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

However, 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 major record company is not efficient

Today, a major 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, in order to survive in competitive environment, you have to engage in dumping, because consumers of music content in modern Russia for the most part, they 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 upload their work to the network, without waiting for the “pirates” to do so, and for Internet users, the quality of products is even less important. So the only studio format that can make a profit is a studio at home. Of course, CDs have not lost their positions in the market yet.

In addition to the information carrier, they perform another important function: they are a kind of showcase advertising the artist. 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 an 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 technological and informational progress, start-up investments will require much less than they could have been a few decades ago. What kind of recording studio equipment do you need? These are the following devices:

1. Powerful personal computer.
2. MIDI keyboard.
3. Studio monitor.
4. Closed headphones.
5. Microphones.

It's obvious that software you need to use only licensed. Not only can there be problems with government bodies, which is definitely not necessary at 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 cost of paid software seems too high, you can set a goal and find not too inferior in quality, but free software.

Sound needs to be handled carefully.

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 allegedly high-quality sound recording costs prohibitively. Of course, if the goal is to participate and win in various competitions, the record must be flawless. However, not everyone is ready and willing to do this, and today in everyday life the situation looks a little different. Regardless, a digital recording studio would 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 occupies a considerable area, in favor of their virtual counterparts.

However, experts say that the sound recorded exclusively with plug-ins is inferior to the hardware in some details that are inaudible to the average consumer. A compromise between quality and cheapness can be made by computing boards installed in the computer system unit. This must be taken into account if you want to understand how to open a recording studio.

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

Need to constantly look for customers

Recording studio equipment should not stand idle. 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 themselves. The most sensible option is to rent a rehearsal space.

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 the people. Rehearsal space and recording studio joint work can bring popularity.

Advertising activity

Don't forget about promotional 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 a variety of posters around the city. You can hire people who will distribute leaflets in the most visited places in the village.

With a request for advertising, you can contact the bars that provide karaoke services. In this case, no one will remember 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, with the help of this method, potential customers will be found.

At the same time, it will be good if, nevertheless, not there, but in some small studio at home. Return to index 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 quite 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: we plan a successful and modern business Equipment Buying special musical equipment is unprofitable. Therefore, a list of necessary equipment should be developed, which may include: A powerful computer with a sound card.

How to open a recording studio

Only those who are connected with music can open a recording studio and develop their business, so this type of business is rather undeveloped.

You need to figure out whether such a business is profitable and where it is better 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 in our time those who have equipped the so-called “studio at home” earn more.

Business ideas from scratch

There is no brand preference.

It 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 are plenty of free software on the Internet. 6. Connecting cords (the shorter, the better). 7. Advertising budget from 2 thousand rubles.

rubles. 8. DVD blanks - from 300 rubles.

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

Download western recording studio business plan

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Is this business profitable?

Selecting a Location A recording business plan should include a lease.

Such a room does not 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 to invest in opening Main question, which is of interest to any businessman: how much will the costs be at the very beginning of the business?

The answer for the record company is below: Marketing plan A marketing plan focused on promoting the services of a recording studio in a provincial town is extremely simple and does not require the entrepreneur's financial resources.

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

Turnover in this segment of the market is small - from $60,000 to $250,000 per year. Annual turnover at home?their recording studios reaches in the best case up to $50 thousand, and it is not possible to calculate their real 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 will not 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 you will be recording, whether it be rock, blues, jazz, rap, house or regular chanson.

To develop your own business, there is great amount business ideas. One of them is the opening of a recording studio. This case is rather unusual. For its success, it is necessary not only to "get sick" with this, but also to be well versed in this area.

First steps

Only a person connected with music can open his own recording studio and develop this business. That is why there is practically no competition in this area.

Where to begin? First of all, you should draw up a business plan for a recording studio. The development of this document is the initial step for any enterprise. A recording studio business plan will systematize all the main points that need to be considered and will allow you to determine the prospects for the future. A pre-compiled document will give a concrete visibility of what will happen after the implementation of this project, what will be the amount of profit, according to which scheme it is best to act.

Is this business profitable?

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

There are music groups that are willing to pay for CDs. However, at the same time, they want to record only during their rehearsals in their home studio. In addition, most consumers download music online. The sale of discs brings only a loss, and therefore about the sound from high quality few people care.

