Pre Production 1

Pre-Production

Finance:

We will use the money we get from our currently active studio to fund the recording, however we can also use the fee we get from the client to add to the budget. We are charging £25 an hour, this means £250 a day, depending on the amount of time it takes to complete the recording this should be plenty to comfortably create the recording. This includes paying the crew and any potential copyright fees that should arise.

The cost to rent the studio space is £300 pound a month; this is due to the studio being moderately sized, with a recording room and mixing room only. The fee we charge should easily cover this cost.

(The royalties we will receive from the sales of the recording will also fund future projects we work on, provided that the recording does well we could potentially be in a position to create even higher quality recordings in future with new equipment and workspace.)

Production Equipment:

We already have a lot of the production equipment in the studio:

2 X Marshall MG30CFX (£130 each(£260 total))

1 X Ashdown EVO III 210 Bass Combo Amp (£279)

3 X ShureSM58 Microphones (£79 each(£237))

1 X Rode NT1 Microphone (£159)

It would be preferable that the band provides their own instruments. It is important that the band has there own unique sound. It is also important that the band can perform efficiently as to not waste time and money, thus using instruments they are more used to would potentially be better.

Post Production Equipment:

Postproduction can be done on the software Cubase; this is what we also are using to record the audio tracks, as we will have it connected to the Mackie1640i. This will make it easy to mix the tracks and add the effects that the band want, as well as equalize the levels to make sure all of the parts of the recording can be heard. Also to make sure that the band has a recording that they are pleased the most part be as they envision it. We will be using an apple mac to mix and master the song in order to create a high quality finish; this is due to the macs high processing power and quick speed.

Transport:

	600kg or below	Above 600kg (3.5 ton limit)
1 day	£45	£65
2 day	£85	£120
Per extra day	£35	£53

Whilst transport is not a very potent part of the recording process it is very important. Whilst the producers and engineers will provide their own transport, meaning zero costs on our behalf, should the band require transport of equipment or members extra fees will be required to cover the expense to the studio required by the van rental service as follows.

(All fuel expenses must also be covered by the client. Vans Sourced from Anker Valley Van Hire)

Talent:

Talent is hugely important in the recording; it will be the band that is playing on the tracks. After reviewing other material they have supplied as an example of skill I believe that they are going to be able to handle the song well. However should for any reason a member of the band be unable to attend a session we have access to other skilled musicians who can be used as a back up should the band deem it acceptable (this musician would then have to receive a share of the profits generated by the single). Our engineers would also be able to sequence certain parts of the song if the band wanted extra pieces on the track such as extra drum beats. This would also come in useful as a last resort should the due to some unfortunate inconvenience the band be unable to record certain tracks and we are unable to supply any substitutes. However this would most likely only be possible for backing tracks as lead tracks would sound too clinical if they were sequenced rather than played live.

Crew:

A small crew of 2-3 people per session should suffice, as one person should be using the mixing desk and computer software to record the tracks. The others should be setting up mics and other equipment. 2 people would preferable for this as if there are any technical issues then one can continue to set up whilst the other fixes the issue. We do have other crew members on standby should there be a problem that proves too much for the presently active crew, or if a member cannot come in for some reason. However we are confident in the ability of the crew, and should any technical issues occur we should be able to overcome them without too much if any trouble.

Should any technical issues occur that the staff are unable to solve in an acceptable time period clients will be a percentage of the paid fee dependent upon the amount of time either sacrificed or unused due to the issue, this can also be used as recorded credit for potential use at a later date.

Facility:

The facility we will be using is the aforementioned studio, our studio is moderately sized to prevent extensive charging to the clients, but due to the proportions of the work space and the precautions taken to ensure good sound quality, our recordings are always to an exceptable standard; thanks in no small part to the experienced team who dedicate themselves to the studio. The studio is sound proof to prevent any outside interference with recording; it also has mostly smooth flat surfaces in order to promote as much reverb potential as possible by creating smooth sound reflections. We also have access to selection of much smaller, cubicle type rooms. These could be used should the band want less reverb or a much closer tone to the recording.

Copyright Clearances:

Copyright is a huge issue when trying to create a commercially large cover, as many artists can react negatively to people attempting to what might be seen as ‘piggy backing’ of the premade success of the record and band in general. We will have to receive a mechanical license so that we can actually record the song, and a synch license to allow us to promote the song. These would be obtained through the owners of the song corporately as well as intellectual owners. In this case it is the songwriters, label, and producers of the song that would need to be consulted.

