Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Thomas W. Bethel]

No one is blaming anything or anyone.

The simple economics are that some areas of the USA are doing better than other areas.

I live in what is laughingly called the "rust belt". It is an area of the country that at one time was very prosperous but now is seeing all the products it once produced being made in foreign countries. This geographical area use to be the steel and automobile center of the world but those industries are mostly gone. There have been a number of manufacturing companies near here that have closed down recently and lots of people that were in good paying jobs are now working for minimum wage with no money left over for non necessities. The products these companies use to produce are now being produced cheaper and in some cases better overseas and the local companies simply could not or would not compete. It is not all doom and gloom but it is disheartening especially when a long term mastering client says he can no longer do his music because he now has to have two jobs in order to support his family.

There are new hi tech companies that are coming to this area and some of them are doing extremely well. Something must be going right as there are more $350,000 homes being built than the $150,000 homes.

We have changed the way we do things and will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our market. We are doing more video editing and restoration. We now provide production support for our clients and this can range from critical listening to raw tracks to doing shrink wrapping for home done CD projects. We are doing lots more audio restoration and on location recording which are areas that we have lots of experience and expertise in providing. Live recording also involves post production which seems to be an burgeoning area as well.  We are revamping our web pages and will start going after non attended mastering via the web. We are revamping our main mastering room and will have some pictures to post in the near future. We are also doing some direct mailings and have a news letter that will be emailed or sent via the post office to our client list to let them know what is happing in our studio on a regular basis. We have made the decision to limit our mastering to acoustic music and have made arrangements with another local mastering facility for our "non acoustic" clients.

We are in there everyday trying new things and new ways of doing old things. On July 1, 2006 we started our 11th year in business so we must be doing most things right.

It is a changing world out there and everyone has to change to meet the needs of the market place.

I would hope that because of the changing economic picture in this geographical area that it will continue to evolve and grow stronger with the new hi tech companies coming in. Who knows this maybe the next mega growth area of the US. After all we are the Rock and Roll capital of the world already....<GRIN>

[Thomas W. Bethel]

jackthebear wrote on Sun, 02 July 2006 23:28

Tom, It seems this is a re-curring theme with you. It's always the other person's fault or the economy or Guitar centre etc etc. Like you said there are those of us are not experiencing your reality as often as you. Yeah we have challenges but we don't point the finger of blame. Instead we change what we can......our own shorcomings which hinder our progress. You won't stop the rain when it comes but you can dress appropriately for it so you don't catch a cold. If you keep standing in it and complain while others stay dry and warm then you'll go to an early grave. Just remember regardless of the economic climate cream will always rise and $hit will always stink.

Yep you are sooooooooo right about this being a reoccurring theme with me. I am concerned that the people we have as clients and the people we count on for supplies not being able to carry on due to the current economic conditions in this geographical area. It hurts when someone you have known and trusted for 30+ years is going out of business or that a client that has been coming to you since you started in business has to give up music completely to be able to make enough money to support his family. Maybe in Australia the economics are rosy and everyone is making the most money they can but it is a different story around here and I am concerned. We have been in business for 10 years and I see lots of things changing on a weekly or monthly basis and even though we try hard to stay with the changes sometimes we are dealing with forces beyond our control. It is great to read about all the positive things that are happening to you and to others on this board but there is another side and that is all I was trying to convey.

Best of luck with your new room and your new addition to the family.

[bblackwood]

It's undeniable that the market is changing, budgets are shrinking, etc. This will continue, but I don't think the market will disappear, only it will continue to morph into something new and different. Some of us have been blessed to be in a position of being very busy due to a combination of our track records and where we are in the food chain. I have no doubt things look poor for you but don't know if it's a location thing or more of an individual issue. In other words, I'm not aware of anyone else in your area, but there may be one or two who are doing extremely well because their business is built to be agile, moving this way or that as the market inevitably sways.

As an example, Euphonic was built by paying cash - the studio carries zero debt (I know guys that carry upwards of $10k/month debt loads for their studios alone). At the same time, Euphonic isn't really a 'local' company, rather more than 90% of our work comes from outside of this area. I've spent years networking with folks from all over the world, helping out whenever possible, showing people what I could do for them. This created a much larger client base than relying on local word of mouth.