Room selection

Renting a music studio, which is equipped with expensive professional equipment and is located on huge areas, is currently inappropriate. It is enough to open such a business at home. If there is no own apartment for this, then a suitable room should be found.

The business plan of the recording studio should provide for rent. Such a room does not 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 size of the apartment may be small. Enough twenty to thirty square meters. However, it is worth taking care of good sound insulation so as not to disturb the residents of the house.

List of required equipment

Today, opening your own recording studio in an apartment has become possible thanks to the development of digital technologies. This will require the purchase of special equipment. The recording studio business plan should include a detailed list of all the 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

The business plan of the music studio should also consider the 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 should be borne in mind that the purchase of paid programs will require additional funding. This will pay off with the trust of even the most demanding client.

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

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

Just don't write 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 of 500 to 1000 rubles is charged. With a sufficient number of customers, 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 should provide for all possible development prospects, can specialize in a particular area. Either live or electronic music is recorded here. Appropriate equipment must be purchased for the chosen direction. The design of the music studio should also be carefully considered. This will allow renting the premises for rehearsals, because musicians, as a rule, do not have enough such areas.

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

Currently, the number of musical groups is increasing. Some of them become decent over time. professional level. 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 are usually limited in funds. That is why they rent equipment. A recording studio business plan should take this into account. Concert equipment can be purchased separately. This will allow you to earn some income.

Those people who want to record congratulations for relatives 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.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

Making money from creativity is not easy, and the art of music is no exception. However, this applies primarily to the performers themselves and their producers, but not to those people who offer them help in resolving any auxiliary issues. These issues include the recording of the finished material and its subsequent mixing. The recording studio does not depend on any particular musical group and offers its services to all those in need. In this regard, the organization own business on the recording of musical material becomes actually a win-win option, because people will always create and try to get on stage. But this is only on one side.

On the other hand, a new recording studio will certainly face competitors that have been on the market for years. And sometimes even the quality performance of their duties may not lead to success. The situation in Russia is such that novice musicians are forced to save on almost everything, and recording their own material is no exception. Of course, there is a considerable percentage of those who want to end up with a quality product, but for many, the determining factor is the price. And in this regard, in any large city there is not one or even two recording studios. Moreover, you can find an enterprise of any level - from located in a private apartment in a simple high-rise building to a large studio in the city center with modern equipment. The latter is still the prerogative of megacities, because eminent "stars" are recorded only there.

However, it is possible to enter this market, the main thing is competent marketing moves. Advertising can save even the most disastrous undertaking if it is implemented correctly. There is no need for a recording studio to actively advertise itself; ATL tricks are not for her. After all, any studio is initially determined with the format and genre in which it will mainly work, after which it begins to “promote” itself in “thematic parties”. Contacts are left in the relevant institutions (clubs, cafes, bars), often the studio owners themselves rotate among the potential clients of their enterprise, moreover, the idea of ​​​​sound recording comes to their mind after several conversations with familiar musicians who complain about high prices and the unacceptable sound of primitive studios.

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A beginner is unlikely to be able to win over (at least at first) musicians who write with their friends or in already well-known studios. But now all the new, only formed teams are already becoming target audience interested in the service. It is on them that the emphasis should be placed. As practice shows, it is really unprofitable to engage in a studio that writes everything and for everyone; as a result, the quality of the recording suffers in all genres. This is related to both workers and equipment. A universal studio is one that has many branches and a large staff, that is, it represents several studios in one. A novice entrepreneur is unlikely to immediately have so much money to open a large recording center. Therefore, he should decide on the format, genre, and even become a regular at thematic parties. You should not forget about advertising on websites, in the corresponding portals and simply in institutions (for example, in a musical instrument store), but “their own person” will gain a clientele much faster.

Recording studio - several unusual business. Despite the fact that the maintenance of the studio requires the presence of specific knowledge and employees with certain skills, not a single relatively large city lacks such companies. Still, people learn this craft, find workers and equip the premises. It seems that the recording studio is a simple type of business with passive income; and partly it is. But too many people think like that, and a businessman in such a business should be primarily concerned with maintaining his competitiveness. If he himself does not work in the studio, he needs to come to grips with marketing campaign for a business that will never stop.

