Getting a bit of distance

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

As much as I love my job and being self employed in general, the last couple of months have been pretty fucking ridiculous. I realized I've spent most of my time answering queries only to never hear from the bands again, giving advice to aspiring AE's, haggling about prices and dealing with bullshit cancellations instead of actually working. Don't get me wrong, I love talking shop, but when I spend more time telling musicians how to get a particular sound rather than being hired to get that sound for them, something ain't right. I've been low-balled out of gigs enough times that I've had to permanently lower my rates, and with the amount of work that has just downright vanished with no reason whatsoever, I'm pretty much fed up counting every penny on my bank account and loosing sleep over gigs that never happened.

I'm absolutely not giving up - I will definitely continue running my business since in the end I still love the craft and working with good artists, but I'm gonna pick up a normal, physical 7-to-4 job for a while on the side. Maybe a week, maybe a month, I don't know, I just want to get some fresh air and enjoy the luxury of a guaranteed hourly salary for a while. I need something to balance things a bit, before I permanently turn into a bitter cunt cursing tax-avoiding kids with cracked plugins calling themselves pros and charging a tenth of the realistic rates. It's already gotten to the point that whenever I see someone offering professional services but obviously being totally fucking clueless or just running their "business" with no legal permission to do so whatsoever, I just get really pissed off and my mood is ruined. Whenever I try to diplomatically tell these people to straighten up, I get either the "Yeah, I just want my name out there" or "FUCK YOU I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT" explanation. These kids systematically fail too se that what they're doing is in most cases absolutely illegal, and in addition to hurting the industry, they're one phone call away from diving head first into a lake of fiery shit.

I will continue to book projects, and naturally all booked projects will be finished on time as usual, so don't worry. Like I said, I'm doing this on the side, just to replenish my love for the business and ease up on the stress for a moment.

Rant over. Thanks.

 

[Ermz]

I dare say all of us who have taken a go at doing this job full-time have felt the way you do at some point. I can completely sympathize, and I hope that your day job gives you the needed distance, and re-injects the joy of working back into the AE side of things.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I dare say all of us who have taken a go at doing this job full-time have felt the way you do at some point. I can completely sympathize, and I hope that your day job gives you the needed distance, and re-injects the joy of working back into the AE side of things.

Definitely, and during the 2,5 years or so that I've been doing this as a business, there's always been bullshit like that. In the past 1,5-2 months they have just cascaded a lot. Thanks for the kind words, I know it will!

 

[Soundlurker]

It may well be a global phenomenon, but we'll get through it. The past 7-8 months have probably been the worst ever and I too have been worried sick at certain points but it's starting to look up again.

It seems these days bands either go for the cheapest or the most hyped studios and everyone in between is left struggling. We'll have to see if this keeps up and we need to somehow adapt or if it will change so we can get a breath of fresh air.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

It may well be a global phenomenon, but we'll get through it. The past 7-8 months have probably been the worst ever and I too have been worried sick at certain points but it's starting to look up again.

It seems these days bands either go for the cheapest or the most hyped studios and everyone in between is left struggling. We'll have to see if this keeps up and we need to somehow adapt or if it will change so we can get a breath of fresh air.

Yeah, it's been really strange. During the last year, I've seen a lot of small and mid-sized studios going down. Just heard that a rather new but really well-equipped and rather cheap studio I worked out of a couple of times is virtually dead. It still exists in theory, but most the gear is gone and the wind is howling in the control room.

Around May last year I had way more work than I could possibly pick up. Now all I see is "I'm looking for a good producer to contribute to my project as much as I have, but unfortunately I can't pay more than $50 a song because I'm a poor musician" and "I need someone to mix my debut album. I can't offer any money, but I swear to God I'll praise you wherever I go!"

The one I hate the most? Getting an email from a band saying "We love your work, we want you to mix our project X, we have the money ready, just tell us when you can start!" and never ever hearing from them again after I've spent a good amount of time getting them a query and going over the details of the project.

 

[Ermz]

I believe things get easier when you consolidate your name and are more than just 'another option' for the bands around. If you become 'the guy' they must work with, then they're less inclined to screw you around.

