This Needs To Be Addressed

I don't want to single anyone out and this ad on Facebook does not say who the advertiser is, but, I wonder if the kids setting up studio businesses like this really understand what they are doing to their credibility and the perception the public has of the recording services market.

I know pricing is all over the place and we live in a very competitive market, but really! I can understand under cutting the market at $35 and hour for a studio and engineer, but working for $20/hr late at night and $10/hr on weekends? The only message they send with this ad is "we are desperate AND stupid"

I am making the assumption that the kids (and I mean kids) that put this ad up, went to some kind of music business or recording school.

Did they really learn nothing about business in the school they went to?

I hate to see them fail, but they will, if they have any kind of overhead or are not on some kind of government assistance, mark my word.

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Permalink Reply by J.R. McNeely on February 15, 2011 at 10:38pm

Oh.....for a trust fund!!

I wonder if I have any rich relatives that want to leave me their money to squander?

Nope. Bummer!

Bret Teegarden said:

Did you read down into the comments where over 50% of them are his? At least he reveals the secret to why he has no need to run a reputable business - trust funds were set up for him when he was very young by his grandparents and parents which paid his whole way through Full Sail. That makes it pretty easy to claim you are a successful studio owner on the row that charges $10 an hour for time and Full Sail engineering skills.

The only thing I see he has been successful at is spending his trust fund.

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Permalink Reply by Drew Sanford on February 16, 2011 at 6:54am

This actually is an interesting discussion. I've found there's never a short cut to the top of the ladder, but there's a reason for that. I think it would be really interesting to hear - and I'm not joking or poking fun here - the tails of the long timers and professionals that really are considered the best. I'm sure their stories are very similar to the stories that the guys who are just "good guys to have in the studio", but with a few minor differences. Maybe those differences aren't a distilled route to success, but perhaps opportunities that people looking for a foothold could use to solidify their position somehow. Any takers? We know you didn't make it by setting up a $35 an hour studio in your basement, so how DID you do it? Without using the words "hard work" - how did you succeed?

Back in the days when I was a hired gun in the IT world, I had a client who had a comic strip framed on the wall in his office. It had an old bum, clearly broken and down on his luck, saying "I don't understand how I failed, I was the lowest bidder every time."

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Permalink Reply by Tim Lowry on February 16, 2011 at 4:23pm

I hear you Bret. I'm here only 3 years, but I've found this kind of thing to be more of a theme than an exception in Nashville, though I don't really understand why.

Not exactly apples & apples, but I answered a jingle request ad about a year ago posted by a guy who claimed to be a jingle producer. He was trying to get a group of musicians together in order to use their collective talents. So far, so good. When he told me his goal was to offer $500 finished products, I said I wished him well, but it would be extremely difficult to find competent people who would work for that little money. I explained that the last jingle I'd done [back up East] paid just shy of 10K and he went off on me, saying I didn't know what I was talking about and that I "must be ripping people off." There was no talking to him at that point.

This attitude really bothers me. You spend years honing your art & craft and then some ignorant jokers start setting these kinds of trends that are just not grounded in reality...and the BIG loser in this scenario is the end client who thinks he's going to get a competitive, quality product for stupid money.

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Permalink Reply by Beech Creek Studios on February 17, 2011 at 12:37pm

When I win the lottery this weekend I will fund your squandering, JR.

Aaron

J.R. McNeely said:

Oh.....for a trust fund!!

I wonder if I have any rich relatives that want to leave me their money to squander?

Nope. Bummer!

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Permalink Reply by J.R. McNeely on February 17, 2011 at 3:48pm

Haha! And if I hit the lottery my friend, I will indeed do the same for you!

Let's grab lunch at Chuy's sometime this next week! Call me.

Beech Creek Studios said:

When I win the lottery this weekend I will fund your squandering, JR.

Aaron

J.R. McNeely said:

Oh.....for a trust fund!!

I wonder if I have any rich relatives that want to leave me their money to squander?

Nope. Bummer!

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Thompson Producer/engineer on March 6, 2011 at 10:47pm

I quote my Dad. Good things aren't cheep, Cheep things aren't good. If you pay someone $10. an hour.. don't expect much.. and you won't be disappointed.. otherwise you will..

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Permalink Reply by Chris George on September 7, 2011 at 1:42pm

Kids come out of school knowing that after they completed an internship of some kind to earn the degree which cost big bucks they don't make, they know they are entitled to another internship. Starting up their own studio may actually be the wisest plan of action; and being that they are kids without the experience/contacts professional engineers/producers offer, I'd say the price is fair. Greedy corporate record labels are hurting for money, studios are hurting for money, the internet saturated everything, the entire world's economy is in the dumpster due to a group of elite who have way too much influence on politics, and we're overpopulated. Best bet is to close all the audio programs colleges offer and quit wasting the kids time.