Starting a Studio

Many people are trying to get their names written in lights. Whether it is from performing music to producing music, everyone is trying to find his or her way into the industry. Thirty-eight billion dollars is how much the music industry generates each year around the world. The United States makes up for one-third of the worlds music income. First thing that is always thought of is getting to the big labels, but what if one has no way of getting there? The next thing that is thought of is trying the indie labels. They are the middlemen of the music industry, introducing the artists to the world of fame and fortune. Some want to become one of these middlemen, such as myself, but how many are successful and what are the costs for starting this business? Is this a business someone should risk starting?

Recently, many people have been going to school for recording and mixing. This puts the ones without schooling at a disadvantage. No matter the knowledge gained prior to owning a studio, one still has to take into effect that a studio is a business and businesses take money and time. The startup cost of a studio, even an at home studio, can be between ten thousand to fifty thousand dollars. The equipment can take time and money to gather. Depending on the selection of consoles, microphones, instruments, cables, and computers/software, expenses can cost anywhere from fifty thousand to two-hundred fifty thousand dollars. Of course these expenses are paid for when bought, unlike the bills and rent payments, which occur monthly.

The other thing that people forget to recognize when opening a studio is the artist. They are the source of the revenue for the business. Without them, there wouldn’t be a studio in existence. People have to think of the payment of the artist, their royalties, their advances (if any), etc. These prices could pile up quickly and cause a business to lose money instead of gain money. Every artist wants to see their name in lights and the studio owner is in charge of making this happen. More people need to think rationally and look at the numbers before jumping in over their heads. Is this a business you would risk starting?