You're probably in a tough spot - I imagine Finland is full of budding AE talent, much as Sweden is. The trick, as with everything else, is to stand out from the crowd and make the bands demand you specifically... not your facility... not your gear... not your price... but your ability. Once that's the case, you can sit back and chill a bit.

I believe that you can't play the undercutting game if you plan to survive in the long run. Building the quality of your name is so much more important than getting a certain volume of records out there at lower prices. It's the longer road to take, absolutely, but I think it's the only sustainable one from a long-term perspective. Perhaps with the day job you're taking you can choose to keep your quality standards high and only work with serious bands that you know you can create great records with. This way, while your day job sustain you, you can build an even greater portfolio on the side and consolidate your place in the audio industry.

 

[Soundlurker]

^^Something big is happening and we might need to change our business model altogether. I'm contemplating if I should do a kind of a survey with a lot of my clients or musicians I'm friends with to see how they feel about the whole thing, what they expect, what they are willing to offer, what they are willing to sacrifice and what they demand.

^ Don't know about Finland but around here the tendency is to either work with the cheapest guys or the guys you know and it's pissing me off, because a lot of those bands are aware that they are paying more and getting less but for some reason they are afraid to try other options.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I believe things get easier when you consolidate your name and are more than just 'another option' for the bands around. If you become 'the guy' they must work with, then they're less inclined to screw you around.

You're probably in a tough spot - I imagine Finland is full of budding AE talent, much as Sweden is. The trick, as with everything else, is to stand out from the crowd and make the bands demand you specifically... not your facility... not your gear... not your price... but your ability. Once that's the case, you can sit back and chill a bit.

Like I said, most of the inquiries I get are from bands that praise my work and are set on booking me for the gig, but then they disappear. Usually I get the explanation a few months later from some other source by accident, and nine times out of ten it's either the band breaking up or hitting financial trouble, the latter leading them to pick a friend who has watched Some Kind Of Monster, downloaded Cubase and declared himself a producer because they can't afford anything more than a case of beer to compensate. It wouldn't bother me if this was the case only with young bands with more ambition than grasp of reality, but it happens with well-established acts as well.

I believe that you can't play the undercutting game if you plan to survive in the long run. Building the quality of your name is so much more important than getting a certain volume of records out there at lower prices. It's the longer road to take, absolutely, but I think it's the only sustainable one from a long-term perspective. Perhaps with the day job you're taking you can choose to keep your quality standards high and only work with serious bands that you know you can create great records with. This way, while your day job sustain you, you can build an even greater portfolio on the side and consolidate your place in the audio industry.

Absolutely, and this is exactly how I reasoned it to myself. The undercutters go down or lose interest quickly, but considering the sheer amount of them, their quick adventures into the glorious land of music related work, it's enough to hurt those won't play their game. I have never (at least knowingly) bid lower than the next guy to get the gig, and will not do so in the future either. I'd rather turn pencils the rest of my life than degrade myself to that.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

^ Don't know about Finland but around here the tendency is to either work with the cheapest guys or the guys you know and it's pissing me off, because a lot of those bands are aware that they are paying more and getting less but for some reason they are afraid to try other options.

Around here it's actually usually the DIY route. Every-fucking-one thinks he knows his shit, so why pay a professional who has actually put some effort to learn the craft?

That being said, I haven't had many clients who haven't either worked with me again or sworn to do so when they next need such services, so it might be I'm the one benefitting from the scenario you described

 

[Sacha]

You seem like a really helpful and knowledgeable dude so all the best to you in your endeavours; I'm sure things will work out for the best in the end. It's definitely tough mixing money / art / passion!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

You seem like a really helpful and knowledgeable dude so all the best to you in your endeavours; I'm sure things will work out for the best in the end. It's definitely tough mixing money / art / passion!

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!

 

[Soundlurker]

Around here it's actually usually the DIY route. Every-fucking-one thinks he knows his shit, so why pay a professional who has actually put some effort to learn the craft?

