A bit of international recording industry news here. Proof that the mainstream recording industry is at a crossroads, a major and I mean MAJOR company is now toying with the idea (beta) of dealing with independent musicians. Far beyond the surface of music marketing, distribution and sales – SONY has now gone as far as offering “song mastering” services to independent music acts.

In a bid to tap into an expanding universe of musicians in the independent sector, Sony Music Studios is opening itself to all comers with a new, low-cost Web-based service called Sony Music Studios Mastering Online (SIM).

For a $99 fee, Vitamin Devo’s song was mastered at Sony Studios by Vic Anesini, whose credits include Ozzy Osbourne , Santana, Elvis Presley, Judas Priest, Uncle Tupelo, Aerosmith, Kelis and Sly & the Family Stone.

The pairing of a mastering engineer who has helped shape the sound on hit singles including Kelis’ “Milkshake” with an artist who claims 1,100 MySpace friends seems improbable at first blush.

But Sony Music Studios’ foray into consumer mastering comes 18 months after a wave of prominent studios, including the Hit Factory in New York and Cello Studios in Los Angeles, shuttered operations. The closings were blamed on a mix of the impact of record industry consolidation, competition from smaller, lower-cost studios and the rise in home recording.

For $99 a pop (5,000 pesos), I would encourage Philippine musicians, artists and bands to give SONY mastering a try. The equipment, experience and facilities of a music giant like SONY is a real bargain at that price point. If the material is really good, it may even end up on some A&R’s desk – wow, that will be a goldmine!

Tags: recording studio, CD mastering