How many GS members are full-time professionals?

[Silver Sonya]

I was just curious if anyone has a sense for how many members of this board make their living exclusively from audio. I'm not a snob and I don't look down on people who are new or are just hobbyists or aspiring professionals. I was just wondering about the demographics of this site. I'm in my early-mid thirties, and I'm a full-time professional and have been running a studio for almost 9 years.

I used to think that almost everyone who would subscribe to this site was more similar to me. But I think that was a mistaken notion. Sometimes you can read a post and you can tell by the texture of the writing that the person who is writing is very young and/or inexperienced. Sometimes I get a "Oh, yeah, I remember when I used to think that way..." kind of feeling. But I feel that piping in and saying that would only come off as condescending. You can't force wisdom upon people, they have to arrive at it themselves through empirical judgement. I had a lot of dumb ideas when I was in my twenties... a lot of dumb dogmatic notions and such. The only way I learned was by doing. We're all human.

Again, I'm not putting anybody down or trying to start a class war or anything like that. Just curious about rough percentages. Anyone know? Anyone want to guess?

--- Chad

[darkwater]

Only way to know for sure is to sound off!

I'm full time

[djui5]

I am... 100%

Might wanna post a poll and see if you can get it stickied

[CapstanGreg]

I'm a full-time Electrical Engineer, specialty is automated control systems for industry.

Run a project studio part-time (evenings and weekends)... or at least I did until Katrina forced me to move out of my location. I'm relocating right now... it sucks I haven't recorded in three months, but I have mixed two projects post-K, so that's helped me keep my sanity.

Business was very steady for a year or so before Katrina, so hopefully things will pick back up again once I get up and running.

[rickrock305]

i am

[toolskid]

full time here

[XSergeantD]

Full time

[PlanB]

full time here too

[Musiclab]

full time

[RKrizman]

All da time.

-R

[StudioKing]

Full Time

[Jamz]

Very good question. Often thought of asking myself.

I've been fulltime since 1984.

[chadly]

Full time too. Not at the top, but paying my bills. 5 years.

[mixerguy]

Full time 220%

I don't sell furniture in the daytime.

This is not a hobby.

[delcosmos]

Full time.

[EarCandy]

Full time here- Too much time. I need a vacation...

[robmix]

fulltime

[thethrillfactor]

Full Time here as well.

[MJGreene Audio]

Fulltime also. And Damn lucky that I am

[Brad Blackwood]

Full time here.

[not_so_new]

Full time all the time for quite a while (almost a decade) until about 4 years ago. Needed to pay the bills ya know....



Looking to open my own place in a bit here, I still keep in contact with a few of my old customers so I think I could pick up some business pretty quickly. Maybe go back to weekend warrior or maybe 50 / 50 studio and day gig.

[MusicKat]

Full time here as well

[Silver Sonya]

I tend to suspect that most people who volunteer to be self-identified would be professionals. The non-professionals might be intimidated; no one wants to be stigmatized. So I think that maybe an anonymous poll would make more sense.

Anybody have a guess as to the percentages of total GS membership? 50% pro / 50% hobbyist? What do you think?

-- c

[Power Supply]

I definitely don't have a life.
FULL time.

[DBarbarulo]

full

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

I tend to suspect that most people who volunteer to be self-identified would be professionals. The non-professionals might be intimidated; no one wants to be stigmatized. So I think that maybe an anonymous poll would make more sense.

Anybody have a guess as to the percentages of total GS membership? 50% pro / 50% hobbyist? What do you think?

-- c

Interesting question. I think there are a ton of people who lurk here on both sides, but I would not know how many actually are "pro" vs. "hobbyist".. I guess would be that there are more hobbyist types out there because there are more chances to do that than actually work in a paying studio gig... but I could be wrong.

[Stick]

Full time.

[CapstanGreg]

hi:

So far it seems that I'm the only person who's admitted not to being a professional recording engineer. In a way, I feel that my studio is a bit more than a hobby to me. I do make money from my studio, but it's not my main source of income, so I guess that makes me non-professional. I'm only 25 years old, and over the past 5 or 6 years, I feel I've developed a great network of musician and recording friends who respect my work. When a band comes back to record 6 months or year later to work on another 5-10 songs, this is my confirmation that they like my work. Or at least that they feel they're getting what they paid for. For $750-$1000, I feel a band can come into my studio and leave with something they're proud of sonically and musically.

I have very low rates, so I'm sure that attracts business for me, but I won't have those rates forever. I feel I need to have clients who trust me enough that when I become a full-time recording engineer, they'll still want to record with me.

So I don't feel like what I do is of less value simply because I'm not full-time (at least not yet). And I hope any other hobbyist out there feel the same. There's no doubt that I prefer recording over my Electrical Engineering job; however, I really enjoy what I do as an EE.

Also, I think a couple of my projects have been mastered by Chad (or someone else) at Silver Sonya. And nice work on the Dismemberment Plan album. thumbsup

[John Suitcase]

I've been full time for over a year, but for the 15 years before that I was doing occasional projects while running other businesses and touring in my band.

While I am full time, I'm not fully booked, I turn down a certain percentage of gigs, jsut because I don't know much about rap, metal, r&b, country.

I prefer to specialize and stick to what I feel I do well...

[Nahuel]

I'm a full time broke vagrant