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5 Reasons to Record in a Professional Studio (Instead of a Home Studio)

It can seem tempting for home bodies, or those who are just starting out recording to gear up at home and just do it yourself. While it’s becoming easier to get every basic thing you need to record at home, there are many reasons why using a professional studio is a better idea.

1. Studios have Trained Professionals

Unless you have some very knowledgeable friends it’s hard to pass up the chance to record with highly skilled recording professionals. These people, from engineers to producers, know how to get the sound you want, and are familiar with all the studio equipment, helping to cut down time in terms of searching out that perfect sound.

If you’re going to a professional studio search be sure to check their credits, or who they’ve worked with and what they’ve produced before. This will give you a good idea of their abilities and genres of expertise.

You’ll find at a professional studio you’ll save a lot of time by having skilled pros at hand who know what they’re doing and how to do it. It saves the frustration of you and your band sitting around tinkering with piece after piece, track after track and still being unable to come across the sound you’re hearing inside your head.

2. Objective Recording

This is another reason you’ll want professionals around. If you’re recording at home you might hear what you want to hear. Having someone else critique your work can be the difference between an okay track and a polished hit. These people have experience in making hit records and they know what works and doesn’t work. Be ready for a little constructive criticism.

3. Top of the Line Equipment

Check out the equipment in a professional recording studio and you’ll understand that, unless you have the bucks to put behind tens of thousands of dollars of different instruments and hardware, a home studio in no way compares. Professional studios will usually have over $25,000 just in different mics to help you achieve perfect sound. Not only that but you’ll find different percussion, keys—you name it, it’s all at your fingertips, so if you get the sudden whim that a song needs a keyboard dubbed in it’s there for you.

The production equipment is also what makes pro studios superior. While there are some great home studios out there, you can’t beat having top of the line computers, mixers, compressors and amps right there in one studio.

4. Acoustics

Unless you’re prepared to fork up some cash to sound treat a room specifically for recording, you’ll find you won’t be as happy with the sound, especially in regards to percussion.

Professional studios are built to acoustic standards so that everything sounds clean and pristine, and not like you recorded in your dad’s garage. You’ll get fuller sound, and the percussion will be tighter when you use a good studio room.

5. Don’t Take Your Work Home with You

While this is hard or impossible for many musicians, it feels good to be out of the house recording somewhere entirely dedicated to making music. Not only is this atmosphere more inspiring but will actually energize you to get the job done and avoid the distractions you’d find at home. It feels more like you’re getting something accomplished, and with so much equipment at your beck and call you’ll find recording much easier.

If you’ve been humming and hawing about whether to splurge for the gear and do it all yourself or to record in a professional studio, hopefully this has given you something to think about. Skills, plus experience, plus top of the line equipment and recording space prove invaluable to a great record. 

Any other reasons? Post them below...

5 Benefits of Recording at Home

With the availability of cost effective home recording equipment, building a home studio is becoming more attractive to bands and soloists out there who can’t afford to spend time in a professional studio. There are benefits to recording at home instead of in a studio, mainly involving time and money—your two most precious resources.

1. Save Some Cash

Professional recording studios can cost upwards of $100 to $300 an hour, making the recording of even a demo pricey. While you’ll need to invest initial time and money to build your own studio you’ll save money in the long run, especially if you’re doing a lot of recordings.

Consider buying recording equipment like mics and mixers online on Craigslist or Ebay. Just make sure they have the owner’s manual still attached (or you can download a copy from the company website) as you’ll need it to learn the components and proper setup. This can help you save a lot of money in the beginning, and you can always upgrade once you’ve earned some more cash back.

2. Do it on Your Own Time

Because every hour of recording costs you at a professional studio, home studios are desirable for letting you work at your own pace. You can start, stop and record any time you want and as long as you have good time management and motivational skills you’ll be more comfortable recording at home. Plus you’ll be able to do as many takes as you need to get the sound you’re looking for. You can also tinker away at your leisure to get the song right where you need it.

3. Make Your Own Money

Once you get comfortable with all the equipment and recording process, getting friends’ bands or bands looking to get an economical start can help you make the money back you spent on the studio. Invite them in to do demos and charge what you think is a reasonable price, as long as it is below a professional studio rate.

