Freelance Audio Production

What can I do to turn skills in audio production into $$$ with Radio / TV ?

Is it possible to freelance audio / flash video production?

Thanks / Brewer

Hi Brewer, let's hear an example of your skills in audio production and we can advise you. It's a huge field.

Bernie's right, huge field, work is available, just getting it and keeping it is a problem.  I just finished a start up package for a station, less than a week to produce all of it, and got lucky to sign them for a year deal.  it's not really about who you know, it is about who knows you.  I've gotten lucky, I have a consultant recommending me to his stations, it helps alot.

James

Hi. Resume: Online radio / video (Guitar / bass / recording / producing singers & bands)
www.liquidfusion.net

Freelance idea: One possibility is supplying music for business speakers who need tracks for live presentations or original (not canned cheezy music) tracks for recorded flash videos. Other Ideas: freelance audo production for radio programs. Help prepare video / audio for TV specials. Realize I need connections to unlock these doors.

it's not really about who you know, it is about who knows you.  I've gotten lucky, I have a consultant recommending me to his stations, it helps alot.
How True!!!!!!!!! Need to get people to know what I can do!!!!!!!!! How do you get a consultant?

Current Main Goal: working survival job while building up my rock / funk / blues record label - Liquid Fusion (R) - using my Grammy Member connection (Producer / Engineer / Media Company) to showcase talent. Freelance work will help with income: living / investing in option trading (my blessing/curse) to self raise the $$$$$$$ I need to pay for advertising to get this endeavor happening the way it needs to be.

Recently, joined eLance and Guru to test waters re: individual audio / video projects. BTW eLance / Guru media buyers often need voice talent for projects!!!
http://www.elance.com   
http://www.guru.com

How do you get a consultant?

Become one...

Hi. Resume: Online radio / video (Guitar / bass / recording / producing singers & bands)
www.liquidfusion.net

Freelance idea: One possibility is supplying music for business speakers who need tracks for live presentations or original (not canned cheezy music) tracks for recorded flash videos. Other Ideas: freelance audo production for radio programs. Help prepare video / audio for TV specials. Realize I need connections to unlock these doors.

it's not really about who you know, it is about who knows you.  I've gotten lucky, I have a consultant recommending me to his stations, it helps alot.
How True!!!!!!!!! Need to get people to know what I can do!!!!!!!!! How do you get a consultant?

Current Main Goal: working survival job while building up my rock / funk / blues record label - Liquid Fusion (R) - using my Grammy Member connection (Producer / Engineer / Media Company) to showcase talent. Freelance work will help with income: living / investing in option trading (my blessing/curse) to self raise the $$$$$$$ I need to pay for advertising to get this endeavor happening the way it needs to be.

Recently, joined eLance and Guru to test waters re: individual audio / video projects. BTW eLance / Guru media buyers often need voice talent for projects!!!
http://www.elance.com   
http://www.guru.com

Introducing yourself now is very useful. The person you're describing is not familiar as a radio production person, you're describing yourelf as a musician and producer in music production. You see, radio producers are involved in creating commercials and jingles, using library music and jingle workparts.

Here's my advice for you, if you a composer and musician why don't you get in contact with the companies who create library production music?

Here's my advice for you, if you a composer and musician why don't you get in contact with the companies who create library production music?

If you want to read more about people's experiiences with libraries then take a look at the Music Business section of the Sound on Sound forum at http://www.soundonsound.com. There are a couple of very successful library writers that post there.

Cheers

James.

why don't you get in contact with the companies who create library production music

BFM Great idea. Just seems like it might take a while to get productions together, whereas reading what you do above, making commercials seems fast and not too complicated.

If you want to read more about people's experiences with libraries then take a look at the Music Business section of the Sound on Sound forum at http://www.soundonsound.com. There are a couple of very successful library writers that post there.

Thanks JamesP. Will check it out.

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What I had in Mind: buy blocks of airtime from news radio stations here in NYC - and with their help (say the station can guarantee a certain number of clients) - line up clients to make simple commercials: VO / Music Beds. I'd need a VO talent which I can get either from NYC area or from the internet (such as here). Same goes for adding special effects to spots. I'd have to work on spec re: blocks of airtime - or have cash to survive the initial period of making this work. Possibly this work would take more time than I imagined. Could be an interesting audio production business.

Profits from this could fuel work on the label. Originally trading stock options was my means of raising liftoff cash. Have my moments, but consistency here is the name of the game.

Brewer

[What I had in Mind: buy blocks of airtime from news radio stations here in NYC - and with their help (say the station can guarantee a certain number of clients) - line up clients to make simple commercials: VO / Music Beds. I'd need a VO talent which I can get either from NYC area or from the internet (such as here). Same goes for adding special effects to spots. I'd have to work on spec re: blocks of airtime - or have cash to survive the initial period of making this work. Possibly this work would take more time than I imagined. Could be an interesting audio production business.

Profits from this could fuel work on the label. Originally trading stock options was my means of raising liftoff cash. Have my moments, but consistency here is the name of the game.

Do you mean you'd approach a station and "buy" all the advertising airtime during a certain timeframe, then attempt to fill it?  I think you'll have trouble convincing a station (especially a major-market station) to do that.  If anything, maybe overnights, but still doubtfull. 

If you mean you'd handle all the production duties during a certain timeframe, you'll still have trouble.  The radio station is already paying for a production staff, including writers, voice talent, and producers (although this is often a just a few people wearing all three hats). 

I think your best bet would be (assuming you have a home production studio) to get a demo together and start contacting local ad agencies about doing freelance work for them.  Recording studios charge a lot of money, and agencies don't like paying a lot of money -- if you do good work, and your prices are lower, they might take notice.  Another option is for them to record the voiceover at a recording studio, then send VO to you for editing/production/distribution.  That would save them money by lessening the time spent at the "big box" recording studio.

Another thing -- don't limit you capabilities to just commercial production, or whatever.  In my home studio, I can voice/produce audio for radio/television/internet streaming/"on hold" phone messages/corporate training videos/etc.  I also do cd and dvd duplication/VHS-to-DVD transfering, whatever I can find.  Once you get a good reputation, word-of-mouth can really help out.

Tomcat