Hiring Studio Musicians
If you’re starting a recording studio, the people you bring in as session/studio musicians can have a major effect on the quality of your recordings, your reputation, and your costs.
I’d approach the hiring process in five areas: musical ability, fit, professionalism, business terms, and rights/ownership.
1. Questions to ask the musician
Musical ability
Ask:
- What instruments do you specialize in?
- How long have you been playing professionally?
- What styles and genres are you most experienced with?
- Can you read charts, Nashville numbers, chord charts, or lead sheets?
- Are you comfortable learning parts by ear?
- Can you improvise and create parts when given a general direction?
- Are you comfortable playing to a click track?
- Are you experienced with overdubbing?
- Have you played on professionally released recordings?
- Can you provide examples of your studio work?
- Can you provide references from producers, engineers, bands, or studios?
Very important: Ask for actual recordings—not just a list of artists they’ve worked with.
Their creative approach
This is especially important for a rock ‘n’ roll studio.
Ask:
“If we give you a song and tell you what we’re looking for, how much do you like to contribute creatively?”
And:
“Are you primarily looking for us to tell you exactly what to play, or do you enjoy developing your own parts?”
You want to establish whether they’re being hired as a musician executing a part or as a creative collaborator.
Those are two very different relationships.
2. Ask about their studio experience
I’d specifically ask:
- How comfortable are you working with a producer?
- How do you handle multiple takes?
- How do you respond to criticism or requests to change a part?
- Are you comfortable trying something completely different if the producer doesn’t like your first approach?
- How quickly can you learn a new song?
- How long do you normally need for a recording session?
- Do you have your own instruments and equipment?
- Do you maintain your instruments properly?
- Do you have backup equipment?
- Are you comfortable recording with headphones/in-ear monitoring?
- Are you comfortable working in a professional studio environment?
One question I particularly like:
“Tell us about a recording session that didn’t go well and how you handled it.”
Their answer can tell you a lot about professionalism.
3. Ask about availability and reliability
This is often just as important as musical talent.
Ask:
- How much advance notice do you normally need?
- How do you handle scheduling?
- What happens if you’re sick or something comes up?
- Do you regularly work with other bands or studios?
- Are you available for additional overdubs later?
- Can you commit to completing a project once you’ve started it?
- Do you have any existing commitments that could interfere with our project?
For your studio, I’d establish a cancellation/no-show policy before the first session.
A brilliant musician who doesn’t show up on time can cost you considerably more than their session fee.
4. Get very clear about money
Don’t leave this for the end.
Ask:
“What is your session rate?”
Then clarify exactly what that means.
For example:
- Hourly rate?
- Three-hour minimum?
- Half-day?
- Full-day?
- Per song?
- Per recording?
- Per session?
- Overtime?
- Travel expenses?
- Equipment rental?
- Rehearsal time?
- Remote recording fees?
- Editing or additional takes?
Also ask:
“Does your rate include all of your work on the recording, or are there additional fees for anything else?”
You want to avoid the situation where you agree to a $300 session and later discover there are additional charges for equipment, travel, preparation, revisions, etc.
5. The BIG issue: ownership and rights
This is something I would absolutely put in writing.
Before hiring a studio musician, determine what happens to the recording after they perform on it.
You need to establish:
Who owns the master recording?
For example:
Your studio/band owns the master recording.
Does the musician receive royalties?
You need to establish whether they’re being paid:
- A flat session fee only
- A session fee + royalties
- A percentage of master royalties
- Songwriting/publishing royalties
- Some other arrangement
Are they a songwriter?
This is particularly important.
Suppose you hire a guitar player and say:
“Here’s the song. We need a guitar part.”
They create a guitar riff that becomes an essential part of the song.
You need to determine beforehand whether that constitutes songwriting participation and whether they will receive songwriting credit or ownership.
Don’t wait until the record is released.
6. Session musician vs. co-writer
I’d actually put this distinction in your studio’s agreement.
Session musician
They’re hired to perform.
They receive an agreed fee and whatever other compensation you’ve agreed to.
Co-writer
They’re contributing original musical material that the parties agree constitutes songwriting.
That can potentially involve:
- Songwriting credit
- Publishing
- Copyright ownership
- Performance royalties
- Mechanical royalties
The distinction needs to be understood by everyone before recording begins.
7. Ask about credits
Determine how they want to be credited.
For example:
“John Smith – drums”
or
“John Smith – drums and percussion”
Also ask whether they’re expecting:
- Album credits
- Digital credits
- Social media recognition
- Website credits
- IMDB/industry credits where applicable
- Promotional use of their name/image
It is much easier to establish this before the recording than afterward.
8. Ask about their equipment
If you’re recording drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, etc., this can make a substantial difference.
Ask:
- What equipment do you normally bring?
- What instruments do you own?
- What microphones/preamps/amps are you accustomed to?
- Do you expect the studio to provide everything?
- Are there particular pieces of equipment you require?
- Do you charge extra for equipment?
For example, a drummer may have a particular snare, cymbal setup, or kick drum that is an important part of their sound.
That’s worth discussing beforehand.
9. Listen for professionalism
During your interview, pay attention to things that aren’t necessarily musical.
Does the person:
- Arrive on time?
- Respond to emails/texts promptly?
- Come prepared?
- Have their equipment maintained?
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