4. Build Your Recording Chops

Learning how to work your own recording studio is empowering. As long as you have a basic knowledge of the equipment going into it you’ll be able to pick it up and build your own process. Consider mentoring with someone at a professional studio if you feel you need to know more about all the equipment involved. Many technical schools also offer recording certificates, though this would be a hefty added cost.

5. Produce Your Own Sound

If you have a good home recording studio with a proper tracking room and isolation booth you’ll be able to create excellent sound that will make for a more appealing demo, or album. You can spend as much time as you need to try different sounds, dubs, instruments, and effects. This is more appealing if you’re trying to explore something like a concept album or a distinct, unique style or sound. You can build your signature, so to speak.

While nothing beats working in a professional studio, a home studio is great if you are looking for something more affordable or if you’re interested in building your own sound from the bottom up. By investing in quality equipment, and building a proper studio you’ll not only save money in the long run, but may even have the opportunity of making some cash back from other artists.

Amy Winehouse is Dead

Amy Winehouse is dead. She was 27.

Too many people in this business die young. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain, just to name a few...

If you need help for substance abuse, please get it. Find a treatment center near you.

Why I Respect Rebecca Black

Rebecca Black has certainly stirred up a lot of people. Look at these comments...

"why would i want to buy your shitty album anyways, what a waste of cash! no thanks i dont wanna get ripped off by a hypocritical slut like you!"

"keep on dreaming you slut, you'll never be famous, you only enjoy sucking my dick"

"you god damn trash bag titty whore! go die!"

"Everybody report her for profile image violation and flag her videos and wat not if yal really want to get back at her"

We review music from new artists every week on Music Business Radio. You wouldn't believe the amount of emails and calls we get from musicians who disagree with our comments.

And I get it... It's tough put yourself out there and be critiqued.

That's why I respect Rebecca Black. She's taken a lot of punches for her "debut" song, Friday, which many fans as well as critics have called "the worst song ever."

Many people would have given up. I think most people would have.

But instead of going back to doing whatever it was that she was doing before any of this happened, Rebecca Black is back with a new song...

Regardless of what you think of her music, I think there is an important lesson for both musicians and non-musicians-- get back on the horse.

Is this a pop masterpiece? I don't know. It's not bad though and it absolutely shows improvement over what she released just a few months ago. Is she can keep that up, she'll get where she wants to go.

And so will you...

8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time in the Studio

You’ve compiled a list of songs, and you’re ready to head into the studio. Whether you’re recording at home or in a professional studio there are ways in which to make your time spent more efficient and worthwhile. By speeding up the process you not only rid yourself of excess expenditures, but also effort, time and frustration.

1. Get Prepared

Before heading into the studio rehearse the tracks you’re going to record with your band for a few days. Practice the full songs with solos, intros and any other extras you think you’d like on the track. This way there are no big surprises once you begin recording and less screw-ups due to people not knowing their parts well enough.

If you’re the vocalist, know your lyrics. Practice them, memorize them and even experiment with different keys to see what sounds best to you.

This also includes preparing your instruments. Change strings or replace drum skins if you need to. Make sure everything is in good working order.

2. Be Healthy

While many artists claim that the use of drugs and alcohol help their creative process or sound, it’s likely you can find that space without them, and end up saving a ton of time. One tip for vocalists—avoid dairy products like milkshakes as they’re not good for vocal chords. Drink water instead. Make sure everyone is feeling good, no broken fingers or tennis elbow. Get a good sleep before recording, and don’t over exert your vocals. Everyone should be at their top performance level.

3. Get into the Right Headspace

Come together as a team. Prepare yourself mentally for recording. Remove distractions, even if this includes friends or family members, from the studio. While it’s nice to have them there, you’ll only be wasting more of your time. Concentrate on the music and your job.

4. Inform Your Engineer and Producer

Have a chat with your engineer and producers about what sound you’re looking for. If there are any other tracks or performers out there who have a sound you’re looking for let them know, as it will help them in the long run to get you exactly what you’re looking for. Play around with mic settings, amps and other equipment before recording to test the sound, instead of fooling around with it after every take—you may be doing this anyway, though.

