Managing your studio

[AstralPStudios]

How do you all manage your studio in terms of booking? Like, how do you determine how much time it will take to record this band or that band or how much time it will take you to mix this album or that album?

To me this is the toughest aspect of a studio.

[surflounge]

I've got a list somewhere. Need to dig it out.
Meanwhile this would have been nice...
Apogee Session Tools 2.0 Review

but there is still...
StudioFiles - Recording studios management products
and
Pigboat's Studio Management Software

[AstralPStudios]

Cool programs, but my question I guess is more along the lines of what determines that you need a week to track or a month to track or a week to mix or a month to mix? Those kinds of things.

I've never dealt with labels either but I can't get an internship so I kinda have no choice but to ask around here to learn these things =/. To me, the booking part is just the most confusing because I don't really have experience with booking people in a studio situation.

I mean, I'm guessing with labels, indy or major, those things are worked out between either the record company and band or record company, band AND studio?

[surflounge]

Oh, then be careful of the Obsessive Compulsive types. They will ruin your schedule by spending days fixing one note. Just a matter of learning personality types. You'll need to figure folks out in a few minutes. Then decide if you want to keep working with them. That's how I book time.

[The Byre]

Originally Posted by ImmortalGropher

Cool programs, but my question I guess is more along the lines of what determines that you need a week to track or a month to track or a week to mix or a month to mix? Those kinds of things.

Experience.

[hanskuder]

Originally Posted by surflounge

I've got a list somewhere. Need to dig it out.
Meanwhile this would have been nice...
Apogee Session Tools 2.0 Review

but there is still...
StudioFiles - Recording studios management products
and
Pigboat's Studio Management Software

Hope I'm not too late to this party. I'm the lead developer of GainStudio, a modern, web-based tool that handles project management, scheduling, time tracking, and invoicing for recording studios. With any one of these software packages, having a complete history of all your previous projects is really useful in making better estimates in the future. When you get a new client looking to record a three-song demo for a particular type of band, just go look through your completed projects and find some similar ones. Use those as a basis for your estimate.

[stacey]

Originally Posted by The Byre

Experience.

Definitely experience, trying out different methods that work for you, managing expectations before the client arrives, and always allowing enough time between sessions for new clients until you understand how they work...

[drBill]

Originally Posted by ImmortalGropher

Cool programs, but my question I guess is more along the lines of what determines that you need a week to track or a month to track or a week to mix or a month to mix? Those kinds of things.

that's the producers job, not the studio manager. When the producer screws up and alots too little time, THEN the studio manager gets to start his juggling act.....

the studio manager is to make sure things are on the books, drum up busiiness, and keep people happy. Not schedule "X" amount of hours for a job. They can offer suggestions, but beyond a little mellow suggestion, you'll only piss off your clients, so.....the client is always right.

I have one client that CONSISTANTLY books 50% less time than he needs. Always, always, always. If I tell him he needs more, it only pisses him off. So I let him create his own problem, then I solve it for him. For a cost.

Don't manage your clients, manage your studio.

[solo-bration]

Funny, I've been asking myself this same question recently. It really does come down to previous experiences and knowing how long/short (on average) it takes (me) to complete a certain kind of project. But then also factoring in any likely problems, delays that may (and will) occur.

I plan to make engineering/producing my full-time job, but I'm stuck in that middle-ground where working my day-job is starting to get in the way, but without it, I'd definitely be scraping by for a bit. Not sure if I'm ready to leap yet. I'm booked through April and it's tough to figure out how much time to leave for each project. I like the idea of managing software. Being more organized would likely help me juggle everything.

[SDDP]

Originally Posted by surflounge

I've got a list somewhere. Need to dig it out.
Meanwhile this would have been nice...
Apogee Session Tools 2.0 Review

but there is still...
StudioFiles - Recording studios management products
and
Pigboat's Studio Management Software

Are any of these free software or all paid?

Any others anyone would recommend?

[Subversounds]

Originally Posted by drBill

Don't manage your clients, manage your studio.

Great quote!

In Brazil is different to work with independent bands i guess. They rarely have producers, so i always have to do a little producing when some recordings come along.

I tell "this type of music will demand 3 hours for the guitar, 7 to the drums, 4 to the percussions" and so... How i know that? as some pointed: experience.

Sometimes a client is not exactly a great player... specially the drummers... So you do a bad drum sessions in 6 hours and ask for more 2 to edit it all so the drummer and the metronome can befriend again. And you ask 8 hours for the drums.

But i always depend on the budget. I accept lots of types of clients, and sometimes they have $3.000 and sometimes $300.... as people in design do "For this client is good". You know you can go much much better, but well, people get what they paid for. But be sure not to release compromisinly bad work. I never do that also.