How successful are YOU w/ your recording?

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Wolfman140

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Hey everyone...I have a big question to ask everyone.

First, which of you are hobbiests, or professional audio engineers? If you ARE a proffesional, how can this business have any profit at all? I mean c'mon..good quality mics cost an arm in a leg...But thats only half the battle! You still have to spend thousands upon thousands for high quality studio hardware, speakers, and all the rest. So my question for the professionals really is what do they consider success for themselves, and are their business's financially well off or are they always on a tight budget? Anyone here produce records for a major or indie label? If that were the case, in general you wouldn't have to buy your own equipment right? Because you'd just goto the studio they want and use theirs. Somebody let me in on what it's like being a pro audio engineer! :-) Sorry if this is all too broad...everyone gimme their 2 cents...or...maybe even 5 cents if they want. :-)

Eagerly Awaiting "Input" like Jonny 5,
Kevin
 
Question: How can one make a small fortune in the music business?

Answer: Start with a large fortune... lol.
 
By being an A&R man or a lawyer and not the poor bastard techie in the studio. :-)

-Kevin
 
I'd say that all it takes is being smart and having a realistic outlook, but then I wouldn't be smart or have a realistic outlook if I said that.
 
Depends how you define success.

If being successful is making lots of money, maybe being an RE is a longshot.

If being successful is doing what you love, maybe being a poor RE is the best job in the world.

BTW, I'm just a lowly hobbiest, and I wouldn't call myself a "successful" recorder by any means.

But it's been a fun dream to pursue, with lots of sidestreets to get lost on along the way!;)
 
I, too, am a lowly hobbiest. I, too, have wondered the very same things as you but I do realize that this is an industry where the competent technician will do, at the most, OK. It is the true artist, the guy (or gal) who has real creativity as well as the technical skills AND the desire to use them to the utmost, who will succeed beyond reason.

How can I know this? Easy, this formula holds true in almost every field. My daughter is a student artist. When I go to her showings (her class's, that is), it is very easy to pick the "winners" from the "losers". I'm not a trained artist, but like the average CD buyer, I can tell the well produced, from the bad. I can "hear" a good painting even if I don't like its subject matter. Talent shines through in all fields of endeavour.

I guess that is why so many on this forum suggest so much listening.

Hmmm... I think I've just talked myself into something... :eek:

Regards, Steve :)
 
I guess I fall somewhere in between.

I started my studio as a place for me and some friends to screw around and record some of the stuff that had been bouncing around in our heads. No thoughts of making any money at all-it was a hobby.

Then I was approached by an aquaintence who asked if he could use the studio to do some demo work, and offred to pay me a nominal sum for my time. I was cool with that, and the demo's did very well.

That led to a friend of his asking the same question. I agreed, but when I heard the quality of this band's stuff, I volunteered to do a full-length CD for them. After the fact, they paid me quite a bit of money, since the CD is selling very well.

Now, I'm quoting jobs for new customers who have heard my work or have been referred by other clients, but I have the ability to be VERY picky about who I choose to record. My rates are probably as cheap as anyone in town, for the simple fact that I don't have the investment that most places do, and I have no intention of actively recruiting business or making substantial investments into the studio. I HAVE a day job-I don't want the studio to become a second job. People that come to me KNOW what the going rates are, and they know what their finished stuff will sound like-if they want Abbey Road, I aim them that way. That's not my target audience right now.

If I can make enough money out of the thing to pay for my gear lust, I'll be happy as hell. And my OWN recordings will sound better as a result. I know my own limitations, and won't misrepresent my abilities to a potential client. But apparently people like what I do, because my phone has been ringing...
 
Wolfman140 said:
Hey everyone...I have a big question to ask everyone.

First, which of you are hobbiests, or professional audio engineers?
Click to expand...

Since I'm currently making a "living" doing this, I guess I would technically be considered a professional.


If you ARE a proffesional, how can this business have any profit at all?
Click to expand...

Well, technically, in order to be considered profitable, one need only to bring in more revenue than one spends.


So my question for the professionals really is what do they consider success for themselves, and are their business's financially well off or are they always on a tight budget?
Click to expand...


I consider it a successful month if I am able to pay the rent and/or bills on time. That should pretty much answer your other question. :D


Anyone here produce records for a major or indie label?
Click to expand...

Indie, yes. Major no.


If that were the case, in general you wouldn't have to buy your own equipment right? Because you'd just goto the studio they want and use theirs.
Click to expand...

It depends on their budget. If they can afford to rent a studio and pay you a wage on top of that, then yes. Being a freelance engineer is very likely the most profitable way to go about it. But it might also be the most difficult to break in to, because you pretty much have to establish a name for yourself -- and a strong one at that. This can be accomplished either by working for next to nothing at a studio for a while, and hope to get your big break . . . or by, you guessed it, having your own studio for a while. :D
 
My answers are similar to Chessrock's.......

Audio engineering is my full-time occupation.....

