Advice needed for my studio.

[TeamContra]

Hi guys I'm in a crossroad with we're I can take my passion for music eng/production. I'll make it short, and to the point.
I had a studio out of my house and it went well, made money but sucked cause i use two small bed rooms to track and mix out off. So I meet a guy that's starting off with his studio and needed gear for his studio building. Mind you it's under 600 Sqf but it's better then what I had. So we joined forces he was the owner and I'm a contracture. We went with 60/40% on bands me the 60. But he also has a employee that works with him. With the other guy I make no profit but they still use my gear. So making money off my stuff. A few of my friends and family said I'm selling my self short and that I should get a % of the other guys work. So I told him about me getting a cut of 10% or going 70/30% now he's crying saying that I'm taking advantage of him and I'm not a man of my word etc and if i leave it will hold the studio back for months cause all they have is a 003 factory and two mics before i came over.. mind you there's more to this but I'm making it short. So do I go back home and work out of there or stay with this guy?? I was thinking of opening my own studio space..
Thanks

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by TeamContra

Hi guys I'm in a crossroad with we're I can take my passion for music eng/production. I'll make it short, and to the point.
I had a studio out of my house and it went well, made money but sucked cause i use two small bed rooms to track and mix out off. So I meet a guy that's starting off with his studio and needed gear for his studio building. Mind you it's under 600 Sqf but it's better then what I had. So we joined forces he was the owner and I'm a contracture. We went with 60/40% on bands me the 60. But he also has a employee that works with him. With the other guy I make no profit but they still use my gear. So making money off my stuff. A few of my friends and family said I'm selling my self short and that I should get a % of the other guys work. So I told him about me getting a cut of 10% or going 70/30% now he's crying saying that I'm taking advantage of him and I'm not a man of my word etc and if i leave it will hold the studio back for months cause all they have is a 003 factory and two mics before i came over.. mind you there's more to this but I'm making it short. So do I go back home and work out of there or stay with this guy?? I was thinking of opening my own studio space..
Thanks

If you're providing gear, you're an investor in the business, and arguably deserve a cut of all projects.

However, when you went into the deal, were you aware that someone else would be using the studio to earn a living, and this would be the situation?

If not - I'd say you're perfectly entitled to take an "equipment rental" cut of the profits, to cover wear and tear if nothing else (don't know what gear you have, but if your mic needs re-capsuling because a client of the other guy dropped it, who pays and who hires the replacement whilst yours is off being repaired?

In all honesty though, 2 mics and a 003 doesn't make a studio. Unless you've got other things to be doing (ie won't make full use of a studio room and it will be sitting empty half the time), the space you're working out of now is amazingly built, or these guys are putting a lot of work your way, what are they offering you other than hassle?

Sounds to me like YOU'RE being taken advantage of, not the other way round.

A fairer way of doing things might be to always split the room rate at a certain percentage, regardless of who is doing the work. Then if you're engineering, you keep your engineering fee. If the other guy is doing it, he keeps his fee. That way you're always making money when your gear is being used, but you're incentivised to be the one doing the engineering as well.

[jonathan jetter]

Originally Posted by TeamContra

So I told him about me getting a cut of 10% or going 70/30% now he's crying saying that I'm taking advantage of him and I'm not a man of my word etc and if i leave it will hold the studio back for months cause all they have is a 003 factory and two mics before i came over.. mind you there's more to this but I'm making it short. So do I go back home and work out of there or stay with this guy?? I was thinking of opening my own studio space..
Thanks

no one can say you "should" or "shouldn't" get a cut of the other sessions.

however- when someone talks like this to you...(essentially begging)....this is a good sign that you're the one in a position of strength. if you *want* to negotiate better terms, it's pretty obvious to me that you can (as long as you're accurately conveying what's happening).

he comes across as very weak from the combination of "you're not a man of your word" (accusatory) and in the same breath saying "it'll hold the studio back for months if you leave" (begging).

respond with a very polite but firm "i understand your position, but i need you to understand mine- if the presence of my gear is essential to the studio, it then represents a significant investment, one for which i need to be properly compensated." and im pretty sure he'll give in.

[newdigitaluser]

Originally Posted by TeamContra

Hi guys I'm in a crossroad with we're I can take my passion for music eng/production. I'll make it short, and to the point.
I had a studio out of my house and it went well, made money but sucked cause i use two small bed rooms to track and mix out off. So I meet a guy that's starting off with his studio and needed gear for his studio building. Mind you it's under 600 Sqf but it's better then what I had. So we joined forces he was the owner and I'm a contracture. We went with 60/40% on bands me the 60. But he also has a employee that works with him. With the other guy I make no profit but they still use my gear. So making money off my stuff. A few of my friends and family said I'm selling my self short and that I should get a % of the other guys work. So I told him about me getting a cut of 10% or going 70/30% now he's crying saying that I'm taking advantage of him and I'm not a man of my word etc and if i leave it will hold the studio back for months cause all they have is a 003 factory and two mics before i came over.. mind you there's more to this but I'm making it short. So do I go back home and work out of there or stay with this guy?? I was thinking of opening my own studio space..
Thanks

depends
are you paying rent on the 600sqf

without that your gear is not that big a deal here

who pays if your gear gets busted?

who is paying for insurance, taxes, etc. etc.

what other things did you all agree about
did you WRITE IT DOWN?

I say give him reasonable notice like 6 months.
That gives him the time so he isnt held back like he claims.
then just leave.

Then you all could or probably wont make a written agreement about ALL the biz parts.

[SureSound]

I would say take a risk and get your own place unless this guy is getting you tons of well paying projects then its not really worth it, it sounds like you'd be in a tight spot if the guy damaged any of your gear and sounds like he's taking advantage of you after hearing what he said when you asked for a cut of his projects for lending your gear, he'd have an empty space without you and you can find your own space

[newdigitaluser]

Originally Posted by SureSound

I would say take a risk and get your own place unless this guy is getting you tons of well paying projects then its not really worth it, it sounds like you'd be in a tight spot if the guy damaged any of your gear and sounds like he's taking advantage of you after hearing what he said when you asked for a cut of his projects for lending your gear, he'd have an empty space without you and you can find your own space