The Butler School of Music Recording Services department provides audio recording, editing and mastering for ensemble concerts, faculty and student recitals and sessions as well as live sound reinforcement when necessary. We also provide video production services for all performances in all locations. We produce high-quality professional recordings that can be used for competitions, scholarships and auditions.

The Recording Department staff includes one full-time recording engineer/manager, free-lance engineers from the Austin community and skilled student workers. Part-time recording staff do not keep regular hours. They are only on campus when scheduled to work. All requests and questions are to be directed to the Recording Services Manager, not to part-time staff.

Recordings are provided for archival use only. Any future sharing and/or broadcasting may be subject to copyright laws. Please contact the publisher for more information.

Facilities

In addition to our three performance halls (Bates Recital Hall, Jessen Auditorium and the Recital Studio), the Recording Department has three control rooms and a Live Room for studio-quality recordings. We have an extensive collection of both new and vintage recording/video gear, and the ability to produce professional sounding recordings and high-quality video.

Events that are not Supported by Recording Services

Recording Services does not record guest artist recitals or master classes unless explicitly requested by the faculty organizer with at least 3 weeks lead time. For guest artist recitals, the labor required to record the performance must be paid for, as these concerts are not included in the departmental budget for an academic year.

At this time, Recording Services cannot record rehearsals. Dress rehearsals are not staffed, and therefore any technical needs will need to be met by the performers/ensemble themselves. In the event of a special circumstance (i.e. significant recording projects, reinforcement needs and other heavy technical requirements), arrangements must be made with the Recording Services Manager well in advance to make proper accommodations.

Video Recording

For large ensembles and faculty concerts, the recording department provides a 4-camera, live-switched video recording. This video recording includes a duplicate version of the audio-only recording. For student recitals (Junior, Senior, Masters, D.M.A.) we offer single camera video for all three halls and the studio during recording sessions. All video is 1080p/ H.264 and rendered to a high-quality compressed format for easy upload/download. Postproduction is limited to simple cut/fades and audio synchronization (if necessary).

Student Recitals

See the Recital Recordings page.

Policies

The Recording department does not rent or lend recording equipment.
We do not rent the studio out for rehearsals or sessions that do not involve the recording staff.
The Recording department reserves the right to decline sessions based on staff availability, studio availability, and technical limitations.
If you change the time, date, or location, of a recording session, you must notify the Recording department immediately. Failure to give at least 24-hour notice of these changes will result in a $50 fee and may result in the cancelation of your session.
We cannot accommodate student recitals in the studio. While we do have occasional performances, these are curated and require a separate application process.
Payments for sessions must be made at the time the recording is delivered. Recordings cannot be released until payment is made.
Absolutely no food or drink (with the exception of bottled water) is allowed in the Live Room at any time.

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