Can't break out

[Ermz]

Do some of you guys at times get the feeling that you're beating your head against a brick wall?

I'm finding that no matter how much I do, and no matter the quality of audio work I push myself to achieve, I'm finding it very hard to break out and get a steady flow of work, or at the very least higher caliber work. This whole thing seems to function on word of mouth, but christ the word must be driving a 1940's Ford. It's sure to get there eventually, but the time taken to get around kills you.

What kills me at times is that there are some local studios, and project studios around which do work that I wouldn't consider very quality at all, yet get a constant stream of clientele. All because of the convenience of the owner/studio/package being bundled into the one thing. It seems very hard to make your mark without your own facility, as there seems hardly any incentive for bands to record at studios at all, much less with a freelancer.

Just wondered if anyone else felt they were in the same boat.

 

[nwright]

What I see around where I live is that most metal bands a.) don't have money to go into a real studio, b.) choose to do it all themselves, or c.) Have a wannabe engineer friend who will do it for free or close to it.

For me, I've been lucky that word of mouth has gotten me business...I have a regular job, so making money or increasing clientele is necessarily something I actively pursue, but I have seen my workload increase this year. I've already done probably 2-3 times more work this year so far than I did all of last year.

The biggest "advertisement" for me is the fact that I'm in a band. So, when people hear our recorded work, they'll ask who did it, etc. Having that direct connection with other bands we play with is really what's gotten me any attention at all.

I'll be moving into a freelance job at a studio in Indianapolis, and I'm really interested to see how many bands actually go that route. Paying per hour at rates anywhere above 40 bucks generally scares off most bands around here. Paying per song seems to be the in thing.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

uhhh I can think of a hundred responses to this, some funny, most serious, but I think the most appropriate one is: "I feel you."

 

[nuclearass]

I'm pretty much exactly in the same boat as you and I feel exactly the same. A friend of mine has a studio which I can use quite freely, but it's not the same as having your very own facility where you can decide the workhours and you own all the gear... and the location & workhours in that studio are not really suitable for me... and the future of the place is quite uncertain atm.

 

[kaomao]

If you aint' got a place to record bands you won't get that far, basically that's what I think.
Yes I do record bands at my place, but I can't blast a real drumkit, I still have to rent a rehearsal space or going to my band practice space and record there (with the other mates permission of course).
Save money and buy a garage better than nothing I think, or buy an electronic drum kit and record them at home, much cheaper and reliable with shitty drummers.
Buy a good thd hotplate and reamp at home.
I feel you too

 

[AStacy2]

Yeah man, you need your own studio. Then you need to go buy all the gear that the bands should have. Then you gotta go buy all the gear a good studio should have too.

 

[JonWormwood]

I feel you.

 

[MetalWorks]

I know a studio that is a kid who rents a rehearsal space for $300 a month inside of a 60 space Rehearsal Warehouse.

He seems to be constantly booked. He gets decent results, but people go to him for convenience even though there are better studios close to the same price range.

Got anything like that in your area?

 

[Black neon bob]

Do some of you guys at times get the feeling that you're beating your head against a brick wall?

I'm finding that no matter how much I do, and no matter the quality of audio work I push myself to achieve, I'm finding it very hard to break out and get a steady flow of work, or at the very least higher caliber work. This whole thing seems to function on word of mouth, but christ the word must be driving a 1940's Ford. It's sure to get there eventually, but the time taken to get around kills you.

What kills me at times is that there are some local studios, and project studios around which do work that I wouldn't consider very quality at all, yet get a constant stream of clientele. All because of the convenience of the owner/studio/package being bundled into the one thing. It seems very hard to make your mark without your own facility, as there seems hardly any incentive for bands to record at studios at all, much less with a freelancer.

Just wondered if anyone else felt they were in the same boat.

this... +1.

 

[Seizure.]

I know a studio that is a kid who rents a rehearsal space for $300 a month inside of a 60 space Rehearsal Warehouse.

He seems to be constantly booked. He gets decent results, but people go to him for convenience even though there are better studios close to the same price range.

Got anything like that in your area?

+1.

I get pretty decent results myself but my recordings have to be done in a weekend in a place nearby, if we don't make it recording everything (its mostly demo's) i'll do the vocals and bass at home.

It works, but people want one place to record i think, AND its pretty important to be able to work fast.
I don't work fast to be honest and i think thats what keeps the other bands from not going to me but the other guy who does the mix in the days/same week the band payed him for.

 

[greyskull]

its hard man,
stick at it,

 

[broken81]

Yea its real hard! I have been doing mobile recording for the past year and bands honestly love that convenience. Most bands are lazy and if they don't have to move a thing they love it. Plus they get to record were they are comfortable. Yea its a bitch for me but hey man I'm doing something i love full time!

I'm actually also borrowing my friends practice space on weekends to record now. Only catch i give them 60 bucks each weekend toward recording with me time. SO pretty soon there gonna have a full album i have to do for free basically. :Smug:

Can't wait to have my own space though.

 

[unsilpauly]

i think its a hard business no matter what. its part hustle and part word of mouth. until you record a band that actually does something, business will be inconsistant. i am going through about a month of downtime right now. whenever that happens i wonder why i do this and think about giving up. then from out of nowhere im booked solid and have no free time.

i think downtime is part of the business until you are in demand on more than a local or regional level. like andy and james and zuess and adam d. work with bands from all over the world. once you have that demand you wont have as much downtime. im pretty sure most studios have some downtime here and there.

i also think that having your own studio where you live helps. one rent for everything. if you have to pay to use someones place, than you are taking money out of your own pocket(unless you are working with a band with a real budget, but that is rare on a local level). having your own studio is the business model of the future.

i would only stick with it if you can weather the downtime and budget money really well. im in my sixth year with my own studio and it is tough. i still have to work another job half the year so the downtimes in the studio dont hurt too much. its workin, but barely. i also have a five year old son and a fiancee in school(she does work as well). its super tight with money sometimes but i am happy doing this and i have the drive to make it work. luckily my girl wants me to be happy and do something i like as well so she puts up with the noise and hours.

i wish everyone the best of luck, we are gonna need it

 

[Ermz]

Thanks for chipping in guys. While it's good to know there are others in the same boat, I do tend to feel for all of you as well.

I actually have a (somewhat) local studio that I freelance out of, which is always nice. However the place is far away and the band have to pay for the facility as well as me. Whilst I do get a bit of a discount because I work out of there exclusively, I've been thinking of chatting with the owners and seeing whether I can get a more permanent position there.

 

[izzyrock]

Its not your fault mate.
Once you nail it with a band that go big successfull, you will be overbooked.
You can mix 100 albums that sound better than anything, buy if those bands dont go out and make it, no one will hear about you work