Now I could go on all day about business decisions I made five or more years ago that have come to fruition and benefited me, but the above examples are probably enough to show you how our biz was set up - it's taken many years, but we've built something that should be able to help us enjoy life for many years. These are things we thought about and were proactive about, not things we just stumbled upon. I think you ought to spend some time thinking about all the aspects of your business, all the things that affect the way you do business, but focusing on the things you have control over. Then you can see where you are missing.

For example:
Are you focusing on your local market only? IIRC, you recently reverted back to your original focus of working on acoustic music - is there enough acoustic music happening in your market to support you and others as well (you'll never have 100% of the market)?

This business is extremely gratifying and can be quite lucrative if you hit your stride, but it's not about luck (or even location, imo - we're not exactly in a production mecca here) - it's about structuring your business and targeting the right people.

Hope you don't find this condescending - it's not like I have all the answers - I'm just trying to help you figure out how to make your business grow where you can enjoy it more.

[carlsaff]

FWIW Thomas, I live in the third largest city in America, and, oddly enough, one with only a handful of MEs that have a sizeable number of credits under their belt. And still I'd never break even without work coming in from around the country (and, slowly, from overseas as well).

As Brad says... you can't think locally.

[Bob Olhsson]

jazzius wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 01:18

I suspect that in the future all recorded music will be essentially free, which will leave playing live as the only way of earning money for musicians - will this be bad for music?

Music that can be produced in bedrooms will most certainly have little monitary value other than for the occasional songwriter. People are only willing to pay for the extraordinary, not for what the kid next door can do with Acid Loops and autotune.

My point is that "access to technology" can only kick the bar for what people will be willing to pay for UP. "As good as" anything that has been done in the past is no longer going to be good enough for most people to be willing to buy. Technology rarely advances performance. It just makes sound-a-likes and posing easier.

Somebody performing live is most likely going to change everything. This has happened before and it will undoubtedly happen again. I just don't think it will be the alternative to the alternative to the alternative to the alternative to the alternative.

[Thomas W. Bethel]

bblackwood wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 09:18

It's undeniable that the market is changing, budgets are shrinking, etc. This will continue, but I don't think the market will disappear, only it will continue to morph into something new and different. Some of us have been blessed to be in a position of being very busy due to a combination of our track records and where we are in the food chain. I have no doubt things look poor for you but don't know if it's a location thing or more of an individual issue. In other words, I'm not aware of anyone else in your area, but there may be one or two who are doing extremely well because their business is built to be agile, moving this way or that as the market inevitably sways. As an example, Euphonic was built by paying cash - the studio carries zero debt (I know guys that carry upwards of $10k/month debt loads for their studios alone). At the same time, Euphonic isn't really a 'local' company, rather more than 90% of our work comes from outside of this area. I've spent years networking with folks from all over the world, helping out whenever possible, showing people what I could do for them. This created a much larger client base than relying on local word of mouth. Now I could go on all day about business decisions I made five or more years ago that have come to fruition and benefited me, but the above examples are probably enough to show you how our biz was set up - it's taken many years, but we've built something that should be able to help us enjoy life for many years. These are things we thought about and were proactive about, not things we just stumbled upon. I think you ought to spend some time thinking about all the aspects of your business, all the things that affect the way you do business, but focusing on the things you have control over. Then you can see where you are missing. For example: Are you focusing on your local market only? IIRC, you recently reverted back to your original focus of working on acoustic music - is there enough acoustic music happening in your market to support you and others as well (you'll never have 100% of the market)? This business is extremely gratifying and can be quite lucrative if you hit your stride, but it's not about luck (or even location, imo - we're not exactly in a production mecca here) - it's about structuring your business and targeting the right people. Hope you don't find this condescending - it's not like I have all the answers - I'm just trying to help you figure out how to make your business grow where you can enjoy it more.

Thanks!!!! for your thoughtful reply.

We are trying lots of new things and we just got a great write up in the local paper for the video we produced for the Main Street Oberlin program that is airing on a number of cable channels locally.

We just completed a recording of an A Capella choir that is just amazing for the performance value they provided and the recorded sound we were able to get of them and we will be doing the post production on it later this month.

We are also getting into radio production and are doing more and more talking books authoring (recording, editing and mastering) which seems easy but is proving to be harder that it appears on the surface.

We lost four jobs this year because we were "too expensive" but we got referrals from a number of people that we did NOT do mastering for because we were so helpful to them in the planning stages of their projects and these referrals did produce income.

