How's Business?

[bob katz]

How's business for you?

November around here is starting to feel like mid-December in a normal year. It's been an up and down ride all year.

[Rednose]

Hi Bob, I'm far from the mastering guru you are.
I mainly do eps and albums, but I do make my living via the studio.
Enough to pay for a modest Condo, car, etc in the city.

The summer was ok, then September picked up and I thought things would start clicking.
October...ouch! That felt like mid December for me.
November has picked up a bit and I have 3 bids on full length cds for indie labels.
I should nail down one on Monday and God willing have some breathing room.

I play out with my band for giggles every couple of months (your average dinasaur rawk) and we had a gig last night.
I was talking to another studio owner in Chicago and he was so bleak I had to walk away...

[beanface]

Works not too hot at the minute. Had a few projects, but its been dead for the last week really :o( Thursday til' Monday is booked out solid, and December is pretty busy too, but I reckon people are gonna stitch up for sure. We've just finished our new studio and trying to pay it all off seems like a joke. Recessions are really not very funny..

[Cellotron]

The first half of the year was definitely way better than the same time the previous year. After three years running it my business is still just getting established so despite general economic malaise seems things like word of mouth referrals is finally reaching a good pace of momentum for it.
For second half -
June was down (although I took some time off to get married so this was kind of expected), July was amazing, August was bad (although I took off for 2 weeks for vacation so this was kind of expected), September was slightly below average, October I was slammed almost the entire month, and so far I've been super busy this past week but it looks like things might thin out a little. Then again you never know what's going to appear in the inbox or over the phone. So far this year has been better than last year but I still want to increase billing for next year by a good bit.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Thomas W. Bethe]

North East Ohio area...

We got no mastering work in from the 15th of August to the 15th of September but we were very busy this summer and since the 15th we have been busy. In the "olde" days , before the recession, I normally could have closed up shop from the 15th of July to the 15th of August there was just no work but that went away about 3 years ago and summers have been busy. We have diversified and gotten into video production, audio and video restoration, transfers, small run duplication and graphics so when one area is down there is always something else to do.

This recession sucks! and in Ohio it started about two years earlier than the rest of the country and looks like it will take two years more (if ever) to get out of it. Ohio unemployment is about 10.2% reported but more like 15% because a lot of people have stopped looking. Ford closed up a big plant, York air conditioning, Bendix, Ridge Tool and General Industries also closed up shops in this county. Lots of people have been laid off semi permanently and in the local industrial park only about 1 in 4 buildings are occupied. A large shopping mall near here maybe converted into part of Cleveland Clinic. All the mall's Kiosk have closed up and about 1 in five stores have also closed down, Rents at the mall continue to climb, and no one can afford them with the downturn in business. I guess according to the news media the recession is over but you could not prove it here where I live. Lots of small newspapers and musicians/club tabloids are going broke and Scene Magazine which use to be a large weekly paper is down to a shell of its former self.

The music scene is dwindling as more and more bars and small venues make musicians basically pay to play by requiring them to supply 50 or more patrons before they will pay the band and what they are paying is ridiculously low and down right insulting to the musicians. Some SSL and NEVE equipped recording studios are offering off peak rates of $35.00 per hour which is really really cheap for the clients but very bad for the studios. More and more musicians seem to be trying to do it on their own in their basements or bedrooms with mixed results. The folks at Guitar Center and Sam Ash seem to be having their own problems as more and more people have all the equipment they need and GC seem to be going more and more for the very low end with equipment like Behringer. Lots of guitar hero wannabees (tire kickers) in GC but not much in the way of sales. Not a good time for anyone IMHO and it may continue to get worse before it gets better.

Our video business is going well and our small run audio and video duplication is also going well. Looking forward to a GREAT end of the year.

Interesting and timely topic!!! thanks BK...

