- 19
- Episodes
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About The Business of Audio Podcast
The Business of Audio Podcast is where audio engineers, producers, and studio owners learn how to build a real career in audio. Hosted by Grammy-winning studio owner Donny Baker, this show covers recording, mixing, studio ownership, getting clients, business systems, marketing, and the realities of making a living in the audio industry. Drawing from more than 40 years of experience in recording studios, live sound, music production, and business ownership, each episode delivers practical advice, real-world stories, and honest conversations about what it takes to turn audio skills into consistent income. Whether you're just getting started or looking to grow your existing business, you'll find actionable insights designed to help you improve your craft, attract more clients, and build a career that lasts. No fluff. No theory. Just real talk for audio pros. Learn to make your living making music happen.
- Publisher
- Donny Baker
- Category
- business · music
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- Yes
- First episode
- 22 Jun 2026
- Latest episode
- 2 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
19 episodes in the feed.
2 Nov 2026
You Don't Need Audio School to Become an Audio Engineer
"I can't get started until I..." Finish audio school. Learn Pro Tools. Buy another microphone. Get certified. Sound familiar? After 40+ years in audio, here's what I've learned: You don't become an audio engineer by waiting. You become one by doing the work. Stop waiting. Start recording! Watch the full video linked to this Short. Join The Business of Audio community: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) #AudioEngineering #AudioSchool #MusicProduction #RecordingTips #BusinessOfAudio
26 Oct 2026
After 40 Years in Business, I'm Starting Over. Here's Why.
After 40+ years in business, I'm starting something new. Here's what I've learned: You're not starting from zero. You're starting from experience. Your knowledge might be more valuable than you realize. Learn how to turn what you already know into an income opportunity with The Know-How Method. https://knowhowmethod.com (https://knowhowmethod.com)
19 Oct 2026
If I Opened a Recording Studio Today, I'd Do These 7 Things Differently
Get your 7 step guide about opening your studio: https://lprbusiness.com/7-point-reality-check (https://lprbusiness.com/7-point-reality-check) If I opened a recording studio today, I'd do a LOT of things differently. After more than 40 years in the audio business and over 20 years owning and operating a commercial recording studio, I've learned some lessons the hard way. Would I do it again? Absolutely — under the right circumstances. But I wouldn't approach it the same way. In this video, I'm sharing 7 things I'd do differently if I were starting a recording studio business today. We're talking about finding clients before buying gear, keeping overhead under control, building systems, creating multiple income streams, and making sure your studio doesn't take over your entire life. THE 7 THINGS I'D DO DIFFERENTLY: Find clients before building the studio. Keep overhead as low as possible. Stop buying gear to impress other engineers. Build business systems from day one. Create multiple income streams. Partner with other studios instead of owning everything. Build a business that gives you a life outside the studio. Whether you're thinking about opening your first studio, running a home studio, or already operating a commercial facility, I hope these lessons help you avoid a few expensive mistakes. WANT TO BUILD A REAL BUSINESS IN AUDIO? Join us inside The Business of Audio community. We talk about recording, mixing, getting clients, and building a sustainable career doing what you love. https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) QUESTION: If you were opening a recording studio tomorrow, what's the FIRST thing you'd spend your money on? Let me know in the comments. — Donny Baker Grammy®-winning Studio Owner / Engineer / Producer The Business of Audio Learn to make your living making music happen. #RecordingStudio #StudioBusiness #AudioEngineering #HomeStudio #MusicBusiness
12 Oct 2026
Want to work in a recording studio but don't know how to get your foot in the door?
Want to work in a recording studio but don't know how to get your foot in the door? After more than 40 years in the audio business, including owning and operating a commercial recording studio, I've seen plenty of people try to break into this industry. Some succeeded. Others never got past trying. And the difference wasn't always talent or technical ability. In this episode of The Business of Audio Podcast, I'm sharing what I believe beginners should focus on when trying to get their first opportunity in a professional recording studio. We'll talk about: Why your first job probably won't be behind the console The basic studio skills worth learning How to approach studios and engineers for opportunities Why attitude and reliability matter How to make yourself useful Why getting invited back is more important than getting through the door Your first goal isn't to become the engineer. It's to become someone people want to work with. GET MY FREE BOOK I wrote a complete beginner's guide called So, You Want to Work in a Studio? And I'm giving the entire eBook away FREE. Get your copy here: https://lprbusiness.com/studio-book (https://lprbusiness.com/studio-book) Get in. Become useful. Get invited back. — Donny Baker The Business of Audio — Learn to make your living making music happen. Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid.
