What were some of the things you did to prepare for opening your studio?

[Big 3rd]

Finally, I'm almost ready to get back to what I love and I need some input. I'll tell you my position right now.
I lost my $50,000/yr job around September and I've been collecting unemployment since then. At the same time, since then, I've been planning and working toward opening my basement, on a screened basis, and selling studio time. Ya know, doing the independent thing....sick of working for others. Now I have about 2 months before the unemployment runs out. After that, the bills will be flying in with no net at the door. So, I'm kinda pressed for time to get this RESTRICTED studio established to a point of bringing in at least $300/wk ($40/hr), which is about 8 hours a week of studio time sold.

So help a brotha out. Tell me some of the things you did when you were getting prepared for the grand opening.

What was on your checklist? (excluding the obvious like equipment)

For those of you that run a RESTRICTED studio, how did you get your clientele up to a point of it being continuous and how long did it take?

Basically, tell me everything you think I should know and consider.

Thanks a whole bunch in advance.

[CNC_AudioCrack]

You might want to get a 30,000 job now.

Because getting consistent clients ain't a go right now especially if you don't have any work to show because you're just opening.

I'd get some testimonials or something and put up some flyers and shit.

Other than that I can't really tell you because I don't own a studio.

[johndough]

I dont want to put a negative vibe on things but I had to learn the hard way and my situation was much much much better than yours... Get another job do music in your spare time if it takes off then quit.

Im sure you already thought about what happens if it dont work so I'll skip that part but lets pretend you do hit your numbers. So what? Your not gonna spend the rest of your life making 300-500 a week. With that type of income growing and reinvesting or investing in something else isnt really gonna happen. So your basically just putting off having to go back to work. The longer you wait the harder it will be to get a job.

Your better off getting a job TODAY saving dough and push your thing around your work schedule. Build up your clients, equipment, skills, then quit forever. If for what ever reason things dont work out at least you still have your job and your equipment. If you gamble and it dont pay off your gonna put your equipment up for sale and have to take the first crappy job you can get. tutt

[NoiseToys]

Running a studio is difficult but not impossible... When it is part of your home, even with screened clients, it often imposes other difficulties that you wouldn't face with an offsite studio... however... If you are opening and have been a working engineer I'm sure you already know what it will take (tools) to be technically sound... I would focus on making your envirornment very comfotable for your clients. Is this a place they WANT to come versus the other flavors they have to choose from (I imagine a lot at that price point)... Do you have the client base and resources to be as particular as you want to be ... if not ... how do you get there??? How good are your relationships within your client/potential client community. Buying things for a studio is easy... It's all the non tangibles that is the fuel for the engine. Good Luck.

[Big 3rd]

All very important things to consider.

I don't know...here in Detroit, there isn't many good studios to choose from. To be honest, my engineering EXPERIENCE is very minimal but my producing skills are the complete opposite. For the past year and a half I've been basically saving money to buy equipment to have my own complete semi-professional studio. So that meant me doing a lot of overtime, which forced me to step away from music completely during this duration. No writing, no mixing, no making any music. It's been killer for me. Sometimes I think I've lost my mojo and even my hunger for the actual love of it. But one things for sure, music is what I want to do and working for someonelse can not be my primary option for the remainder of my life.
But anyway, here in Detroit, not to many people have the loot or have the drive to save the loot to get an HD2 system, control 24, top notch converters (AD16x/DA16x), 1073, u87, patchbays, mogami cabling, and etc. This is where most of my hourly rate is coming from, dispite my overall inexperience as an actual engineer. I didn't want to go for a lower rate because when I get the experience it'll be hard to tell the regulars that I went from $30/hr to $40/hr. Don't you think?

Am I setting myself up for failure or problems IYO?

[babyface_finsta]

Nope... No... in Detriot... um... HELL NO... (never sh#t where you eat)... your best bet... since your better at production is to sell beats... sell them $250... actually maybe even $150 a pop (keep the heaters in the stash for when your rep grows)... when selling them... have the paper work to cover the backend, plus your a$$ (one in the same) incase something becomes of the songs... as for value added... after they buy the tracks... tell them they can also record them at your studio for X amount per hour (say 25 bucks and hour), just mention ProTools and your good... sell them on the fact that the songs are already tracked out (saving them money on tracking)... and that all you have to do is pull up the track and press record...

After you've sold them a track you'll be able to weed out who's serious and whose bumpin their gums...

