Picture this: You’re in a recording studio and have an urgent need to hit your vape. If you happen to own the studio, you can pretty much do what you want. Let’s suppose, though, that you’re in someone else’s creative space. Surely you shouldn’t just whip your vape out and start blowing vapor into everyone’s faces, right?

Spoiler alert – they probably won’t like that.

So, what’s the right etiquette for vaping in a recording studio? Here are the things that you need to think about if you’re an artist with a need for nicotine.

Always Ask Before Vaping

The number one rule of public vaping – whether it’s in a recording studio or anywhere else – is that you always need to ask the people around you if they’re okay with it before you pull out the vape and start puffing. That’s especially true if you’re in someone else’s space. If anyone in the room isn’t okay with you vaping, it’s only right for you to go outside when you need a break. If other people are vaping already, there probably won’t be a problem – but it’s still a good idea to ask.

Remember That Timing Is Everything

If no one in the studio has an issue with you vaping, it’s time to whip out the pen and start blowing some sweet clouds, right? Not so fast – you also need to consider the timing. Even if everyone in the room is completely okay with you vaping in the studio, there are times when it’s just not appropriate. Here’s what you need to consider.

• Where are you in the studio? If you’re in the mixing room, you don’t have to worry about being caught on a hot mic. Although most modern vapes are very quiet, they’re not completely silent. You don’t want the clicking and popping of your vape to ruin a take.
• If you’re in the recording room with live mics, it’s almost always a bad idea to vape while a track is being recorded unless the auditory effect is something you’re specifically going for. It’s especially a bad idea to vape when someone is recording a vocal track because you wouldn’t want him or her to inhale the vapor unexpectedly during a take.

Watch Where You Blow Your Clouds

Vaping in a recording studio isn’t just a matter of knowing when and where to vape; it’s also about being mindful about where your clouds are going to go. Vaping carries little risk of damaging instruments or recording equipment, but that doesn’t mean you need to blow the vapor right into the engineer’s favorite condenser mic. As a general rule, you shouldn’t have to worry about the vapor getting into any of the recording equipment if you simply blow it toward the floor.  

Consider Zeroing Your Vape

Have you ever heard of zeroing a vape? It’s a vaping technique that allows you to exhale almost no vapor at all, which is perfect if you’re vaping in a public setting like a recording studio. Here’s how to do it.

• If your vape has adjustable power, set it to the lowest available power level. This will make your device produce smaller clouds, of course, but you can always take more puffs if you need a bit more nicotine in order to feel satisfied.
• Consider taking very short puffs when you vape. This will also reduce the cloud size – but once again, you can always take more puffs if you need to.
• When you hit your vape, hold the vapor in your lungs for several seconds instead of exhaling it immediately.
• Exhale slowly. If you did everything correctly, you should see no visible cloud at all because the vapor dissipated while you were holding it in your lungs.

Use the Right Type of Vape

If you want to vape in a recording studio with minimal risk of bothering the people around you, it’s important to use a device with reduced cloud production. It’s going to be very hard to zero your vape if you’re using a sub-ohm mod with huge cloud production. Use a smaller device like a pod system or a disposable vape (yay for those delicious Lost Mary flavors!). Since you’re using a device with reduced cloud production, it’ll be easier for you to hold the vapor in your lungs until it condenses completely. 

Since vaping in a recording studio is all about being considerate of the people and equipment around you, it’s usually best to vape in short sessions until you’re satisfied and then put your device away for a while. That’s another reason why it’s best to use a smaller device. In addition to the reduced cloud production, disposable vapes and pod systems are usually designed for high-strength e-liquids. That means you won’t have to take as many puffs in order to feel satisfied, which is something that everyone in the studio will appreciate.

Share Your Vape Safely

If you’re lucky enough to be working in a vape-friendly studio, it’s possible that some of your bandmates might appreciate a hit as well – especially if they forgot to bring their devices to the session. Passing a vape around, however, is really not the most hygienic thing in the world. If you think that sharing your vape might be a possibility, make sure that you have a few alcohol wipes available. You can use a wipe to quickly clean and disinfect your vape’s mouthpiece before and after letting someone else have a few hits.

Don’t Forget Other Forms of Nicotine

Making music tends to be a pretty low-key process. As long as you ask beforehand and are respectful about the people and equipment, you’re probably going to have no difficulty vaping in the studio without bothering anyone. Just in case, though, it’s a good idea to have another form of nicotine available that’s smoke and vapor free. Nicotine gum and lozenges are available in just about any well-stocked store, and you can use them anywhere when you need a quick pick-me-up.