More and more home recordists are making the jump from simply recording and mixing their own musical projects in their home studios for personal use, to putting their equipment and technical expertise to work by going into the business of offering recording and production services to other musicians.
History
Before the availability of digital audio workstations and relatively affordable recording and editing software, starting a home recording business was a far more difficult and expensive proposition. Analog recording equipment, and the requisite reels of tape, were expensive to buy, took up lots of space, and required regular expert maintenance. Trying to compete with the sound quality afforded by top commercial recording studios was all but impossible for the home recordist on a budget. On top of that, editing the taped performances often involved hours of tedious cutting and splicing work. The entire process was quite labor-intensive.
The digital revolution and the affordability of computers and software subsequently made state-of-the-art recording quality available for a relatively low investment. Previously complicated and laborious editing tasks are now accomplished with the click of a mouse, and huge mixing desks have been largely replaced by slim interfaces and sleek computer monitors.
While it's true that top studios still have the financial clout to augment their recording platform with high-end hardware processors and microphones, the quality of lower priced processing plug-ins has certainly improved sufficiently enough to greatly narrow the gap between a high budget pro recording and the audio efforts of a knowledgeable home recording hobbyist.
Features
A home recording business, like any other, needs a business plan. A little research on other studios in the area is an important first step. Knowing what services, equipment and hourly rates the competition offers will help the business set reasonable and realistic prices for the services on offer.
It'll also be necessary to set a budget for any necessary equipment purchases, and for the advertising and marketing of the business. Although word of mouth referrals will be vital to this kind of business, internet and print advertising are important in establishing a presence on the local music scene.
An often overlooked part of the recording experience in studios is the comfort level of the actual recording space. A clean, comfortable room with tasteful decor might not have an effect on the quality of the sound, but it can certainly make for an inspiring place to be for visiting musicians, which can greatly help the creative process. If musicians feel comfortable in a space, there's a good chance that they'll return.
Size
A home recording studio doesn't have to be a large space. Of course, if you want to offer the capability of recording a full band playing live, then you'll need a fair-sized room with enough space to comfortably set up a drum kit, and have room for amplifiers and the players themselves (don't forget the soundproofing!), but if your intent is to use programmed percussion, and to record musicians individually, then the required space may be as small as an average-sized bedroom with the only real requirement being enough room for a computer desk.
Considerations
A major consideration when starting a recording business is to have realistic expectations of what you can offer clients. It's important to know your own abilities and limitations so as to avoid unhappy clients. If you happen to undersell yourself and end up with a client who's thrilled with his experience in your studio, it's a great building block for your business. As well as raising your confidence level, it'll likely result in referral business. Conversely, if you promise results that are beyond your capabilites it won't do your reputation any favors.
One thing that hasn't changed with recording studios, be they top-of-the-line, high-end pro studios equipped with vintage analog gear and pricey tube pre-amps, or a Pro Tools-equipped laptop tucked away in the corner of a bedroom, is the importance of the technical knowledge and musical ear of the producer and/or engineer responsible for recording the music. This remains the biggest selling point for a recording business. All the equipment in the world can't make up for a lack of experience behind the controls, so it's important not to go into business until you have more to offer than just access to an attractive array of recording equipment and microphones.
Benefits
Building up a home recording business can be a lot of hard work, and it's probably not the easiest way to make lots of money quickly, but it can certainly be fulfilling. Despite the fact that at the beginning, it's quite possible that in order to build a portfolio and a reputation, you'll be doing projects for free, or for very little money. It's also true that most people venturing into this business consider home recording to be a labor of love, so the learning experience will at least be enjoyable and creatively rewarding until the business becomes established enough to be really profitable.
Even if you're not ultimately able to make a living solely from your business, you may be able to make enough to pay for additions and upgrades to your studio equipment and improve your recording studio set-up. At the very least, this, and the experience gained from recording other people's music, will surely benefit your own recordings.
