The Complete Client Journey (Student Access)

This is one of many parts of The Profitable Producer Course, and it was designed to help home studio owners grow their businesses.

If your douchebag friend shared this with you, they weren't supposed to. I hope you enjoy it, but keep in mind that this is merely a fraction of what the rest of the students are experiencing inside the Profitable Producer Course. 

If you want to learn more about The Profitable Producer Course, go to www.theprofitableproducer.com or you can read more free content at www.thesixfigurehomestudio.com.

1. Friend Zone:

Congratulations, you're in the friend-zone. 

Until it's clear that you both have something to offer each other, you're not getting out of here. 

Welcome to hell.

First Contact

The potential client has come into contact with you in some way

This could be in a number of ways:

• You met them at an event somewhere
• They replied to a cold outreach message
• They replied to a "nurture" email (covered later)
• They filled out a form on your website
• You messaged them on Facebook
• They messaged you on Facebook 
• They got your number from a mutual contact and texted/called you
• etc. 

However the first contact happened, make sure you have a way to follow up with them. This means you their name (and can find them on social media), you have their email address, you have their phone number, or you have their website (where you can find their contact information). 

Needs-Discovery: Determine Their Current Phase(s)

This is the part where you discover what the client needs.

There are 5 Phases of an artist's recording cycle, and the artist could be in multiple phases at once. 

When working with a new potential client, follow along with this guide. The goal here is to determine which phase(s) the potential client resides, then determine where you can add value.

Early Discussion: Determining Their Project Phase

When determining their Project Phase, sometimes basic research can help. Before asking a potential client stupid questions, do your research. 

When did they last release new music?

• if this was within the past 6 months, they're in Phase 5
• If they haven't released new music recently, they could be in any other phase. 

Will they be releasing new music in the near future?

• if so, they're likely in Phase 4
• Note: They could also be in Phases 2 or 3, so be sure to get the details.

Did they just get out of the studio?

• If so, they could be in Phase 3
• Note: this isn't always the case, as sometimes mixing/mastering will be done in the studio.

Are they posting "teaser" videos on social media? 

• If so, they could be in Phases 1-4
• They could be posting demos created during songwriting (Phase 1 or Phase 2)
• They could be posting rough mixes from the studio (Phase 3 or Phase 4)

Are they about to go into the studio/start the recording process? 

• If so, they could be in Phase 1 or Phase 2

While some things can be determined by research, sometimes you'll need to have a conversation to figure these things out. Use the  checklist below to dive deeper into whatever phase(s) they're in.

Ask The Question

Once you've done a bit of research about the artist, it's time to reach out. 

Subject: New _artist name_ Music? 

Body: Hey __First Name_, I found out about you through _referral source_ and I loved what I heard. Are you looking to release new music in the near future?  

Keep in mind that this template assumes that you couldn't find anything about new music through your own research. If they've recently released new music, simply adjust the email content. 

Subject: New _artist name_ Music? 

Body: Hey __First Name_, I found out about you through _referral source_ and I loved what I heard. I saw that you just released a new EP, and I was wondering when you'll be recording more new music. 

This is the beginning of something called Conversational Selling. All you're doing is starting the sales process through normal conversation. There are no sleazy sales tactics here. You simply discover there needs here. Later on, we'll start determining what to do with those needs you've discovered. 

The 5 Project Phases

Phase 1: Songwriting

Phase 2: Pre-studio

Phase 3: Pre Mix/Master

Phase 4: Pre-Release

Phase 5: Post-Release

2. Flirting:

So it looks like there's a potential match...

After going through the needs-discovery process, you've determined that you have something to offer them, and they may have something to offer you.

The key here is to take things slowly. Don't just go straight for the bedroom or you may regret it...

Needs-Discovery: Determine Where To Add Value

What Can You Do To Help?

Each Project Phase offers multiple opportunities to add value. When you approach the conversation with this mindset, the conversation becomes more about what you can do for them instead of "how can I get them to pay me"?

There are many more ways to help than what I've outlined here, but this should hopefully get your mindset right, and start giving you some ideas. 

Phase 1: Songwriting

Are they looking for help with the songwriting process?

Are they looking for feedback or an outside perspective?

Do they need help recording song demos?

Phase 2: Pre-Studio

Will they be self-producing?

Will they be booking studio time soon?

Have they ever recorded at a professional studio before?

Phase 3: Pre-Mix/Master

Are the looking for someone to mix their songs? 

Are the looking for someone to master their songs? 

Will they be mixing/mastering their own songs? 

Are the songs already edited? What about additional production or FX?

