Music Production in Boston and the Impact of Freelance Workers

BY ABBY STANICEK

Boston is home to a thriving music scene that’s been around since the late '60s. Career-starting performances from large acts like Aerosmith, Pixies, The Cars and Boston took place at the array of now-shuttered venues that smelled of beer and smoke. While performing as much as possible for exposure, the budding musicians also needed a place to record music for distribution. This need led multiple recording studios to thrive in Boston, producing top-selling records and hosting artists who came to Boston just to record. After flourishing through the late ‘80s, the newfound presence of technology in the music industry caused the scene to disperse and quiet immensely. Luckily, the scene is now alive and well with talented musicians, but many recording studios have been forced to close their doors in reaction to the booming trend of freelance production.

In the past few decades, producers left without a secure job due to recording studio closures have started turning to freelance production. Whether in a rented studio space or a home studio, producers are now partnering independently with artists to produce records. Brad Wood, a seasoned sound engineer, experienced the height of the Boston scene and now works through his home studio in Los Angeles. “I divorced myself from all of most of the painful parts of owning a recording studio, I don't have rent, it's part of my mortgage,” Wood says. Artists themselves are also turning to producing their own music with the constant introduction of new, easy-to-use software. In an NBC News article detailing the budding genre of bedroom pop, correspondent Olivia Roos claims “Bedroom pop has emerged in recent years as a music movement shaped and established by the internet, fueled by online platforms, easy access to high-quality music software and algorithmically driven recommendation systems that can take an artist from obscurity to fame.” Preference shifts from person to person when it comes to engineering music, but most freelance workers tend to record in booked studio spaces or invite artists into their curated home studios. 

A large portion of the freelance producers in Boston are in attendance at Berklee College of Music or have recently graduated from the accredited music institute. The school provides multiple recording spaces that vary in size for their production students to work with. Paige Tubinis currently attends the school and enjoys creating within an established studio space. “I really love the engineering aspect and being able to use those big boards that you see in the pictures and all the gear that comes with that…I think the vibe of a big studio really adds to a situation,” Tubinis says. Since many students live in apartments, jam-packed home studios are also an option for local artists looking to record. Berklee student Christopher Badger prefers to work with artists in his DIY apartment studio. “You want to have equipment that has heart to it, like things in your room. And the music gets more and more nuanced because of that," Badger says, "I very much invite a specific kind of character into what I make." He also finds that it makes the recording process more open-ended when working in such a personalized and private setting.

The Bridge Sound & Stage. PHOTO: ABBY STANICEK

Though Tubinis and Badger differ in recording predilections, they both aim to be tuned in mentally with the artists they’re working with to execute their vision properly. “I prioritize making a lot of decisions, but also check in with them every step of the way,” Tubinis says. Though it’s the clients’ music, the producer still maintains a guiding hand in the organization of instrumentals and vocals, especially when the artist has minimal production experience. Badger also inquires with those in his space about what they’re truly looking to create at each step of the way. “When somebody enters my space and wants to work on music from the demo point in my room, I just try to ask what the song is really about and try to get in touch with what's actually being communicated,” Badger says, “All of this stuff is just tools and I’m trying to get that essence of the song because it makes everything else easier…and it makes it way more cohesive.” They also agree that building a connection with their clients is important to keeping an open space for experimentation. Tubinis finds the ability to understand and believe in someone’s music through the relationship built with them to be one of her favorite parts of producing music. Similarly, Badger feels that knowing the artists he’s working with allows him to be comfortable with including his experimental elements.

Blaine Ruth, a freelance producer based in Nashville, TN, recognizes what each setting can bring to or take from a recording session. He finds that he uses established studio spaces as a tool to contribute specific elements to a recording session that can’t be done in a home studio. For example, if a client was looking for a spacious, large drum sound that can’t be captured in the confines of a mic’d drum set in an apartment, they’d need to be recorded in a large studio. On the other hand, he mainly records in a home studio and finds that creativity thrives best in that setting. “I think big studios feel sterilized because of the time and money constraint that can put pressure on creating meaningful art,” says Ruth, “Whereas, in a really strong home studio, you can create an environment where you come in, you can look at the walls and stuff and just feel the space and make it a place that makes people want to make something and I don't think that always exists in a big corporate studio.” 