I feel good about the referrals but bummed about losing the mastering income from the people who gave us the referrals. It is all about give and take and it the old days I would have been really upset at losing the clients but in this new economy it is just one of those things that you have to understand and take it in your stride.

We have tried to follow the same path of not being in debt and it allows us to be more flexible when the market changes.  We have not invested in large amounts of capital equipment that we have to pay for on a monthly basis. This makes perfect sense when you never know what is coming down the road. I too know people who are seriously in debt and don't have the flexibility that we have.

We are reaching out to more and more people on the web and though snail mail advertising and we are trying very hard to broaden our coverage area. We just completed some transfers from Dolby SR tapes and the client was very pleased with the results and he lives in upper New York state and found us though the web.

I really do love my job. It is just some of the things that are happening with people that I know and have come to trust and rely on that makes this whole new economy a hard pill to swallow at times.

Thanks again!!!!

[Ben F]

Bob Olhsson wrote on Tue, 04 July 2006 06:56

Music that can be produced in bedrooms will most certainly have little monitary value other than for the occasional songwriter. People are only willing to pay for the extraordinary, not for what the kid next door can do with Acid Loops and autotune.

I disagree. There are so many people producing music on nothing but a laptop that have had extraordinary success. It's about creative talent, and technology has enabled almost anyone to get their ideas out there at a minimal cost.

The bands with massive budgets recorded in big budget studios have to make a return on their investment, and that usually means sacrificing musical innovation to appeal to the mainstream market.

[jackthebear]

Thomas W. Bethel wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 22:43

jackthebear wrote on Sun, 02 July 2006 23:28 Tom, It seems this is a re-curring theme with you. It's always the other person's fault or the economy or Guitar centre etc etc. Like you said there are those of us are not experiencing your reality as often as you. Yeah we have challenges but we don't point the finger of blame. Instead we change what we can......our own shorcomings which hinder our progress. You won't stop the rain when it comes but you can dress appropriately for it so you don't catch a cold. If you keep standing in it and complain while others stay dry and warm then you'll go to an early grave. Just remember regardless of the economic climate cream will always rise and $hit will always stink. Yep you are sooooooooo right about this being a reoccurring theme with me. I am concerned that the people we have as clients and the people we count on for supplies not being able to carry on due to the current economic conditions in this geographical area. It hurts when someone you have known and trusted for 30+ years is going out of business or that a client that has been coming to you since you started in business has to give up music completely to be able to make enough money to support his family. Maybe in Australia the economics are rosy and everyone is making the most money they can but it is a different story around here and I am concerned. We have been in business for 10 years and I see lots of things changing on a weekly or monthly basis and even though we try hard to stay with the changes sometimes we are dealing with forces beyond our control. It is great to read about all the positive things that are happening to you and to others on this board but there is another side and that is all I was trying to convey. Best of luck with your new room and your new addition to the family.

Sorry to hear of your plight Tom. Remember you are in no exclusive club here. You need to ask yourself why is it that people are doing better than you.

Find out and implement those things. I can guarantee your outcome will change.
It requires consistent action to get results.
The nature of any business is like a moving target.
You need to keep on top of things.
Where you see gloom others see boom.

The world is not out to get us Tom or your friends. We need to take responsibility.
Look at the word ....... response & ability. The ability to respond.

Once you get response able you will be able to tackle the constant changes you me and all of us here face.

Relish the challenge and opportunities Tom.

Success is buried on the other side of frustration.

I'm not going to continue to feed you more fish. Bait your hook and keep your line tight.

[lagerfeldt]

Bob Olhsson wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 23:26

Music that can be produced in bedrooms will most certainly have little monitary value other than for the occasional songwriter. People are only willing to pay for the extraordinary, not for what the kid next door can do with Acid Loops and autotune.

That reveals an enormous lack of insight into the music business, not only of today but of the last 10 years.

[ammitsboel]

lagerfeldt wrote on Tue, 04 July 2006 09:24

Bob Olhsson wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 23:26 Music that can be produced in bedrooms will most certainly have little monitary value other than for the occasional songwriter. People are only willing to pay for the extraordinary, not for what the kid next door can do with Acid Loops and autotune. That reveals an enormous lack of insight into the music business, not only of today but of the last 10 years.