Phase 4: Pre-Release

Will they be self-releasing their music?

Will they be releasing through a label?

Phase 5: Post-Release

Are the independent? They may have no clue how to promote their music.

Will they be touring? 

Do you have any contacts within your network that could create a win/win relationship with this artist? 

Needs-Discovery Nurture

Now that you know what phase(s) the artist occupies, it's time to nurture the relationship over time. 

You're not going to do this over night. It's going to take persistence, a helpful attitude, and some follow up hustle. 

1. Determine Your Follow-Up Frequency

It Depends On Phase(s)

This will vary on a case by case basis. If the artist is in phase 5 and has no plans to record again any time soon, your follow up timeline won't be more than once every 1 to 3 months. 

However, if the artist is in phase 1 or phase 2, it would make sense to follow up as often as once per week. 

It Depends Where You're Adding Value

Another factor depends on where you can add value. If you're trying to set the artist up for a co-write with a talented songwriter you know, it may require frequent follow-ups with both the artist and the songwriter. 

If you're just sending helpful resources to the artist, you can probably space out those follow-ups out quite a bit.

2. Add Follow-Up Reminders After Every "Touch" 

Any time you add value to a potential client, add a follow-up reminder to your calendar or CRM so you can keep the conversation going. The point here is to spend time building and nurturing the relationship.

Example: The artist is in phase 1, and I've set up a co-write with a songwriter. I'd then set a reminder to follow up with both the songwriter and artist to see how it went. Here's an example email:

Hey John,

How did the co-write with bill go? He said you two hit it off pretty well!

The key here is to know that these "touches" don't need to be long or overly complex. You just want to become a familiar name that is associated with "helpful" in the potential client's mind. 

3. Dating:

It looks like there's potential worth exploring, and she thinks it's time to take this relationship to the next level. 

Is She Right For You?

It's important NOT to jump the gun here. Take your time and enjoy this phase of the relationship. It's better to discover your compatibility together BEFORE marriage, right?

Quote Request

You basically just scored. Well done....

The artist has expressed interest in working with you. This is usually the point they ask for a price or a quote. The important thing here is to make sure you have all the info you need before sending a proposal.

Gather All Project Info

By this point you've discovered the needs of the potential clients. There is some sort of service(s) they need from you, and they've expressed interest in some way.

They may have directly asked you a price, or they may have implied that they're interested in working with you.

You'll want to follow the checklist below to make sure you have all the info you need before popping the big question:

Why You Need To Know These Things

Artist Name
You'll need this for organizing your records and to add to your invoice. This is obvious and straightforward.

Email Address
You'll need this for sending the proposal. Once you get past this point, you'll be centralizing all of your communications to email. This will be covered more on week 5. 

URL to Previous Music
This will save you form working with an artist who has no business going into the studio. I've saved myself from many trainwreck projects just by asking for a link to their past recordings. 

Services Needed
You'll need this so you can send an accurate quote. This is obvious, but sometimes artists fail to include this when requesting a quote. 

Number of Songs
Again, you'll need this so you can send an accurate quote. This is obvious, but sometimes artists fail to include this when requesting a quote. 

Desired Starting Date
This is important for scheduling and quote purposes. Last minute "rush projects" should always cost more. I know it's hard to do this if you also have open dates, but last minute projects will always be more of a pain-in-the-ass than any other projects. 

Budget (optional)
This is something I recommend getting from the artist before sending a quote. Sometimes you'll be surprised by someone who has a larger budget than you expect. In these situations you'll have more freedom to experiment with higher rates. This is how I raised my mixing rates from $300 to $600 per song in less than 12 months. 

Look For Red Flags

When I look back on any "nightmare" projects I've ever had, I can almost always spot red flags that I either missed or ignored. Here are a few to look out for that will save you from a horrible experience. 

Horrible Attitude

Some people are just plain hostile. If you experience anything like this, run the other way. Even if it's not directed towards you, there's nothing good that can come from working with these types of people. Check their personal and artist social media accounts, and see how their interactions with other people are. Bad attitude = nightmare project. 

They Don't Want To Pay A Deposit

There's not much to say about these people, other than they're not serious about working with you. Stand your ground, or move on.

Unrealistically Low Budget

In my experience, most artists who comes to be with an absurd budget will also show multiple red flags. They come to me wanting a 10 song album mix done by next week (last-minute project and unrealistic request), they'll have no previous recordings to show me, and they'll want it all done for $1000 (unrealistically low budget). This all shows a lack of self-awareness and understanding of how this all works. A classic nightmare project for whoever takes it on.  