The nature of freelance production — especially in home studios — is a beneficial one-on-one experience. However, home studios do fall short when it comes to the need for recording with a live band. The Bridge Sound & Stage is one of the remaining large format recording studios in Boston that sees a lot of business in recording large groups. The studio sits tucked on a side street in North Cambridge and the location hums with history, as this spot once belonged to the great Fort Apache Studios. Owner Janos Fulop was led to open the studio when he lost his job at another location that was forced to close its doors. He knew that, despite the shrinking size of studios, there would still be a need for large format recording rooms. “I feel like as everything is closing, something needs to open to occupy those spaces…there's gonna be a need for large-format spaces, especially if you're willing to approach them differently,” Fulop says. He also understands the phenomenon of DIY production as someone who has worked in that kind of setting, but also acknowledges that not everything can be done within a home studio. One of the main reasons that The Bridge remains busy is the staff’s eagerness to welcome technological advancements into the studio. Studios in Boston and other cities have been forced to shutter due to their reluctance to accept the new technology in the world of music production. 

"I feel like as everything is closing, something needs to open to occupy those spaces...there's gonna be a need for large-format spaces, especially if you're willing to approach them differently" - Janos Fulop

The Bridge Sound & Stage. PHOTO: ABBY STANICEK

Freelance production and other challenges have led to the closure of Ace Recording Studios, Fort Apache Studios, Zippah Recordings, and Syncro Sound. Ace Recording Studios was one of the bigger studios in the area and was located in the Boylston Alley in Downtown Boston. Their end is credited to the introduction of the technological ability to mimic instruments that originally needed to be recorded live. Fort Apache was one of the most popular studios during the height of the Boston music scene, but was also pushed out of Boston due to less demand for studio space and the high cost of rent in the city. The Cars also opened a studio called Syncro Sound that served as both a studio and a hangout spot for the musicians of the ‘80s music scene.  Zippah Recordings came to a devastating end when the studio burned down in December of 2021 and has yet to be rebuilt since. They all fell victim to changing times in one way or another and the studios that remain open have had to increase their booking prices to stay afloat. Boston also struggles specifically due to the fact that labels aren’t sending artists to record and covering the costs for studio spaces, which is a phenomenon that occurs frequently in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York City.  

To combat the rising costs of studio rentals, Berklee alum Matt McArthur created The Record Co. The non-profit organization intends to provide local musicians with an affordable, professional recording and rehearsal space on Mass Ave. There is no required experience level to use The Record Co.’s space, as they want to encourage musicians at any level of expertise to be able to record their music with an array of instruments and equipment at their fingertips. The Record Co. also serves as a networking hub for local artists, allowing clients to connect with fellow vocalists, instrumentalists, and producers. The studio rooms vary in size and are equipped to fulfill the needs of every artist. Studio A is a large space containing ISO booths, a piano, microphones and stands, a live room, a control room, a computer with impressive music software, and all the gear needed for producing quality sound. They also have rooms set up solely for production and podcast recording. For practicing, The Record Co. has their rehearsal rooms, which contain a wide selection of instruments and any accessories the musicians need to perform at their best. Carlito Curry works at the 55 Morrissey Blvd location in Roxbury, MA, and he finds connections people can make through The Record Co. to be the most important contribution the organization makes to the Boston music scene. “The events that happen there and the different genres of music that are played and recorded keep folks connected and bring opportunities to audio engineers and music producers,” Curry says. Beyond the ability to network at The Record Co., the opportunity to record in a professionally equipped studio at a low price is vital when costs continue to rise for studio space elsewhere.

Though Brad Wood acknowledges the importance of keeping large recording spaces alive, he also understands what the freedom and accessibility of home studios and freelance producers can bring to aspiring musicians. He cites Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell’s musical journey to be a prime example of the opportunities home studios can bring. “Had this been a different era, maybe in the 1970s, it might have taken Billie and Finneas another 10 or 15 years to put a band together and have that band playing shows around the LA area to finally get the attention of a record label who had the money and the access to bring them into a recording studio,” Wood says, “And then in the recording studio, they would be assigned a producer or an engineer.” He also credits their approach to her distinct sound that listeners admire her for. Though many studios have lost business due to the rejection of new technologies, Wood approves of their presence wholeheartedly and doesn’t view them as a threat to his engineering endeavors. 

Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. PHOTO: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

There is no reason for freelance producers and recording studios to refrain from coexisting within the music industry, as both approaches to recording have their respective perks and downfalls. In Boston, the presence of younger producers engaging in the scene has shifted the focus on production to freelance producers and the welcoming nature of home studios. Though the scene is not the A&R hub it was at the end of the 20th century, the scene still thrives on local musicians and the support they provide to one another through streams, social media promotion, and attending performances in basements and bars. Some may believe the closing of recording studios in Boston may point to the death of classic recording formats, every musician has their respective visions for their work and most records can’t be produced to their potential in one setting or another. Freelance productions’ accessibility and allowance for experimentation are the reason behind its inevitable trend within the music industry, but the large studio format will still be there for those who need it as long as local artists show their support.