Thinking of setting up a "production room" as a small business

digiology

Hi guys,

I have a business idea that I'd like your thoughts on, because this may be of interest to some of you.

I see a lot of band rehearsal rooms and recording studios around but I feel that there must be room for a kind of production or composition room. A small modest setup, not unlike what some of us have at home perhaps, but with a little more leeway in the amount of noise we can make there (but not drumkit levels, that would make finding a place more difficult).

It would basically be a room with a desk, top-class monitors, and keyboards. Customers would bring their own laptop, plugging it into a large screen and an audio interface. You'd book, lets say, a 3 hour slot for €25.


So I'm wondering if any of you guys have seen anything like this in Ireland? This idea was prompted by my move up to Dublin, it has been difficult to find a place to live where I can make a bit of noise from time to time and band rehearsal rooms are a little pricey for a one-man operation.

peter05

First off it's good to see production market starting to fairly open up.

but.......

Basically you want to set up a small studio and charge 25€ for 3 hours. Not to put you down or anything I would seriously advise you to do a business plan and focus on accounts. If your going to charge 25€ for 3 hours it's not going to cover your overheads. rent/rates, loan repayments, vat, accountant, insurance etc etc etc.......
Let alone any wage packet that is coming from it.

You have your "unique selling point" straight off the bat there so that's a start. I could send you over some helpful links about what banks will be looking for. I think you would be best getting hire/purchase finance from BOI/AIB and try a grant to cover your overheads in first year.

Have you looked into your funding options yet?

I'd say go for it. It should work i can see alot of options for possible revenue open for you.

if6was9

Perhaps have a set room rental fee and an optional extra hourly engineer fee for yourself aswell.

digiology

Peter05, I appreciate the perspective, to be honest its just an idea off the top of my head and I haven't given costs complete consideration.

However, I don't see it working unless the rate was quite low. I have a basic level of equipment already (genelec monitors, nice screen, midi keyboard) and I came accross a basement studio apartment in Dublin city centre last weak that would be perfect, 85 euro a week. So costs would be quite low.

I suppose making money isn't really my aim, I just want a place to make tunes : ) Maybe I should find some other producers to pitch in, between 4 trustworthy people it'd make a cheap music room.


if6was9, good idea, hadn't thought of that.

madtheory

Sure you can make tunes at home!

Seriously though, that's good advice from Peter. You could improve your USP by having a technician on hand to sort out people's hardware/ software problems. Someone who can do sound and IT. A space to be noisy, that has good acoustics, and a technician on hand... that's basically what a lot of London studios are doing now. And people are accepting really tiny rooms. Sounds like it's worth doing, especially if you finance it as Peter advises. Mr. Paul Brewer might have more insight into how it's done in the big smoke, I'm only going on what I see in magazine articles.

digiology

Yeah, that does sound like a better "product" alright. I really wanted something that would be super cheap though, for customers who are poor like myself : )

I think I'll avoid the business idea for now and set up a modest room that can be shared between trusted people.

peter05

Look more into the collective thing. If it's been done for non-profit between producers and a couple of labels it's a winner.

Look at your business model after year 1 see how your set. I still advise looking at the business model of it getting into anything without one, be it non-profit or profit is leaving the door open for too many disasters to happen.

Be sure to find some outboard gear makes it more appealing for people to use if you have decent outboard Eq/Compressors/de-essers and what not you can change your fixed rate and adds another "USP"


Edit:been cheap is not always good, personally I hate that word when it comes to music production. I would use "realistic" to the gear and room your using.

Edit 2:if you do decide to finance don't listen to people who say the banks are not lending just because you can't get a loan straight up doesn't mean there are not other options.. far too many negative people out there at the moment. Your local enterprise board will help you with a grant, they love niche market stuff like this.

And if your coming from an unemployed background your in the best position you can be in with the back to work allowance from DSP and more grants from them. Don't afraid to make it full go of it for profit seriously. There's lots of help there for you to get it up and running. all you have to do is ask and put in the work/hours

krd

digiology wrote: »

Yeah, that does sound like a better "product" alright. I really wanted something that would be super cheap though, for customers who are poor like myself : )

I think I'll avoid the business idea for now and set up a modest room that can be shared between trusted people.

I think you've got a sound idea.

That kind of equipment you should never really leave alone with people. (I've seen how people can behave in rehearsal spaces - and around equipment that's not theirs)

I am, unfortunately, broke too. There are a few little micro-business ideas I have that could probably make the thing break even. If it makes a 100, one day in the week - then that's break even for rent and lecky (none of my ideas involve drugs or adult entertainment - though f*ck it - we could run the thing a front for the Clondalkin Cartel)

PaulBrewer

There may be merit in your idea .

I've heard similar floated before, but it didn't go anywhere.

Most people have 'gear' - what most don't have a is a space to run that gear optimally.

The 'White Room' concept has found some success in the Uk I.e. a room that acoustically treated and has interconnectivity, but no gear.

I don't think the 3 hour session is a good one - it could easily take that to get stuff running !

3 or 6 month contracts might make it sustainable.

The figures would need to be looked at in an 'unemotional' way though !

Denalihighway

i like the idea too. i'm lucky enough to have a part-share in a studio where i can do noisy stuff when needs be.

there's a lot of artists and musicians spaces but does seem to be lack of small but properly soundproofed space which i'd be interested in if i was able to afford to rent one to myself.

I think i lot of people would appreciate even a 10 X 6 space where you could throw down VOX and guitars etc. limited mixing capabilities obviously but it would be good for reference and just place for some proper headspace and isolation.

a workstation, monitors, screen etc would be great to have there, so you'd just have to plug in a play and not heave all your equipment from the gaff or wherever.

good luck with it.

if6was9

krd wrote: »

That kind of equipment you should never really leave alone with people. (I've seen how people can behave in rehearsal spaces - and around equipment that's not theirs)
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Very true, see it in venues and rehersal places all the time. People pushing things well into the red and not caring about the damage they're doing.
Might be worth having a deposit policy to cover yourself from damage like this.

krd

if6was9 wrote: »

Very true, see it in venues and rehersal places all the time. People pushing things well into the red and not caring about the damage they're doing.
Might be worth having a deposit policy to cover yourself from damage like this.

I've seen people make very messy spliffs on the mixer - and of course; balancing a can of lager on the mixer at the same time - with a very predictable result.