How to Start a Music Studio in Nigeria (2024)
To start a music studio in Nigeria, you must be aware that there is no fixed cost for starting a studio in Nigeria or any other part of the world for that matter. It all depends on the type of studio you want to operate and your budget. There are different types of studios and different equipment requirements for each. There are analog studios and there are digital studios.
Another question you must answer is, Are you a music producer or an audio engineer or do you intend to hire these professionals to man your studio for you?
As for whether it is worth starting such a business, I can confidently say YES. These are very good times for the music industry as more and more hit artists are emerging by the day. Nigeria has many talented youths who are yearning to produce and release their albums and become superstars like Tu Face, P-Square, 9ice and several other artistes who have made it big and become multimillionaires, world-renowned artistes simply by going to the studio to get their albums produced and released to the entertainment hungry public we have now.
The main risk involved in establishing a studio in Nigeria is that if you have poor equipment or quack studio personnel, your studio will gain a bad reputation within the industry and since every intending artiste wants to succeed and needs the best output, they will look elsewhere.
Advantages of Starting a Music studio in Nigeria
You can make good money from artistes who book sessions in your studio. There is also the fame and the publicity aspect- every album has the name of the studio where the work was produced, mixed or mastered printed on the cover, and so everywhere the album goes and people appreciate it those who need to know check out the studio where the work was done.
Disadvantages: You may not be able to attract any artiste whose songs are capable of becoming hits in the market.
These advantages, disadvantages and risks to start a music studio in Nigeria may not be exhaustive, either ways you should know that starting a music recording studio is no joke. It is one of the most daunting experiences ever, but if done right the rewards are great
Factors to Consider when Starting a Music Studio in Nigeria
1. Location
When opening a studio you should find a location far from the hustle and bustle of the city. External noise can ruin a great recording, plus artist tend to be more creative in a peacefull environment.
2. Sound Proofing
Buy egg crates or auralex and sound proof the entire studio. This will enable you work in serenity as the room will be free from echo, distortions of all sorts.
The studio should also be divided into three room. The lobby, the control room and the sound room.
The lobby where Friends and family or artist will wait during a recording session
The control room where you would house all audio equipment.
The recording room where artist would record and instrumentalist can play.
3. Music & Studio Equipment
Now you have the lay out, the next thing to note are the equipment. Mics, Mixers, Compressors, equalizer, DE-essers, cables, pre amps, computers, audio interfaces, monitors, effects racks and the list could go on forever. Now depending on you budget you could spend Millions of dollars, or you could choose to spend a little more on the important items.
Some Equipment used to Start a music studio in Nigeria
i) Host PC (workstation): This is the system that has the audio recording and editing software installed. It is also connected to your audio interface.
ii) Audio interface: This varies from USB interfaces to fire-wire interfaces to entire Protools systems. My adviser told me that fire-wire interfaces will do the job
iii) Microphones: I would advise you to get at least 2 types of mics – a condenser and a dynamic mic. Don’t forget to buy pop filters for your mics
iv) Midi controllers: These include fader controls (like that of a mixer) and keyboard for sequencing.
v) Headphone amps: These help the recording artists hear themselves basically.
