How do I check a recording studio’s in-house engineers and who they bring in?
List every engineer who works in the room, whether employed, contracted or renting time, and find out whose clients they are. Ask how each is paid and whether they bring their own gear. Then talk to the ones who matter most about staying after the sale.
Start with a roster of who actually ran sessions over the last full cycle. Separate staff from contractors and from outside engineers who book the room for their own clients. Their legal status matters, and your lawyer can explain the differences and what the agreements should say.
Ask whose clients are whose. When an in-house engineer brings a band, does the booking go through the studio, or does the engineer take a separate payment? If engineers also work elsewhere, ask what keeps their regulars coming to this room. Look at the pay arrangements. Hourly rates, revenue shares, room-rental splits and gear fees are all common. Request the agreements and invoices, and check whether payments are current.
Ask what visiting engineers bring. Mics, plug-ins, preamps and outboard gear may belong to them and leave with them. Work out what the room would offer without them. Finally, meet the key people. With the seller’s permission, ask them what they like about the studio and what would make them move. Their answers will tell you how stable the team is. Ask also who handles bookings and invoices when an outside engineer is in the room.
Key takeaways
- Build a roster of who actually ran sessions, separating staff, contractors and visitors.
- Ask whose clients each engineer brings and how bookings are paid for.
- Review pay arrangements and note any gear that leaves with the engineer.
- Meet key engineers and ask whether they plan to stay.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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