At that point you've made 250 off the beat... prolly another $100... off the recording... then sell them on the package deal... 25 burnt copies of the song for $50 (2 dollors a disc)... sell them on the fact that your a onestop shop... and that it's cheaper and quicker than them going out and buying the gear and dealing with the learning curve... I've already made you $400 bucks (and you only wanted 3 bills a week)... and they were only in your house for 4 hours (and thats just because they think doubling and tripling voxs are the ways the pros do... ignorance is bliss)...

Here's how to keep them from bring their friends... explain to the emcee's that this is there career... and that in the real world... your not allowed to bring your friends to work (unless their bringing chicks with them to look cool)... or just limit the # of people allowed in during a session...

Oh yeah... lock your crib up... make sure they can only access it from the basement... and dont forget to slap ADT stickers all over the place... make sure your neighbors are cool... it's brick in the D... so make sure all the happy drunks do there thing on the patio...

If you do R&B... bump all the prices up 50 bucks... except for the duplication...

I can keep going on for days... basically... pretend your music is an illegal substance... if your gonna hustle... hustle smart... remember to hook up the cool cats... word of mouth will get you everything... if your an unfair prick... be prepared to get lumped up... Ski Mask Way... Bo Bo Bo...

Just remember... when your taking these kids allowances... that they are getting their monies worth...

You should be able to do this whole thing 2 or 3 times a week... soo you should be able to bring in a cool $1200 a week... for 12 hours work... leaving you with time to be creative... Oh yeah... dont forget your Cobra plan... if you dont get a part time gig... or have outside insurance...

Anyway just be cool with it... the Part Time Gig is important... that gap in your resume... will look sometimey when trying to get a 9-5 in the future... and the kids coming in and outta your crib... will put you on Nino Brown status...

[beatzz]

haha very nice!!!!!!!!!!
ima try that

[Phunkeman]

What ever you decide to do remember this.....If you break your OWN rules about your bizz you are the only one to blame don't get mad.

If your rule is no money no disc stick to it.... always protect your cash flow.

Remember, people BUY what they want and BEG for what they need.

A guy drives up in a big body with Kenneth Cole kicks on and want a kin folk discount all the while iced out......pay attention.

This biz is about money...if they can't afford it they should get their broke ass on the side line....everybody trys to get stuff cheap and after a while it gets old.

So define your worth and stick to your rules and do good work.

Holla

DO NOT DO BEATS for $150-$500 dollars etc.. As a producer this is an INSULT to what we do. DO NOT PLAY CHEAP YOUR TALENTS. Work @ UPS first. Work @ Guitar center, or some other music store. Set up a mobile rig and Record live acts. THERE R all kinds of ways to make money. Hell if you gotta go sell caps n socks on the corner, do that before playing the music cheap

Think of all your talents. If you've finished college, go be a tutor for cash. Consider 8 hours a day "What do I have talent wise that can bring in $20 an hr" WHATEVER that is DO that. Find out where guys that are REALLY making indi records in your area are recording and offer them your services in a way that improves on what they are currently getting

IF that fails start selling unecessary pieces of gear. (IF U cant make it make dough then it's a hobby and unemployed dudes cannot afford expensive hobbies)


Sell production for small "advances" where u get paid on the back end, but only take in a small amount now.

[Umlaaat]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

DO NOT DO BEATS for $150-$500 dollars etc.. As a producer this is an INSULT to what we do. DO NOT PLAY CHEAP YOUR TALENTS. Work @ UPS first. Work @ Guitar center, or some other music store. Set up a mobile rig and Record live acts. THERE R all kinds of ways to make money. Hell if you gotta go sell caps n socks on the corner, do that before playing the music cheap

Think of all your talents. If you've finished college, go be a tutor for cash. Consider 8 hours a day "What do I have talent wise that can bring in $20 an hr" WHATEVER that is DO that. Find out where guys that are REALLY making indi records in your area are recording and offer them your services in a way that improves on what they are currently getting

IF that fails start selling unecessary pieces of gear. (IF U cant make it make dough then it's a hobby and unemployed dudes cannot afford expensive hobbies)


Sell production for small "advances" where u get paid on the back end, but only take in a small amount now.

thats a hard pill to swallow.

whats wrong with selling beats off for a bit of change? you improve your production skills - you're seeing a clear objective, kid gets a beat from local accessible producer. everyone wins. not like everything you make is a masterpiece, like every beat you make is the 9th.

for 3rd's situation, i think this way is good. he wants to produce, not engineer (based on his post) wants to do music as a career. what better way to do it than to build a name for yourself on a local level, get the word out, etc...? meet a kid thats fire, do a few joints with him, shop him... another mnm? nelly? dude can make 1k plus a week... maybe not as consistent as ups, but thats already 3 weeks covered.
aint selling his soul to the devil... just paying some bills.