A business is profitable if one can make a living with it (certainly without going into the red), so yes - my studio IS successful.

I've done Indie's - no major, yet......
 
First of all if you are looking to make a lot of money, go back to school and be a doctor. Let's face it, in this business there is not a lot of money to be made unless you already have money.

As the price of recording equipment drops you will find less and less artists going to the recording studio to record their music. That is most of the major income for recording studios.

You have to do it because you love it, not because you want to get rich. If you are a good producer people will want to have your ears on their work. Artists may have their own recording equipment, but may not know how to make it sound good.

I consider myself a professional only because of the quaility of my work, but I do not work full time as an audio engineer anymore. Those days have passed. So, I guess in that aspect I am not. Although, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Follow your heart not your wallet.
 
What's the line between hoobbiest and professional? If it's getting paid then I'm pro ;)

I definitely feel succesfull! I started recording for fun and to be able to do my own stuff and have through word off mouth kept pretty darn busy. In the last week in addition to working my day job I had 30 hours of paying clients. It felt really good. I was tired and it was hard work and the 16 hour days kicked my butt but when I gave them the rough mixes and they called to say how great it sounded I felt succesful.

When my clients hear the first playback and their eyes light up is when I feel good about it.
 
IchabodVer7 said:
First of all if you are looking to make a lot of money, go back to school and be a doctor. Let's face it, in this business there is not a lot of money to be made unless you already have money.

As the price of recording equipment drops you will find less and less artists going to the recording studio to record their music. That is most of the major income for recording studios.

You have to do it because you love it, not because you want to get rich. If you are a good producer people will want to have your ears on their work. Artists may have their own recording equipment, but may not know how to make it sound good.

I consider myself a professional only because of the quaility of my work, but I do not work full time as an audio engineer anymore. Those days have passed. So, I guess in that aspect I am not. Although, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Follow your heart not your wallet.
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Very good thoughts, but a whole lot of very good musicians don't record themselves and need a good studio.

Indeed you have to do this business from the heart, but if you do it good you can make a living out of it.

The mistake that many novice engineers/studio owners make, is being cheap in order to get clients. But the clients you get by being cheap, will not give you much credits in the music business.
So better participate in projects with really talented bands who can and will make you a well known engineer/producer.

I've been in this business for some twenty years now and actually I don't have to work anymore, If I would like to retire, I could do that, but I love this job too much. My rates are higher than the colleagues around me and still I have more business.

If you want business, be better than anybody else, not cheaper.

Am I successful? I think I am.
 
Guys - I think you already missed the one really correct answer to this question:
DJL said:
Question: How can one make a small fortune in the music business?

Answer: Start with a large fortune... lol.
Click to expand...
LMFAO!!!!!!! :D :p :p :D
 
I'd be making a pretty good living if I stopped buying gear. For me, the main thing is that it's not costing me any money to have the studio. My rent and gear is all paid from the studio. That's good enough for me at the moment. I basically get to keep getting cool shit for free.
 
when i read the header of this thread i thought it was going to be about if people get good reviews, how much radio play, what great musicians you get to record, what quality of music passes through, how many people get to hear your stuff...
 
I just finished a full time five year 'Producer' course at the conservatory: it combined a music education with audio engineering.

I just graduated this friday!!!! Now I'm gonna take a break and try to find a job in the sector... I'll let you know how it ends!
 
I don't do this for a living...

I have as much business as I can handle...

I have quite a few repeat clients...

I'm as successful as I care to be...
 
Mobb said:
I think the music you record also can influence the money you can make from it.
I record only rap/hip hop, I don't even have $6,000 invested total, and since 2000 I've made triple my money back recording people in the area I live.

That's not making a living, but it's not a bad hobby either.

I think rap artists are easier to record, less mics needed, you only record vocals, etc, therefore we don't need as much equipment as some of you do.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's much easier to make money when you steal all your software.
 
Fascinating thread. Are we talking about getting ***RICH*** or are we talking about ***ENRICHMENT***? My life is better because I record. If you show up outside my studio in your Mercedes and tell me I'm a loser because I drive an Aerostar, who's right?


I think I know.
 
I started a year ago when I bought a Yamaha digital 16 track and a few mics to record my band. A year on I've recorded dozens of bands, had some of the recordings released on small labels, had one of the acts signed to Animal Nightlife, written/recorded music for a Hollywood film, written/recorded music for a Barclaycard commercial starring Jennifer Aniston etc. I'm also doing a&r for the publishing company that sorted the film and ad for me - but for free. I'm hoping they take off so I can continue what I'm doing for a wage.

Now I'm at a stage where I have a load of bands lining up to record but I'm still a guy with a spare room in a rented house with crap acoustics and a home quality Yamaha 16 track.

I reckon I want to do this for a living since it seems to be working right now but I am super-cautious. These things can stop as quickly as they start. My plan is to put any money I've made into making my own studio and see how well I do.
 
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