Last-Minute Project

These types of projects aren't always a nightmare, but they usually are a pain in the ass. Last-minute projects usually stem from an artist or small indie label who improperly planned and prepared things. This last-minute scramble to find a studio/mixing/mastering engineer can related in a massive headache for you. Make sure you know what sort of pressure you're signing up for when taking one of these on. 

No Previous Recordings

Without a previous recording or demo for you to listen to, you have no idea what you're signing yourself up for. I never take on a project until I've heard past work from that artist, unless it's a musician I trust who's started a new band. No music = red flag. 

Odd or Unrealistic Requests

Sometimes you'll get question or request from an artist that just makes you say "wtf?". The possibilites are endless here, so I'm not going to give you examples. Just know that if you ever say "wtf" after reading a text or email from an artist, understand that it's probably a red flag. 

Unnecessarily Long Emails or Texts

The longest email I've ever gotten to this day was more than 2,000 words long, and included numerous other red flags. You can expect this trend to continue throughout the project, and into the revision process. There is such a thing as "over-communication," and unless there is a good reason for it, I would consider this a red flag.

A Lack of Self-Awareness

Occasionally you'll get a delusional artist who doesn't "get it". These are usually the same artists who will bash your studio because your recordings "didn't make them famous". Typically you'll encounter this red flag along with multiple other red flags (like unnecessarily long emails that contain odd requests with a low budget). 

My Biggest Red Flag Quote Request

Here is the best example of a red flag quote request I've ever received (edited to protect the innocent but not the typos). 

----

Hey whats up brian? I'm name, vocalist of 'band'. We are a new band from city, state. i've been in local bands for years and  thats changing now because of amazing advice from my friend Name Drop [Semi-Famous Band[Record Label]] I dont want to take up to much of your time, but i'm being 100% serious that we ARE the band to record. We have amazing material being written and we know what it takes to be in a major signed band. No, we arent huge right now and we havent played a show, but thats the point. Name Drop told me to record some HUGE and amazing demo's with a well known studio and i tried getting us into competitor studios but now they dont take in bands that arent signed anymore.  I really think you should consider taking in our band. Our plan is to record 2 original flawless demo's and a fun cover song[cover song depending on the price per song]. While recording, we are going to promote like hell and take profesional promo's, nd make video updates and make some HUGE hype about us and get Name Drop to do guest keys and vocals in a song and get Bigger Name Drop to do some guest vocals to! Then once we're done recording, we will release everything at once on facebook and myspace and everything, and have huge talk going on about us and then word will get to Record Label and big things will happen! . The sound we are going for is heavy, but marketable. 'Example Band 1" 'Example Band 2' 'Example Band 3' 'Example Band 4' etc.. We are all professional in recording to metronomes,all have a music theory backround and we're all laid back awesome dudes! I sing and scream and i know anyone can say that but i actually CAN sing and scream,im known for it in my local city. Anyway man, sorry for taking up some of your time but i wouldnt be sending this if we werent serious about booking some studio time and getting on the road to Record Label because we know 100% we are getting there. Much love bro! Hope to hear from you back soon! attatched our some rough material ideas, not with real instruments, We need high quality recordings with your mixing/mastering and then some keys and synth added in our songs.

----

Can you believe that shit? I don't think it's possible to make this stuff up. 

4. It's Time To Propose:

So she seems to be into you and things have been going well. You've found no real red flags...so is it time to pop the question?

If you're feeling brave, it's time to send a proposal.

You're doing great so far, champ. I'm proud of you <3

Sending The Proposal

This is the point where all communication needs to be centralized (as discussed in week 5). 

Everything up to this point could have been a combination of texts, emails, Facebook messenger, live conversations, phone conversations, and many other mediums of communication.

This stops now. 

From here on, keep every thing you possible can inside email. 

You have two options for sending a proposal (this is covered in more detail inside the vault). 

Option 1: Simple Text-Based Email (Low Value)

Here's a simple quote template I've used in the past.

---
Hey _(first name)_!

Pricing for _(add services here)_ on this project would be a flat $XXXX (add price). This price includes _______, ________, ________, and ________ (explain what they get from you).

This price does not include ___________, __________, ___________, and ____________, which is the responsibility of _________ (optional portion: Explain what they DO NOT get from you). 

If needed, I do offer those services at an extra charge.

All projects require an X% non-refundable deposit to book the dates on our calendar (deposits should be between 10% and 50%). The rest is due on the first scheduled day of __(add service and adjust wording based on your policies)__.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
---

This is what I used for the majority of my career, and it's worked out fine. Just know that nothing about this sets you apart from your competition.