Be sure to let them know if you’re unhappy with a sound. Don’t be too nice, this is your album we’re talking about. On the other hand, be respectful to your engineers and producers so that they have the enthusiasm to put into helping you make your album.

5. Make Clean Takes and Don’t Fool Around Between Recordings

Wait until the tape is rolling before you turn your volume up and wait for all the sounds to fade out before you turn it back down. Between takes don’t jam or fool around. This just wastes time and often frustrates everyone around you.

6. Take Breaks

If you need one, take one. Make sure the recording process is comfortable for you so that you can put forth your best work. Drink water, go for a walk or whatever you need to get back into that headspace.

7. Don’t Over Listen

Once you’ve got the tracks down, avoid listening to them over and over again. Take a break if you feel tired of the song, or move on to the next one. You’ll find your mind playing tricks on you if you listen to the same music over and over again.

Once you have the rough mix, this tip also applies. Listen to it a couple times and take notes, then put it away for a few days and take your mind off of it. Even though this is hard, you’ll find you’ll be able to come back to it with a fresh perspective. Take notes on each track so that you know exactly what you want to get out of the sound.

8. Stay Calm

The recording process can be both frustrating and stressful. Don’t freak out if at first you don’t succeed. You have the opportunity to take multiple takes if you need to. Don’t be in a rush either, and if you’re not hitting something perfectly consider coming back to that song later. An agitated artist will only upset everyone else in the room, and will not help your endeavor whatsoever.

Now that you’re prepared and ready to head into the studio, use these tips as a guideline on how to get the most out of your time and effort there. By being mentally, physically and creatively ready for your sessions, you’ll find that recording becomes less stressful and more fun.

Advice for Musicians

Big Kenny is one half of Big & Rich, which has recorded three studio albums for Warner Bros. Records and has charted 10 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. He's sold over 5,000,000 albums and has been BMI Songwriter of the Year.

Some good advice...

Want more?

Check out this special episode of Music Business Radio. In it, Kenny talks about his house and recording studio, spiritual journeys, playing clubs, MuzikMafia, Nashville, mixing different genres of music, getting released from a record contract, getting paid, the power of music, the future of music, creativity, and more.

For more Music Business Radio, subscribe to the free podcast...

The Future of Music or Illegal Art?

Watch this and discuss below...

The tracklist...

Alphabeat - Boyfriend
Alphabeat - Fascination
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Black Eyed Peas - Gotta Feeling
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
Capsule - Can I Have A Word
Chromeo - Momma's Boy
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Daft Punk - Aerodynamic
Daft Punk - Around The World
Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon (Madeon Remix)
Deadmau5 - Right This Second
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
ELO - Mr. Blue Sky
Girls Aloud - Biology
Gorillaz - Dare
Gossip - Heavy Cross (Fred Falke Remix)
Gwen Stefani - What You Waitin For (Jacques Lu Cont Mix)
Housse de Racket - Oh Yeah
Justice - DVNO
Justice - Phantom Part II
Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
Ke$ha - Take It Off
Kylie Minogue - Wow
Lady Gaga - Alejandro
Linkin Park - Crawling
Madonna - Hung Up
Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette - Boys and Girls
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Nero - Me and You
One Republic - All The Right Moves (Danger Remix)
One-T - Magic Key
Ratatat - Shempi
Solange - I Decided (Freemasons Remix)
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
The Killers - Losing Touch
The Who - Baba O'Riley (SebastiAn Remix)
Yelle - Que Veux Tu (Madeon Remix)

Want more? His name is Madeon and this is his SoundCloud page.

7 Qualities to Look for in a Good Music Manager

Now that you’ve got a solid band, and some songs to back you up it’s time to look for a manager. Of course, you could try managing your own band, but if you want to get places and make money, searching out a good music manager is essential.

The band manager’s responsibilities include financial planning, publicity and marketing and acting as your personal advisor in all band-related business ventures. There are many qualities you can look for when looking for an excellent manager—someone who will stand by your band and help you find success.

