Studio business is a very specific type of activity, because only one who is connected with music and creativity in his life can dynamically develop in this direction.
Nevertheless, with the right approach, small investments at the start can provide the owner with a stable income in the future. How to open a recording studio? Consider the main problems that may arise when planning such a business.
A large record company is not effective
Today, a large recording studio is just a waste of money. Such an undertaking will not only be unprofitable, but can also lead to serious losses. The fact is that in the modern world such expensive studios have to deal with dumping in order to survive in a competitive environment, because consumers of musical content in modern Russia for the most part do not attach much importance to the quality of the recording, which means that it is absolutely pointless to overpay for this.
This trend is also facilitated by the fact that many novice performers independently upload their creativity to the network, without waiting for the pirates to do this, and even for Internet users the quality of the products is even less important. So the only studio format that can make a profit is a home-based studio. Of course, CDs have not yet lost their market position.
In addition to the information carrier, they perform another important function: this is a kind of showcase advertising the performer. However, their profitability tends to zero. The only hope for saving this business is the adoption of really working laws aimed at protecting copyright.
You can register your business idea as an LLC or individual entrepreneur. Both forms are easy to register and are perfect for a novice entrepreneur.
What equipment will be required?
So, how to open a recording studio and what is needed for this? Thanks to the technological and informational progress, start-up investments will be required much less than they could have been several decades ago. What recording studio equipment might be required? These are the following devices:
- Powerful personal computer.
- Midi keyboard.
- Studio monitor.
- Closed headphones.
- Microphones
Obviously, the software must be used exclusively licensed. Not only can problems arise with government agencies, which is definitely not necessary at the first stages of development, but records made through any software anyway are unlikely to compete with high-quality ones. If the cost of paid software seems too high, you can set a goal and find not too inferior in quality, but freely distributed software.
Sound will need to be carefully processed
When looking for an answer to the question of how to open a recording studio, you need to pay attention to the processing of compositions. The myth is widespread that supposedly high-quality sound recording is prohibitive. Of course, if the goal is to participate and win in various competitions, the entry should be impeccable. However, not everyone is ready and willing to do this, and today in everyday life the situation looks a little different. Despite this, a digital recording studio would be the best option.
Sound processing can be of two types: software or hardware.Current computers have high power and performance, and this in most cases allows you to abandon expensive hardware equipment, which also takes up a considerable area, in favor of their virtual counterparts.
However, experts argue that the sound recorded exclusively using plug-ins is inferior to the hardware in some details, inaudible to the ordinary consumer. A compromise between quality and low cost may be the computer boards installed in the system unit of the computer. This must be taken into account if you want to understand how to open a recording studio.
Choose direction
Almost every recording studio has a feature. Usually this is the genre of those compositions with which work is carried out. If you decide to open your activity in this area, you will need to immediately determine the direction. For example, rock, jazz, chanson, etc. Or maybe you will work with electronic music? All this must be taken into account.
The power of the instruments will depend on all of this, as they will be tuned to a specific musical direction. Most likely, the recording studio will not be able to cover all the styles, as this is simply unrealistic. It is unlikely that in this case, as a result of all the work done, something worthwhile and high-quality will be obtained. But hack work will not interest anyone.
Need to constantly look for customers
Equipment for a recording studio should not stand without work. In other words, you need to constantly look for customers. And where can they be found? You should try to make potential customers try to find you. The most sensible option is to rent a rehearsal point.
You need to understand that today there are a lot of talents. However, they have nowhere to rehearse. Therefore, your proposal will receive the maximum response from people. A rehearsal base and a recording studio when working together can bring popularity.
Advertising activity
Do not forget about advertising. It must be carried out at the highest level. That is why it will be necessary to constantly advertise in large newspapers and put up various posters around the city. You can hire people who will distribute leaflets in the most visited places of the village.
Advertising can be requested at the bars that offer karaoke services. In this case, no one will recall competition, since it simply does not exist. But even if there is no karaoke in the restaurant or bar, you can still ask the administration for a service. Perhaps, using this method, potential customers will be found.
Making a list of the services that will be presented to customers
Before opening the studio, you will need to make a list of the services provided. And it should be understood that the number of customers will depend on the size of this list. Accordingly, the profit will be much greater if there are a large number of services. It is necessary to list the main areas:
- Record. Such a service should be provided both to individuals and to various performers who have a creative team.
- Treatment. It is necessary in order to be able to make a high-quality composition from the recorded material.
- Phonogram recovery. Such a service is usually of interest to private clients who have old songs.
- Production of phonograms and videos. This service is able to interest creative groups and music groups. But solo artists can use it.
- Copying phonograms and a selection of musical accompaniment. In this case, shopping malls and various supermarkets with musical equipment available can resort to such services.
- Duplication of disks.Such a service will interest solo artists and music groups.
You can always come up with something of your own that will interest many customers and draw attention to your activities.
What costs do entrepreneurs expect?
Equipment for a middle-class recording studio will cost about 150-250 thousand rubles. If the opening of a large professional studio requires an arranger and composer, then in a home-format studio you can do without them, finding a good sound engineer with a time payment (usually an hour of work of such a professional costs from one to one and a half thousand rubles).
You will also need to find a good room in which to record. The studio can be located, for example, in a basement. In addition, it is required to look for a place so that it can be accessed freely. It will be useful to rent a room for a rehearsal base. Thus, the initial capital for the opening of the studio should be at least 400 thousand rubles.
How quickly will the studio recover all the costs?
It is quite difficult to calculate the payback of a recording studio of this format: it depends on entrepreneurial talent, on the quality of advertising and, of course, on the quality of the services provided. Profit from the activities of an open studio will depend entirely on the quality of the processing of the composition. For one hour of work, on average, you can get about 2000 rubles.
It is also worth considering that the profitability of the studio depends on the hours spent working and the number of potential customers. With the right approach and a clear business development plan, such a studio can pay off in less than a year.
You should not abandon your business activities
You need to understand that your own recording studio is not an independent business that can pay for itself. This is just a link in show business. Naturally, without it, this field of activity could not exist. However, the studio itself is not capable of developing.
Based on this, one simple point should be made: if you have a desire to build a successful and profitable business, a recording studio should be organized with high quality. Otherwise, you can not think about profitability.
