Music Trade Review

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A Recording Service That Makes
Friends and Creates Sales
N increase in business of over
10% is a very excellent increase
to chalk up in any music busi-
ness yet that is what the Satterfield
Music Co., Parkersburg, W. Va. has
been able to do by the addition of a
recording service to its business. To be
sure this wasn't done over night or
anything like that. The entrance into
the re ording field was a gradual
proposition, gone into in a small way
and slowly building it up in a solid
way. To get the whole story we must
go back to the year 1937.
E. I. Satterfield, owner of this music
firm had been looking at the record-
ing field for some time, eyeing it as a
possible side line for his business. He
felt that recording properly belonged
to the music trade. He felt that it was
a profitable l'ne and would also have
a healthy effect on the music business.
So in 1937 a start was made in a
very small way. The initial investment
was about $500.00 which is not very
much when going into the recording
business. But Mr. Satterfield recog-
nized that he would have lots to learn
about the new field and besides this
he had no proof that the side line
would be what he felt it would be.
A
But small as was the initial invest-
ment which, of course, limited the pos-
sibilities of the new side line, the idea
went over. From the start it made
money and in addition made friends
far the music store. So from time to
time new equipment was added until
today there is an investment of over
$4,000.00 in equipment. Today there
is a real recording studio in the Sat-
terfield Music Company's store in
Parkersburg. The side line has grown
and is continuing to grow year by
year.
Children Recording Prospects
One line of business that has been
developed is the recording of chil-
dren's voices by parents. In many in-
stances parents bring their children m
at regular intervals to record the voices
and so obtain a permanent record of
the change in their offspring's voices.
Piano and voice teachers bring in
their pupils to make recordings so as
to be able to point out improvements
in study progress. It has been found
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, NOVEMBER, 1951
that very often two recordings made
only a few months apart will show in
no unmistakable way a marked im-
provement in execution or technique.
Both public and private schools, giv-
ing periodic concerts by band, chorus
or orchestra have made use of the re-
cording facilities of this firm to record
the entire concert for preservation as
a record of an event.
Local bands, orchestras and oilier
musical units have made use of the
same facilities to have recordings made
of their work.
Families have brought in the older
members of the families to have a
voice re ording made so that when
death takes the older members there
will be something with which to recall
the other days.
The State Headquarters of the Bap-
tist Church is located in Parkersburg.
Not long ago this organization sent
all of its older preachers in to the
studio to make individual recordings
of their voices as a permanent record
for the organization.
These will give some idea of the
scope of this new field for the music
store. But they are not all of the ave-
nues that lead to business. There are
individual musicians, hill billy groups
and the like who want recordings of
their music made. The field seems to
grow larger as it is explored.
Equipped for Record Cutting
The recording equipment is located
in the basement of the music store.
The equipment remains in the basement
for all recording work. Unlike some
recording studios that take less bulky
equipment to the scene where the re-
cordings are to be made, this firm does
the actual record cutting in the base-
ment. In cases where the recording is
to be picked up outside of the store,
it is picked and brought to the studio
by wire and cut in the studio. There
is also a leased wire to one of the local
radio stations in which Mr. Satterfield
has an interest so that programs from
that station can very easily be piped
into the studio for record cutting when
desired.
Recordings are charged for at a
fixed rate based on the size of the rec-
ord. The charges are the same for the
same size records whether the record-
ing is of a single performer or a band.
In the case of a band or orchestra or
large group where individual members
might wish records of the recording
for their personal use, recordings are
made from the master that is cut and
these re-recordings are then sold but
only to the members of the organiza-
tion whose recording was made. No
file of recordings is kept. Each job is
an individual job with the actual
master being sold or in the case of re-
recordings the master and the re-re-
cordings being sold.
Recording Helps Sales
Incidentally after hour recording busi-
ness has a good side line of its own.
Mr. Satterfield reports that he does a
considerable business in music and
other ilems in these after business
hours. For instance some musicians
will wander around and look over the
music racks while waiting to make a
recording. And this looking around re-
sults in many sales.
Another side line of the recording
business is the sale of music instru-
ments.
Many of the recordings are made
after the regular business hours of the
recording. They do not have instru-
ments with them, but the idea of mak-
ing a recording appeals to them. In
such instances Mr. Satterfield will offer
to loan them instruments so that they
can make the recording then and there.
The new instruments often appeal to
the group so much that they later re-
turn and buy all new instruments for
the group.
"I believe the recording business fits
in unusually well with the retail music
business," says Mr. Satterfield in dis-
cussing this side line that has grown to
be a sizable part of the Satterfield busi-
ness. "The recording business is noth-
ing that can be entered into with
thought and technical preparation. It
is a real job but if the job is well
done it will pay off."
This is the story of the recording
side line of the Satterfield Music Co.
Today this firm does about 10% of its
business in recordings which means
that its business is increased better
than 10% by having the re ord ; ng side
line.
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