Creating Commercial Rehearsal Rooms

FarleyUK

I'm seriously toying with the idea of starting up my own rehearsal studios in my local area. We're services by one major studio here, and all the equipment is absolute shite, and the prices are pretty steep for what you get (i.e. not much).

I used to use a studio over in Witney (Green Room), and they were so much better; very accommodating, decent prices, great backline and gear etc.

Has anyone ventured down this path before? I've never done anything like it, but have been scouting online for suitable commercial / industrial building for lease that could be converted into a few soundproofed rooms etc.

Curious on people's experience, things to look out for, general advice etc.

duotone

@Danny1969 I’m sure will have some useful advice.

Supportact

No experience myself but I did have a conversation with someone who used to run one near us. Unfortunately the income stopped during lock down and for some reason they weren't eligible for a grant. The owners of the building wouldn't compromise on the rent so they had to close.

The impression I had was that the guy had started it because he enjoyed it and liked being part of the local music scene. Seems like they were covering costs in normal times but it wasn't exactly a huge money spinner once they paid the rent, bills, upkeep etc. 

TTony

duotone said:

@Danny1969 I’m sure will have some useful advice.

Probably, "Don't"

rze99

I couldn't bear the hassle and having to hear loads of horrible music I didn't like.

Stratavarious

Sounds like it could be a money pit unless you had a super deal on property or land to put something up.   Been to a couple that are little more than sheds in gardens, but very nicely equipped.

Danny1969

Well my place was originally geared mainly as a recording studio but due to lack of recording work we ran as rehearsal studios 7 evenings a week with recording projects done in office hours generally. We had 2 very large rooms which were well kitted out and could attract decent bookings ... like tour preproduction for bands who could afford to block book the rooms so they could leave their gear permanently set up. Sadly there wasn't enough of that work and charging the standard £12 an hour for basic band practice didn't even pay the bills let alone the wages. So we lost a lot of money until we were able to use the break clause on the lease. When I say a lot I mean enough to buy a house type money. 

On the other hand a friend of mine runs a very successful rehearsal studios in Portsmouth. Mainly due to it's location which is cheap land to rent and pay rates on. Plus it's council land and they bend the rules for themselves when it comes to charging rates and what can be done there. My rates were 1K a month and rent was 2K a month. This council land is half that but has more sq ft .. plus it received permission to be a cafe and a licensed bar .... that really opens up the earning potential 

If you can get the rent and rates cheap enough .. in a brick / concrete unit (modern block and sheet metal units are no good the sound goes straight through them into the surroundings) that you can divide into several rooms then it can be profitable. 

But it's a lot of work with the building of the place, then the constant maintenance of the building, then maintaining the gear because bands can thrash everything to death. They pull out speaker leads and plug them back into the footswitch socket, they blow PA speakers because they don't know know what they are doing. They block toilets, leave heaters or the  aircon on , steal hi hat clutches and felt washers and cancel bookings on the day and don't expect to get charged. 

First find the right place made of the right materials in the right place where noise and 15 cars outside isn't a problem and look up online the rateable value https://www.gov.uk/find-business-rates
The full rateable value isn't what you pay, it's all worked out on what space is used for what. Office and retail space being more expensive than storage or workshop space. 

Then your min costs are rent, rates, 2 lots of water, gas, electric, alarm monitoring, rubbish collection, phone / broadband before you buy anything to put in the place or pay yourself any money at all. 

Oh and be prepared to work 70 hours a week. 

mudslide73

One of our old places was run out of his dad's farm so I'd imagine was rent free. Very cold in the winter but we could play with the doors open in the summer due to how remote it was. 

theatreanchor

I think it’d be quite a difficult task, but I know absolutely nothing about business! Maybe speak covertly to those studios and see what makes one so much better than the others and if you could reasonably make it work. 

spark240

I looked at this years ago and the biggest problem I could see ( apart from the many mentioned by Dan) was that your income has a finite amount...with virtually no way to increase it, even at full rental 24/7 that's the max revenue you can ever make.

I reckon most folks who have any success have either, 

1. Enough cash that it doesn't matter and its just for fun.
2. A free building that owes them nothing.