For some people the extraordinary is a TV commercial, for others it's something different...

If it's mediocre enough you will get more people to buy it.
A good manipulative example of this is Madonna. She says that she's against mediocrity but she's also one of the biggest promoters of it.

[astroshack]

lagerfeldt wrote on Tue, 04 July 2006 09:24

That reveals an enormous lack of insight into the music business, not only of today but of the last 10 years.

There has been very little truly extraordinary music in the last 10 years by comparison with the halcyon era where Bob was right at the coalface of music which quite literally changed the world. And not once, but many times.

Rather than wondering about Bob, I'm wondering whether YOU have insight into the music industry extending back 50 years....

The last decade has been largely uneventful, artistically. Here and there a few gems, but mostly just so much dross.

Sean

[carlsaff]

Too many generalizations going on here.

Yes, there's mediocre, bland pop being made by solitary folks with Cubase and AutoTune in their bedrooms. And yes, like most basement/garage rock bands (even though rock bands ARE capable of live performance), most of them won't sell more than a handful of records.

Then you have artists who have essentially made all their music on computers at home but have had a significant impact on recent music (for better or for worse is in the eye of the beholder, as with all things) and sold lots of records in the process... Aphex Twin, Fennesz, Boards of Canada... I could go on and on. Many here may not have heard of them, but these latter artists are definitely selling lots of records. The audience for their music is quite large.

[astroshack]

jackthebear wrote on Tue, 04 July 2006 11:11

Sorry to hear of your plight Tom. Remember you are in no exclusive club here. You need to ask yourself why is it that people are doing better than you.

I think you are mis-reading Tom a bit, Tony.
I have always seen Tom as being a guy who willingly wears his heart on his sleeve, unafraid to express his doubts in public.

Tom is often seen as a "glass half empty" kinda guy, but he is a survivor, not a loser/quitter...and he contemplates deeply the machinations of the game. And let's face it, many aspects of the music game are often not pretty. I actually think Tom has more empathy than the average bloke, so he deeply feels the changes which are badly affecting many who work in music. He takes it all on board and then tries to figure it out in public...which often leads to others thinking Tom is all "woe is me" or "woe is my business model", but I think there is more to Tom than meets the eye. He is adjusting his business, making new moves. Good on him.

I'm a "glass half full" guy, but I've seen enough over the last 3 decades in the game to the point where I now have a strong cynical streak which I often think might have progressed far beyond the "healthy" stage. The are lots of reasons behind the successes and failures of businesses in the music industry, but it is still a "who you know" industry. It is still populated largely by Long John Silvers desperately chasing buried treasure. I dont find fault in those who sometimes succumb to despair, as we are almost forced to overlook the injustice in all aspects of the music game if we are going to maintain the joy of being a participant. The same applies to adjusting our respective business models, trying to find the right blend of love for music with pragmatic, dry business sense. It comes easier to some than others...

Cheers,

Sean

[rnicklaus]

Ben F wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 18:40

Bob Olhsson wrote on Tue, 04 July 2006 06:56  Music that can be produced in bedrooms will most certainly have little monitary value other than for the occasional songwriter. People are only willing to pay for the extraordinary, not for what the kid next door can do with Acid Loops and autotune. I disagree. There are so many people producing music on nothing but a laptop that have had extraordinary success. It's about creative talent, and technology has enabled almost anyone to get their ideas out there at a minimal cost. The bands with massive budgets recorded in big budget studios have to make a return on their investment, and that usually means sacrificing musical innovation to appeal to the mainstream market.

As the biggest expense of any record release to the public is marketing costs, why would a big budget record need to have less musical innovation than a laptop production?

This word mediocre being thrown about is curious. It doesn't make  the person making the claims any better at what they do.  

[Jerry Tubb]

lagerfeldt wrote on Tue, 04 July 2006 02:24

Bob Olhsson wrote on Mon, 03 July 2006 23:26 Music that can be produced in bedrooms will most certainly have little monitary value other than for the occasional songwriter. People are only willing to pay for the extraordinary, not for what the kid next door can do with Acid Loops and autotune. That reveals an enormous lack of insight into the music business, not only of today but of the last 10 years.

Bob has more music business insight in the tip of his pinky finger, than...

He was making hit records at Motown before most of the guys on the forums were even born.

Bob is a music industry guru, and should be regarded as such.

JT