Option 2: Formal Proposal (high value)

This takes MUCH more work, but the perceived value it adds to your business is worth the effort. This will absolutely set you apart from your competition.

I'm not going to paste the entire proposal here, but instead I'll link you to an example Proposal I made for a mixing/mastering project. 

456 Recordings Formal Proposal (test)

The benefits of using software like this is that I get notified every single time they open the proposal, I know how long they spend on each page, and they can sign the proposal inside the software. 

It also tracks all of my conversion numbers, as well as a bunch of other useful stats. 

The Follow-Up Process

This is how you stand out, outlast your competition, and win projects

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to see these numbers:

50% of all proposals you send will get turned down no matter what you do.

10% of all proposals you send will get accepted, despite your best efforts to screw things up (unintentionally, of course).

The remaining 40% of proposals you send are up in the air, and this is where you earn your money. 

$20,000 worth of projects I've won in the past 12 months have required 4 or more follow ups (some of those sales coming a year or more after the initial proposal). 

How? 

It's done in the follow-up process. I follow up with the artist until I either get a "yes" or a "no".

Most home studio owners will send a simple text quote to the artist, and hope for the best. NOPE, NOT ON MY WATCH YOU LAZY SON OF A BITCH.

Below are some templates and general timelines for sending follow up emails. Feel free to change things up and add your own personality to them. 

These all assume the potential client has not replied to your emails.

Follow Up 1

Sent 3-4 days after the proposal has been sent. 

Hey (first name)!

Let me know if you didn't!

Follow up 2

Sent 1 week after Follow Up 1.

Hey (First Name)!

Just checking in here to see if there are any updates with this project.

Let me know!

Follow up 3

Sent 1 week after Follow Up 2.

Hey (First Name)!

Just checking in again to see if there are any updates with this project.

If there's anything I can help you with, let me know!

I know this is extremely similar to follow up 2, but remember, the goal is to just get a reply and keep yourself top-of-mind with the potential client.

Follow up 4

Sent 2 weeks after Follow Up 3.

Hey (First Name),

Are you guys still looking for someone to record/mix/master/edit/etc. this project?

I'd still love to work with you on this!

By now it's been more than a month since you sent your initial proposal. There's a chance they've moved on with a competitor, but there's an even greater chance they hit some sort of roadblock in their lives. 

Scarcity Follow-Up 1

Sent when a proposal gets old (after 2+ months). 

Hey (first name)!

I just wanted to send one final follow up before marking this project as "lost" on my proposal records.

If you guys are still interested, let me know.

This almost always gets some sort of response from the artist. Whether it's a "yes" or "no", or just an update about the project, this will help spur a response if they still have any sort of interest in working with you. 

Scarcity Follow-Up 2

Sent 2 weeks after "Scarcity Follow-Up 1"

Hey (first name)!

I just wanted to let you know I've marked this as "lost" on my proposal records, so the quote I sent you is no longer valid.

If you guys would like to work together in the future, feel free to reach out via email or fill out the quote request form on my website for an updated quote.

http://www.recordingstudiowebsite.com

Let me know if you need anything else!

You are, of course, not finished following up with them. You now add them to your "nurture" follow up sequence (covered in the next step of the client journey)

General Follow-Up

This can be used in any situation where the personal failed to reply to your last email.

Hey (first name)!

Let me know!

The follow-up process is rarely this linear. Sometimes you'll have an artist who's replying to everything, and then they "ghost" on you. This template is great to use in nearly any situation.

You can freely choose from any of these follow up templates if they make sense in context. Otherwise, simply write your own follow-up that fits. 

You Have No Idea What's Going On In Their Lives

• Maybe they lost a band member
• Maybe they're still writing music and they're waiting to book studio time later
• Maybe they got sick and had to postpone the project.
• Maybe they're wedding plans got in the way temporarily.
• Maybe they're going through a divorce.
• Maybe this, maybe that, maybe maybe maybe. 

The key here is to realize that sometimes life gets in the way. I've NEVER gotten an angry email from someone who was annoyed by my follow ups. 

I have, however, gotten many "thank you" replies. Sometimes people's lives get in the way, and they appreciate someone who's following up with them to keep them on top of a project they're passionate about. 

Whatever you do, don't give up the chase.

What To Do When You've Been Rejected

Nurture The "No"

This can feel like a personal attack on you, your talents, and your studio, but it's not. 

Like I mentioned in the previous section, you can expect 50% of your proposals to get rejected no matter what you do. It's nothing personal. Just remember that there's plenty of work to go around in this world. 

