3 Remote Work Opportunities For Musicians With Home Studios
Everyone’s looking for ways to grow their income from home, but few home-based engineers and producers have actually quit their day job to pursue music full time.
As a result, many are missing out on some of the easiest opportunities to grow their studio business.
Maybe you feel like you’re just too busy to pursue it, but I think more than likely, most engineers don’t even see the opportunities available to them. They’re too into their own bubbles and social circles that they don’t see the opportunities sitting just outside their door – opportunities that are well within reach.
So without further ado, here are 3 remote work opportunities that could take your home studio from a hobby room to a full-time, lucrative workspace!
Remote Session Work
Perhaps now more than ever, pros across the industry are looking for musicians that are self-sufficient in their home studios. Rather than bringing together a group of musicians to record in an expensive studio, they’re hiring players to remotely record their parts in a professional manner that can be sent off to a mixer with ease.
But they’re not looking to sacrifice quality – and that’s where you’re uniquely positioned.
There are hundreds if not thousands of musicians right now trying to learn how to record themselves at home, but those who have experience recording their own music are in the best position they could hope for. Labels and artists aren’t looking to slow down – it’s actually quite the opposite.
They’re looking to kick things into overdrive and double down on their music making efforts, which means they need session musicians like you that know their way around a DAW. By being quick on your feet and active in your online communities, session work is easily within reach. Best of all, it could lead to more mixing/engineering projects down the line with those that really appreciate your contributions.
Home Studio Consulting
You’ve done it for yourself; why not do it for others?
Setting up a home studio can be a daunting task, especially for those that want an easy way to get started. There are dozens of possible reasons someone might want a home studio setup from musicians to voice over artists to podcasters and more. Unfortunately, most of the people that would like to do it never do – the cost of entry is too high and without the right guidance, their expensive purchases might not even get them the results they’re after.
Now put yourself in their shoes and think about how much easier the whole process would be if someone could just give you a flat price and take care of the rest. That’s exactly where home studio consulting comes in.
Home studio consulting is a dream gig for anyone who loves to buy gear and brainstorm different recording setups. Each new job is an opportunity to pitch something new and get hands on with different gear.
As a home recording engineer, you’ve already learned what goes into a basic studio setup. You know what’s a waste of money and where it could be better spent – like spending a little money on plugins instead of a lot of money on hardware versions of the same thing.
Consultants come across all kinds of budgets and use cases, making it a great way to get exposure to different equipment. If you’re into the on-site setup, people will pay some serious cash to have you come out and get everything set up; especially corporate recording spaces.
And even if you’re not, simply providing a finalized equipment list after a short conversation to understand your client’s needs is worth it for them. They get what they need without the hours of research you’ve already put in.
Streaming Sessions
When people are bored at home, there’s constantly this huge demand for content. They’re sick of what’s on Netflix and bored with social media, so they start looking to live streams for real-time entertainment.
Twitch was already on course to become one of the biggest streaming platforms with gamers flocking to it, but it’s clear that it’s outgrowing that niche quickly. Musicians are putting on live concerts and hosting shows there and on other live streams through IGTV and Facebook Live.
Producers and engineers are already experimenting with these platforms for instant feedback – creating music in real-time with audience input as they work. Artists like deadmau5 were doing this as early as 2012 where he actually received a professionally-recorded vocal hook from a fan via Twitter for his song “The Veldt” that ultimately went on to reach #5 on Billboard’s Electronic Music chart and was featured in Rolling Stone’s list as a Top 50 Song of 2012.
It just validates that fans have wanted real-time music creation for years. They want to be a part of something and taking advantage of your time in the studio as a way to remotely connect with them can be a huge differentiator as an artist.
Other Ways To Grow Your Home Studio
Part of growing your home studio means staying connected with those outside of it. You can get a lot of information and insight about various techniques through pre-recorded videos, podcasts & lessons, but the interaction with others in your professional community are the best ways to see things from a new perspective.
For this reason, we have two major interactive elements in JST VIP. The first is a series of live-stream sessions to practice what I preached above. In these live-streams, I mix member submissions in real-time as I talk you through my thought process. Because these mixes are new and unique, I’m able to tell you what I’m hearing in real-time and how I choose to address it. It’s pretty fun!
The second interactive element is our private JST VIP Member Community, where we not only give members a place to collaborate, but constantly drive discussions around what members really want from the program, things they’re struggling with in their own mixes, and opportunities for collaboration.
It’s a great way to continue growing as an audio professional – even on those days where you’re stuck indoors on a 12-hour session.
