27 ...But at what cost? Studio Build Cost

So... was it all worth it? The real cost of a studio build

The answer to that depends on what you value, if you value money above all else... than no. But, if like me, you're after a space with an accurate listening environment... totally! The final build spend (minus any audio equipment) came to just over £10,000, I was hoping to initially spend around 7K on the build but the basement space itself needed some specific structural and damp proofing work that increased the spend, alongside some unforeseen expenditures for various furniture and finishing options.

Below is a breakdown of the studio build cost:

As you can see there is a lot more to a studio build beyond the acoustic treatment, and if you don't factor these extra components in to your costings the price is going to easily run away from you!

But let's delve a little deeper into what was used for the acoustic treatment. The total for acoustic treatment came to almost £3,000, this included materials for the diaphragmatic bass traps, acoustic hangers, back wall diffuser, front wall design and generic broadband absorption, along with parts for decoupling and sealing, and finishing cloth. Take a look at the breakdown of expenditure below:

This meant there was another £7,000 spent on things that weren't for the acoustics of the space! This may give you a small insight into the costs involved for studio design, from the comparatively cheap diffuser to the more much more costly bass traps, plus extras like ventilation, wiring, flooring etc. Although looking at the acoustic results, effective bass trapping is worth its weight in gold, so don't scrimp on that part of the design!

Time to pick up the hammer?

Ok, so you're thinking of building your own studio? And 10k is all you need? Well... maybe, maybe more, maybe less! It all depends. One big factor is the size of space you are working on, fortunately for me the basement is quite small and this helped keep the cost down. But obviously, if we scale the size up, the price is going to increase along with it.

Another factor to consider is the state of the room/building you are converting, if you're not in a basement, you most likely won't need to spend any money on structural or damp-proofing work, you may even get away without spending anything on ventilation! Does the space need new flooring? Lighting and electrics added?

How much can you do yourself? Will you need to bring any trades people in? Labour is going to be by far your biggest cost, but time is money, so it may work out better for you to bring people in if it means it won't drag you away from time you can dedicate to work.

Quality is a place where you can also save money (or maybe lose in the long run!). Be careful where you decide to save money, I could have bought cheaper cables and connections to use for all the audio wiring and maybe saved myself a couple hundred quid but I wasn't willing to risk them potentially breaking and needing replacing later down the line. That may or may not have been the case, but it's a choice to make non the less! Same goes for finishings, typically the more expensive materials are going to be visually more attractive, is this something that concerns you? Where is your crossover point between value and style? There's no right or wrong answer, but it's something you would have ideally come to a conclusion on before cracking out the credit card!

Save some for equipment!

And don't forget that you may need some money left over for equipment, this can vary greatly from build to build, you may already own all the equipment you need or you might be creating a workflow from scratch. Maybe you just need a computer, small interface, and some monitors or maybe you want racks full of outboard gear and a completely new setup! This could easily double, triple, or even quadruple your budget. But as I'll talk about in the next blog, choosing the right equipment for your situation means less money on upgrades, and not over-spending for features you don't need.

Where to save

There are some things you can do to keep the cost down. First of all, shop around! Make sure you're getting the best deal for the items you're purchasing, and buy in bulk. You may be able to get discounts from suppliers when placing large orders.

Shop second hand, less so for building supplies, but for audio equipment it can end up saving you thousands of pounds. And along that same line, sell the things you don't need! If you're upgrading your studio there may be things you can get rid off, all of this can bring in some extra funds that can help cover those times you may be spending a bit more than you'd like.

Learn from others

Finally, don't take my word for, take a look at some other studio build diaries and their costings to understand the potential price range depending on your own specifications.

First off there's Neil Sullivan over at mymixandmaster who built a soundproofed mixing and rehearsal space in Canterbury for around £4,500. Building it himself with some friends managed to keep the costs low. On the other end of the spectrum, Dan Cooper over at Pro Tools Expert renovated a garden cabin into a soundproof studio, enlisting professionals to get the building work done brought to the cost to around £27,000. Then there's True Sound Studios over in America who's studio build cost $20,673 in total. Check these links out, as they may highlight potential hurdles or costings you may have missed.

And most of all, good luck!

Frank Leonard Walker

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