Any time I get a "no", I simply ask for a referral, then set a reminder to follow up with the artist again in the future. The amount of time depends on how long I think it will take for the project to be complete. 

Asking For A Referral After a "No"

Sent immediately 

Thanks for letting me know! I'm glad to hear that you found someone to work with. 

Do you know of any other bands who are looking to record new music soon? 

You don't have to make this anything super "flowery," but feel free to change it up to suit the specific situation. Also, don't beat around the bush when asking. Just straight up ask. 

Nurture Follow-Up 1

Usually sent 1-2 months after the initial "no".

Hey (first name)!

I'm just checking in to see how the last _______ (single, EP, LP) turned out. 

I'd love to hear the final result! 

The goal here is to just get a conversation started, remind the artist that you exist, and see how the competition did on the project.

Nurture Follow-Up 2

Sent 2, 4, or 6 months after the initial Nurture Follow-Up 1.

How far into the future will depending on how many songs the artist was looking to record/mix. 

If they were looking for someone to mix a single, then I can expect that they're gearing up to do an EP or LP in the near future. In that case, I'll set a follow-up reminder for 2 months. 

If they were looking for someone to mix an EP, I'll set a follow-up reminder for 4 months. 

If they were looking for someone to mix an LP, I'll set a follow-up for 6 months. 

Hey (first name)!

It's been about X months since we last spoke, so I wanted to hit you up to see what's new in your world.

Are you working on any new projects right now?

Let me know!

The thought process is that they'll be looking to book more studio time for their next release eventually, and I want to be top-of-mind when that time comes. 

I keep the question ambiguous by keeping the artist name out. This is great in case the person has started a new band since you last spoke. 

What If They Don't Reply?

See the previous section "The Follow-Up Process". 

Collecting A Deposit

So the artist liked your proposal and wants to work with you. Great news!

Now it's time for the artist to put their money where their mouth is.  

NOT taking a deposit would be the equivalent of getting engaged WITHOUT a ring, and WITHOUT announcing it on Facebook with obnoxious engagement photos. 

A deposit should not be optional at this point. It should be expected and respected by both parties.

The deposit amount can vary between 10% and 50% of the total, depending on your relationship with the artist, and your reputation as a studio owner. 

The amount doesn't really make much of a difference. What matters is that the artist is committing to work with you (aka. marry you), and that they're willing to put their money where their mouth is. 

Idle promises from the artist are worth the paper they're written on. If they can't come up with at least 10% of the total, then count that as a red flag and move on with life without them. 

If they say they can come up with the money "soon," then simply follow up with them until it's been paid. 

NOTHING GETS ADDED TO YOUR SCHEDULE UNTIL A DEPOSIT HAS BEEN MADE (see: The Ten Commandments of The Six Figure Home Studio).

Ask For A Referral 

At this point, the band is SUPER excited to work with you. This is one of the BEST times to ask for a referral. Once the deposit has been sent, follow up with this message. 

 "I got your deposit, and I'm looking forward to working with you guys! (give any additional info about the process, what to expect, etc.).

By the way, do you guys know of any other (genre) bands who are looking to record soon? If so, I'd love to get their info from you."

5. Engagement:

Success: SHE SAID "Yes"!

There are a few things to do in order to maintain a healthy engagement and ensure that this moves smoothly into the next stage (marriage). 

Let's not get into the fact that you just exchanged money. That just ruins the sanctity of this whole marriage analogy. 

Scheduling The Project

Make Sure The Dates Work For You

I can't tell you how many times I booked projects that conflicted with my schedule early in my career. I've had conflicts with things in my personal life (friends weddings, vacation, trips, etc.) as well as conflicts with other projects (double bookings).

Nothing is worse than a double booking, and it's one of the most easily-avoided things. All you need to do is follow this damn checklist with every project. As soon as you you get a deposit and confirm the dates, always add them to your calendar. Also, make sure that calendar syncs with all of your other calendars (personal, work, travel, events, meetings, etc.).

Make Sure The Dates Work For The Artist

There's not much worse than booking dates on your calendar, only to realize at the last minute that they don't work for the artist. You can avoid problems like these by having the artist confirm the dates with everyone involved (bandmates, management, booking agent, label, etc.). 

You're Not Getting Greedy

It can be super easy to get greedy when it comes to scheduling. "If I could only get that band to change their dates, I could fit this 'better' project there." Once you set the dates in stone, do not ask an artist to change them just so you can make more money.

In my past, I never moved an unsigned local artist on my calendar in favor of a larger signed artist. I always made my calendar first-come, first-served. The project dates were immoveable, and I made zero exceptions for anyone. 

