How to open a recording studio? How to open your own recording studio for business Recording studio business plan

The studio business is a very specific type of activity, because only those who are connected with music and creativity in their life can develop dynamically in this direction.

However, when the right approach small investments at the start can provide the owner with stable income in future. How to open a recording studio? Let's consider the main problems that may arise when planning such a business.

A major record company lacks efficiency

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 point is that in modern world like expensive studios to survive in competitive environment, we have to deal with dumping, because consumers of music content in modern Russia Most people do not attach much importance to the quality of the recording, which means that it is absolutely pointless to overpay for it.

This trend is also facilitated by the fact that many novice performers independently post their work on the Internet, without waiting for the “pirates” to do it, and for Internet users the quality of the product is even less important. So the only studio format that can make a profit is a home studio. Of course, CDs have not yet lost their position in the market.

In addition to the information carrier, they perform another important function: they are 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 copyrights.

You can register your entrepreneurial idea as an LLC or individual entrepreneur. Both forms are easy to register and are perfect for a new entrepreneur.

What equipment will be needed?

So, how to open a recording studio and what is needed for this? Thanks to technological and information progress starting investments significantly fewer will be needed than would have been the case several decades ago. What equipment might you need for a recording studio? 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 in the first stages of development, and recordings made through any kind of software are unlikely to be able to compete with high-quality ones. If the costs of paid software seem too high, you can set a goal and find software that is not too inferior in quality, but is freely distributed.

The 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. There is a widespread myth that supposedly high-quality audio recording is exorbitantly expensive. Of course, if the goal is to participate and win various competitions, the recording must 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 will be the best option.

There are two types of audio processing: software or hardware. Today's computers have high power and performance, and this in most cases makes it possible to abandon expensive hardware equipment, which also takes up considerable space, in favor of their virtual analogues.

However, experts argue that sound recorded exclusively using plug-ins is inferior to hardware in some details that are inaudible to the average consumer. A compromise between quality and low cost can be computed boards installed in the computer system unit. This needs to be taken into account if you want to understand how to open a recording studio.

You should choose a direction

Almost every recording studio has some kind of feature. Usually this is the genre of the compositions with which the work is carried out. If you decide to open your own 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 needs to be taken into account.

The power of the instruments will depend on all this, since they will be tuned to a certain musical direction. Most likely, a recording studio will not be able to cover all styles, as this is simply unrealistic. It is unlikely that in this case, the result of all the work done will be something worthwhile and of high quality. And hack work won't interest anyone.

You need to constantly look for clients

Equipment for a recording studio should not stand idle. In other words, you need to constantly look for clients. And where can you find them? You should try to make sure that potential clients They tried to find you themselves. The most sensible option is to rent out a rehearsal space.

It is necessary to understand that today there are a lot of talents. However, they have nowhere to rehearse. Therefore, your proposal will receive maximum response from people. Rehearsal space and recording studio at working together can bring popularity.

Advertising activity

Don't forget about advertising activities. It must be carried out at the highest level. That is why you will need to constantly advertise in major newspapers and put up various posters around the city. You can hire people who will distribute leaflets in the most visited places in the village.

You can apply for advertising to bars that provide karaoke services. In this case, no one will remember competition, since it simply does not exist. But even if the restaurant or bar does not have karaoke, you can still ask the administration for a favor. Perhaps, using this method, potential clients will be found.

There are a huge number of business ideas for developing your own business. One of them is opening a recording studio. This case is quite unusual. To be successful, you must not only be passionate about it, but also have a good understanding of this area.

First steps

Open your own recording studio and develop this business Only a person connected with music is capable. That is why there is practically no competition in this area.

Where to begin? First of all, you should create a business plan for a recording studio. Development of this document is the initial step for any enterprise. A recording studio business plan will systematize all the main points that require consideration and will help determine future prospects. A pre-drafted document will give a concrete overview of what will happen after implementation of this project, what the amount of profit will be, what scheme is best to follow.

Is this business profitable?

Does it make sense to open a recording studio from scratch at this time? It is worth considering the fact that today the most profit is received by those who make sound recordings at home. Studios, equipped with expensive equipment and having large areas, are mostly idle and suffering losses. The majority of musicians do not require good sound, therefore, they are not going to overpay for quality, especially since most compositions and songs are posted directly on the Internet.

