Craig Anderton’s Open Channel: The New Gig Economy—Studio Edition

Technology has made it possible for individuals to own a studio, produce and engineer their own music, create virtual orchestras, master with online algorithms, fix issues with Internet searches and… well, work on productions devoid of any contact with other human beings.

This has been great for composers, who can easily realize their visions, but it has had the unintended consequence of devaluing teamwork. Many classic songs were written by songwriting partners (not committees), and some of the greatest recordings were team efforts. I don’t think The Dark Side of the Moon would have turned out the same if David Gilmour had been by himself in a basement with Pro Tools.

How do we get teamwork back into the industry? One answer might be having a “gig economy” of consultants—hiring people as needed to fill out ad hoc teams for specific projects and functions, effectively becoming a new type of “studio.” For example…

Tech Consultant

This would be an updated version of the person who wired patch bays, replaced burned-out console lights and lapped tape heads. The tech consultant would come to a studio monthly to do software updates, image the system drive, back up current projects for offsite storage, and the like. I think many metropolitan areas have enough studios whose owners would be willing to pay a retainer for a tech consultant.

Distribution Consultant

I have several projects I’d like to put on Spotify and other streaming services, but it’s a hassle. I’m not sure which distributor is best, or how to set up an attractive personal space on Spotify and other outlets. I’d pay someone to do the heavy lifting of getting music online. This could even be part of a studio’s services.

Mix/Mastering Consultant

Not every artist with a personal studio has world-class mixing/mastering chops. Mixing panels at seminars that critique audience mixes are always popular, so let’s take the concept further. There are expert users who mix commercial projects using specific digital audio workstations but wouldn’t mind a side hustle in today’s contracted studio economy. DAW companies could charge users $29.95 for a 15-minute mix critique from a studio mixing veteran who uses the same DAW. Sometimes all it takes is a few comments to send a project in the right direction.

The DAW company could take a small cut, or encourage subscriptions by doing a promotion—like offering a free mix consultation to subscribers. Doing consultations on a Zoom call would allow other subscribers to eavesdrop and pick up useful pointers. Although no one would get rich from this, twice-weekly, two-hour mix critique sessions could potentially bring in around $25,000 a year. More importantly, it would foster a sense of community and be good PR for the company. The only required company resources would be accounting and a Zoom license.

Of course, these consultants would need to be diplomatic and not crush someone’s feelings online. But, again, based on my experience at panels, participants value criticism when it’s done with the intention of helping the person create better music.

Merch Consultant

Merch is an increasingly important music industry income stream. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to figure out which companies offer the best deals, are reliable, have the most cost-effective shipping and the like. Even things as simple as offering music on a USB thumb drive or ordering studio T-shirts lead to a bewildering array of options and pricing.

A merch consultant would have the expertise to help artists and studios choose the right kind of merch at the right prices. Due to increased merch sales, the cost of retaining a consultant would pay for itself over time.

Sure, maybe these ideas are pie-in-the-sky— but maybe they aren’t. Let’s face it; no one can do everything themselves. Several workshops at NAMM involved how to increase your social media presence in the hopes of gaining enough followers that you can eke out a few pennies from streaming services, yet those same seminars made it clear that marketing and maintaining your messaging on multiple social media platforms is almost a full-time job. When are artists going to write songs, practice technique, record and mix those songs, and move their art forward?

I think the music industry would benefit if the emphasis switched from “the lone individual doing everything” to ad hoc teams that could solve problems and take care of business. When artists want a website, they often do it themselves with sketchy results or find “a friend of a friend web designer” who can do it. What if there were web developers who specialized in websites for studios and artists, including e-commerce integration?

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Yes, you’d need to pay the consultants on your team, but that kind of investment could grow income—while doing the work that keeps artists from refining their art.

The main issue is how to connect potential consultants with the people who need their services. The Gig Economy does it through umbrella organizations like DoorDash, Uber, etc. As mentioned, maybe a DAW company would be a suitable umbrella for mix consulting. For merch, maybe it’s clubs. Maybe it’s a NARAS offshoot.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know the question: How can artists and studios spend more time on creating art and less time on having to manage and market that art? Perhaps the solution lies in teamwork and delegation.