1. Experience

When you’re first starting off you may come across or be approached by potential managers looking to get into the business. While it’s always great to help a friend out, you need someone with the experience and knowledge of how to make it in the music business. Music management covers everything from booking your tours to making sound business decisions, choosing your label to helping you pick out the right songs to put on an album—and everything in between.

Check your potential manager’s roster, and see what other artists they’ve managed or are currently managing. Ask a lot of questions about their plans and aspirations for your band, and make sure they’re not just talking out of their backside.

2. Trustworthiness

Your music manager will take care of nearly everything for you, from transportation to bookings and beyond. Choose someone you feel good about, and know that you can trust with your career. If you’re not 100 per cent sure, keep looking. The trust factor has to be mutual for this relationship to work.

Some of this you can rely on gut instinct, and some of it you can attribute to the above category: experience. Ask yourself if this is the person you’d trust to run your life for you, transport you around the world, and book packed shows. Do they seem humble, but able to stand their ground against pushy salespeople and promoters? See how they conduct other business relationships.

3. Enthusiasm

Your manager will act at times as part of the band, helping you to pick songs for the album as well as marketing your product! You want someone who is excited to be there, and is interested in the music you’re making. Your music manager’s input, especially if they have experience in the business, can be essential in getting radio play or press coverage. A great manager wants to be there with you every step of the way, kind of like a dad.

4. Well-Connected

This can tie into experience. A music manager with good connections in the industry will not only get your career going faster but will also lend to better publicity, and ins for live performances. They should be able to find you a studio, a booking agent, PR rep or a gig without any wasted time. Someone with good connections, and this means good connections and not just being able to rattle off a list of names, will be able to find you opportunities you would not be able to find yourself.

5. A Good Human Being

This factor can often be overlooked when choosing a music manager. Someone who is a good human being, is liked by people and is accessible and approachable signifies a person who will be trustworthy and reliable. Oftentimes a band manager will step in and act as the cheerleader, psychiatrist and shoulder to cry on, and someone who does this well will make your whole team feel closer. A close knit team is solid and can withstand hardships.

6. Financially Responsible

Pick a manager who knows how to handle finances, above all else. Many, many bands have unfortunately lost a lot of money because of irresponsible financial management. This includes everything from signing with a label, to touring and recording expenses, to their own cut in your income.

A music manager makes their money from part of your income. If you don’t see any money, then they shouldn’t either. Do not get wheeled and dealed into some contract that offers them more than you receive.

7. Firm Business Person

Experience will bring a manager knowledge of how to make sound and profitable business decisions. Personal traits, education and good business instincts may be the difference between your band making it or breaking up. Make sure your manager is not a push over, or has the overeager need to please—unless it’s you they’re dealing with. Choose a manager who knows how to get what they want, where they want and when they want it. Negotiation skills are key.

Above all, you want a manager who will work with you and has your best interests at heart. This can be a lifelong relationship, so think of your manager like family. How will they fit in and lead your group to success? By looking for these seven essential traits and skills you’ll be on your way to not only making great music, but great music that everyone hears.

Time to Expand Your Music Business?

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling whiskey in the world. Because of this, we all know the "square" bottle, the black/white label, and all about Lynchburg [Pop.361], Tennessee.

Did you know Lynchburg is in "dry" country? Sure you did.

Did you know, since they can't serve whiskey in Lynchburg, you're served lemonade when you tour the distillery? Sure you did.

So why is Jack Daniel's doing "non-whiskey" things like this?

And this?

Because people who like Jack Daniel's whiskey also like meat! And if they're going to get meat anyway, it might as well be from Jack Daniel...

Even if you've got a hot product that sells a lot, it can be a good idea to expand to other things.

So what do fans of your music like and they'd buy from you, if you were to offer it to them? If they're the same type of people who like Jack Daniel's, perhaps your own brand of hot sauce would be a good place to start.

Creating "Moments" on Stage

Here is an example of one...

U2 came through Nashville over the weekend. During the show, Bono pulled a guy out of the audience and let him play "All I Want Is You" on his guitar. Then he gave him the guitar.

Needless to say, if you can do something that gets this kind of reaction at one of your shows, you should! :)