Another trap you can fall into from greed is trying to squeeze too many projects into a month. You should have a realistic grasp of the scope of work for each project. Do not try to talk yourself in taking on an unrealistic project just to make a bit of extra money. It's not fair to you, it's not fair to the artist you work with, and it's not fair to the people in your life outside of the studio (friends/family/etc.). 

As soon as the deposit has been paid, you're in the clear to add the project to your calendar. 

You do have a project calendar, right? 

There's not much to this step, other than making sure of these things:

Pre-Session Prep

Depending on the people and services involved, every single project will require a unique combination of things to prepare for the studio. It's your job to make sure all off the ducks are in a row before you start the project. 

While I can't cover every possible thing in this guide, I can get you started. Here are some checklists to get you going. 

A Band Is Recording At Your Studio

This is a very common situation, and it's one I've very familiar with, so I'll cover it first. 

General Questions

Questions For The Vocalist

Questions For The Drummer

Questions For The Guitarist/Bassist

You're Mixing or Mastering An Artist

This is a completely different animal when it comes to prepping for mixing or mastering. I don't have all the answers for all possible scenarios, but here's how I prep.

Questions For The Band

Questions For The Engineer

Final Payment

Stop Chasing Money

Tired of chasing down money from artists? It's your fault for not collecting money in advance. 

Say This With Me

"I am in the music business, not the collections business."

As long as you followed the rest of this guide and properly communicated payment terms, collecting the final payment on the first schedule dates of your service should come as no surprise. 

Roadblocks You'll Encounter

There will inevitably be roadblocks that you encounter when collecting payments, so here are a few common ones, along with some info on how I handle them.

The Artist Doesn't Have the Money
Sometimes the starting date roles around and the artist doesn't have the money. This is more common than it should be. In this situation, I simply perform services that are up the value of what they paid me then I stop. 

An example would be an artist that booked 20 days in the studio. Their 40% deposit pays for 8 days, so I'll record for as much as 8 days before I stop. I do not start again until they come up with the money for the remaining 12 days. 

Another example would be when an artist pays me to mix 5 songs. Their 40% deposit would cover 2 songs, however, I will typically only mix 1 song as a test mix to get the "big picture" elements approved. If they have't paid the remaining balance by then, I'll move on to another project until that one has been paid. If I don't have another project to work on, I'll sometimes keep working on the unpaid project to keep it moving along. I NEVER send more than the test mix of 1 song until the full balance has been paid. 

The Artist Refuses to Pay
It's rare, but occasionally an artist will refuse to pay me on the first schedule date of mixing. In this situation I simply point them back to the proposal they signed (or the email I sent) that clearly said "All projects require a 40% non refundable deposit to book the dates on my calendar. The rest is due on the first scheduled day of service."

This usually clears things up. If the band still resists, I politely let them know I will perform as much service as their deposit paid for and nothing more until the remaining balance has been paid. I do not do any work that I haven't been paid for in advance. 

The Band Broke Up
This has only happened a few times in my past. In each of those times, I always kept the deposit and offered to credit it toward any future project within the next 12 months. 

Remember, you still have bills to pay whether or not the band shows up. They took up a chunk of your calendar in which you're going to need to fill with a last-minute project (otherwise you make no money).

Be vigilant with your policies and do not refund deposits. 

There Was A Death In The Family
Even in situations where someone in the band had a death in the family, I still do not refund deposits. I give the band my sincere condolences, and let them know they can reschedule the recording dates any time they wish, and I tell them to take as much time as they need. 

6. Marriage:

Just because you made it all the way here doesn't mean it's over. In fact, now the hard part begins. 

In The Studio

Again, I can't account for every possible situation on this guide. I can only tell you what I know from my experience. I'll be updating this and adding more over time.

Set Expectations

We all run our studios differently. We all have different rules and expectations for our clients. The #1 thing you can do to make the entire project run smoothly is to set expectations on the first day. 

• What are your rules?
• What is the general schedule?
• How many hours should they expect from you each day? (this should have been covered in your proposal, but it's good to reiterate this in person).
• When will each person be needed by you?
• What will happen if the project takes longer than expected?

