Recording as a job...

[Mip]

Soon i'll be going to college to do a course in Audio Engineering, and i'm hoping to get a job in a recording studio. I'm just wondering, how many of you guys make a living out of recording, or anything to do with music/audio?
And does anybody here make a living out of recording people in their home studio?

Thanks...

[Roel]

Well... Make a poll:
1 Making a living.
2 Making enough money to get back what they put in
3 Making money, but not enough to get back what they put in
4 making no money

I'm case 3... At the moment. Maybe after I've got anough gear to do decent recordings, I'll get to 2. But then I'll just buy more gear. So let's stay with case 3.

[Wallycleaver]

#3
#2, 3, and 4 sucks, you have to have a day job. You can make some good money.To be able to do it for a living can be tough. Think about it, you need enough to pay for your gear, pay for the placeto record, upgrade gear to keep up with the times. I'm fond of the idea of working for a studio with a small home studio as well.

[Cyrokk]

I once heard a suggestion that you could pay off your equipment faster if you rent it out to other people.. but I’m not too crazy about the idea of someone else handling my gear.. so I’m hopelessly stuck in #4..

Cy

[psmith66]

4 (but I just posted to MP3.com as an "artist" and hope to make a nickel over the next few months - then I'll be a 3!)

[Roel]

I earn some money doing budget demo's for friends. As a first demo, or as a demo to find out if the songs are working before going into a real studio.

And apart from that, I make some change doing FOH mixing now and then, and giging from time to time. And occasionally (few times a year) I give some music lessons...

[ADS]

I am between #2 and #1. I have had my studio open since 1997. I started out of my house, then in February 2000 I moved to the building I am at now. It has been hard because just up until the last year or so I have finally gotten big enough to do every thing I wanted to do. Not just space wise, but equipment wise as well. With the overhead cost of owning your own studio it can be very tough to make a living especially starting from scratch. If you can get a job as an engineer in an existing studio or as a freelance engineer you can do pity good.
Andy

[darrin_h2000]

Im sitting at 3 right now but as soon as Im done with one contract I may be a 2.

but untill then Ill be working for the commedians and the church.hopefully the bands pan out.

[mikeh]

Most of the people I know who make their living by running a studio have a standard of living only slightly above poverty. I do know a few who make a "decent" living - but they are good business people who work with corporate clients and marketing agencies (if you depend on bands and songwriters you will most certainly die poor). In my humble (yet informed) opinion, anyone who wants to make a living in music has to have several things going at once: having a studio, writing jingles, doing gigs, teaching, maybe working in a music store, etc. (cause if one gig falls apart, you need other things to support yourself).

I was a full time musician for several years (at that time I was just a road dog) - and even in the good years (Vegas gigs, etc.) it still wasn't a decent lifestyle - but I was in my 20's and the priorities were: sex, drugs and rock & roll (notice no mention of food, or rent).

Even though I now have a "real day job" - my personal policy is (and always has been) my gear must pay for itself, within 6 months (after 6 months it will probably be obsolete anyway). I don't buy a piece of gear unless I know I will have clients to use it (or I can use it on a gig). However, since I am a gear slut to the seventh power, I still gig several times a month and work part time in a drum shop - so if the studio has a dry spell, my other "music related revenues" will pay for the gear.

I guess that makes me a 2.

[ola]

I'm definetly at 4. I haven't made any attempts to climb the ladder though - I just have this wierd stack of cash that's burning a hole in my pocket

[dachay2tnr]

I'm a #4 also... but for me the fact that I don't have to make a living at it is what makes it fun. If I had to make a living, I'm not sure I would enjoy it as much. Then it would simnply become a day job, and I already have one of those.

[langleyt]

Since our band broke up, my husband and I are thinking of opening a home studio. We already have a good start on the equipment although i feel a bit like someone above mentioned about anyone handeling our gear. We live in a small town under the rule of a major university. But, every summer the music students come flocking in and I am hoping to capture some of their attention. So apart from the cost of gear and such I am wondering about the cost of business liscense and permits and liability and whatever. Does anyone have a good handle on the business end of this venture?

Thanks,
Teresa