Where do you advertise?

[BlueCrestAudio]

Just curious where you guys who do mobile and on location recording advertise, or are you just word of mouth or website. I have been doing this for a long time but just in the last two years started to try to make a part time job of it. My issue is that I don't know how to get my name out there. I made a sweet site but It does not come up at all in any search engines...? Do you guys post flyers at shows? do you call churches, give me your ideas. I have been creeping around here for years and I know you guys know your stuff so Thanks for any advice!

[The Byre]

This is a very, very, very good question and raises some interesting issues -

We do location work, simply because there is nobody else in our area. We are a studio and location work is, to put it bluntly a PITA! We do it, because customers need more than just a recording, so it is the bothersome part of a much bigger cake.

I wish someone like you would set up near us, so one of the ports of call would be studios. People contact studios, asking for this and most are not able to provide a proper service.

But the rest is anywhere and everywhere! All the things you have been doing already!

But there may be something else going on -

I have noticed that the flight-case boys are having a hard time of it, because today, recording off the FOH desk is all too possible. It may not be a particularly good way to do things and seldom gives good results (and doing other well-paid things like a live second feed to TV or radio would be impossible!) but people still try (just as they try to record in their homes!) and that eats into the budget end of the business.

So the answer is to have a proper truck or a trailer and a 4x4 to tow it.

"Oh no!" you cry! "That's far too expensive!" Well, not really!

In the army, we used to say "BS beats brains!"

The chances are that you already have all the bits and pieces (active and passive splitter boxes, desk, monitors, video link to the stage, snakes, mics, recording system, etc., etc., etc.

So all we are looking at is the trailer or the back of truck box. The important thing is that it has to look really nice, indirect lighting, clean interior, wood panelling, fresh AND PROFESSIONAL paint job with sexy logo - that sort of thing.

[Remoteness]

For me it has (for the most part) always been word of mouth, but we have receive a fair amount of work from the website and recommondations (or direct contact) from members of this forum.

I believe you do know how to get your name out there...
You said, you made a sweet site; you could post flyers at shows, but I feel a more direct approach is best; calling and/or emailing churches and other organizations is a very good starting point.

You get your name out there by making calls and sending email messages or at least that's what they tell me since I rarely make contact for work.

I started my business back in the late 70s and it was more about the right time and the right place.

Get more aggressive if you want to make a go at it.
You stated that you've been creeping around here for years, but this is the first time you're addressing your "remote possibility".

You mentioned your "sweet" website, but did not include a link to it.
Get out there and make things happen.
We can always use another great remote operation.

[joelpatterson]

In my experience, "advertising" through any conventional means does not get you where you want to go.

You would do best to track down the groups who are performing concerts, find out who the director is, and call them on the telephone and give them your spiel. (It's best if you're familiar with what they will be doing, up-coming concert-wise.) I guess you'd call this a cold call. These people can be slightly harried and their budgets are always crunching-- while they wouldn't indulge in the luxury of perusing the classifieds looking for someone to record their shows, they might be open to giving someone a chance who showed the interest and initiative to contact them.

Give them a flat rate for everything-- attending the rehearsal, recording the show, editing it all down, burning a master CD, delivering the CD, and if you really want to impress them, turning their concert program into a CD booklet.

And make this in the VERY low three figures.

The flat rate is key-- don't give them too many choices and decisions.

And, last point, maybe this is too obvious to mention-- for classical recording, always wear a suit and tie.

Once your foot is in the door, the word of mouth will take over. You will be swamped with work, believe me.

[Jimbo]

Great thread, and great advice!

Thanks.

[videoteque]

And, last point, maybe this is too obvious to mention-- for classical recording, always wear a suit and tie.

I wonder if Steve Remote ever wore a suit and tie!!!

[mohthom]

Suit and tie for classical work? Don't you mean all black? You need to look like a technician, not a soloist/compere.

My advertising consists of handing out work I've already done to prospective clients (who are recommended my service by current clients). I hand out discs that I recorded with good artists etc., and if your work is good you will literally climb the ladder.

MohThoM

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by mohthom

Suit and tie for classical work? Don't you mean all black? You need to look like a technician, not a soloist/compere.

Well... for recording Kabuki theater, of course, black is the uniform... but for your typical classical orchestra/chorus gig, suit and tie yes, you need to look on a par with the conductor, and the soloits, and the players... you are their peer. You're not a guy from the loading dock that they've slapped a T-shirt on so he looks respectable...

I mean, just speaking for myself, I'd never want to look like a "technician," I don't repair refrigerators, I capture this special moment and preserve it for all time. In a funny way... they are all doing this performance for me.

[videoteque]

Come on Joel, show us a picture of you in suit!!!

I dedicated my life to video and music JUST to NOT have to wear a suit, but your are right that we have to look good!thumbsup

[mohthom]

I didn't say a sloppy T-shirt with curry stains, I said all black. My all black happens to include personalised embroidered workshirts and swanky safety boots, but it is all black. Utility belts are a no-no, anything hanging around the waist looks shoddy. Empty pockets and a good belt do more for my professionalism than a tie could - as does wearing black (not grey, blue or any other near-black) socks. I've BEEN a performer, I know how to dress to impress - and when recording I'm not doing that, I'm dressing to fit with safety and discretion protocols. To do more would both draw attention unnecessarily away from the performance and performers, and cause a distinct lack of comfort and movability. Sometimes I need to fiddle underneath pianos - I don't want to get a tie caught in there!