Subject Registration entrepreneurial activity takes place at the local tax authority, and the businessman will need about 20 thousand rubles and up to a month of time. The fee itself is much cheaper, but it is advisable to have reserve funds for unforeseen expenses. It's easy to register as individual entrepreneur, because in this case you don’t have to write a charter, highlight authorized capital, and later it will be much easier to carry out reporting. If several people plan to engage in business, then it is better to formalize a limited liability company (LLC); in both cases, it will remain possible to use the simplified taxation system (STS) and pay either 6% (of income) or 15% (of operating profit). Activity code - (OKPD 2) 59.20 Sound recording services and services for publishing musical works. If you plan to work only with a recording studio, then additional encodings will not be required.

An important point is the choice of premises. The location can be almost anything, although it is optimally located somewhere in the central areas of the city. The main thing is not on the outskirts, because in this case not everyone will decide to go to distant quarters. The premises can be redeemed, but it will be very expensive or rented. Some start-up studios start their work literally in the apartment or house of its founder. And this can also be beneficial, because you don’t have to spend money on renting a room, and even more so on buying it out, and novice musicians do not hesitate to visit the private sector to record their compositions. But in this case, you will have to make repairs in your apartment, which will deprive its owner of at least one room (that is, it will not work to place a studio in a one-room apartment), which will be greatly altered. After all, between the control room and the recording room there should be a window through which the sound engineer should communicate with the musicians with gestures. The absence of such a window will greatly complicate the communication process. Throughout the apartment, you will have to stretch the wires and fix the wiring, possibly put additional fuses. There will be a lot of equipment, and all of it must work simultaneously, not every electrical network in a simple apartment will withstand such a voltage.

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Insulation must be ordered separately. In order not to disturb the residents of neighboring apartments, soundproofing should cover the walls, ceiling and floor. The size of the recording room starts from 20 m 2 and with a ceiling height of 2.5 meters the cost of soundproofing work will be almost 130 thousand rubles (10 thousand for the floor, 40 thousand for the ceiling, 80 thousand for the walls). The work is carried out by professionals (it is better not to take it on yourself if there is no relevant experience), and it must be borne in mind that the price can vary significantly depending on the initial parameters of the premises. After all, some apartments initially have noise reduction and sound insulation better than others. Theoretically, being in a non-residential and generally uninhabited building far from residential buildings, you can not do soundproofing at all, but in this case, law enforcement officers will have a reason to fine the entrepreneur, even if he does not actually interfere with anyone.

Repairs will cost about the same for both commercial and residential premises, it all depends on the actual location of the nearest apartments or offices, and it should be borne in mind that the redevelopment of the premises must be registered with the relevant authorities. In the case of replacing wiring in general, many problems can arise, related not only to technical implementation, but also to bureaucratic red tape. And the landlord will not always agree to such drastic changes in his property. Therefore, it is possible that you will have to spend a lot of time looking for a suitable room. Also, in some recording studios, in addition to the sound engineer's closet and recording room, there is a rest room and equipment placement (separately). And the recording room itself can be larger than 20 m 2 if you plan to work with teams consisting of a large number of people.

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Next important point- Procurement of equipment. A professional recording studio must have all possible devices not only for direct recording, but also for mixing, arranging, backing tracks and even playing instruments. It is not necessary to purchase musical instruments, but in most cases you will need a drum kit, because the drummer himself is unlikely to be able to bring his own. Some bands still prefer studios that have their own instruments. A drum set costs from 30 thousand rubles, it is better to buy a professional one with all the additions, it will cost about 100 thousand rubles. The rest will have to be spent on such things:

Sound recording

• Microphone (several pieces) - from 6 thousand rubles.

  Pickup (mainly used for electric guitar) - from 4 thousand rubles.

  Amplifier - from 20 thousand rubles.

Sound processing

• Mixing console - from 20 thousand rubles (but it is better to buy at least 100 thousand).

  Mastering processor - from 170 thousand rubles.

  Effects processor - from 30 thousand rubles.

  Controller - from 50 thousand rubles.

In addition, many additional equipment(headphones, computers, radio systems, DJ equipment, signal processors), the most important of which is the studio monitor. One such copy costs about 30 thousand rubles, although you can find models for 10 thousand. In addition to purchasing the necessary equipment, you will have to pay for its installation, although some equipment suppliers offer free or discounted installation when purchasing goods for a certain amount. Thus, all conditions of cooperation will have to be negotiated on an individual basis.