Eat music bands who are willing to pay for CDs. However, they want to record only during their rehearsals in their home studio. Additionally, most consumers download music online. Selling discs only brings a loss, and therefore about sound with high quality Few people care.

Selecting a room

Rent a music studio, which is equipped with expensive professional equipment and is located over vast areas, is currently impractical. It is enough to open such a business at home. If you don’t have your own apartment for this, then you should find a suitable room.

A recording studio business plan must include rent. Such a premises does not necessarily have to be located in the city center. An apartment for your own studio can also be rented in a residential area. In addition, it will cost much less.

The area of the apartment may be small. Twenty to thirty square meters is enough. However, it is worth taking care of good sound insulation so as not to disturb the residents of the house.

List of required equipment

Opening your own recording studio in an apartment today has become possible thanks to the development digital technologies. This will require the purchase of special equipment. A recording studio business plan should include a detailed list of all necessary equipment. This list includes the following:

A computer with good power and a decent sound card;
- studio monitors;
- midi keyboard;
- microphone stands with microphones;
- closed-back headphones.

A business plan for a music studio should also consider further preparation of the project. You will need to install special software on your computer. It must be licensed. This is important for bringing the performer to a serious competitive level.

It is worth keeping in mind that purchasing paid programs will require additional funding. This will pay off with the trust of even the most demanding client.

In addition, licensed programs have a lot of functionality. This will allow you to record sound of higher quality and at a high level.

Those entrepreneurs who do not want to invest money in licensed software can find certain programs online that are legal and at the same time free.

Just don't record pirated versions.

Start-up capital

The cost of the necessary equipment for sound recording will cost approximately one hundred and fifty thousand rubles. For an hour of studio work, a fee ranges from 500 to 1000 rubles. With a sufficient number of clients, the income is small but stable.

When selecting staff, the arranger and composer may well be replaced by a talented sound engineer. This will reduce payroll costs.

Additional services

A recording studio whose business plan must include everything possible prospects development, can specialize in a certain area. Either live or electronic music is recorded here. Suitable equipment must be purchased for the chosen focus. The design of a music studio should also be carefully considered. This will make it possible to rent out the premises for rehearsals, because musicians, as a rule, do not have enough such areas.

It is worth keeping in mind that studio recording is not an independent project. This is part of show business.

Currently, the number of musical groups is increasing. Some of them reach a decent professional level over time. In this regard, musical groups need to rent sound equipment. They need equipment not only to record works, but also to organize their concerts.

Young performers usually have limited funds. That's why they rent equipment. A recording studio business plan must take this into account. Concert equipment can be purchased additionally. This will allow you to receive some income.

Those people who want to record congratulations for family and friends can pay attention to the recording studio. Parents will enjoy listening to songs performed by their children. There are also amateur musical groups that will need to record individual songs or entire albums.

The studio business is a rather narrow niche in the modern market, and the thing is that only someone whose life is closely connected with creativity and music can develop in this direction. Let's try to figure out how profitable it is business recording studio and where is the best place to start to create a profitable and successful record company.

In times of crisis, an expensive recording studio may not be profitable from a business point of view. Of course, any self-respecting connoisseur of quality music would like to open his own " Real World by P. Gabriel" or "Abbey Road" But when thinking over a business plan for a recording studio, immediately prepare for the fact that in modern realities, the winner is the one who can afford dumping. Basically, these are the so-called " studios at home" Those who, having large areas and expensive equipment, really provide quality services, are forced to stand idle and suffer losses.

The problem is that the tastes of Russian consumers of music products are not particularly demanding. And if the target audience does not make high demands on sound quality, then why overpay? In addition, many modern musicians, bypassing the stage of recording a disc, immediately post their work on the Internet, because they know that one way or another they will end up there, but this time “thanks” to pirates. A World Wide Web and quality music are incompatible concepts. Of course, many performers and groups are willing to pay for a “CD”, but record directly during rehearsals. At best, in a small home studio. Sadly, in Russia CDs often serve as advertising leaflets, which should attract as many people as possible to a concert or attract the attention of a wealthy sponsor who is ready to splurge on a corporate event. When consumers choose to download music for free online, CD sales become unprofitable. Therefore, it is not surprising that in such conditions few people care about the quality of sound recordings.