5 Oct 2026
Your Next Income Stream Might Already Be in Your Head
What if your next source of income doesn't require you to learn anything new? As audio engineers, producers, and studio owners, we're constantly being told to learn another skill, buy another plugin, take another course, or add another piece of gear. But what if the opportunity isn't in what you need to learn next? What if it's in what you already know? Over the last couple of weeks, I've been exploring this idea: after years of working in audio—or any profession—we accumulate skills and experience that become so normal to us that we stop recognizing their value. So this week, we're taking the next step: What could you actually DO with what you already know? Your experience could potentially become a service, consulting, coaching, tutoring, a workshop, a template, a guide—or simply another problem you're able to solve for someone. And no, I'm not saying everybody needs to go make an online course. The starting point is much simpler: Who can you help, what problem can you solve, and how can you use what you already know to help them? That's also a big part of the thinking behind a new project I've been developing called The Know-How Method—starting with real experience, real knowledge, and real problems you've actually solved. Before you go looking for something new to learn, take another look at what you've already earned through experience. YOUR TURN What's ONE thing you know how to do really well? Audio or otherwise. Tell me in the comments. I'm curious to see what everybody comes up with. JOIN THE BUSINESS OF AUDIO If you're an audio engineer, producer, or studio owner trying to turn your skills into an actual career, come join us inside The Business of Audio. Free resources, conversations with other audio professionals, and our weekly Shop Talk. 👉 https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid.
28 Sept 2026
You’re Probably Better at This Than You Think
The things that are easiest for you may be some of the most valuable things you know. After years of working in audio, certain things become automatic. You hear a problem and recognize it. You open a session and know where to start. A client says something and experience tells you what's probably coming next. Eventually we start thinking: “Everybody knows that.” They don't. You know it because you've spent years learning it. In this episode of The Business of Audio, we're talking about how experience becomes know-how—and why we often undervalue the skills we've worked hardest to develop. I'll also give you a simple three-list exercise: What do I know? What problems can I solve? What do people ask me for help with? Where those three things overlap, there may be something worth paying attention to. This also connects to the Know-How Method I introduced last week. I'm still building it, and I'll share more as it develops. For now, answer this: What's something in audio that's easy for you today—but took you YEARS to learn? Tell me in the comments. — Donny Baker The Business of Audio Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid. #AudioEngineer #AudioBusiness #MusicProduction #KnowHow
22 Sept 2026
What Else Do You Know? Your Experience May Be Worth More Than You Think
What if the experience you’ve spent years building is worth more than you think? After more than 40 years working in professional audio, I’ve realized my career taught me a whole lot more than recording, mixing, and producing. It taught me how to work with clients, solve problems, manage projects, build systems, teach, run a business—and start over when things don’t go according to plan. And that got me thinking: Why do we only value the skills listed in our job description? In this episode of The Business of Audio Podcast, I explore how the things that feel easy or ordinary to us may be incredibly valuable to someone who hasn’t spent years learning them. It’s also the idea behind something new I’ve been working on called The Know-How Method: What do you already know how to do that could help somebody else? For some of you, that know-how is audio. But maybe audio isn’t the only thing you know. Listen in, then ask yourself: What do I know today that I wish somebody had taught me 10 years ago? — Donny Baker The Business of Audio Podcast Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid.
14 Sept 2026
You're Good Enough to Start Getting Paid
FREE GUIDE: Your first 5 Clients Playbook https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) Are you actually not ready to start getting paid for your audio skills—or are you just waiting until you finally feel ready? A lot of talented audio engineers spend years learning, practicing, buying gear, watching tutorials, and improving their skills...but never take the next step and ask someone to pay them. In this episode of The Business of Audio, I'm talking about the difference between genuinely needing more experience and using "I'm not ready yet" as a reason to avoid putting yourself out there. Your first client doesn't need the world's greatest audio engineer. They need someone they trust who can solve their problem. We'll talk about finding that first client, selling solutions instead of equipment, why your existing network is probably the best place to start, and why getting one paying client matters more than worrying about building an entire business right now. Stop waiting. Start the conversation. — Donny Baker The Business of Audio Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid.
