Platinum Tracks, Inc., is a small audio recording studio located in Los Angeles.
ID: 2339922 • Letter: P
Question
Platinum Tracks, Inc., is a small audio recording studio located in Los Angeles. The company handles work for advertising agencies-primarily for radio ads-and has a few singers and bands as clients. Platinum Tracks handles all aspects of recording from editing to making a digital master from which CDs can be copied. The competition in the audio recording industry in Los Angeles has always been tough, but it has been getting even tougher over the last several years. The studio has been losing customers to newer studios that are equipped with more up-to-date equipment and that are able to offer very attractive prices and excellent service. Summary data concerning the last two years of operations follow: 2008 2009 Estimated hours of studio service Estimated studio overhead cost Actual hours of studio service provided Actual studio overhead cost incurred Hours of studio service at capacity 800 $160,000 $160,000 500 $160,000 $160,000 1,600 1,000 750 1,600 The company applies studio overhead to recording jobs on the basis of the hours of studio service provided. For example, 40 hours of studio time were required to record, edit, and master the Verde Baja music CD for a local Latino band. All of the studio overhead is fixed, and the actual overhead cost incurred was exactly as estimated at the beginning of the year in both 2008 and 2009Explanation / Answer
a 2008 2009 Estimated studio overhead cost (a) 160000 160000 Estimated hours of studio service (b) 1000 800 Predetermined overhead rate (a/b) 160 200 Verde Baja job’s studio hours 40 40 Overhead applied to the Verde Baja job 6400 8000 b 2008 2009 Predetermined overhead rate 160 200 Actual hours of studio service provided 750 500 Overhead applied 120000 100000 Actual studio cost incurred 160000 160000 Underapplied overhead 40000 60000