You will also have to spend money on software. It is strictly not recommended to work on unlicensed or pirated software, because in this case it will not be possible to broadcast or sell your product, and even the musicians themselves may have problems from this. This is especially true for those cases when the compositions contain not a “live” sound, but synthesized on a particular program. Of course, some bands only recognize the playing of their instruments, but if you want to create an effect that their equipment is not able to reproduce, then this effect must be created through a legally purchased program. However, for the simplest work, free programs may suffice.

Some advanced studios even offer their clients travel with their own own equipment to whom it May concern. Of course, at first it is clearly not necessary to offer such a high level of service (if only because the musicians will not have money to pay for such an event), but in the future it may become good competitive advantage. However, at the very beginning, you can purchase an inexpensive van to offer your customers the opportunity to pick them up along with their equipment. After all, people with guitars, synthesizers, saxophones and other musical instruments will not always fit even in a taxi. Your van will be a good publicity stunt, and at first you can offer such a service even for free.

A simple used Gazelle costs 200 thousand rubles, and the driver (which the entrepreneur himself can become) will need category D rights. At the same time, the car can be painted with advertising, and free information about your studio will ride around the city. Of course, you can do without a van, but it's not a bad idea if you have additional funds. If the budget is limited, it is better to purchase more advanced equipment without spending money on a car.

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The entrepreneur himself, as already noted, must also be involved in the work of the studio. For any position, this will save on staff. Most important person in the studio there is a sound engineer, he directs the recording process, helps the artists, and in fact the quality of the finished product depends on him. If there are a lot of orders, then several people should already record, mix, create arrangements and backing tracks, although usually there is a lot of free time in the studio for these works. Apart from full-time employees it would be nice to find session musicians who are willing to play instruments for a client in the studio. After all, sound recording is interesting not only for professional musicians, but also for people who just want to record their own track. Sometimes even a song. And people can accompany the singer if the singer has such a desire. This is a very good way to both earn extra money and provide the consumer with a wider range of services. At the same time, the businessman himself loses practically nothing, he calls the musicians only if necessary, and they receive a fee only upon the fact of the work performed. The rest of the time they are completely free.

In addition, you can offer the services of an announcer and a person involved in voice acting. You should not limit yourself to music only, the more opportunities the studio offers, the faster it will earn a name and a strong position in the market. Even if the priority direction is the recording of rock and metal music, you should not disdain the recording of a young singer singing something about pink clouds. In the future, you can go to voice over commercials or create audio books, and this is a very good additional source of income.

It is better to promote your services personally, rotating in a certain genre area and finding producers first of all. If you manage to establish cooperation with some label, then you can count on permanent job. Unless the label itself was created the day before yesterday. Even handing out leaflets before, during, or after a concert can be effective for ordinary visitors, especially when it comes to specialized clubs. Many visitors to such concerts are themselves members or organizers of musical groups. Advertising on radio and television is not always effective due to the fact that music business- its own separate world with its own rules.

Payment for the work of the studio is made by the hour, but some types of services are paid before the fact of implementation. So, in an average studio, the cost of an hour of recording is 1,000 rubles. Mixing and mastering are much more expensive, but in the case of recording a full-fledged album, it is better for customers to offer a discount, because one song can cost 8-10 thousand rubles (depending on the number of parts and duration). Not every beginning band can even afford to shell out such a price, but usually the decision to record an album is a serious step in the life of the band, for which it is preparing in advance. In absolutely free time, you can create simple and universal backing tracks (rappers will appreciate it) and arrangements, so that later you can sell them to your not very demanding clients. And, finally, directly recording sound on media: here it is still necessary to support recording on CD, although the time of this format is coming to an end. The service of digitizing sound from magnetic media may also become in demand.

The record label's biggest problem is its competitors, and you have to maintain a high level of recording quality (those that don't will never become a serious business), which allows you to simply stay on the level, but not outperform your rivals. The battle for a client can be very fierce, because more or less popular bands always already have a partner. Often, popular musicians themselves do not even choose a recording studio, this is done by a label or producer. However, if you start building up your client base from the very beginning and offer inexpensive services on high-quality equipment, then in narrow circle musicians, information about a new good studio will quickly scatter. And then you can already have a steady income and recognition among creative people.

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