That being said, I haven't had many clients who haven't either worked with me again or sworn to do so when they next need such services, so it might be I'm the one benefitting from the scenario you described

Oh, don't get me wrong, almost all of my clients come back for their next recording as well but that's because they are happy with my work as well as how I work and how much I charge. I know for a fact from mutual friends that there are a bunch of bands that aren't really stoked on what they are getting from their guy and for how much but they work with him anyway.

 

[drew_drummer]

Jarksta. Let me just publicly say that we've not disappeared. We missed your deadline due to funds (mainly our bassist lack of cash) and our shit isn't mixed yet. But we fully intend to follow through with our mastering quote.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Jarksta. Let me just publicly say that we've not disappeared. We missed your deadline due to funds (mainly our bassist lack of cash) and our shit isn't mixed yet. But we fully intend to follow through with our mastering quote.

Hey man, don't worry, I don't think we even set a deadline? Definitely not aimed at you - like I promised, I'll have a slot for you whenever you're ready!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Actually, now that I think of it, the vast majority of gigs I've gotten through this forum (in one way or another) have been great. Obviously, not every single one has been silky smooth (for example, there was a band who wanted me to mix their stuff and completely disappeared, and the next I heard from them was a year or a year and a half later when I offered the free mix deal and they wanted in ), but it seems whenever people come through this forum, they usually really have their shit together. So props to you guys!

 

[drew_drummer]

Hey man, don't worry, I don't think we even set a deadline? Definitely not aimed at you - like I promised, I'll have a slot for you whenever you're ready!

Ah I more meant your discount deadline that you had a few weeks back! Yeah... we've basically got a few more vocal things to tie up, once I do that, shouldn't take me more than a month to mix. I'll holla at you when I think I'm nearly there.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Ah I more meant your discount deadline that you had a few weeks back! Yeah... we've basically got a few more vocal things to tie up, once I do that, shouldn't take me more than a month to mix. I'll holla at you when I think I'm nearly there.

Ah, yeah. No worries there, it's all set!

 

[::XeS::]

I'm with you actually because I'm thinking the same thing. I'm very tired to deal with crappy and unprofessional musicians...Unfortunately the situation is not very good at the moment. When I record bands where after 2 listens I can play all the songs myself and the band can't after months of reharseals, in studio...there is something wrong. And everytime is the same.....lot of work tracking, lot of work editing...and at the end bands happy also if they can't play decently a single note. Fuck that.
We have to do a step back in my opinion...stop edits, stop fake playings and fake recordings....we (everybody...software house, producers,etc...)are destroying the music.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I'm with you actually because I'm thinking the same thing. I'm very tired to deal with crappy and unprofessional musicians...Unfortunately the situation is not very good at the moment. When I record bands where after 2 listens I can play all the songs myself and the band can't after months of reharseals, in studio...there is something wrong. And everytime is the same.....lot of work tracking, lot of work editing...and at the end bands happy also if they can't play decently a single note. Fuck that.
We have to do a step back in my opinion...stop edits, stop fake playings and fake recordings....we (everybody...software house, producers,etc...)are destroying the music.

I have actually had the fortune to work with really cool bands and artists, so I'm definitely not complaining there. The work itself I absolutely love, it's all I ever wanted to do. It's all the unnecessary shit that never leads to work that annoys me

When I was a kid, I had two dreams career-wise. I always wanted to work on label albums, and I always wanted to work on stuff that gets played on the radio. A couple of days ago when I went over this I realized I've achieved both more than once, so I think this is a good moment to get my perspective straight again.

 

[::XeS::]

I have worked with cool guys and musicians too...those moments are ace. But when you have to deal with morons, all the good aspects of this work go away and the only thought is to be elsewhere.
You know what it should be the best thing to do? Choosing your clients...don't accept every fucking kid but try to work only with decent musicians that can give back some visibility at least.
Some week ago I spoke with a friend that did the website for a common friend for his new studio (lot of equipment, cool place, etc...). He works constantly but when my friends collected the songs of some of his works for the player he noticed that the 80% of the albums never came out or the bands broke up before the release of the album. So you have to work with lot of useless musicians and you say "ok they are morons but they pay and at least I'll have some new stuff = new visibility for the studio"....but no, you work a lot but at the end no one know you have produced lot of albums (maybe some good album)