Something I’ve felt in recent years I want to do is eventually take a risk. Get a business loan and invest in a recording studio within central London. I have thought about how I will focus on more underground artists and offer free studio sessions when the studio is not being used. Try to integrate myself within the community and make the studio almost non-profit. Enough to pay my bills and keep the studio running. I’m interested in offering artists the opportunity to record with an engineer and at a high-quality studio that is not their bedroom.
The great thing that could happen is starting a record label, offering free recording/mixing/mastering with putting out unsigned artists and promoting music for those who cannot access facilities.
I already have access to Audio Active a Brighton-based charity that uses music as a way of connecting with young people and offering facilities for those who have no access to them. They helped me when I was younger and it was fundamental towards my development.
I have thought that there are potentially two ways to do this. Either get a two-bed flat/house on rent and convert one room entirely into a recording studio. The thing with this is that noise is an issue, and not being able to be loud 24/7 and also it being residential means the business could not be taken seriously. Rent is also very expensive in London and perhaps a commercial property would be better.
I’ve looked on a few websites, Miloco also being a great studio hire company to be part of as they also manage recording engineers and put them with artists signed to labels for work. On average it seems in the outskirts of London Manor House, West London, and Croydon studios are around 400pm for a room that I would need. More towards central which would be best is around 800pm which is a lot to take a risk in my opinion. I wonder if I could build clients with my current work, as the other day I recorded a client who sang and played guitar and we really got on. I also do freelance sound engineering work and plenty of artists ask if I can engineer music in a studio context as well. Can I bring these all into one space? Perhaps still do live sound in the evenings to help pay the bills?
Again this is just an option that I could do once I have saved some money after a few years of working with Pitch & Sync. I could also use the space for corporate work when creative work is not coming in, voice-overs for adverts and other pieces of work, and sound design/mixing?