Nobody cares about your gear! [ The Career Builder Show ]

Don’t make the #1 marketing mistake!

If you’re building a website, portfolio or figuring out how to promote yourself and your studio, please PLEASE do not lead with your gear list!

The fact of the matter is that nobody really cares about your gear– what they care about is YOU! They want to know that they can trust you as a valuable partner in the creative process, that you will help them bring their art to life. They may not be able to tell you this, but it’s ultimately what clients care about in their heart (even if they don’t know it).

Nobody cares about your gear! [ The Career Builder Show ]

The fact of the matter is that nobody really cares about your studio’s gear– what they care about is YOU! They want to know that they can trust you as a valuable partner in the creative process, that you will help them bring their art to life.

A couple things to think about:

  • You want clients to come to you because of your SOUND, not your gear collection! So you want to lead with that front and center… if they fall in love with your sound, they’ll care much less about how you get there.
  • You can’t own every piece of gear in the world, nor should you want to. So ultimately, playing the gear game is a losing battle because someone will always be able to say, “Yeah, but you don’t have [insert obscure piece of gear].”
  • Yes, you will encounter some artists who care about gear… but do you really think they know what they’re talking about when it comes to gear? And if they don’t know what they’re talk about, why would you try to please them knowing that they’re poorly informed?
  • And lastly, yes, you will sometimes find a band that cares about gear AND knows what they’re talking about. So just rent some time at a nice studio that has all the gear you need! You don’t need to own it all yourself.

And just to be clear, this isn’t us yelling at you and scolding you about what your website looks like– the point is that we want you to understand and believe that YOU are the most valuable part of your studio, not a microphone or compressor or guitar amp 


Nail The MixNail The Mix is our online mixing school that gives you REAL multi-tracks from REAL bands, plus a mixing class from the producer who recorded it. Past guests include Periphery, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon. Join now for instant access!

Success comes from unexpected places! [ The Career Builder Show ]

Treat EVERYONE like gold!

If you’ve ever written a band, producer or anyone else because they’re a “nobody” and they can’t do anything for you, you might have made the biggest mistake of your career!

Because this industry works in crazy, unpredictable ways and you NEVER know who or what could be that big break you’ve been looking for – so you should treat everybody you work with like gold, even the smallest, scrappiest local band that seems like they’ll never go anywhere.

Success comes from unexpected places [ The Career Builder Show ]

If you’ve ever written a band, producer or anyone else because they’re a “nobody” and they can’t do anything for you, you might have made the biggest mistake of your career! Here’s why… — The Career Builder Show is our new show that gives producers like you inspiration and information that will pour rocket fuel on your career as an audio professional.

As one example, in the latest episode of The Career Builder Show, hear how Joel randomly met this guy from Indiana named Joey Sturgis who was working with some band called “The Devil Wears Prada”…


Nail The MixNail The Mix is our online mixing school that gives you REAL multi-tracks from REAL bands, plus a mixing class from the producer who recorded it. Past guests include Periphery, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon. Join now for instant access!

Do THIS when bands owe you money [ The Career Builder Show ]

DON’T send the “eff you” email >_<

We’ve all been there: the band said they’d pay you weeks ago, you’ve followed up a million times, and still no money. And worse, you already gave them the final mixes so you have no cards left to play… Or you sent the label an invoice, they keep telling you the check is in the mail, but it never shows up… The rent is due and your frustration is building– what do you do??

Unfortunately, this is a fact of life in our industry. You don’t have to like it (who does?), but you DO need to learn how to handle it the right way – because musicians and people in this industry are flaky and disorganized, and these situations are going to come up many times in the course of your career.

What to do when clients owe you money [ THE CAREER BUILDER SHOW ]

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The key is PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE – yes, you need to get your money, but sending that “eff you” email is NOT going to help. It won’t get you paid any faster; it will just ruin your relationships and earn you a reputation as a hothead (which is a great way to get shut out of the industry). Understand that they almost certainly aren’t trying to screw you, they’re just disorganized, busy, and/or forgetful – so you need to have a set of tactics for nudging them until they pay you, without being a pushy dickhead.

In this episode of The Career Builder Show, Eyal Levi gives you the do’s, don’ts and some important lessons about how to get your money without burning bridges!


Nail The MixNail The Mix is our online mixing school that gives you REAL multi-tracks from REAL bands, plus a mixing class from the producer who recorded it. Past guests include Periphery, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon. Join now for instant access!

Should you work from a home studio?? [ The Career Builder Show ]

The answer is…. maybe!

It’s a big decision that we all have to make as we level up our audio careers: work out of a home studio, or “graduate” to building/renting a commercial space.

And the truth is, there’s no right or wrong answer– both options have their pros and cons, and it really just comes down to what’s right for you. Going to a commercial space could be that boost you’re looking for, OR it could completely destroy your life… so think it through carefully!

Should I run my studio out of my house?? [ THE CAREER BUILDER SHOW ]

Run your studio out of your house, or take the plunge and rent a space?? The truth is that there’s no right or wrong answer here – it’s just about what’s right for YOU. Joey Sturgis explains the pros and cons of each!

Starting to get nervous? Don’t worry homie, we’ve got you covered as always 🙂 Joey has been down both roads, having worked out of both a commercial space and his house for many years– and he breaks down the pros and cons of each in this episode of The Career Builder Show!


Nail The MixNail The Mix is our online mixing school that gives you REAL multi-tracks from REAL bands, plus a mixing class from the producer who recorded it. Past guests include Periphery, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon. Join now for instant access!

Do you hate mix notes?? [ The Career Builder Show ]

Mix notes don’t have to be painful!

Like em or not, mix notes are a fact of life — so you might as well stop complaining about them, and start figuring out how to make the process as painless and productive as possible for both you and your clients.

Because at the end of the day, the session is in YOUR hands. As the producer, it’s on YOU to make sure that everybody goes home happy – that the mix is something you’re proud to put your name on, and that your clients look at you as a valuable partner in the creative process (which will ultimately lead to more business for you via word of mouth.

Do you HATE mix notes?? [ THE CAREER BUILDER SHOW ]

Mix notes don’t have to be painful! Try these 6 simple rules that will keep you in control of the session, preserve your sanity AND make sure that your clients walk with a bangin’ mix that they’re in love with!

Easier said than done though, right?? Well don’t worry, we’ve got you covered 🙂 In this episode of The Career Builder Show, Joel Wanasek gives you his 6 tips for handling mix notes – stuff that’s ridiculously simple to implement, but could save you many, many hours of frustration and disappointment!

Yes, the mix note process can be maddening, and we all get frustrated by it – but if you’re serious about being an audio professional, you’ve got to be just as good at managing your clients’ psychology as you are at mixing their albums.

So if you haven’t, start investing in your people skills just as much as your audio skills– it’s an investment that’s guaranteed to pay off!


Nail The MixNail The Mix is our online mixing school that gives you REAL multi-tracks from REAL bands, plus a mixing class from the producer who recorded it. Past guests include Periphery, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon. Join now for instant access!