// music industry educator // studio brand strategy supernerd //
Ready to hit the ground running?
Welcome to the weird, wild world of freelancing in the modern music industry. It can be an incredibly fulfilling career, but it can feel overwhelming if you don’t have a clear strategy to find the right clients - or the self-awareness to know whether or not your strategy is actually working.
That’s where I come in. ✌️
I help passionate studio pros like you become irresistible to your ideal clients by teaching you to communicate your unique passions and perspectives.
Why?
Because every single potential client WILL develop a gut feeling about you - that’s just how humans are, after all. A clear brand strategy will make sure their gut feeling is the one you WANT them to have.
Learn how to attract your ideal studio clients.
When you clearly communicate what makes you, YOU - aligned with exactly what your ideal clients crave - your inbox fills with serious inquiries.
That’s why I use my two decades of music industry experience to help producers, engineers, and session musicians become irresistible to their ideal clients.
How?
By teaching you how to communicate your unique tastes, experiences, and perspectives.
Start here.
Here are some resources to help you start attracting better clients:
370 FREE Social Media Prompts
Struggling to post thoughtful, relevant content?
I’ve compiled a list with literally HUNDREDS of prompts to help studio pros like you express YOUR unique tastes, experiences, and perspectives.
>>> CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD <<<
How To Raise Your Rates Without Losing Clients (Free Webinar)
Proven strategies to confidently raise your rates, attract high-value clients, and grow your studio's profitability without fear of losing clients.
CLIENT MAGNET (Webinar)
The 5 Essential Social Media Posts Every Studio Pro Can Make To Attract Clients On Auto-Pilot
Thanks For Thinking (Podcast)
Explore the deeper meaning of what drives us into this weird, wild music industry. Philosophies on finding creative fulfillment (and more money) as a modern freelancer.
>>> CLICK HERE TO LISTEN <<<
Secret Sonics (Podcast)
Ben Wallick and I discuss the real-world trials and triumphs of music production. Tactical advice on skill development, mixing mindsets, personal branding, and achieving work-life rhythm in an evolving industry. The motivation and strategic insights you need to build your dream creative career in music and audio.
>>> CLICK HERE TO LISTEN <<<
Don’t just listen to me.
“In the ever-expanding world of freelance music production, The Perfect Client Blueprint is the beacon every over-qualified and undervalued engineer, producer, and mixer has been waiting for. This is without a doubt the most genuine, heartfelt, and effective roadmap for teaching creatives how to advocate for themselves while building a lasting community of ideal clients. The right mentorship is more important than ever in the music-making business today. The principles Carl lays out in this course will have an impact far beyond your bottom line as a freelancer. His way of humanizing your approach to branding and marketing will not only transform your business but the way you view the industry as a whole.”
CASEY CAVALIERE (The Wonder Years // The Record Process // True Level Studio)
Carl’s course is one of the most informative lessons on the business side of producing and marketing that I have come across. Each detail explained with the type of passion and knowledge you would only expect from a seasoned professional such as himself. I highly recommend that anyone in the music industry, either just starting out or already established to sink your teeth into this knowledge bomb of priceless information.
TOM DENNEY (A Day To Remember // Pierce The Veil // Sounds Like Color)
As someone who enjoys working on many styles of music, I was feeling lost and overwhelmed on how to market myself. Carl really helped me identify how to brand my strengths, and more importantly, double down on the parts of production that I really enjoy. After taking the course, I am feeling confident on how to market my brand and direction moving forward.
KENNY GRIMM (Prinze George, Wiz Khalifa, G-Eazy)
Connect with me.
I want to learn more about YOU.
The Obligatory Third-Person Biography
Meet Carl Bahner - mix engineer, educator and brand strategy supernerd. He’s on a mission - well, TWO missions:
to use his unique tastes, experiences and perspectives to help artists and producers make absolute BOPS, and
to help other studio pros clarify and communicate their own unique tastes, experiences, and perspectives to attract their ideal clients (also, for BOP-making purposes).
Hailing from rural Lancaster, PA, Carl has made a name for himself internationally as a team-builder and sonic wizard, focusing his boundless enthusiasm on music that's playful, memorable, and full of life.
Working with artists like The Wombats, St. Lucia, Joywave, and Hippo Campus, Carl has proven himself to be highly adept at producing playful earworms tailored to fit your ears like a favorite t-shirt.
Applying a contemporary slant on the "Wall of Sound" style to his productions, he offers his bright-eyed and open-hearted perspective by creatively framing vocals with imaginative instrumentation. He blends the organic with the synthetic, the digital with the analog, and the modern with the classic—resulting in rich, vibrant music that's full of life.
But don't be fooled by Carl's youthful energy and infectious enthusiasm – he's a seasoned pro who's honed his skills on stages around the world. As a performer, he has toured extensively in the US, Canada, and the UK, and his music has been featured in film, television, and even Guitar Hero: Live. Carl has also performed on stage opening for acts like Walk The Moon, X Ambassadors, Charli XCX, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, The Wombats, Joywave, Years & Years, They Might Be Giants, Civil Twilight, The Hold Steady, Diarrhea Planet, Cold War Kids, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Naked & Famous, and countless others.
In addition to his mixing and production work, Carl is an educator passionate about sharing his industry knowledge. He currently teaches music industry courses at Lebanon Valley College. Carl also creates educational content for Produce Like A Pro, focusing on home studio marketing topics.
Recently, Carl released an online course called "Communicating The Care: Attracting Your Ideal Studio Clients" aimed at helping studio professionals clarify their unique perspective and connect with ideal clients. Through the course, he provides strategic branding advice to pros seeking meaningful projects and collaborators.
So if you're an artist or producer looking for a mixing engineer who's as dedicated to your vision as you are… well, you just found him. With his craftsman-like approach, infectious enthusiasm, and commitment to collaboration, he's the perfect partner to help you bring your music to life.
And if you’re a studio pro looking for a guide to help you become irresistible to your ideal clients so you can help bring their music to life… well, you just found him too.
He cares about more than just the music. More than just the vanity metrics. More than just the payment notifications:
He cares about making sure artists build deep, meaningful relationships with every member of their team - whether he’s on that team or not.