How to open a recording studio

Today, opening your own recording studio has become much easier than decades ago. And all thanks to the advent of digital technology. Plus, with a home studio, you won't have to pay rent for the space. From the necessary technical equipment You need a good powerful computer with a high-quality sound card, studio monitors, microphones, a midi keyboard, and closed headphones.

From the software you will need, for example, Pro Tools . Don’t repeat the mistake of many novice entrepreneurs: if you save on space for a recording studio, don’t skimp on licensed software! So that your artist’s recordings can get into the serious Western market, it’s even better to install a licensed Microsoft Office. If you don’t want to buy, look for free, legal programs on the Internet, but don’t download pirated ones. With this software, your performer will, at best, be able to sing in a restaurant.

How much does it cost?

It will cost you approximately 150 thousand rubles to purchase equipment. It is not necessary to look for separate specialists for the position of composer and arranger; a talented sound engineer can easily handle this. An hour of work costs 500-1000 rubles. If you can find clients, you can count on a constant, albeit small, income. If you want to open your own recording studio business, remember the secret of success as “specialization by genre.”

Each studio should have its own musical focus, don't try to grab everything at once. Decide what you will write: live music or electronic. Depends on technical equipment studio, its capacity and even decoration. Look for a specific music crowd, build up your clientele, and, with luck, your studio will turn into a club hangout. A recording studio does not pay for itself - it is closely tied to other parts of show business. This means that there must be a constant flow of musicians passing through your studio. Where to look for them? Of course, running after them at music events, offering your services, is quite stupid. Make sure they find you themselves. You can offer an hourly rental of the studio as a rehearsal point, and at the same time the equipment will not be idle. Such a move could turn out to be quite profitable, since there is so much young talent that special places There simply isn’t enough for rehearsals for everyone. Having a recording studio and rehearsal space in the same space can be a pretty lucrative combination! It’s easy to find clients for entrepreneurs who make music themselves. It is much more difficult for those who want to buy a recording studio in order to make connections with the music scene and move in these circles.

Don’t be afraid of competition from professional record labels and technical “pros”; they simply don’t exist in Russia yet. The Soviet school of sound recording died long ago, and a new one has not yet emerged. Experts confirm that the vast majority of sound engineers working in our country are self-taught amateurs.

At the same time, it will be good if not there, but in some small studio at home. Return to contents How to open your own recording studio?

Those musicians who are still thinking about how to open their own studio will need to draw up a detailed business plan.

First of all, you need to understand that the most acceptable option would be to open a studio at home.

This has become very easy with the advent of digital technology.

What to consider when developing a business plan for a recording studio

Business plan for interior design: practicality and creativity Organizational stage Business plan for a web studio: planning a successful and modern business Equipment It is not profitable to purchase special musical equipment. Therefore, a list should be developed necessary equipment, which may include: A powerful computer with a sound card.

How to open a recording studio

Opening a recording studio and developing your business is only possible for those who are involved in music, so this type of business is rather undeveloped.

You need to figure out whether such a business is profitable and where it’s best to start in order to create your own studio. It’s worth starting with a business plan for creating a studio; keep in mind that nowadays those who have set up a so-called “studio at home” earn more.

Business ideas from scratch

There are no brand preferences.

This will cost from 5 to 15 thousand rubles.

3. Printer with color printing - from 3 thousand rubles. 4. Scanner - from 2.5 thousand rubles. 5. Software- from 0 rubles.

There is plenty of free software on the Internet. 6. Connecting cords (the shorter the better). 7. Advertising budget from 2 thousand

rubles 8. DVD discs - from 300 rubles.

According to this business plan, an audio recording studio is a profitable type of business that allows you to recoup all initial costs for the purchase of new and used equipment in the first nine months of operation.

Download Western business plan for a recording studio

How to win tenders with a Guarantee? Choose a franchise with a Result Guarantee, which is specified in the contract!

Is this business profitable?

Choosing a Premises A recording business plan must include rent.

Such a room does not necessarily have to be located in the city center.

The range of services that a recording studio can provide is quite diverse. Here are some of them: Subsequently, it will be possible to improve the quality of the above services by purchasing new, more advanced equipment. However, in a provincial city this need is unlikely to arise in the foreseeable future.

How much should you invest in opening? The main question that interests any businessman: how much will the costs cost at the very beginning of the establishment of a business?