7 Sept 2026
The Gig You Turn Down Can Be Just as Important as the Gig You Take
👉 Get Your FREE Clients Red Flag Checklist: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) When you're starting your audio career, saying YES to almost every opportunity can be a good thing. You need experience. You need relationships. And you need to get into rooms and actually do the work. But eventually, you have to learn another skill: When to say NO. After more than 40 years in the audio business, I've learned that not every client is the right client, not every project is worth taking, and sometimes the gig you turn down can be just as important as the one you accept. In this episode, we're talking about difficult clients, red flags, pricing, working for "exposure," opportunity cost, protecting your time, referring projects to other professionals, and knowing when a job simply isn't the right fit. The goal isn't to work with everybody. It's to build a career working with the right people. — Donny Baker The Business of Audio Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid.
31 Aug 2026
I Thought Being Good at Audio Would Be Enough
👉 JOIN THE BUSINESS OF AUDIO COMMUNITY FOR FREE: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) When I started working in audio, I thought the formula was simple: Get really good at recording and mixing, and eventually people will hire you. After more than 40 years in this business, I've learned that being good at audio is only part of what it takes to build a career. I've watched incredibly talented engineers struggle to find consistent work while others built long careers—not necessarily because they were better engineers, but because they understood the other side of the business. In this episode, we're talking about: Why great audio skills don't automatically create clients Why the best engineer doesn't always get the gig Being someone clients actually want to work with Reliability and professionalism Communication Building relationships Reputation and referrals Learning the business side of audio Why talent alone isn't a business plan Don't stop getting better at your craft. But if you want to make your living doing this, learn how to turn those skills into a business. Get Good. Get Clients. Get Paid.
17 Aug 2026
You Don't Need More Clients. You Need Better Follow-Up
BUILD YOUR AUDIO BUSINESS WITH US: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) You might not need more clients. You might just need to do a better job following up with the people you already know. Audio engineers spend a lot of time trying to find new leads, grow their audience, post on social media, and get strangers to notice them. Meanwhile, their next project may already be sitting in their phone or inbox. In this episode of The Business of Audio, I talk about one of the simplest business lessons I've learned over more than 40 years in the industry: silence doesn't always mean no. We'll talk about: Why potential clients disappear after asking for a quote Why following up isn't begging for work Turning past clients into repeat clients Asking for referrals Building a simple follow-up system Why your next client may already know you The difference between prospecting and following up And while I'm talking specifically about audio engineers, producers, and studio owners, this lesson applies to almost any service business. Before you spend more money or time trying to find strangers... Take another look at the people you already know. Your next client might already be there. Learn to make your living making music happen. — Donny Baker The Business of Audio
10 Aug 2026
Nobody Is Coming to Save Your Audio Career
👉 Build Your Audio Business https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) For years, I believed that if I became a great audio engineer, everything else would fall into place. It doesn't work that way. After more than 40 years in the audio industry, I've learned that successful careers aren't built by waiting for opportunities—they're built by creating them.
3 Aug 2026
7 Things Every Successful Audio Engineer Does Differently
🎙️ Build Your Audio Business with us: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) After more than 40 years in the audio industry, I've noticed something. The engineers who build long, successful careers aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who consistently do a few important things differently. In this episode, I share the seven habits I've seen separate hobbyists from professionals—lessons learned from decades of working with everyone from first-time bands to Grammy-winning artists. If you're serious about building a real career in audio, these principles can help you become the kind of engineer clients trust, recommend, and hire again. In this episode: Why consistency beats raw talent The importance of finishing what you start Why listening is one of your greatest skills Building relationships instead of chasing clients Why systems make better businesses The value of never stopping your education Thinking long-term instead of chasing quick wins Whether you're just getting started or you've been recording for years, these are the habits that can help you build a career that lasts. Join the Conversation If you're looking for a place where audio engineers, producers, and studio owners are learning, growing, and building real businesses together, we'd love to have you. 👉 Start your 7-Day Trial: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about)
27 Jul 2026
The Best Studio Investment I Ever Made
The best investment I ever made in my studio wasn't a microphone or a plugin. It was a simple system that made running my business easier and my clients happier. Watch the full video to see why.