Project Management

You don't need to use some fancy project management software or Gantt chart to track your projects. You can use a simple whiteboard or spreadsheet to track progress on a grid. Here are a couple examples of this:

Provide Entertainment

Nobody talks about this, but 90% of the studio is boring downtime for each individual musician. This is why having multiple forms of entertainment available to your clients is extremely important. Here are some ideas:

• Have a large video game collection and encourage them to bring their favorite games.
• Make sure you provide movies, cable TV, Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Go for your clients.
• Make sure you have a fast internet connection (at least 20mbps download and 5mbps upload)
• If you live in an interesting area, provide them with a list of things to do for fun.
• Have basic outdoor sports equipment on hand (a football, frisbee, 
• Encourage dumb things like sparkler bombs (if you live in a rural area).

Tips For Efficiency

• If the band has two guitarists, have only one of them record everything (whoever the main songwriter is).
• Make sure the band is practicing to a metronome as much as possible (stress this point to them).
• Do all of the guitar setup yourself. In my experience, less than 1 out of 10 people who claim to do this can actually do it well. Don't even get me started on Guitar Center's setup quality...
• Record the drums for all songs, then do all of the drum editing. From there, go song by song on guitars, bass and vocals.
  • This gives you the benefits of batching drum tracking and editing, then allows the vocalist to rest his vocals between songs.
• ALWAYS make sure there is some sort of demos of the songs to reference before you commit to the actual recording process. Even if you have to do the demos live in the studio.
• Make sure you send the band the rules of your studio so they know what to expect.
  • make sure your list is relatively short so you don't seem like a strict douche.

Finalizing The Project

The Revision Process

After you've "finished" the project, there's still the whole revisions process to go through. This can be a nightmare for you unless you set expectations ahead of time. Here are a 3 things to get you through the revision process unscathed. 

1. Have Boundaries 

While I do know a few guys who have an "unlimited revision" policy, I don't recommend this. This opens things up to make your life a living hell, while giving the artist a chance to ruin their own work with extreme or conflicting request. 

My policy is that I allow 3 rounds of free revisions. After that, they can have more rounds of revisions, but I charge them for my time (although it's a fair rate).

The only exception is if the 4th round of revisions is necessary because I personally messed something up (like I misinterpreted a revision or accidentally muted something). In these situations, I will fix the problem for free.

If you do want to offer "unlimited" revisions, try adding a time period to it. So, for example, you allow unlimited revisions for up to 1 month. This will keep projects moving along in a timely manner while still giving the artist plenty of chances to "wrap things up" to their liking. 

2. Assign a "Point Man"

The worst thing you can do in the revision process is allow revision request from each individual band member (and their labels, management, parents, and girlfriends in some cases). 

The way to fix this issue is by assigning a point man – A member of the band that all revision request filter through. 

This forces the band to have discussions around every single revision request before they come to you. It will eliminate most conflicting revision requests and make the entire process go more quickly and easily. 

3. Create a Revision Template

One great way to speed up the revision process is to ask the artist to organize and arrange the revision requests in a specific format that matches your personal workflow. While I don't know your personal situation, here is the revision request template I send to artists:

---

Hey (first name),

Here is the first full mix!
(link)

This track lines up perfectly with my Pro Tools session, so be sure to include times (mm:ss) in your revision requests where relevant.

Please keep revisions grouped by category: general mix revisions, sing vox, scream vox, guitar, bass, drums, gang vox, general FX. Be sure to keep general fx out of the instrument sections.

To make this a bit more clear, here is an example to follow:

General mix revisions

-turn kick up a bit

-turn snare down a lot

-more low end on bass guitar

-etc

Singing vox

-4:43 "blah blah blah" lyric vox down

-22:20 lo fi vox

-40:31 make vocals distant

scream vocals

-just like sing vox

Guitar

-3:33-Guitar lead- more reverb. less delay, volume down slightly

-4:54- make this guitar lofi

-16:32- add a quarter note delay to this lead

-etc

bass

-just like guitar(with specific times included)

drums

-more time specific revisions, similar to guitar.

-----general fx-----

Reverse snares

-3:34

-4:32

-6:43

-14:46

-35:31

Reverse cymbals

-4:34

-6:32

-8:43

-15:46

-37:31

Reverse vox

-34:33

808bass boomssubdropswhatever you want to call them

-3:56

-5:35

-4:35

-etc

--- 

This allows me to move around my session and quickly make revisions without having to constantly bounce from guitars to drums to vocals to drums to guitars to drums and back to vocals again. 

Round 1 revisions for a 10 song mix/master will typically take me less than an hour using this method. 

Final Approval

Once the decision-makers give the final approval, you'll need to deliver the deliverables. Never send deliverables until you've been paid in full. 

Say this with me AGAIN"

"I am in the music business, not the collections business."

Here's a common list of things you'll need to do after final approval has been given. These all will vary depending on which service(s) you're providing. 

