My dream for years was to be a record producer. Technically, it was to be a famous record producer. I decided that the best way for me to do this was to own my own recording studio. Now I'm not so sure that was the right path. The studio has been a tool, but it's also become a major liability. I'm seeing now that I could still work as a freelance engineer now that I have some work under my belt and a name that has some respect to it. I could do all of this without the overhead of owning my own recording studio.
The other factor: My daughter's have autism, and have begun a behavior plan. This means that I'm now needed at home to care for them and ensure the success of the plan. At any given moment a behavior could happen that needs my attention, and that's impossible to predict. They've been doing great on the plan, and I'm proud of them!
But if family comes first, and my family needs my full attention for the foreseeable future, then where does Skyline Sound Studios fit in?
It really doesn't. I do use it on rare occasion for Project DIVIDE, and for the occasional client (that I no longer have time to hunt for). It even serves as a great place for Laura and I to hang out and get away from the house for a bit. But for the most part, it's sitting there, eating a decent chunk of my monthly income.
I've discussed this with Laura many times, but this is the first time I've made a public statement about this.
I'm giving the studio until Halloween this year to pay for itself. If it hasn't, then I'm closing it. The amount of money I'm spending to keep it open, and the amount of stress it causes just sitting there…neither are worth it.
Project DIVIDE can happen anywhere. If it came down to it, I could rent a rehearsal space to record in for the day at $10-hour locally and block off a day every few weeks for a recording session. This would be much cheaper than paying the rent at my studio.
So if I can't work at my studio because of family commitments, then how will it pay for itself?
My plan is to search for engineers to work from the studio for a cut of the hourly rate. I've already begun searching, and have interviewed at least 1 HIGHLY qualified engineer. I'm looking for engineers who already are getting clients on their own, and perhaps are looking to branch out of their home studios and into a better facility.
I had a couple in mind off the bat. One, a good friend, lives too far away to prospect for clients. He said he'd run sessions for me if I needed coverage, but he's not able to find the clients himself. The other person I had in mind doesn't value his craft enough to charge people what I charge. So those two prospects are out.
I'm going to begin the search this week for engineers. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing in the mean time to give this a chance to bear fruit. And if I don't find enough engineers who can bring in work, I'm closing Skyline Sound Studios this fall.
This may be temporary. This may be permanent. This may be a chance to re-brand my studio and open it after my family's needs have been tended to with a different image. I did take a major credibility hit thanks to the flack I receive on Craigslist. But one thing is for sure. I don't see any of this as a failure on my part. This is a chance to focus on my priorities and re-tool my operation. I'm going to focus hardcore on freelance work as a producer, rather than as a studio owner. After all, I may find myself in stable financial footing for the time being, but that's temporary. It's time to step in the direction I always wanted to go, and the path is becoming more and more clear.
We'll see what this has in store.