Surely it's invisibility we're after, not flamboyancy?

MohThoM

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by videoteque

I wonder if Steve Remote ever wore a suit and tie!!!

Well, I've been seen decked out at least twice in the last three decades...

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

Well... for recording Kabuki theater, of course, black is the uniform... but for your typical classical orchestra/chorus gig, suit and tie yes, you need to look on a par with the conductor, and the soloits, and the players... you are their peer. You're not a guy from the loading dock that they've slapped a T-shirt on so he looks respectable...

I mean, just speaking for myself, I'd never want to look like a "technician," I don't repair refrigerators, I capture this special moment and preserve it for all time. In a funny way... they are all doing this performance for me.

I'm thinking we should bring back the white lab coat and tie vibe.

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by mohthom

Surely it's invisibility we're after, not flamboyancy?

Uh... not really. I need to promote and maintain my "brand" just as much as anyone on the stage... it's very important to me that the cogniscenti in the audience who see me winding cables around are filled with a rapturous joy, knowing EXACTLY how wonderful the recording of this concert is going to turn out. I am not an anonymous, interchangeable quantity.

Originally Posted by Remoteness

I'm thinking we should bring back the white lab coat and tie vibe.

And a stethoscope, I would place it on the cello... "Okay, play an 'A'..."


Here is me, dressed to the nines, in my 'everything rackmounted in a Stanley toolchest' days, with my most faithful fan:

[Hornblower64]

You need to register with google to have your page show up in a search. Go here.

Add your URL to Google

[Plush]

Of course I wear a tie and a sport coat. However, what really sets the mope engineer apart from the super producer in classical is the footwear.

My footwear is incredible and far out. Right now I am focused on always wearing something medieval looking. Tonite to record a famous orchestra out of town, I wore some curled up at the end elf boots looking like they were from the 1400's. Not evocative of a court jester--no, no!

Instead the shoes of one who is a wizard and do-est magicke.

Also recently deployed were some blue boots, some extreme length shoes in two tone, and some brown suede Roberts boots from Australia. I particularly like the extra long length shoes as women playas and women from symphony management always are caught checking out the footwear. You know how it goes--"big feet, big ???????"

Oh my root!!

I have found that the wilder and more extreme the footwear, the bigger the paycheck.

These are my findings. Maybe it works in your town too!

[Remoteness]

You know what?

It really IS about the footware!

[BlueCrestAudio]

Thanks guys, good advice.

the site is squash box studio - Home

i know weird name, but all my other ideas were taken.
as of right now we are focusing on mobile recording of local bands but we want to expand to include bigger events.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by BlueCrestAudio

Just curious where you guys who do mobile and on location recording advertise, or are you just word of mouth

I have advertised many times but have found it does not really work - everything I have had (except for one or two minor jobs) has come from word of mouth.

[aracu]

"My footwear is incredible and far out. Right now I am focused on always wearing something medieval looking. Tonite to record a famous orchestra out of town, I wore some curled up at the end elf boots looking like they were from the 1400's."

toemaster

[fifthcircle]

In my case probably about 98% of my work has come from word of mouth- a couple gigs from my website, but not much. In the end, most people want to have a relationship with the engineer that they work with. A basic ad simply does not give you that- too anonymous.

Rather, when somebody trusted recommends you to a colleague, a level of trust and comfort comes out of the chute. In the end, this usually results in more successful gigs.

Just another reason why you should treat every gig out that as if it could be your last...

--Ben

[Corran]

Good thread...I've been thinking about this as well.

I'm lucky, as 90% of my work comes from ensembles I actual perform in! And also people I attend college with have me record. But I want more business outside of this so I am working on the advertising. I have a website and a lot of contacts. I'm also getting super-slick business cards done right now...1000 of them!

joel, you look a lot more like your avatar than I expected!

[Plush]

"Just another reason why you should treat every gig out that as if it could be your last..."

--Ben

I agree that word of mouth and having someone who has heard your work is the best advertising. The paid for type of advertising does not work in my experience.

Look at the quote from Ben above. Adjust your fees accordingly. If you don't charge enough to be able to purchase good health insurance, take a good vacation each year and buy quality gear, your next gig quotation will start you on the path to ruin.

That's the number one mistake a newbie recordist makes in this business. They are scared of the competition and they think that they can "buy" the business with a low ball rate. It's an idiotic move so don't do it.

If you take my advice, I will have just saved you 10 years of grief and regret.

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by Corran

... you look a lot more like your avatar than I expected!

Well... I looked even more like my avatar about ten years ago... spitting image!


Whereas... please tell me your avatar is a bunch of microphones...

[JEGG]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

I'm thinking we should bring back the white lab coat and tie vibe.

Hear! Hear!

I'll need appropriate eye ware as well. Plush will need some different shoes.....They can still be big, though.

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by JEGG

Hear! Hear!

I'll need appropriate eye ware as well. Plush will need some different shoes.....They can still be big, though.

Hey, you know what they say about men that wear big shoes?