Recording Engineers and Producers lose over 70% of their income

26 March 2020 - Press release

A new report by the Music Producers Guild has found that recording engineers and producers have now lost over 70% of their income, with many having stopped work altogether. The average loss of earnings in March was £3300, rising to £4300 in April. More than half say they will default on rent or mortgage payments in 3 months or less, and many are unable to cover the cost of their studio premises. “If this continues for another month or two I’ll no longer be able to keep my studio.” Engineer/Producer, London 

“To have enough weekly money to buy food, heating and petrol for my husband who works as a care worker and who may well be looking after the sick to get to work. We are a family of 4 and £94 Universal Credit after five weeks would leave us hungry in the extreme.” Songwriter-producer, Scotland. 

The MPG are urgently calling on the government to come up with an equivalent support package for the self-employed. “Our members can’t go for months without income. Some engineers have had no work since the beginning of March, and many are still paying full rent on their studios. If they lose their studios and equipment they will never get back into the industry, and the UK will lose huge swathes of talent. The government must act to safeguard our livelihoods” 

This comes amidst news that some of the UK’s top recording studios have shut their doors completely over the next few weeks, including the iconic Abbey Road and Air Studios in London, and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. 

The MPG last week sent a letter on behalf of studios to the culture secretary asking for business rates relief for recording studios, as their businesses had been severely impacted by the pandemic.  

Maggie Rodford,Managing Director of Air-Edel Recording Studios, said: “The UK’s music talent are recognised as world-wide leaders across all genres and media.   The composers, musicians and engineers that write and record the music contribute significantly to both the local and export economy.   However, without RECORDING STUDIOS none of these recordings could happen.   By the nature of our work recording studios have had to close their doors at the moment but we all have the fixed costs of rent, rates, etc.  We are desperately in need of assistance to see us through these difficult months.” 

Alison Burton, Director of AIR Studios said: “It is not currently possible for us to operate safely and responsibly during the Covid-19 crisis as it involves recording large groups of musicians and orchestras. This is not sustainable, and if we and other recording studios go out of business, hundreds of musicians, engineers and composers will have nowhere to record. We urgently need the government to intervene to save our industry.” 

Jasmin Lee, Managing Director of Dean Street Studios said: “Studios seem to be bottom of the food chain in the music industry, always being beaten down on rates. For those of us who are independent, it’s always hand to mouth on the finances. Many of us have put our life savings into starting our studios and keeping our doors open. “ 

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Case Studies 

Ben Hillier, Producer, Nadine Shah, Depeche Mode, Blur , Gang of Four

I was expecting to spend most of the year playing live to promote the upcoming Nadine Shah album. All up-coming gigs have been cancelled, all bookings in my studios have been cancelled or are likely to be cancelled. All my work is collaborative and mostly can’t continue under current restrictions. I can theoretically continue to mix without artists in attendance but, even if I could suddenly magic some mix sessions up, the recording sessions for those projects will have been disrupted. I can keep my head above water for the foreseeable but the engineers and assistants that rely on my projects don’t have much to fall back on. We’re trying to generate any work we can to keep people busy, and maybe even paid but without some form of industry or government help things are looking grim 

Freelance producer

As a single working mum in the music industry, with elderly at risk parents living with me, we have had to isolate with immediate effect for 12 weeks. My work for the forthcoming 6 months has been axed. Suddenly it’s a minefield to work out how to find and sustain an income, how to apply to receive any financial support, care for parents who are usually receiving weekly hospital medication, a child now unable to attend school, and to remain in isolation for 12 weeks.... and keep clients who are not in isolation and are able to function relatively normally, happy, is almost too much to bear. 

Andy Brook, studio owner & producer. Has worked with Status Quo, Towers of London, Uriah Heep, Travis

I did my final attended session last week before closing the studio doors for the foreseeable future. The drummer came in through the side door, did his bit and left. Not once did we meet face to face, shake hands or even occupy the same room - these are very strange days. 

Originally I was meant to be on a UK tour from early Mar until mid April while the studio still made a passive income from dry-hire as well as choir and band rehearsals. I’d made sure that all mix revisions, edits, stem bounces and client requests for remote work were fulfilled before I left so I didn’t have to worry about it on the road.    We got 4 dates in to the tour before it was postponed as the landscape kept continuously changing amid the fears over COVID19. I began booking clients in as soon as I’d had confirmation we were heading home.    I managed to fill my diary with studio sessions for the lost tour dates but then one by one all those bookings called to cancel or postpone. It was a double whammy in lost income and I’d already completed all my outstanding remote work so there was literally nothing to do. 

I’m currently using this down time to upskill and do essential maintenance, archiving etc but until such time as there is a clear directive I can’t see when the doors will be open again. Even then, given the economic impact on musicians and recording artists, there’s the question of how long it will be before clients come flooding back. I remain optimistic though - there will certainly be a lot of potential records being written right now while the nation is in lockdown 

James Johnston, engineer and studio owner, London

I run Cowshed Studios which is a small independent studio for the last 3 years, It has been open since 1975 and I have serious worries about not being able to survive after the next 3 -4 months without any clients able to come in or hire the studio.   I have had to cancel all my sessions since the 16th march and through April. I may be able to do some mixing and remote drum tracking, but as my clients are all in the same boat unable to work they probably can't afford to pay for my services, even at cut price rates, I will try and I am determined not to give up on  such a historic well loved and unique studio 

Kirsty Hawkshaw, Freelance Producer

I live from month to month and never really know what royalties may be coming in.  I have a part time job for extra income which I have now also lost.  I had an advance for a gig booking in Malaga in December and now the promoter wants his money back because Malaga is off limits and I can’t afford to pay it back. I have no income now till April MCPS/PRS comes in and don’t know what that will be either. 

Producer, London

I run a small studio in north west London , mainly for recording, mixing and production with my own clients. I rent the space. I also work free lance delivering tuition and mentoring for two London music production colleges. My recording work has completely collapsed practically overnight. I have some ongoing mix projects which I may be able to continue with to some extent. I was due to teach 3 short courses in April. The college has now closed its doors. There’s a slim possibility of some delivery on line but even if that goes ahead it will be at a reduced rate. It’s looking very unlikely that I will be able to hold onto my premises and therefore my livelihood.