• Prepare files to send to mixing or mastering (organize, label, consolidate, etc.)
• Bounce final masters
• Embed ISRC, Metadata, Etc. and burn masters or create a DDP master. 
• Bounce Instrumentals, stems, backing tracks, etc. 
• Archive the session and remove from audio drive

Get Your Damn Referrals

Once you've finalized the project, it's time to move to this section. There are a few things you'll need to do once the project is "over".  These are things you NEED to be doing if you're trying to make a living from this career. 

Follow up 1 Week Later

Simply send an email letting the artist know you enjoyed working with them (if you did), and that you hope they're happy with how everything came out. Here's a basic template you can pull from (feel free to adjust this). 

Hey ______ ,

I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed working with you on this project! Hopefully you're happy with how everything came together in the end 🙂

What you're looking  for here are two things. 

1. They're happy with how it all turned out.
2. A potential "snippet" you could use as a testimonial on your website(with their permission).

Ask For The Referral

If the artist replies and was happy with your work, simply reply with this email:

"That's great to hear! Do you know of two or three bands in your area that may be looking ________ services in the near future? I'd love to connect with them."

That's it! 

Do Your Research

Do a bit of manual research on each referral to see if you can determine which Project Phase(s) they're in (read back over that section for a refresher) 

Reach Out To The Referral

Once you have a band or artist name, all you need to do is find their contact info (or you can ask for it from your past client). You can also ask the past client client to give you an introduction if you have a solid relationship with them. 

The mere fact that you have a solid reason to contact with this new lead will make this approach 10x more effective than cold outreach. Here's a simple template to use if you're reaching out without any introduction from the past client:

Hey _______ , 

I recently finished up a project with __________ (band name), and ___________ (referral source) told me you may be working on new music. How far long into the process are you?

You're simply doing a needs-discovery here to confirm which of the 5 Project Phases they're currently in. Once this referral replies, they're in the "First Contact" portion of The Complete Client Journey. 

You should know what to do from there:)

Thank Your Referral Source

This is covered in more detail inside The PPP content. This is just here so you don't forget to thank them. As mentioned, there are 3 different times you should be thanking your referral source.

1. First Contact
2. Deposit Sent
3. Project Complete

Long-Term Nurturing

This shit aint over yet. You still have more work to do in order to turn this client into a repeat client. Below are the three basic steps to make this happen:

1. Set A Follow-Up Reminder

Once you've finalized the project and ask for the referral, it's time to set a follow-up reminder on your calendar or inside your CRM. 

How far into the future you set this reminder for will depending on how many songs the client just finished. 

If it was a single, then I can expect that they're gearing up to do an EP or LP in the near future. In that case, I'll set a follow-up reminder for 3 months. 

If it was an EP, I'll set a follow-up reminder for 6 months. 

If it was an LP, I'll set a follow-up for 8 months. 

2. Follow Up With The Client

Sent 3, 6, or 8 months after finalizing the project

Hey (first name)!

It's been about X months since we wrapped up the last ______ (single/EP/LP), so I wanted to hit you up to see what's new in your world.

Are you working on any new projects right now?

Let me know!

This is nearly identical to the "nurture follow-up 2" template in the "What To Do When You've Been Rejected" section.

The thought process is that they'll be looking to book more studio time for their next release eventually, and you want to be top-of-mind when that time comes. 

3. Perform a Needs-Discovery

Now all you need to do is to determine their Project Phase and move back into the "flirting" section 😉

From there it's just a matter of adding value and moving the client back through the entire process all over again. 

Divorce/Breakup:

You somehow fucked this up, and it's 100% your fault.

It's easy to blame others, but 9/10 its your fault. Take ownership of the issue, learn from it, perform damage control, and move on. 

Burning Bridges

Common things that could cause this to happen

I don't care what happened, if a bridge between you and a band has been burned, it's 100% on you.

Obviously you're not going to want to work with every single band again if they weren't enjoyable, talented, or prepared. The key is making sure the relationship is still solid, even if you never want to work with them again. 

If there's bad blood between you and the artist, however, it's on you. 

Here are some common causes of burned bridges. 

The Client Went To A Competitor

While this can be devastating sometimes, you can't take this personally. Sometimes a client may outgrow you, as painful as that can be to admit. 

It's also important to realize that the competition didn't "steal" them away from you. The client has full control over who they work with, and for reasons that are out of your control, they chose not to work with you. 

It may be difficult, but do not burn bridges with the past client or the competitor. If you do, you'll be falling into the Scarcity Mindset Trap, and that is a terrible place to be.