The answer regarding the recording is below: Marketing plan A marketing plan aimed at promoting the services of a recording studio in a provincial town is extremely simple and not demanding financial resources entrepreneur.

This is primarily due to finances: investments of about $10 million are required. Their main orders come from aspiring musicians and corporate clients who need to record music or text for advertising.

The turnover in this market segment is small - from $60 thousand to $250 thousand per year. The annual turnover of these recording studios reaches, in the best case, up to $50 thousand, and it is not possible to calculate their actual number.

Business idea: how to open a recording studio - what are the costs and what are the benefits

For all this you will have to spend about 200 thousand rubles.

You won't need to hire a professional sound engineer.

After all, it will be enough to hire a person who is well versed in music and professional equipment.

The cost of his services ranges from 400-1100 rubles per hour.

It is also important to choose the genre that you will record, be it rock, blues, jazz, rap, house or regular chanson.

Russian music is just beginning to emerge, says Ivan Knol. Therefore, a recording studio is a very useful and, with the right approach, a profitable undertaking. He spoke about the specifics of the music business in an interview with Kontur.Zhurnal.

A recording studio is loud and disturbs neighbors

I have been involved in arrangements and sound recording for about ten years. When I was 12 years old, I first joined the rock group “Night Films” (Evgeny Annenkov, Artem Brekhovskikh). That was the first time I saw what a recording program looked like: it was some kind of simple program on an old computer. I showed the guys my song and we recorded guitar, bass and voice. I got a lot of emotions, got excited about it once and for all and thought that I had chosen my path. Then he played in the rock group “CERBER” (Pavel Vorotnikov, Nikita Zlobin, Alexey Talyansky, Anton Kopylov, Denis Chebotarev). Be that as it may, by the 11th grade I suddenly decided to enter the Geodetic Academy.

It would seem that since childhood I studied music, participated in KVN, was generally a creative person and at the same time went to study engineering. In fact, I wanted to enter the local theater institute, but in the process of attending preparatory courses I immersed myself in the local atmosphere and, having learned that the schedule there would be from eight in the morning to eight in the evening every day, even on Sunday, I was horrified. I thought that I would have no personal life at all, I would not be able to make arrangements and write songs.

Once I was riding on a bus, I looked out the window and thought - how will I earn a living if I disappear from morning to evening in the theater? I wanted to connect earning money with my hobby because I had seen enough of unhappy people who are forced to rush between what they want and what they actually want.

In my first year at the Geodetic Academy, I decided to take a break from everything and not study music. By my second year, I started singing again and wanted to organize a recording studio at the university. But since the university did not have suitable premises, three years ago I opened a recording studio in my own private house in Krivodanovka, 15 km from Novosibirsk.

This was very useful, because a recording studio is very loud and greatly disturbs the neighbors. No matter how much sound absorption you make from insulating materials, there will still be vibrations. In addition, you cannot avoid the constant flow of people. Therefore, a detached cottage was ideal for me. I spent about 250,000 rubles on the first equipment. from their own and their parents’ savings. I bought a computer, a sound card, three guitars, wires, speakers, a pair of headphones and a microphone - the minimum kit to make songs and arrangements.

I became a “universal music station”

My father is a creative person, he writes poetry and songs. I practiced on it while recording his compositions. Since I graduated from music school and am a specialist in information systems, then I am good at both computers and music. I myself write songs in various styles - rock, rap, dance styles, and chanson. And I write them down.

Two years ago, I worked at home in this mode. We rehearsed with my guys from the creative association Steel Strings Studio(Renat Sattarov, Denis Kovalev, Svyata Chernyaeva, Sergey Dolin). This association helps young musicians perform, organize creative concerts and apartment events.

I work separately in the recording studio, every day from morning to evening trying to achieve the perfect sound. We rehearsed with the guys from the creative association for about a year and worked on the Mayakovsvet project. We have already performed in Novosibirsk several times. We also plan to develop a more rigid sounding project called The Trailer; we have about five demo versions in the works. After I finish processing the audio, we'll try to promote ourselves with these projects.

To do business seriously, I registered an individual entrepreneur. Gradually, through word of mouth, clients learned that I was recording songs, arrangements, and writing poetry, and they began to contact me. I also organize live music for weddings and anniversaries. I have a set of equipment, and if people need sound, I am ready to provide them with everything they need. I have become a “universal music station”: I can record a song, play music at an event, or sing. This is such a package of services.