[mercurydime]

things are good here...growing still. my enterprise is like Tom's, i do a lot of stuff here. the album tracking and mixing business is good. mastering jobs come and go, though i do have one currently, and three on the horizon. currently loads of transfer-restoration work that simmers on the back burner and gets done as time allows. cd design and duplication has not been quite as busy this year, but quoted a couple jobs a few days ago...i've taken to keeping those very short-run as my time is more efficiently amortized billing studio time.

our priemere local neve/api studio seems to be pretty busy, too(the new avett brothers album was tracked there), but over the summer, i and one of my clients negotiated a day rate identical to the wampum i charge here...reasonable indeed!

the economy, for me at least, has not seemingly been much of a factor, if any at all. for that i am thankful. thankful for all the talented souls i get to know and work with in this business.

best,

[Rick Sutton]

Very slow here. Good first half of year then it dried up around August. Looks like it's going to be a long haul 'til it gets better. Was just informed last week that one of my very best long term clients is losing his house to the "bank" and will be moving to L.A. in search of work.........not good.

[Virtalahde]

I've seen some pretty strong growth in business here. Work for every day and 5 days a week. What has been surprising is that a majority of them seem to be albums.

But I managed to at least have a good 3-week vacation in the summer. Hadn't had one in a long time.. Lost some work for it, but spent some good time all over Europe.

[Lagerfeldt]

I'm juggling... booked 2-3 weeks ahead and everybody's always in a rush. Getting a couple of new requests per day, I had to remove my Google and Facebook ads.

November is the busiest month of the year for me, this year no exception. I find that it slows down completely in mid December, mastering-wise.

On the production side I've had to hire another producer, I've now got two "sidekicks" ;- One of them is now working out of my studio when I leave in the evening, the other from his home studio.

Fortunately my sample CD business is almost automated, so that's nice.

Two kids (one newborn) and moving to a new place at the same time, whew..

I know I've had sex with my wife at least twice, but I can't remember what it's like at the moment.

[carlsaff]

I've been booking a solid 6 weeks out for well over a year now. I feel incredibly fortunate.

[ORC]

Busy. Considering there are only 1.5 million people within a 50 mile radius of my studio, very busy. Omaha has way too many music groups and recording studios for a city its size, for which I am grateful. Mastering is where the money is in this town. Doing albums, but lately I've been seeing a trend towards bands releasing Ep's 3 or 4 times a year rather than doing full length albums.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

I'm juggling... booked 2-3 weeks ahead and everybody's always in a rush. Getting a couple of new requests per day, I had to remove my Google and Facebook ads.

November is the busiest month of the year for me, this year no exception. I find that it slows down completely in mid December, mastering-wise..

That's so interesting. July is always my busiest month, never November, and yes December is usually slow. I had a record setting July but average months since then.

[Waltz Mastering]

Summer wasn't bad. Slow down at end of September. October and November working out well so far.

[beanface]

Originally Posted by ORC

Busy. Considering there are only 1.5 million people within a 50 mile radius of my studio, very busy. Omaha has way too many music groups and recording studios for a city its size, for which I am grateful. Mastering is where the money is in this town. Doing albums, but lately I've been seeing a trend towards bands releasing Ep's 3 or 4 times a year rather than doing full length albums.

Might consider moving out there then Theres almost 14 million people in the London metropolitan area and work is sloooowww. Last year was a different story though, maybe the recession is worse over here. The pound has never been so weak.

[jdg]

up up down down left right left right b a start

both of my businesses are steady, but some days its up, sometimes its down... avg it all out over 6mo... business is up on both fronts.

this week, i was in the studio yesterday for a few hours, and today for a few more. and i HATE working weekends.

[Lagerfeldt]

Originally Posted by lucey

That's so interesting. July is always my busiest month, never November, and yes December is usually slow. I had a record setting July but average months since then.

Could be a cultural thing perhaps.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by jdg

and i HATE working weekends.

It's so interesting to me how different we all are. I like working weekends, it's a good time to get some things caught up before the Monday rush begins.

