i'd like to hear/talk specifically about the business end of recording. it can kind of be an ugly subject, but ultimately my goal is to make a living recording music. so - like, how much are you working in recording? how much of your income is from recording? do you do things like 'network' ? work from home? rent a space? what portion of money made goes to gear maintenance and new gear? also, is a website and / or social media a necessity for a project studio these days?

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well, here's the thing about me - i own all the gear i need, and i have the space. i know a bunch of musicians, and i sometimes play open mics, it's easy meeting new musicians. i look the part and they often find me. new to town? ask the dude that is obviously in a band whats up.i've been credited on national releases and i've worked on others, i've got a handful of 7"s i've recorded. in the past i haven't really been that interested in trying to record for money because it felt icky and i work on analog gear and reliability was an issue. i've since grown up about a number of things and i now have a good tech nearby who is a friend and affordable.i'll figure out my business model, or else i'll just keep recording myself and working a totally chill job that i love. but it's a pretty relevant topic that doesn't seem to have much traction here. are most of you guys just hobbyists without ambitions to work in the field? i know there are at least a couple forum members who have started studios. so i'll drum up business somehow. i'd rather not start a social media page for the studio, and i don't feel like i need a website, but i'm not that sure about that.theres an interesting thread over in studio questions where fm tmoney goes over electrical's expenses. pretty interesting but not that relevant to my current situation.

I think it'd be silly NOT to have a website. You'll know when it's time to quit your job.

Best of luck to ya

Would you plan on operating out of dresden? At least your overheard will be low but I don't know if you will have much in the way of clients.. nice area though, I goto Newcastle sometimes for work

I make very little money recording or mixing. To be honest, I don't try very hard and have zero online presence that is about recording, but it's also a tough market/I'm not the best engineer. When I do get to work on records, I mix from home, and once in a blue moon people ask me to record them in a studio (usually Electrical). I don't have a lot of gear, so outside of the initial investment I have a pretty low overhead. I think that the best way to get more work recording is to keep doing it. Bands aren't going to come to you just because they saw your Instagram account or your website. With that being said, those are vital because people can easily find your contact info, see your space and gear, find out who else you recorded, etc. People love documenting their recording sessions, so if you have an Instagram account or a Facebook page, they will most likely tag you when recording with you. Also younger folks nowadays are averse to picking up the phone and calling and prefer to communicate digitally instead, so give them that option. Make it easy for people to find you. Some online presence can't hurt. Know your studio's weaknesses. Maybe you have a small space, maybe you don't have a dedicated control room, maybe you don't have enough tracks or microphones, so don't try and sell a five piece band on recording 12 songs in your studio. Instead consider tracking in a bigger, nicer studio to get good sounds, and then bring it to your space for overdubs and leisurely mixing. At the same time, play to your strengths. Dresden is probably rural and pretty, so people can disconnect from the usual distractions and really focus on their record. In other words, don't try and deliver the services of a big commercial studio in a big city because you aren't one. Focus on what makes your space unique.Keep your studio clean and organized. No broken drumsticks, no drumstick saw dust, no broken guitar strings strewn on the floor, no empty beer bottles, no dirty ashtrays, no full trashcans. Build shelves for your amps and pedals instead of keeping them scattered on the floor. Same goes for cables - coil them and put them away somewhere. Same goes for mic stands. Just try and keep the space clean and neutral. Make sure the rooms have ample lighting. Sure it's fun to record in a dark room full of candles, but it's not for everyone. Make sure your gear and cables are working, and if not, put them away. FWIW, I don't know if these are things that people consciously notice, but they do leave a bad taste.I know I strayed from what you asked, but these last two paragraphs are important if you want to maintain your studio as a business.Are you only recording to tape? Don't.

Eliya is 100% correct.

i've been approached about a couple gigs for the studio. first someone was referred to me who just needed a cassette (one side) ripped into a digital medium (or a couple). it's of their father who just died and the funeral is this weekend, so a small rush but a super easy gig.the second is a new five piece band d/g/g/b/k. i know at least a couple of them and i'm positive it will be cool as hell. they want to record live, a couple songs mid september.for both i said $15/hour. i'd like to say $20, but i was really tempted to do both for free - the one dude's father just died and the other is a band i really want to work with and will most likely lead to more work - so i stuck to my guns and said $15 which is insanely cheap, but it's around what i make at my day job.