3rd - you gotta network. the quickest way in the door. go no holds barred. go dont give a fukc attitude.

Invite some cats into your studio and Offer WHATEVER they need to finish a song for $1.5Gs per song. THAT means your record,produce, mix, track whatever HUSTLE for 3 of those a month.


The day I start doing tracks for $200 is the DAY I QUIT doing this. IF you dont believe what u do has a certain minimum value, then NOBODY else will.


The only way I'd do anything that cheap would be if I really wanted to work with the artist. And I believed in the product.

@ $250 a track, you'd do better to rent your studio as a place where wanna be producers can come in and do tracks on your gear and you teach them to use gear/produce

[Big 3rd]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Invite some cats into your studio and Offer WHATEVER they need to finish a song for $1.5Gs per song. THAT means your record,produce, mix, track whatever HUSTLE for 3 of those a month.


The day I start doing tracks for $200 is the DAY I QUIT doing this. IF you dont believe what u do has a certain minimum value, then NOBODY else will.


The only way I'd do anything that cheap would be if I really wanted to work with the artist. And I believed in the product.

@ $250 a track, you'd do better to rent your studio as a place where wanna be producers can come in and do tracks on your gear and you teach them to use gear/produce

Amen. You know what man...I've met a lot of cats that heard my tracks and said that when heard by the right ear, I would "definitely" blow up, but at the same time they want me to sell my sh*t to them for $250. My tracks start at $500. That's one thing I don't do... I don't sell my talents short by no means.
I don't know...I just want to make music peacifully. I hate the fact that I got to be so "on guard" about something that is supposed to be an enjoyment and a liberating spice in life. But you gotta do what ya gotta do.
There is still a lot I got to learn, as far as how to run this thing, but I'll be alright. One thing's for sure, I'm not letting any joe shmoe in my sh*t.
Damnit, guess I gotta get a side gig...F*CK!!!

I was a slot machine tech at the casino and they canned me, basically, because they didn't like me because I just am not the type that kiss the bosses ass. So they decided to **** with me via surveillance. Was making good money too. But if this studio thing goes well, I can make even better dough.

[babyface_finsta]

No SSL... your buggin... of course you can sell beats for cheap... some people don't have the money, some peoples backs are up against the wall... and sometimes you know tracks you make will never see the light of day... at some point in your life you have to sit back and think... is this music stuff just an expensive hobby or do I need to get an ROI (or maybe he has mouths to feed other than his own)... I for one don't sell music for that cheap (but I'm fair and will to work with you)... I have given away joints just to get my foot in the door... our worlds must be totally different... in the North East there is crazy competition (there has been since day one)... and placing work is crazy difficult... People around here give beats away to established artist in hopes of getting put on... MPCist will take a grand instead of 7500... remixers get paid 1500 a pop.... half the time recorded tracks never see the light of day... Emcee's pay to get their songs placed on mixtapes, to spit 16's, DJ's pay for drops... Dont tell the man he's selling himself cheap... he's in a bind... what should he do... make a living doing what he loves... or "Don't Be Mad UPS is Hiring"... you gotta do whatcha gotta do... thats like a guys whose car breaks down, and you tell him not to take the bus cus he's playing himself... he's handlin his BI... the average beat takes about 20 minutes to make... 250 minutes for 20 minutes aint bad (if he had this going on fulltime... he'd be on Ross Peroit status)... working at UPS for 10 bucks an hour... he has to 20 plus hours (plus pay taxes)... Remember I told him to keep the heat in the stash...

Let me guess... Engineers mix tracks for 50 bucks an hour as side gigs around here... or approx 500 a track or 6k an album... is that selling themselves short... ask these engineers how many of they tracks they mixed generated money for their client... the % is mad low...

Your saving the intergrity of the art of music is killing me... SPEC Deals do exist... and 90% of the time you'll never see backend money....

Any person in this game knows they can go for months with out seeing money... I should actually take my own advice and sell a couple beats a month because this $500 a month Electric bill is getting on my nerves...

Never be too proud to flip burgers or beats...

