Meet Jeff Barnes, President of Record Plant Studios
Ever wonder what goes on inside a recording studio? If you’ve been lucky enough to watch a session in a studio, you’ll find that each one is as unique as the artists and engineers collaborating at the board. Some of the most iconic artists have created global hits inside unassuming studios right here in Hollywood. Record Plant is one of the long-standing studios that has been a go-to spot for top musical artists since 1969. Its location is an industrial part of West Hollywood, and the recording studio has been a cornerstone of the industry since it’s inception.
The Los Angeles Film School Connection
The current president of Record Plant is one of our very own alumni from The L.A. Recording School, a division of The Los Angeles Film School. Jeff Barnes earned his associate degree in Recording Arts in 2008, and scored an internship at Record Plant Studios shortly after finishing school. He initially sent his resume to four different studios around town and received a call back from Record Plant right away. Jeff has worked at Record Plant Studios ever since.
As president, Jeff oversees all the business and day-to-day operations of the recording studio. The management level of a recording studio is mostly a birds-eye view, explains Jeff.
“That includes a lot of things and figuring out what we need to do as a regular business… we need to pay the bills, we need to pay the employees, we need to hire employees,” said Jeff.
“Then there is the bird’s eye view of the sessions and knowing which artist wants which room as their first choice,” said Jeff. “Really, it’s trying to orchestrate everything at the end of the day”
Making the studio feel like a place an artist can retreat and focus on creating great music is a top priority for Jeff and his team. Artists such as Elton John, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande have all held sessions at Record Plant. Jeff’s reputation and the legacy of Record Plant is something clients recognize and appreciate. The main things that Jeff advises to anyone who wants to start a studio of their own is to stay busy, build trust, and get new business.
That’s exactly what he’s been doing for the past 15 years at Record Plant Studios.