Hello everyone! This is guest writer stevie weenie, coming at you from Prague. I went through audio engineering school with your indestructible host Nathan Lively, who asked me to share some thoughts about making a living as a sound engineer. [block]The most important thing you need to learn about building your career as a sound engineer is how to recognize which situations will lead to money -- and which won't![/block] PART ONE: HOW TO GET PAID BE OBSERVANT IDENTIFY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS THAT … [Read more...]
Best Tips For Building A Career In Pro Audio
In my interview with Harry Mack, he gave us a lot of great tips for building a career as a freelance designer. I originally contacted Harry because of the article he wrote for Gamasutra called Best Tips for Building a Freelance Career. I'd like to combine the valuable advice from those sources and apply it to a career in pro audio as a sound engineer or designer. Always Be Professional Use correct grammar and spelling in emails, with no shorthand. Speak clearly, confidently, and to the point. … [Read more...]
Career Advice For Freelance Designers
Subscribe on iTunes or SoundCloud. In this episode of Sound Design Live, I speak with blogger, composer, and game sound designer Harry Mack about career advice for freelance designers. We cover the pros and cons of being an independent contractor, how to communicate professionally, and the best and worst job-hunting strategies. We also discuss the bidding process, strategies for knowing how much to charge, and using Yoga to recover from stress and injury. It all comes down to luck. It's kind … [Read more...]
Easy Invoicing For Sound Engineers
In the last two posts we talked a lot about career advice and how to always be professional. Don't worry, I'm not going to rant about email this time -- I'm going to rant about invoicing instead! As an independent contractor, you will invoice your clients. If you work semi-regularly at an event venue you may be asked to submit a W-9, but you can still request to take care of your own invoicing, thereby avoiding automatic tax withholding by the client. Whether or not this route is right for … [Read more...]