[con?one]

damn doggie... $500 electric bill???? that's nuts. if mine goes over $150, i'm breaking out the tool box and keeping it gutta

[Mudnoc]

Originally Posted by con?one

damn doggie... $500 electric bill???? that's nuts. if mine goes over $150, i'm breaking out the tool box and keeping it gutta

LOL...my electric bill hit $800 plus last July!!! then again, I am trying to cool and heat a 4000 sf warehouse.... As far as the whole selling beats for cheap... I'm a little devided on this issue myself... But it usually falls into two categories....I have my bullshit beats that I consider mediocre (other people still like em) and I have some tracks I've made that I love.... I won't sell one of my masterpieces for cheap because I DO feel like I'm cheating myself...but those mediocre beats (you know, the ones you could make 3 or 4 in an hour) I'll sell those for whatever I can get.... again, you think $250 for 20 minutes (like one of the above posters suggested) That's still good money these days... Sure, I would love to demand to be paid 5K a track...but the truth of the matter is the clientelle I deal with isn't walking around with $5000 to spend on one beat.... The good thing about this whole issue is YOU decide what you want to be paid for a beat.... As I'm now thinking about it, there were times that I would give a cat a beat as long as he paid for studio time...I'm not rich...I don't have a high paying day job...and that $100 - $150 in studio time helped when it was time to go get diapers... But I do feel No SSL and I have met plenty of producers that feel the same way....

[babyface_finsta]

$800 electric bill... I can feel that... esp July in ATL... the heat and humidity is insane... it's soo hot out there the trees cry... 4000 sq ft. warehouse... hmmm... sounds like RedZone... or the space next door...

[Phunkeman]

You know I understand survival....and you gotta make it.

Thats real but ask yourself this..Do I offer my tracks for less than what I want...or ....do they ask for a 200.00 beat?

Where did they get that sh*t from?

Somebody let that client know that there are guys hoe'in for cheap cheeese.

Don't get me wrong I know a empty pocket is a motherfuker. Been there many times.

I have gotten as much out of a client as I could and that's great.

But I aint got no 200.00 tracks.

We will work out a payment plan, trade,get a hook up on something....but you can't walk in this joint as see this equipment and hear my stuff and think this is cheap. NO

It is guys in the studio biz that will say they charge this.......ask you to get on board and later you catch them sucking dyck for chump change to get clients.

It hard but you got to know what its worth. After doing this stuff for so long you can't be making poot butt tracks. You gotta sound and your stuff got to be hitting after doing the same thing over and over....just take a look at your work and don't sell too short it hurts everybody one way or another.

Holla

I refuse to devalue what I do. What u do is your choice. Sure I've done things that were not at full price, I've hooked up some talented artists because I believed in them

To me that is a different issue. I will work at a grocery before I sell beats for $200 dollars. My creativity creates a product. IT is when I begin to think of it as a service that I begin to devalue it. Sure some hit records dont take long to make. WE are not paid for the amount of time that it takes to make a beat. IF you want to factor that in to the equation (and I personally think It's Pointless) then what about all the years of study that it took me to get to the point where I could do a beat sometimes in little time. For that matter if a doctor performs a surgery and it only takes him 45 min, should I pay him $100 and say hell that's more than $100 an hour?

I will not devalue what I do. I will extend myself to friends and people I can learn from Hell even people who can learn from me for that matter.

But I will not devalue my art. I would sell EVERY piece of my gear except a guitar and keyboard (so I could ,make music for me) and get a Job. Music has gotten me through some tough times and also treated me nicely $ some years. I refuse to devalue it

Let's not forget the nature of people LOL EVEN if u do go down to $200 a track how mad will u be when the guy driving a Caddy Truck tells you he's short and only has $100 till next week. And of course u deserve to be played. BECAUSE u started the process.


There alot of guys doing this $200 dollar shit in every city and It ruins/devalues music IMO when guys with real talent and expensive rigs start to offer this also.

THere should be a quality difference between the guy doing $200 tracks and the guy getting $10Gs If there is not. If guys selling $10G quality start accepting $200 GOOD bye music biz for me

Payless and Gucci both sell shoes, but try waling into the Gucci shop with a crisp $20 and see what it gets you. Business 101 you have to build your brand up NOT devalue it



Or think about it this way If you sell tracks for $200 You will have to sell 3 to get a new PLUGIN that comes out LOL dfegad

[babyface_finsta]

Actually... it would be the total opposite... because radio, MTV/BET and A&R's wouldn't dicate what is a Hit... and Incredible Emcee's that can't afford the bangers, would now be able to... if money weren't such the object when it came to music shit would be a lot hotter... Labels are paying for named producers... if your waiting for the $$$$ your window of opportunity can and will close without you knowing...

Please don't tell me you think all these songs on mixtapes cost crazy dough... Budgets aren't that big anymore...

We Got It For Cheap Vol. 3...

