Most audio professionals are great at telling you the spec of a compressor or the best mic to use, but when it comes to business they often overlook three vital things. Avoid these at your peril, it may cost you dearly.

A Backup Strategy

If you are working with clients then a backup strategy is a must, this is less about the gear and more about the systems you employ to prevent data loss. At the end at this section we also consider another, and perhaps, even more important back-up plan.

Different Types Of Data backups

• Local backups

  A local backup on a different device, not the same machine you are working on is the bare minimum protection for your data. Hard drives are so cheap these days that it’s not expensive to have a drive just for backups. Solid State devices are getting much cheaper, there’s also conventional spinning hard drives to choose from. Make sure it’s an external drive, and if you can keep it in a safe or a separate part of the house when backups are complete. This means there’s less chance of it getting stolen in a break in or destroyed in fire or flood.

• Cloud storage solutions

  Our view is that a local backup is part one. With cloud storage costing very little these days it’s also a good idea to have a cloud backup. If privacy matters then you can do this with your own server via an online storage vendor. Alternatively you can use a cloud based service like Backblaze, or at the minimum using Dropbox, Google Drive or one of the numerous alternatives available at low cost.

Implementing a reliable backup routine

It is wise to automate your backup routines so you don’t forget. It’s simple to do this with both desktop software like Carbon Copy Cloner or Cloud based backup software. A routine includes;

• Choosing appropriate backup software

• Setting up regular backups

• Verifying and testing backups

Benefits of a solid backup strategy

The benefits of a solid backup strategy should be self evident. First, you protecting valuable audio files. It’s almost impossible to replace recordings when lost. No one is going to be able to sing the same vocal twice, it get the same guitar settings. Artistic challenges aside, the cost of having to re-record and mix lost content could set you back thousands, it’s simply not worth the risk.

Secondly, recovering from a drive data loss is a real time suck. It can take weeks to go through and restore (even if that’s possible) all the lost data from the average sized drive. That’s lost revenue.

Thirdly, letting your client know you have a backup strategy endengers trust. Serious clients are going to take a dim view of any so-called professional who is not taking care of their creative assets. You might think, how would they know? Do you want to take the risk of losing the data and having to explain?

While talking about a backup plan, there’s another vital one. What happens when you need to take vacation or have a medical problem? It’s wise to consider who is you when you are not there. It may be another professional you trust, or another studio. It’s well worth considering having a ‘if I get hit by a bus in the night’ plan. One small thing when considering this, however well you know the person or studio who you may hand clients over to, make sure they sign a non-compete contract. It’s a way of protecting yourself from the possibilty of them poaching your clients.

A Client Contract

I must read several times a week questions in Facebook groups for professionals that go something like; “A client is asking for X at the end of the project, should I charge them?” Or, “Who owns the rights to the work I’ve done for the band on the album.” Or, “I have this song to mix and now they are expecting me to edit all the takes and comp the vocal, what should I say?”

The answer to all those questions is get it in writing and in a signed contract before starting the work.

Here are what we consider to be the key components of a well-drafted client contract for those working in the creative sector;

• Scope of work and project details

• Payment terms and schedule

• Intellectual property rights

• Project timelines and milestones

• Termination and dispute resolution clauses

If you are unsure about what to write in a contract there are two options. The first is to hire a lawyer who specialises in this type of law. If you take this route establish the cost for a basic contract, any lawyer worth their salt can write one in their sleep and probably has a template already, so it shouldn’t cost you a fortune to protect yourself.

Secondly, a lot of people are having some success using ChatGPT to create contracts. This is the low-cost option and may not give you the same level of protection that one written by a legal professional. However, if you don’t have the money for a professional then it should be better than nothing… caveat emptor.

Benefits of having a client contract

A client contract means both parties can concentrate on the project, a contract is good for;

• Establishing clear expectations

• Protecting the rights of both parties

• Avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts

An Accountant

In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, Benjamin Franklin is said to have written; “but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

If there’s one thing I hate and that’s the financial management of my business. Even with a book-keeper and accountant doing them every month, I still lose some receipts even though I’ve tried every trick I can think of to keep them.

The best decision I ever made was to hire an accountant. They take care of;

• Managing finances and budgeting

  Each month I get a report that shows income, cost and profit as well as lots of other data to help me in my decision making.

• Tax planning and compliance

  If anyone scares me it’s the tax office. I love having the peace of mind that I’m paying the right taxes according to the law, not a penny less AND not a penny more. You’d be amazed how much a good accountant can save you on tax - far more than you’d spend using one.

• Tracking business expenses and income

  Whenever I need to make a significant investment in the business, be that gear or people I chat it through with my accountant to see if the business can afford it.

Finding the right accountant

If you don’t have an accountant then here’s things to consider;

• It might help for them to have audio industry-specific knowledge and experience, depending on your needs. It’s not essential, but even better if they do have the experience in our sector.

• Good communication and availability

  I once had an accountant who was hard to get hold of and often told me how much tax I owed the day I had to pay it - not good for blood pressure. I now have one who is on the end of a phone for advice, has quick email and WhatsApp chats with me. It’s like having my own accountant in-house without the cost.

• Try and get references and testimonials from someone else. I found the one I have now on the recommendation of someone else. In fact several people now use the same accountant because I recommended them.

Conclusion

None of what I have written above is remotely sexy compared to the gear we talk about, but I’m convinced all three are essential things that every audio professional should have as part of their business.