Florida is a state that is often overlooked by most people in the music industry. But these same people seem to forget that Florida has one of the richest and most diverse music pedigree in America. Many genres, while not being born in Florida, took root here and expanded over the years. Rock, Jazz, Soul, Blues, Country, Latin. All of these genres were, and still are prominent in Florida’s cultural identity.
And we can’t forget the huge number of successful musicians that call Florida home. Jim Morrison, Ariana Grande, Ray Charles, Sean Kingston, Pitbull. The list goes on and on. And every year we see thousands of hopeful musicians coming out of Florida. Throwing their hat into the ring and trying to make a name for themselves.
Florida, and particularly Tampa Bay, is home to a significant number of popular recording studios. Due to the high demand, both from amateur artists and professional musicians, opening a recording studio in Florida is an extremely smart investment. But how do you go about running a recording studio?
Creating The Studio
The first step in running a successful recording studio is, of course, creating the studio. And this takes a lot more work than most other businesses.We will assume you have found a suitable location for your studio. A recording studio needs a lot of interior and exterior work before it is functional. For a number of reasons. To that end you will likely need to completely gut and rebuild the property you have selected.
The first thing you need to consider is the amount of electrical equipment needed to run a successful studio. You will want a few different recording booths and editing studios. Along with the ability for every artist to connect all their own instruments and equipment to the electric systems. So you need to ensure your studio is built to handle such a huge amount of power usage. Otherwise you are not only running the risk of losing power during a recording session, but it also presents a huge fire risk.
Next is soundproofing, acoustics, and structural integrity. This will require you to rebuild a lot of the building’s walls and roofs. The roofing needs to be sturdy enough to handle a lot of the strain that will be put on it by the lights, hanging microphones, and soundproofing. You will need to find a good commercial roofing company to help you with this. I’d recommend the roofing company in Tampa as they have a proven track record for reliable service and offer a vast range of specialized roofs.
Interior Decor
A successful recording studio needs to not only be practical but aesthetically pleasing. Musicians, especially famous ones, can be very picky about where they record. They will be used to a certain level of comfort. We aren’t saying they will all be divas. But it is more likely than not that they will be.
Your studio decor needs to be sleek, stylish, and inviting. You should focus on decorations that speak to the musical history of Florida. Pictures of famous bands and artists from the state. And, if anyone that recorded at your studio releases a successful album, you could hang a copy of said album on the walls.
Your recording booths should be comfortable as well. Well insulated but with adequate ventilation or air conditioning to ensure the artists are comfortable at all times. The mixing booth should have adequate seating for the artists team or friends to sit in and watch the session.
You should also provide a number of greenrooms for artists so that they have somewhere they can relax and unwind between recording sessions. These rooms should offer a wide range of amenities and comfort.
Building A Name For Studio
As we said above there are a lot of recording studios in Florida. Particularly in Tampa Bay. Competition is healthy, but it means you will have to put in a lot of work to make a name for your studio.
The best way to start building your reputation is through social media. When it comes to the music industry, social media is the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal. Even before your studio opens you should be building your social media presence. Highlighting the construction process and spreading the word about what your studio will be able to offer.
You should also look at offering good introductory deals for when you open. Your business will run at a loss for the first few years. It is more important to build up a consistent client base rather than turning a profit. Try to undercut your competition and make sure anyone who comes to record at your studio is catered to completely. Word of mouth between artists is going to help generate most of your business in the long run. So you want your clients to leave with a positive impression.