20 Jul 2026
Top 10 Things Clients Say That Drive Audio Engineers Crazy
The Top 10 Things Clients Say That Drive Audio Engineers Crazy If you've spent any time in a recording studio, you've probably heard a few phrases that make every audio engineer smile... or quietly shake their head. After more than 40 years in recording studios and on the road, I've heard just about everything. From "We'll fix it in the mix" to "It'll only take five minutes," some client comments have become legendary. In this episode, I share ten of the funniest, most common things clients say—and more importantly, what they usually mean. Along the way, I'll tell a few stories from my career and explain why learning to communicate with clients is just as important as knowing how to run Pro Tools or place a microphone. Whether you're an audio engineer, producer, studio owner, or musician, I think you'll recognize a few of these. Start your 7-day trial and join The Business of Audio community: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) Inside you'll find practical audio training, business systems, live coaching, mix critiques, and a community of engineers, producers, and studio owners building real careers together. Learn to make your living making music happen.
14 Jul 2026
My Favorite Recording Session Didn't Involve a Rock Star
I've been fortunate to work with Grammy winners, chart-topping artists, and some of the biggest names in the music industry. But my favorite recording session wasn't with any of them. It was with four young musicians who walked into my studio carrying crumpled one-dollar bills they'd earned delivering pizzas and working at Trader Joe's. They believed they had one great song, and they were willing to spend everything they had to record it. What happened next became one of the biggest turning points of my career. In this episode, I share the story behind my first Gold Record, why I chose to take a chance on an unknown band, and the lesson that has stayed with me ever since: never underestimate passion, preparation, and people who truly believe in what they're creating. If you're an audio engineer, producer, musician, or anyone chasing a dream, I think you'll enjoy this one. Start your 7-day trial and join The Business of Audio community: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) Inside you'll find live coaching, practical business training, mix critiques, and a community of audio engineers, producers, and studio owners building real careers together. Learn to make your living making music happen.
6 Jul 2026
I wish I Knew......
If I Could Go Back 40 Years, I'd Tell Myself This If I could sit down with my younger self at the beginning of my audio career, what would I say? After more than 40 years as an audio engineer, studio owner, producer, and mentor, there are a few lessons I wish someone had shared with me much earlier. Some I learned the easy way—but most came through mistakes, setbacks, burnout, and experience. In this episode, I share the advice I'd give my 20-year-old self about gear, clients, business, relationships, work-life balance, and what success in the audio industry really looks like. Whether you're just getting started or you've been doing this for years, I hope these lessons help you avoid some of the mistakes I made and build a career you'll be proud of. Ready to build a real career in audio? Start your 7-day trial and join our community: https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about (https://www.skool.com/sound-foundations-8658/about) Every lesson in this podcast was learned in the real world—not the classroom. My hope is that you can borrow my experience instead of spending 40 years making the same mistakes.
29 Jun 2026
From Big Studio to Home Studio: The Mindset Shift That Saved My Career
For more than 20 years, I owned and operated a commercial recording studio. Like many engineers, I believed success meant a bigger studio, more gear, and a full calendar. Then everything changed. When the building was sold and I had to close the studio, I found myself questioning everything. I felt burned out. I felt like I had failed. I wondered if it was somehow my fault. On top of that, I had to begin parting with equipment I'd collected over more than 40 years in the audio industry. It wasn't easy. But looking back, losing the studio forced me to make the biggest mindset shift of my career. In this video, I share that journey honestly—the struggles, the lessons, and why I believe success in audio has much less to do with buildings and gear than it does with adaptability, relationships, and serving people. If you've ever faced a setback, this podcast is for you.
22 Jun 2026
The Difference Between Hobbyists and Professionals Isn't Skill
Most people think success in audio comes down to talent. It doesn't. The biggest difference between hobbyists and professionals is mindset. Here's one lesson from 40+ years in audio.
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