Due to the legalities of the copyright, the band may not receive a majority of the profits that the record generates. This is due to the fact that it is a cover record and so much of the profit will be required to be paid to the original creators of the song. The legal standard of royalties to the original songwriter is 50%, a huge margin. As a studio we will receive a royalty of around 7% made by the record, whilst this would once again reduce the profit the band themselves would make, as a studio we would do everything in our power to promote the single and assure the success of the band in the hope that the band would choose to use our services again so that we could replicate the success of the original project. Whilst these royalties would in fact leave the band with 43% to share between them, I believe it is important to consider the positive external effects that the potential popularity of the single by continuing on the current course for the release of the record, as when the band decides to release original material the profits will benefit significantly, this time with the band owning over 90% of the profits.

In recent days, some moguls and influential figure in the music industry have suggested that the rise of digital media and the Internet has killed the once beautiful music industry. One of these notable figures is multi platinum award winner Adele. Due to her incredible power and sway in modern music she has decided against putting her music on Spotify and other popular music streaming companies, preferring to have her music bought on real hard copies. Our band is relatively new to the music industry and as a result of this I believe it would be unwise to try to make a social statement of the situation of the music industry on their first single release as it could potentially damage not only the popularity and publicity of the release but also damage the sales in a knock on effect. However should the record cause the band to become well-known, controversial acts such as this can be considered as a way to advance the prominence of a band.

Risk Assessment

Risk Rating Score	Action	Review
1-2	No action required	Every 1-2 years
3-4	No action required, monitor	Every 18 months
5-6	Reduce risk if possible	Every year
7-9	Risk requires attention at earliest convenience	Every 6 months
10-15	Make interim arrangements, attend as soon as possible	After interim arrangements, every 3 months
16-25	Immediate and drastic action must be taken	Immediately

Studio Assessment

Where is the Hazard	What is the Hazard	Likelihood (1-5)	Who might be harmed	How will they be harmed	Risk Severity (1-5)	Risk rating (1-25)	Precautions	Communication	Review date
Recording studio, control room	Loose wires	3	Recording artists, sound engineers	Tripping over the loose cables, potentially causing damage to themselves and equipment	2	6	Tape cables to the floor/walls when in use to prevent tripping, keep unused cables wrapped up away from walking space	I will brief the engineers on how to deal with and prevent the hazard at the next available opportunity, I will warn clients who are using the studio to mind where they are walking as well as place signs around the studio to indicate they should be careful where they walk	11.2.17
Recording studio, control room	Damaged wires	3	Recording artists, sound engineers	Broken wires can be severe fire hazard due to the sparks they can spray, they are directly connected to the power	5	15	Immediately dispose of any damaged wires and cables, check the wires every time they are used	I will give a talk to the staff of the studio about correct cable etiquette, focusing on the importance of check every wire each time it is used	11.5.16
Recording studio, control room	Ear damage, dangerous noise levels	4	Recording artists, sound engineers	Ear damage, hearing impairment may be caused due to excessive noise levels	2	8	Supply fresh ear plugs to recording artists and sound engineers, this will prevent them from being subject to unusually loud noise levels. They must be fresh as to keep cleanliness standards high	I will run a staff briefing to make sure that the sound engineers are fully aware of the potential damage that can be caused to the hearing of our clients and themselves should they fail to use their earplugs. Earplugs will be supplied free as to ensure they are used.	11.8.16
Recording studio	Lifting of heavy machinery/equipment	4	Sound engineers	They could potentially have severe muscle injuries due to the strain incorrect lifting procedures can put on the back	2	8	Ensure that staff are being regularly remind that they must use the correct lifting procedures, and of what those procedures are.	Run annually renewed lifting safety program that are mandatory for staff to attend. This will ensure that they are kept aware and prepared for the correct procedures they must use when handling heavy items	11.8.16
Anywhere	Spillages	3	Anyone, Equipment	They could potentially slip and fall on any liquids spilt. This could result in them damaging themselves. Also fluids can damage the equipment in the studio which is something we would like to avoid	1	3	Make sure anyone entering the vicinity of the studio is warned that liquids are not allowed to be taken in to the Rooms. Signs may be put in place that show people that they are not allowed to drink near the equipment.	I will make sure the staff is briefed on the health and safety factors of having liquids in or around the studio. I will also ensure that anyone using the studio is warned not to take drinks in there.	11.8.17