The Creative Music Networks of Regional Recording Studios: A Case Study of the Sunshine Coast and Gympie

Abstract

As the recording industry sector further detaches from the hegemonic record company structures of the pre-internet era, this project analyses the status of the recording studio sector in the regional areas of the Sunshine Coast and Gympie in Queensland, Australia. This research specifically focuses on the function of recording studios within a creative network of regional music scenes. Recording studios are considered a network of cottage industries predominantly run by individuals and small partnerships as the result of a general movement into technology-driven do-it-yourself (DIY) modes of production. This research investigates if this change in recording practice enables an increased recording capacity for regional areas. I use in-depth interviews to investigate the emic issues of the recording studio scene in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie areas. This study indicates that the proliferation of the domestic studio has enabled the Sunshine Coast and Gympie to capitalize on their non-urban and idyllic surrounds without the overhead required of a commercial urban-based operation. This case study shows that the reduced cost of recording technology has allowed the regional recording sector to flourish outside the city and remain a vital part of the music economy. While it would appear that democratization of recording technology has occurred, the lack of gender and racial diversity in this study shows there is further progress required before true technological democratization is achieved.