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

Could be a cultural thing perhaps.

Maybe we need a poll. US and Euro busiest month trends.

[Virtalahde]

Originally Posted by lucey

Maybe we need a poll. US and Euro busiest month trends.

I wish I could predict some kind of a trend, but the only trend I've seen is that everyone wants to have their project mastered at the same time.

[beanface]

Originally Posted by Virtalahde

I wish I could predict some kind of a trend, but the only trend I've seen is that everyone wants to have their project mastered at the same time.

lol

[UnderTow]

Most of my work is post. I've had the busiest summer ever and it was still going strong when I started to have health problems end of Septembre. I have worked two days since then but not because of lack of demand. *sigh*

Alistair

[Ben F]

This year has been a roller coaster.

Everyone I have talked to has had a pretty up/down year, not just in the mastering business either.

[Riccardo]

Originally Posted by Virtalahde

I wish I could predict some kind of a trend, but the only trend I've seen is that everyone wants to have their project mastered at the same time.

you're not alone.



November 2008 to end of February 2009 very slow, then picking up again and steadily increasing so far.

[papanauta]

A lot of work, to little money.

[dietrich10]

Never easy to anticipate for me what each month will bring. I have been trying to find time for my own writing/production(turned down 2 remixes last month) and people requesting me to do stem mixes now as well...

I find myself with way too much to do this week already(has not started).
5/6 12" cuts in line plus a few digital only release EPs. Plus I have Ethan from Realtraps coming wednesday night-need to take out massive old desk thing, setup new speaker stands and short term desk(still feeling out what I want to do...) before he comes to go over the room.

August was completely insane for me. It is usually slowest time of the year. I worked parts of one weekend day for most of summer as well...

I am not specialized per say though my background in underground techno/house keeps me with a steady client and loyal base so far. Trying to figure out how to get involved in the nyc indie scene as well. i think its a more crowded choice of good mastering options in brooklyn already...

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Originally Posted by UnderTow

Most of my work is post. I've had the busiest summer ever and it was still going strong when I started to have health problems end of Septembre. I have worked two days since then but not because of lack of demand. *sigh*

Alistair

Sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope you are on the road to recovery. It is NOT fun to be sick especially when you have to turn down work.

Be well!!!

[MASSIVE Master]

Buried right now and no idea why. Fluke. Been a very inconsistent year.

To some point, it's actually been nice to be a little slow. More opportunities for some "throttle time" -- But on the flip side, this last summer has been almost non-existent and freakishly wet. So, fewer opportunities for throttle time.

[rashadrm@hotmai]

Business is as unpredictable as it has ever been, but fortunately the bill money keeps showing up.
Splitting my time between mixing and mastering for a lot of independents.
Everybody has a setup at home but most of them cant mix the records they make so i get all of that work.
People like the vibe of the studio so its becoming a place that many of my clients bring their own engineer to track etc. That frees me up to do aother things in the B-room, like video and web design.
Over 20 years in the business so far on a strictly word of mouth basis.
Think I'm gonna try some marketing in 2010 just to make sure the phone keeps ringing.

i've also decided to go on the road for a while with the group, to break it up a little, not sure if I want to get on so many planes, but I do want to see a bit more of the world.
We will be performing on ABC's The View Tues 11-10-09 11am EST.
That should be fun

Theres Only One Rule...........I will not lose.

[Jerry Tubb]

Perseverance... steady as she goes.

October was the best month in over 2 years!

[UnderTow]

Originally Posted by Thomas W. Bethe

Sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope you are on the road to recovery. It is NOT fun to be sick especially when you have to turn down work.

Be well!!!

Thanks Thomas!

Alistair

[bmanic]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

Two kids (one newborn) and moving to a new place at the same time, whew..

Congratulations man! Two kids here as well. Son now 1 year old.

I know I've had sex with my wife at least twice, but I can't remember what it's like at the moment.

Cheers!
bManic