It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.
~Charles Darwin
(By Yaman Coskun) It is not a new concept. Most radio talent’s “Plan B” strategy to create a safety net by having a home studio has been around a long time. When voice tracking came along in the ‘90s, home studios became a necessity for many. The exponential growth of home studios, driven by multiple factors like technology, affordability, practicality and economy, is certainly prominent in the U.S. today. But, while it has always been good idea, now, it is essential.
This pandemic has transformed the way business thinks as to how it should do business moving forward. It opened the eyes of many business owners, small or large, radio or not, that they can get the job done with 3 people instead of 30. They can deliver results to customers from their homes instead of from their offices.
Of course, radio started doing that a few decades ago as cost-cutting became a permanent part of our industry. But, in parallel to that, independent third-party vendors increased in numbers, dramatically. In fact, radio is one of the most creative industries when it comes to finding innovative ways to consolidate, restructure and run a well-optimized operation protecting its balance sheet vigorously.
That very same industry is now looking at how it got the job done since the pandemic hit and, likely, figuring out ways to sustain a lean operation in the post-pandemic world with new hybrid approaches. One of those ways is creative services from commercial production to imaging. That is precisely why it is time to go home studio shopping.
The truth is, if you are a voice talent, copywriter, production or an imaging director you are potentially facing the “bad news/good news” scenario as you may lose one full time gig and end up gaining multiple freelance gigs. If you are new to this topic you will be relieved to know, today, building a simple home studio costs a fraction of what it used to years ago.
I reached out to some of our key production talent within our company working from home and asked them to provide me with meaningful information for this article which anyone in our industry can use as a simple guide to build a functional home studio. We are not getting into the geeky tech spec here. Just an overview of general principles.
Here are my 5 takeaways:
1. To build a home studio, you need a soundproof area, a decent quality microphone, a computer, a digital software for editing, headphones and speakers. These are the starting points. The cost, on average, is under five thousand dollars. From here you can operate and start making money while building on these basic setups upgrading, expanding and, eventually, having a home studio that can compete with global recording studios, if you choose to go that way. The sky is the limit.
2. Learn, learn, learn. Read blogs like: www.benztown.com/blogs/ Subscribe to RAP (Radio and Production) at www.rapmag.com/.
3. Always give your best both in performance and professionalism. Under-promise. Over-deliver whether the project pays you twenty bucks or two thousand. Your work speaks for itself and could potentially travel very far crossing many ears.
4. Network on LinkedIn and all the other socials. Join the talent roster of independent operations working as vendors for the industry such as Benztown. Register on platforms like Voice123 or Voice Bunny. Keep up with If you put together a new demo that’s an excuse to post it. If you run across an interesting article about VO or audio production, post a link and remind people what you do for a living.
5. Learn to be flexible. This is a transitional time where nobody wants to look at your rate card. They want to look at how willing, motivated and nimble you are. Accept work even when it is below pay grade. It may end up securing sustainable income at or above your pay grade.
As a radio talent, you do not need to be afraid of vanishing due to this crazy transition we are all going through. Because, Radio will never vanish. Just be afraid of not adapting. If you have passion in your heart for Radio then get ready to embrace the new world where you produce in your pajamas and host the “Morning Zoom”, potentially with higher income and less drama.
Now, there is a sunny future we can all look forward to.
Yaman Coskun is the Founder and CEO of Yamanair Creative with 36 years in creative services for radio. Contact: [email protected]