You can’t take a month-long course and become a good sound engineer.

Working from home has its advantages, for example, the fact that you wake up and immediately start working. The main disadvantage is that new people come to the house every time, but the house is the place where you need to relax. I seriously thought about setting up a recording studio somewhere in Novosibirsk. Now I rent a room not far from where I once studied.

I am currently continuing my graduate studies and working on my dissertation, but this does not stop me from doing business. We had to make a little more cash injection into the studio: buy a drum set, a sound card to record drums, wires, switching, soundproofing for sound absorption, and carry out minor cosmetic repairs.

To gain the necessary knowledge and immediately start making high-quality arrangements, it is not enough to simply take a month-long course, so I am constantly gaining experience. To become a sought-after sound engineer and arranger, you need to practice every day. On at this stage I work alone and for now I can cope on my own, later I want to hire a person who will perform my duties while I am not at work, so that the rented premises do not stand idle.

Chanson is very popular in Novosibirsk. I recently started working with Andrey Klimnyuk (“Legends of Russian Chanson”). I make arrangements for him and his Novosibirsk colleague Sergei Klushin. I also record rock bands (“Contact”, “Iskriya”, “Tsvet Tochki”). These are fun guys and a pleasure to work with. We recently recorded all the drum parts for the group "Contact", we are now recording the guitars, all that remains is to record all the bass parts for nine compositions, mix it all and put it online.

We recently recorded the album “Failure” for local rap artist Nikita Khovyakov, who has a project called “Istov”. He was very pleased and now wants to continue recording with me. He also has his own rock music project - the group “Inside Out”; we agreed to make an album in the rock style for the fall or winter. There are a lot of projects, and there are also my songs that I want to record.

If all the instruments are live, for example in the pop and rock genres, then it can take about five to six hours to record the instruments, and about three to four hours to mix it, so you can have a finished product in two days.

Russian music is just emerging

It is common to say that Russian rock is dead, but I wouldn’t say so, because it is just beginning to emerge. Of course, we are somewhat behind the West, but the guys now only need perseverance. After all, you need to write a song when you have something to tell people. And then, no matter how it is played, even if there are errors and shortcomings in terms of sound, this song will find its listener.

There will always be people who need songs and arrangements. Now is the age of the Internet, so musicians prefer to distribute their products via the Internet.

They record songs in good quality, make a selection and start promoting it in different public places for money. In fact, sound recording is a very profitable business if you approach it wisely and find the right people, work with them and promote them.

I used to do vocals, but then I stopped. Now I am restoring my vocal abilities in order to participate in competitions and festivals. This is necessary so that people learn about Ivan Knol’s recording studio and can use its services.

Novosibirsk has various performance venues for rap, pop, rock and chanson performers. Of course, the turnover here is not the same as in Moscow or St. Petersburg, but we have many performers and creative people in general who can become professionals.

You can learn to make arrangements only by copying other people's songs

There are quite a few recording studios in Novosibirsk - about 15: Megaton, Ivolga, a studio at the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, theaters also have their own studios. There are plenty of places where you can sign up. I'm working on becoming a better person. I’m gradually making my way to the studio school at the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company - starting in September I’ll go there for sound engineering courses. The theory and practice course takes six months: we will watch how professionals record sound - guitars, drums.

In the music business, equipment needs to be updated constantly. There is even a comic disease that in the USA is called “equipment buying syndrome.” Musicians always want to buy new equipment and listen to new sound. For example, I want to buy a better vocal microphone and find a larger room.

An arrangement in the chanson style costs 3,000 rubles, voice recording, mixing and effects - 1,000 rubles. If a person needs something unusual, we discuss it and adjust the price. Four or five arrangements a month in the chanson style, an album in the rap style, an album in the rock style - for me the ceiling is still the limit.

When you listen to a song, that is learning. You need to hear separately the bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, drums, and synthesizer part. You need to hear how the voice is recorded, how it is panned out - left and right ear, middle, what parts there are in a particular song. If you take the song apart, you can try to sit down and record it again from beginning to end. You can raise your level only if you learn to completely copy the sound of a song.

Then you can try to make your own music. You need to take a guitar, place your hand, choose new sequence chords, start playing in a new way right hand rhythm - this is how a new part can be born, which in the future can become a song. The same song can turn into a video film.

It might be useful to read: