the process of developing a recording studio

It is our intention for the information of our "Oz Soundz Community" to document our planning, design and progress on the building of our Oz Soundz Studios Recording Facility when it commences in 2027. Prior to this we will document and share our processes, successes, failures from its planning and inception through to completion. Just some of the things we need to start thinking about are below in our project process flow and project management. 

Phase 1: Initial Planning and Feasibility

1. Define Vision and Goals

• Purpose: Music production, podcasting, post-production, voiceover, etc.

• Target users: Personal, commercial (rentals), label-based studio

• Business model: Owner-operated, leased, or hybrid

2. Market Research

• Identify your competition and location

• Determine demand, pricing, trends in audio production

• SWOT analysis

3. Budget & Financial Planning

• Estimate costs: Land/lease, construction, gear, labor, permits, legal, insurance

• Secure funding:

  • Self-funded, investors, business loans, grants

• Create a detailed business plan:

  • ROI projections

  • Operational expenses

  • Marketing strategy

  • Monetization (studio time, mixing/mastering, lessons, events)
    
    

4. Site Selection

• Criteria:

  • Zoning laws (commercial/residential)

  • Sound restrictions

  • Accessibility for clients

  • Size requirements (live room, control room, iso booths, lounge, etc.)

• Buy vs lease

Phase 2: Design & Pre-Construction

5. Hire Key Professionals

• Architect (with studio experience)

• Acoustic engineer

• General contractor

• Studio consultant (optional but recommended)

6. Studio Layout & Floor Plan

• Rooms:

  • Control Room

  • Live Room

  • Isolation Booths

  • Machine Room (for loud gear)

  • Lounge / Reception / Office / Storage

• Sound path planning: Isolation and control of sound transmission

7. Acoustic Design

• Room dimensions (e.g., "golden ratios")

• Soundproofing: Mass, decoupling, damping, sealing

• Acoustic treatment:

  • Bass traps, diffusers, absorbers

  • RT60 (reverberation time) targets

8. Electrical, HVAC & Lighting Planning

• Clean power lines, isolated ground

• HVAC: Quiet ductwork, vibration isolation

• Lighting: Avoid fluorescent, include dimmers, install in a way that doesn’t impact sound

9. Permits and Legal Compliance

• Local building codes

• Fire safety

• Accessibility

• Music licensing (if applicable)

• Insurance (construction + liabilitys

Phase 3: Construction

10. Build the Shell

• Double walls / floating floors

• Ceiling and floor isolation

• Install HVAC, plumbing, wiring

11. Acoustic Isolation

• Floating rooms (room-within-room method)

• Doors: Sealed, solid core, double entry

• Windows: Double/triple-glazed studio glass

12. Interior Finishing

• Acoustic panels and treatments installed

• Cable conduits and access points

• Non-parallel walls where possible

• Soundproof doors/windows fitted
  
  

Phase 4: Equipment & Integration

13. Studio Gear Procurement

• Computer + DAW

  • Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, Cubase, etc.

• Audio Interface & Converters

• Monitors (speakers)

  • Nearfield, midfield, subwoofers

• Microphones

  • Dynamic, condenser, ribbon (depending on recording needs)

• Preamps, compressors, EQs

• Outboard gear (optional)

• Control surface or mixing console

• Headphones & headphone amps

• Cabling, patchbays, DI boxes

14. Studio Furniture & Ergonomics

• Acoustic desks

• Monitor stands

• Mic stands, pop filters, acoustic dividers

15. Software & Licensing

• DAW licenses

• Plugin bundles (Waves, UAD, FabFilter, iZotope, etc.)

• VST instruments

• Collaboration/cloud services
  
  

Phase 5: Testing, Calibration & Launch

16. Acoustic Calibration

• Room measurement (e.g., using REW software)

• Speaker positioning and tuning

• Bass response correction

• Acoustic treatment adjustments

17. System Testing

• Signal flow verification

• Latency testing

• Ground loop troubleshooting

• Redundancy and backups setup

18. Dry Runs

• Trial recordings with friends or musicians

• Workflow testing and room optimization
  
  

Phase 6: Business Launch & Operations

19. Branding & Marketing

• Studio name and branding

• Website, SEO, social media, business listings

• Partner with local artists, labels, podcasters

• Portfolio: Demo reels, testimonials

20. Operations & Staffing

• Studio manager / engineers / interns

• Booking system (Calendly, Sessionwire, etc.)

• Studio policies (cancellation, rescheduling, equipment handling)

21. Client Management

• Contracts, invoices, NDAs

• File delivery systems (Dropbox - We can go more secure than this!!)

• Session backups and archiving policy
  
  

Phase 7: Long-Term Maintenance & Scaling

22. Maintenance

• Gear calibration

• Acoustic treatment upkeep

• Software updates

• HVAC cleaning and service

23. Upgrades & Expansion

• Add more rooms (B studio, mastering suite)

• Host events/workshops

• Add remote recording capabilities

24. Financial Sustainability

• Track revenue/expenses

• Reinvest in gear or marketing

• Explore additional income streams (e.g., merch, training, beat leasing)