The basic premise: members of the music creative class - and I include audio professionals as part of this class - could work together to create value within a more cooperative, less "one-off" framework. More specifically for the purposes of this site, the recording studio business model could be reorganized as something like a cross between a food co-op and a gym membership...

Creative musicians and audio professionals have always been the source of value created in the music industry. For decades, with few exceptions, any return on this value has been almost completely swallowed by production, marketing, and distribution costs.

As the cost of the means of production has fallen and the internet has opened up markets, our creative class suddenly finds itself in a unique position. We could choose to change the music industry paradigm for the better - both for our creative culture and for the music industry as a whole.

We could change the music industry paradigm by choosing a less mercenary, rather a more community-oriented, way of working together. This could allow music creative professionals more hope of an actual career, the possibility of more widespread, deeper, and broader artist development, etc. A happier and more stable music creative class and better music could result from a more equitable and thus healthier music economy.

At the heart of such a paradigm shift would be affordable production. We have already reached a point where the price of production has fallen steeply due to the mass availability of adequate technology - people ARE making great records in their bedrooms... however, this is not to say they are making great SOUNDING records in their bedrooms. While people are accomplishing amazing things, I often find a sterility and sameness in recordings made in one small, limited, acoustically challenged space with the same (possibly barely adequate) equipment option(s). A lot of great new music is being painted with such a brush, and this is a trend that is gathering momentum.

What's missing still: affordable, professional-sounding space and the tools and knowledge to use it.

From a dollars-and-cents point of view, this has become largely a real estate problem. Creating and maintaining a professional recording environment has never been more affordable gear-wise (though it still takes significant investment). But the greater factor is that proper recording space has only gotten more expensive as the real estate market exploded in recent years. The combination of pro gear + pro space is not something your average band or independent producer, engineer, or even label, can accomplish on their own.

A collective or cooperative approach could serve to provide this missing piece of the puzzle.

Am I crazy? Any informed perspectives on the above ideas would be greatly appreciated. A proposal with details follows...