Since this question has been popping up really often, I decided to do this FAQ. This is in no way step by step kind of thing, but more general info what you need to do. If I forgot something, please let me know and I'll add it.
Step 1: Go legit
If you are working for your own pleasure in your own bedroom to record your own stuff, this step doesn't really matter, but when you start to work with others than just by yourself or your mates and relatives, this one is really important, especially if working b2b. Because IRS, or what ever your local tax revenue law enforcer is, will so fry your ass when you get caught and usually this ends up in personal bankruptcy and in worst scenarios some jail time. In short this means you need to found a company (methods vary by country, contact your local authorities for more information) and stop using pirated software.
Step 2: Learn your shit
This should be self explanatory. Nothing makes you look less professional than not knowing how to run your own studio. Even if you are the best guitar player in the world, doesn't make you a good studio engineer. But running a studio requires other stuff too, and if you don't know how to do it yourself, hire someone who knows how to do the parts you don't know how to do (say for example an accountant, lawyer, engineer, manager etc).
Step 3: Separate work and free time
You need to learn to take time off from work, because burn out isn't a good thing. Easiest way to help this is to build your studio somewhere else than to your own house. Otherwise you will end up getting the Sturgis syndrome and work 400 days a year.
Step 4: Make everything as easy to work with as possible gear wise
What this means is that you need to maintain the gear, so that you don't need to use some voodoo to make a piece of gear to work. Minimal amount of connector traffic helps to keep the connectors intact, preinstalled cablesnakes and patchbays help with this a lot, especially if you use a lot of outboard gear.
Step 5: Have all the required equipment
If you advertise that you can record the whole band, then you need to be able to record the whole band. You need to have proper acoustic treatment, the microphones, di-boxes, the stands, the cables, personal monitoring for musician and engineer, recording medium, outboard gear and other accessories that you need for recording the band.
Step 6: Don't fuck with the competitors
This means if you plan to be professional, do not underprice yourself and skew competition. Find what is the local average rate and if you are new, maybe play just a bit under that, but don't go overboard with the discounted price. This will make everybody hate you (The Behringer syndrome) and you will usually get the bottom end scum if you promise to record the whole album for $100 or something stupid shit like that.
Step 7: Act professional, even if you aren't one yet
Act like if you were working under some other company. Nobody likes the arrogant know-it-all "recording school graduate" stereotype. Also being high or drunk at work is not very good worketchic, also If you don't know how to interact nicely with people, you shouldn't work in a recording studio.
Step 8: Disclaimer
If you find any of this too vague, then please refer to Step 2 and try again next year.
Step 1: Go legit
If you are working for your own pleasure in your own bedroom to record your own stuff, this step doesn't really matter, but when you start to work with others than just by yourself or your mates and relatives, this one is really important, especially if working b2b. Because IRS, or what ever your local tax revenue law enforcer is, will so fry your ass when you get caught and usually this ends up in personal bankruptcy and in worst scenarios some jail time. In short this means you need to found a company (methods vary by country, contact your local authorities for more information) and stop using pirated software.
Step 2: Learn your shit
This should be self explanatory. Nothing makes you look less professional than not knowing how to run your own studio. Even if you are the best guitar player in the world, doesn't make you a good studio engineer. But running a studio requires other stuff too, and if you don't know how to do it yourself, hire someone who knows how to do the parts you don't know how to do (say for example an accountant, lawyer, engineer, manager etc).
Step 3: Separate work and free time
You need to learn to take time off from work, because burn out isn't a good thing. Easiest way to help this is to build your studio somewhere else than to your own house. Otherwise you will end up getting the Sturgis syndrome and work 400 days a year.
Step 4: Make everything as easy to work with as possible gear wise
What this means is that you need to maintain the gear, so that you don't need to use some voodoo to make a piece of gear to work. Minimal amount of connector traffic helps to keep the connectors intact, preinstalled cablesnakes and patchbays help with this a lot, especially if you use a lot of outboard gear.
Step 5: Have all the required equipment
If you advertise that you can record the whole band, then you need to be able to record the whole band. You need to have proper acoustic treatment, the microphones, di-boxes, the stands, the cables, personal monitoring for musician and engineer, recording medium, outboard gear and other accessories that you need for recording the band.
Step 6: Don't fuck with the competitors
This means if you plan to be professional, do not underprice yourself and skew competition. Find what is the local average rate and if you are new, maybe play just a bit under that, but don't go overboard with the discounted price. This will make everybody hate you (The Behringer syndrome) and you will usually get the bottom end scum if you promise to record the whole album for $100 or something stupid shit like that.
Step 7: Act professional, even if you aren't one yet
Act like if you were working under some other company. Nobody likes the arrogant know-it-all "recording school graduate" stereotype. Also being high or drunk at work is not very good worketchic, also If you don't know how to interact nicely with people, you shouldn't work in a recording studio.
Step 8: Disclaimer
If you find any of this too vague, then please refer to Step 2 and try again next year.