[con?one]

hey, i never knock another man's hustle... if it's working for him, cool... if it ain't, **** 'em.
me personally, to give away a track that i could possibly place on an album or license to tv, for that kind of dough, seems a lil sus'.... however, i do spec shit when i beleive in the project... to me, catalog's as important as $ right now

[Umlaaat]

ssl: following that line of reason, if sprite offered you 150k to do a 'hip hop' beat, what would you say?

..'naw, sorry, pardner.. that shit aint me... can't do it for ya.'

dont get me wrong.. im not saying 'sell youself short', etc... i def respect and (somewhat) understand you. but you start getting kids, you start racking bills, you understand this shit aint a hobby. you understand real life sets in. and all this is just a process of little steps. do i want to do this bullshit job or no? last 9-5 job i had was summer 2000. cant tell you how much happier i am to be doing what i want to be doing. 9-5? fukk that.

this is a business just as much as selling shoes is. lotta these kids aint got too much cash. kid feels a beat, hes really feelin it. you help him get to that next step, and he helps you out with xyz.

Originally Posted by Umlaaat

ssl: following that line of reason, if sprite offered you 150k to do a 'hip hop' beat, what would you say?

..'naw, sorry, pardner.. that shit aint me... can't do it for ya.

I dont see what logical argument drives u to say this? But I'll leave it alone and say, 2 each his own. But I do think the day guys are able to get quality tracks for $200 LABELS WILL START buying and the whole game will be ****ed

Hell for that matter if you got some quality shit I'll give u $200 a beat.


To each his own

Originally Posted by babyface_finsta

Actually... it would be the total opposite... because radio, MTV/BET and A&R's wouldn't dicate what is a Hit... and Incredible Emcee's that can't afford the bangers, would now be able to... if money weren't such the object when it came to music shit would be a lot hotter... Labels are paying for named producers... if your waiting for the $$$$ your window of opportunity can and will close without you knowing...

Please don't tell me you think all these songs on mixtapes cost crazy dough... Budgets aren't that big anymore...

We Got It For Cheap Vol. 3...

Money is and always will be an object. OF course we all do some spec shit. I understand the importance of having a catalog, but we are talking $250 per track LOL Thats like being SWEATSHOP labor to me and it wont happen

[nickp]

Originally Posted by babyface_finsta

$800 electric bill... I can feel that... esp July in ATL... the heat and humidity is insane... it's soo hot out there the trees cry... 4000 sq ft. warehouse... hmmm... sounds like RedZone... or the space next door...

Me and my roommate split a $600 dollar rent for a 2br (all utlilities except elec) and a usuallly $40 elec bill. November and december is was $60/month and I was pissed.

But then again I can make around $400 a week.

But still man, 60 dollar electric bill! DAMN!
-Nick

I just got an $800 dollar bill from entergy New ORLeans, and AS U ALL KNOW I've been living in Philly and there is nobody at my house. As a matter of fact there are NO lights in my neighborhood in New Orleans

[Jules]

I installed

Strobe light for doorbell - when doing vocals in the control room doorbell can be disabled - but you see a 'flash' instead of hearing a loud BUZZZZZZZZZZ (cause that might ruin a vocal take)

Panic button under console! (calls cops, its part of my alarm / insurance package)

Booth for noisey computers

FRESH AIR IN AND OUT (no good just having aircon alone)

Ioniser (to keep the air fresh)

Lights - at the mix position, there is no chance, no matter where you look, to see a bare light bulb - it is ALL reflected light.

Aeron chairs -megga $$$$$$$$ but comfortable for LONG term work - and to say the clients love em - is a massive understatement...

[cdog]

Originally Posted by babyface_finsta

I can keep going on for days... basically... pretend your music is an illegal substance... if your gonna hustle... hustle smart... remember to hook up the cool cats...

Sage advice....

[BOO BLADES]

fam...im gonna be honest with u...if u got a bunch of cats that are willing to pay 200 for a track...then u can basically print ur own money...tell them to come to the studio and make the track right there for them...that way u will have no emotional attachment to the beat cuz u tailored it for the artist and u really didnt have time to live with it...then u charge more money for the studio time recording the song...they cant be mad...then once the word starts spreading about u and ur studio...u raise the price gradually (maybe 50 bucks) on the old people and and in wops on the new people (a str8 buck)...next thing u know u will be the "go to guy" in ur hood with a reputation of making hot ass beats (they all gonna think its hot if they had something to do with it) and being resonably priced...Man 3 $200 sessions a day will have u sitting pretty at $187,200/yr providing u work 6 days a week...hows that for selling urself cheap?


www.myspace.com/booblades

Yeah that's the ticket you only have to do and sell 936 tracks