free...Finding Government & Corporate WorkWorking The Media Chapter 10: The Internet & E Commerce Your Web SiteCraigslist Paying for Internet Advertising: Is It Worth It? ForumsOnline Client Payment Chapter 11: Training & Certification Staying Relevant How Client Expectations ChangeKeeping Up With The Big GuysStanding Out: Professional Certifications Chapter 12: After Recording: Helping Clients To The Finish Line Mastering: In House or Outsourced? Packaging & ArtworkDigital DistributionStoring Client Masters Chapter 13: Business Endgame Repeat Business & How To Ensure ItWhen to Leave Home: Outsourcing & Buying TimeEmployeesStudio InternsYour Standard of QualityOngoing RoyaltiesSelling Your StudioSetting a Price: Equipment Sale vs. Selling a BusinessLetting Go Appendix A: Resources On The WebAppendix B: Suggested Professional OrganizationsAppendix C: Recommended Listening