Liberty Sound, a case study

Liberty Sound, a case study 

The music Industry is changing, with shrinking music production budgets and the gap between the audio engineer and music producer become narrower to the point that they are to becoming the same person. This coupled with the falling cost of studio gear as well as more and more bands attempting to produce their own music, some would argue that now is the worst point in recent times to open a music recording studio.  Others, however, would say that for this reason, it is the perfect time for younger engineers to offer their services.  Low initial outgoings on equipment, virtually no maintenance required and with the drastic gains in quality over home recordings,  small studios can offer the younger musician at shot at the limelight.  This is the philosophy that Liberty Sound Ltd was formed on.  

Opened by Mark Barron, Helen Canon and myself, Liberty Sound Ltd was formed in early 2015 after the closure of 21:12 Music Community CIC where we formally worked.

Liberty Sound Ltd is a rehearsal and recording studio in the heart of Wigan, UK.  They offer an extensive range of music related services including rehearsal room rental on both a monthly and hourly rate, “professional” recordings, music tuition as well as mixing and mastering services.  Liberty Sound Ltd markets its services towards younger musicians and people of lower incomes.  They do this by offering low prices and low-cost weekly finance deals.  This is one of the main reasons behind their slogan, “Free the music”, implying that music should be accessible to everyone no matter the budget.    This is reflected in Liberty sound’s wide customer bases from solo jazz drummers to new national pop stars, Liberty sound offers services to many different markets, increasing it’s profit margins.  

As a founder and former director of Liberty sound, reflecting on how it does business has allowed me to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, taking these into consideration will allow me to not make the same mistakes in my future career. whilst the skills I gained at liberty were invaluable, they have expanded drastically from the practical experience and taught lessons that have been made available to me from SAE Institute. This study has reinforced the plan laid out in my personal development plan, going into this changing industry at an entry level point wouldn’t be a sensible business move as I wouldn’t have the cash flow nor enough personal exposure to create a secure and sustainable brand.